
When a company advertises a job vacancy, they are effectively saying, “We don’t have someone to do this role — we have a problem!” What is vital is for you to achieve in both your resume and cover letter is the impression that you are the solution. As well as a professional CV, your will need a targeted cover letter.Related: 7 Cover Letter Mistakes You Make When Applying Via E-mail
A recruitment colleague of mine recently completed an analysis of the quality of cover letters sent to his consultancy. Out of every 100 candidates, on average:
Featured in the Economist and Harvard Business Review, Tom O’Neil is an international author, award winning motivational speaker and regular contributor in personal and career achievement. He is international author of both the ‘1% Principle’ and ‘Selling Yourself to Employers’, and is also an international contributor (2008 – 2014) to the world’s best-selling personal development guide ‘What Color is Your Parachute?’
- 73% of applicants supplied no cover letter or a brief introduction in the email of one to two lines
- 16% supplied poor quality cover letters with spelling mistakes and highlighting no relevance to the specific role being advertised
- 11% provided a professional cover letter highlighting the key aspects from the advertisement and their relevance to the appointment