Hello there, my name is Richard McMunn from the Interview Training Company PassMyInterview.com,
and in this tutorial, I'm going to teach you how to write a brilliant cover letter!
Now, it does not matter which job you are applying for, I promise you, by the time we
get to the end of this tutorial, you will know how to write a brilliant cover letter
that is guaranteed to get you an interview.
So, please do stick around and watch it from beginning to end.
Now, before I get into the cover letter tips, and the cover letter example that I've got
prepared for you, a very warm welcome to this tutorial.
As I say, my name is Richard McMunn.
That's me there in the center.
I'm a former fire officer and for the last 20 years or so, I've been helping people to
pass interviews, complete job applications, and also to create brilliant cover letters
that get them a job interview, and beat the competition.
Please do SUBSCRIBE to my channel by clicking the red button below the video, and that way
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And also, I'd very much appreciate it if you gave the video a LIKE.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
So, let's get straight into the content so you know how to create a brilliant cover letter.
First and foremost, what is a cover letter?
What is the purpose of a cover letter?
Well, a cover letter is designed to accompany your job application, and it must sell your
key skills, the qualities you have and also the experiences you've gained so far to demonstrate
you are the perfect candidate for the job.
So, with the cover letter, we want to make sure it shows the person reading it that you
are the best candidate.
OK.
So we need to take a bit of time to create it for your particular job.
Now, that does not mean it has to be long.
It does not have to be long in nature.
And it is really easy to create a brilliant cover letter.
But let me give you three top tips for creating the perfect cover letter before I give you
my cover letter example.
Tip number one.
Keep it short.
Keep it concise and above everything else, make sure it's positive in nature.
So, it does not need to be lengthy.
Simply because the hiring manager or the person reading it, they don't have the time to read
through reams of text and pages.
The best cover letters are short and powerful and are just one side of A4.
So that's brilliant, your cover letter should only be one side of A4.
I've had them before come through for jobs for me and they've been two, three, four and
sometimes five pages long!
I do not read them.
One side of A4 is perfect for a cover letter.
Tip number two, make sure you load your cover letter with powerful key words and phrases.
So, if you think about it, the Hiring Manager who reads your cover letter, they will have
read many of these before.
Therefore, we need to make sure yours stands out from the other applicants.
And to achieve this, we can make it unique by inserting a number of positive keywords
and phrases such as I am professional, I am self-motivated, I am a determined and enthusiastic
person, I am confident and I am also a great team worker - of all those kind of key words
and phrases that are positive go to help demonstrate that you are the right person for the job.
Tip number three, don't make any spelling, grammar or punctuation mistakes - very, very
important.
If you do, then your cover letter and your application is likely to end up in the bin.
So make sure it doesn't have any spelling, grammar or punctuation mistakes.
And I've created a cover letter for you that is great that I'm going to come onto in a
second.
So it's really important to make sure your cover letter has zero mistakes.
So what do we include in your cover letter?
Let's break it down into five things.
Number one, you have to have a professional introduction.
And I'm going to tell you exactly what to write.
So, give them a professional introduction.
Number two, then tell them who you are and the reasons why you are applying for this
job.
Number three, then go on to explain the skills, the qualities and the experience you have
that are a perfect match for the role you are applying for.
Then number four, this is probably the most important element of a cover letter.
Give them a powerful CLOSING STATEMENT.
Say something at the end that makes them want to interview you.
That makes them want to hire you and then provide them with your contact details at
the end.
Give them two things.
Telephone number that they can contact you on quickly to invite you to the interview.
And then finally an email address, a professional looking email address, and make sure you check
your emails quickly.
So if they contact you, don't spend days before you reply.
Get back to them quickly.
And also, in respect of your contact telephone number you give them, if there is an answer
phone message, make sure the message is professional.
So, what to include?
Number one, that professional introduction is an absolute must.
So when you start off your cover letter or the cover email, make sure you start off with
Dear sir/madam.
Exactly that highlighted in blue.
Don't say “to whom it may concern”, if you use Dear sir/madam, then you're covering
all angles.
But it makes you come across in a professional manner in respect of your communication, you’re
being formal.
Then, the second thing, the job you are applying for.
Provide an introduction that tells the hiring manager the name and the position you are
applying for.
So, here's what to write.
“I am writing to apply for the position of administrative assistant with your company
as advertised on, and I've put there Indeed.com.
So, all you would need to do is change the role.
So, change Administrative Assistant for the role you're applying for and then change Indeeed.com
for the website that you found the job advertised on.
So, “Dear sir/madam, I am writing to apply for the position of Administrative Assistant
with your company as advertised on Indeed.com.
Just change those two parts.
The next thing.
Number three, who you are and why you're applying for the job.
So, this aspect of the cover letter should only be a few lines long, but it needs to
include details of you as a potential employee and the reasons why you've applied for the
job.
Here's a great example.
“I am a positive, enthusiastic and self-motivated person who understands the importance of customer
service and great attention to detail in a role of this nature.
I am applying for this job because having researched both the job description and the
person specification, I believe the experiences I've gained in life so far are a perfect match
for the position.”
So, that is a great, a great paragraph to put in your cover letter.
So, do the Dear sir/madam, then the job you're applying for, and then put that in there as
well.
Then the next part number for details of the skills and qualities you possess that are
relevant to the role.
So during the next stage of your cover letter, list any skills and qualities you have gained.
So, they are a perfect match for the job description and the person specification.
Here's what you should write.
“The skills, qualities and attributes I possess that will be of benefit to this role
are as follows.
An ability to work hard as part of a team to achieve the company goals and projects.
High levels of customer service and care.
A desire to continually develop within the role so I can continue to contribute positively,
an honest, reliable and professional approach to my work.
Able to follow rules and procedures.
A willingness to take on all tasks regardless of their complexity.
And a positive and enthusiastic attitude to my work.”
All of those things are attractive to an employer.
Then number five, a powerful closing statement.
What do you say at the end?
So, at the end of your cover letter, include a powerful and positive closing statement
that goes on to explain why you are the best person for the role.
Here's what I would put.
“I fully appreciate you need to employ someone within this position who can not only deliver
on their promises, but who can also work as part of a team to carry out the daily tasks
and objectives you need completing.
I strongly believe I am the best candidate for this position and would very much appreciate
the opportunity to attend an interview.”
That's a great, powerful closing statement.
Then number six, the correct sign off at the end of your cover letter with your contact
details.
So, the final aspect of your cover letter is to sign off correctly.
So if you've used.
Dear sir/madam, which you would have done, finish off with Yours faithfully.
That's really important.
So you should also include your contact details.
Don't forget - mobile phone number and also an email address that you would respond to
quickly.
Now I'm going to cover, give you my full cover letter example right now.
But if you want to download 7 ‘Ready-to-go’ cover letters that I've written for you, and
you just pick one of them, click the link at the top right hand corner.
It will take you through to my website, PassMyInterview.com and you can find out how to download my 7
BRILLIANT COVER LETTERS that are pretty much guaranteed to get you the job and put you
ahead of the competition!
So, here's our full cover letter example I've got for you.
Here we go.
“Dear sir/madam, RE: application for, and then in yellow you insert the name of the
position and the reference number, if there is one: “I would like to apply for the above
position, and having read the job advert and job description, I believe I possess the right
qualities and skills to carry out the role to a high standard.
I am a positive, enthusiastic and self-motivated person who understands the importance of customer
service in a role of this nature.
I believe the life experiences I've gained so far would enable me to deal with your customers
in a positive manner, in line with the expectations of the role and also in respect to the code
of conduct required by your organization.
The key skills, qualities and attributes I have that I feel would be beneficial to the
role include: A reliable, trustworthy and flexible approach to all tasks; Being able
to maintain a genuine, happy and positive demeanour whilst at work; An understanding
of how important customer service is within the role; Able to communicate professionally
with all customers and clients; An ability to work under pressure and complete all tasks
in line with the job description; Assisting the other team members whilst carrying out
their duties.
If I am successful in my application, I believe you will be impressed with my positive attitude
to work, my ability to deliver excellent service and also my ability to learn the role quickly
and reliably.
Yours faithfully.
And then you would put your full name and also your telephone number and your email
address.
So, that's a perfect cover letter.
And don't forget, if you want to download my full set, If you click the link in the
top right hand corner, I've got SEVEN ‘READY-TO-GO’ COVER LETTERS that you can use and you just
fill in the blanks that I've highlighted.
And you are good to go.
I hope you enjoyed that tutorial.
Don't forget, subscribe and please do hit the like button.
Thank you very much.
And if you've got any questions, put them in the comments section below and I wish you
all the very best in your pursuit to creating a brilliant cover letter.
Thank you for watching.