In today’s online world it is more challenging than ever to stand out. A cover letter (or a cover email) is exactly how to do this. A Cover Letter is designed to complement the participant’s CV and it is an opportunity to expand on their experience and achievements.
An attention-grabbing Cover Letter needs to be much more than a copy and paste of a new company name at the top of a generic letter. It needs to give an employer a real insight into who they are and be tailored to the requirements of each position.
It can be tricky to know where to start but here are our top tips on how to write a cover letter that grabs attention.
Keep it short.
Try to make sure that the Cover Letter is no more than one A4 page in length.
The Cover Letter is an opportunity to go into more detail about the key points that have been raised in the CV and more detail can be provided onto why the jobseeker wishes to work in this role and with this employer in particular.
Split the Cover Letter into 4-5 paragraphs:
- An introductory paragraph
- 2-3 paragraphs to write about why they are suited to the job and employer
- A paragraph to wrap up the letter.
For this it can be useful to work with your participant to create a bullet point list of everything you both want to include and then start writing from there.
This can be useful for mock interviews as well as interviews with the employer, as they will have ample opportunity to share even more about their previous roles.
Importance of Research.
Although, Candid allows you to copy and paste the job role into the platform so the CV and Cover Letter is tailored towards the role, it is important to go that step further. One of the keyways to support the individual you are working with is to demonstrate they have a real interest in the company’s wider vision and goals. Showing their enthusiasm and excitement for the role in a more specific way helps them to stand out!
Keep this part of the Cover Letter short. You should only mention this in either the introduction or in direct relation to their skills. But we would recommend if offered an interview to further this research.
Expand On the CV.
The Cover Letter provides the perfect opportunity to give more detail about the information that is mentioned in the CV.
As with the CV, use the Job Description to determine the key skills that the employer is looking for, and tie them back to examples of their experience. Statistics are particularly powerful, so use them as much as possible, being vague doesn’t help people stand out.
Use your Cover Letter to talk about their passion for the work they do, and share some of the lessons they have learned along the way.
One final point: the easiest way to attract attention from recruiters is to project confidence throughout the Cover Letter. The more they demonstrate they believe in themselves and their abilities, the more a prospective employer will too!
Candid AI already meets all the standards above. The CV and Cover Letter tools work together, giving every participant a consistent, job‑specific application. If you’d like to explore how this could support your team, request a quick walkthrough.
