is cover letter important in australia

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Cover Letter for Jobs in Australia: Sample & Tips

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on writing a cover letter for a job application in Australia. Crafting a compelling cover letter is crucial for landing your dream job and showcasing your skills and qualifications to potential employers.

In this guide, we will provide you with a detailed sample cover letter that you can use as a reference when drafting your own. We will also offer valuable tips and insights to help you tailor your cover letter specifically for the Australian job market.

Whether you’re a local candidate or an international applicant seeking opportunities in Australia, our expert advice will help you create a standout cover letter that highlights your unique strengths and experiences.

Let’s dive in and learn how to create a compelling cover letter that will make a lasting impression on employers in Australia.

Note:  This is a general guide for writing a cover letter for jobs in Australia. It is recommended to customize your cover letter based on the specific requirements of the employer and the job you are targeting.

Recommended: Canadian Cover Letter Sample

Australian Jobs Cover Letter Sample

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am writing to express my interest in the job position at your company. I recently came across the job listing on your website and was immediately drawn to the exciting opportunities that your organization offers.

I am a highly motivated and qualified candidate with [number of years] years of experience in [industry/field]. I have a strong background in [specific skills/qualifications relevant to the job], which I believe would make me a valuable asset to your team.

Having recently relocated to Australia, I am eager to contribute my skills and expertise to the local job market. I am impressed by your company’s commitment to [specific values/goals], and I am confident that my skill set aligns well with your requirements.

Throughout my career, I have consistently demonstrated my ability to [mention key achievements/experiences that prove your competence]. I am a quick learner, adaptable, and thrive in fast-paced environments. Additionally, my strong communication and problem-solving skills have allowed me to successfully collaborate with cross-functional teams and deliver exceptional results.

I am particularly interested in the opportunity to work at your company because of [mention specific aspects of the company that you find appealing, such as its culture, mission, or reputation]. I believe that my passion for [mention relevant industry or field] and my dedication to continuous learning would make me a great fit for your team.

Thank you for considering my application. I have attached my resume for your review. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my qualifications and experience align with your company’s needs in more detail. Please feel free to contact me at your convenience.

I look forward to the possibility of joining your team and contributing to your continued success.

[Your Name]

How to Write a Great Cover Letter for a Job in Australia?

Writing a cover letter for jobs in Australia follows a similar structure and format as cover letters in other countries. Here are 10 key tips to help you craft an effective cover letter to apply for a job in Australia:

1. Contact Information:  Include your full name, address, phone number, and email address at the top of the page.

2. Salutation:  Begin your cover letter with a formal salutation, such as “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name]”

3. Introduction:  Start by introducing yourself and stating the position you are applying for. Mention how you learned about the job opening and express your enthusiasm for the opportunity.

4. Highlight Your Skills and Experience:  In the body paragraphs, showcase your relevant skills, experiences, and achievements. Draw attention to specific accomplishments that demonstrate your suitability for the role. Use bullet points or paragraphs to present this information clearly.

5. Research the Company:  Take the time to research the company and understand its values, goals, and culture. Mention specific aspects that align with your background or career aspirations.

6. Explain Your Motivation:  Explain why you are interested in working for the company and why you believe you are the right candidate for the position. It’s important to demonstrate your passion and commitment.

7. Customize for Each Application:  Tailor each cover letter to the specific job you are applying for. Highlight the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the position.

8. Closing:  Conclude your letter by thanking the hiring manager for considering your application and expressing your interest in further discussing your qualifications.

9. Signature:  End the letter with a professional closing, such as “Sincerely” or “Best regards,” followed by your full name.

10. Proofread and Edit:  Before sending your application, thoroughly proofread your cover letter for any grammar or spelling errors. Read it aloud or ask someone else to review it as well.

Final Thought

Congratulations! You have now acquired the knowledge and tools to create an outstanding cover letter for job applications in Australia. By following our sample and utilizing the tips provided, you can confidently put together a document that effectively showcases your skills and qualifications.

Remember, a well-crafted cover letter is your opportunity to make a strong first impression on potential employers and separate yourself from the competition. Tailoring your letter to the Australian job market will demonstrate your understanding of local expectations and increase your chances of success.

As you begin drafting your own cover letter, keep in mind the importance of personalization, showcasing your relevant skills, and conveying your enthusiasm for the job. Take the time to proofread and review your letter before sending it off, ensuring that it is error-free and clearly communicates your value as a candidate.

Best of luck with your job application in Australia! We are confident that with the information provided in this guide, you will be able to create a compelling cover letter that catches the attention of employers and sets you on the path to career success.

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Best Cover Letter Example Template for Australia

The Best Cover Letter examples in Australia in 2022 will prompt a prospective employer to read your Resume. They do this by demonstrating how your skills and experience align with those sought after by the employer.

By briefly outlining how you can add value to their business, the hiring manager will see that you are someone worth investigating further.

Oftentimes, however, an application will be dismissed before the Resume is even read, as a result of mistakes in the Cover Letter.

Cover Letters play a massive role in whether you get called in for an interview or not. According to a survey conducted by ResumeLab, 83% of recruiters believe that Cover Letters are important in making hiring decisions, and can even convince recruiters to schedule an interview with an applicant despite a poor Resume.

While writing your Cover Letter, you may not be realising that you are making mistakes that are severely impacting your chances at securing the job. Our experts have analysed 100+ Cover Letter examples to highlight the most common mistakes to avoid.

It’s good to get into the habit of understanding these mistakes now before you jeopardise your chances of securing employment any further!

Here are the most important Cover Letter mistakes to avoid:

Best Cover Letter Examples: Avoid Typographical Errors

Page Contents

Most hiring companies in Australia are looking for people with outstanding communication skills.

Communication skills are one of the most important soft skills to have when looking for a job. Demonstrating high-quality communication skills helps to build trust, boost teamwork and furthers your professional relationships.

This will usually include written skills, as well as, verbal communication skills. Your Cover Letter is your first opportunity to show your prospective employer that you have the necessary language capabilities.

Typographical and grammatical errors will often see your application rejected immediately.

Here are some tips:

• Make sure to use a spellchecker after drafting your Cover Letter . This is an easy step that you shouldn’t overlook! If your Cover Letter contains any spelling errors or typos, this immediately sends the message that the rest of your application is weak too.
• Re-read it to make sure the content is grammatically and contextually correct. Present yourself in a strong and accurate way!
• Ask someone else to read through it as well. Sometimes we can miss some obvious mistakes as we have read the content a number of times and are ‘too close to it’. Having someone else read your Cover Letter to check for any mistakes is always a fantastic idea!

Best Cover Letters in Australia: Avoid using a standard or generic Cover Letter

You need to tailor your Cover Letter to the position you are applying for, and the best Cover Letter examples in Australia have shown that.

One of the quickest ways to have your application overlooked is to send out a generic Cover Letter which does not address the specific key selection criteria or skill set required.

Things to include in a tailored Cover Letter in Australia are:

• Your contact information like email address, mobile number and LinkedIn Profile
• The position you are applying for
• The skills and experience you have which qualify you as being suitable for this specific job
• An example of how you applied as many of those skills in a previous role – this should directly tie in with one of the key selection criteria listed in the job advertisement
• The name of the organisation you are applying to; the name of the hiring manager and change the date of your Cover Letter if you are using a template from a previous application

Best Cover Letters Template Tips: Don’t write too much!

Your Cover Letter should be concise, encouraging the hiring manager to want to learn more about you by reading your Resume, and, ultimately, inviting you to an interview.

By rambling on too much and including unnecessary information, you risk alienating yourself and having your application dismissed. Recruiters love simple, short and concise Cover Letters. Get to the point!

Keep your Cover Letter to one page, highlighting your most relevant achievements and skills, always ensuring they match the key selection criteria stated in the position description.

Best Cover Letters in Australia: Avoid buzzwords

Using Buzzwords or clichés in your Cover Letter shows a lack of imagination and effort. You don’t want to give off the impression to recruiters of being unoriginal or lazy, do you?

Simply recycling those qualities listed in a job ad word-for-word and attributing them to yourself won’t do you much good. Without giving concrete examples of how they apply to you will see your application immediately brushed aside. Examples of such buzz words include: “team player”, “good communication skills”, “hard worker”, and “detail-oriented”.

Don’t just tell them you’re a hard worker, show them! Back-up your statements. You can do this by detailing specific tasks and outcomes you were responsible for, and successful at, while in your previous role(s).

Your Cover Letter and Resume may promise a certain level of personality or value, which is what will get you an interview, but once you’re face-to-face with a recruiter, that level of value will need to be made evident.

Best Cover Letters: Include appropriate personal details

Personal details such as your age, hobbies, and marital status should not be included in your Cover Letter .

Not only are they usually irrelevant to the job you are applying for, but they could also give the person reading your Cover Letter an excuse to dismiss your application without having read your Resume.

An employer wants to see how your previous work experience relates to the position on offer.  So, unless your outside interests are pertinent to the role, it’s best to not include them in your Cover Letter.

Best Cover Letters: Don’t exaggerate or lie about skills or experience

Sometimes job seekers are tempted to exaggerate their skills or experience to improve their chances of obtaining an interview. This is a big mistake.

Whether the prospective employer asks you about it during an interview or calls your previous employer to ask them, you will nearly always be found out.

It is much better to really think about how your actual experience relates to the qualities and key selection criteria being sought after. Once you have found qualitative and quantitative examples of this experience, aim to express this honestly and in your own words.

Even if you don’t have enough experience required for the job you’re applying for, you can overcome this by selling yourself in other ways.

A Cover Letter that highlights your achievements and includes similar projects or relatable experience can work in your favour. This will provide evidence of your value in terms of accomplishments which is what recruiters want to know about.

Also, if you’re qualified in any way, you can sell this in a Cover Letter or in the interview to convince recruiters of your value, regardless of any gaps in your experience, skill set or job history.

Download our Cover Letter Example Template For 2022 

To conclude, a good Cover Letter is a pivotal factor in the job application and job interview process. A Cover Letter should be well-written and engaging, and should convince the hiring manager that you are the best candidate.

A Cover Letter is a brief introduction of a job applicant that captures the employer’s attention and conveys competence, professionalism, and enthusiasm. The Cover Letter should provide some basic facts about the applicant such as their current position, career goals, and key skills.

To help you develop the perfect Cover Letter, download our free Cover Letter Template today to get started! Our Cover Letter template includes tips and advice from top Australian recruiters which will help you catch the recruiter’s attention – so you land a job in 2022.

The template can be customised to apply for jobs in all industries including Information Technology, Engineering, Business, Finance, and Accounting.

If you would like one-to-one support to create a high-quality and impactful Cover Letter to get more job interviews and jobs in Australia, please feel free to get in touch.

We wish you all the best in your job search! Careers Team, Career Success Australia

Our Career Counsellors have helped more than 3000+ Job seekers to get their Dream Job in Australia.

How To Write A Great Cover Letter For A Job [Top Tips]

Top 7 Cover Letter Phrases to Avoid

How to Write a Cover Letter!

Hello, It’s been a real challange finding job(s) that DON’T require vaccinations. How does one succeed in getting THAT job where this isn’t a requirement?

While the initial advertisment for a job doesn’t mention the need for a double vaccantion, it isn’t until the end or indeed, when one is called for a interview, that the question arises.

What can I, as one that has been stood down from a 15 year job, do to succeed in getting a job? And one where the mandate hasn’t been implemented or has been rescinded. It just seems so prejudicial.

Many thanks, Armand Haine

Hi Armand, yes, we have heard of many cases where the person hasn’t been able to have the vaccination due to medical reasons. At some point in time the vaccination certificate requirement that some companies ask for will phase out. What you can do Armand is increase the number of job interviews you attend. The more interviews you get, the more offers you will get which means you may find an employer that does not require the vaccination certificate. Also, it depends which industry you are trying to get into. Some industries require it, others, not so much. Feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss your case in detail. Best wishes, Career Success Australia

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Do you need a cover letter in 2024?

Crafting a professional resume and great cover letters takes time during a job search, and many job seekers will eventually find themselves asking, “Do I really need a cover letter?”, "What's a good example of a cover letter?" and "Who can I go to for cover letter advice?".

With job seekers today outnumbering jobs by as much as 106-to-one , the competition to secure employment has intensified. For those seeking work, a career change or their dream job, it’s often a toss-up between perfecting every resume and creating a good cover letter or getting out as many applications as possible.

So, are cover letters a must-have for every job posting? Also, what makes a great cover letter ? Would it be helpful to review a sample cover letter? What does a hiring manager look for? Where can I find the best cover letter examples?

We take a look at when you need one, when you don’t, and how to get the most out of cover letters. We'll also share cover letter examples that you can use to create a great cover letter for your job application.

When is a cover letter essential?

First and foremost, you need to include a good cover letter in any job listing that specifically asks for one. Leaving a cover letter out when it’s requested almost guarantees that you’ll be passed over for applicants who took the time to write one.

If you have a fairly extensive professional history outlined on your resume, a cover letter is also useful for highlighting the skills and experience most relevant to the job in question.

On the other hand, if you’re applying for a dream job but don’t have a huge amount of relevant experience, a cover letter is a good opportunity to communicate your passion for the industry and role, highlight transferable skills, personal value and tell a story about why you should be given a job interview even if you aren’t the most qualified candidate.

You may have heard that cover letters are no longer necessary, but consider your compelling cover letter as another opportunity to sell yourself for the job and stand out to the hiring manager. Creating your own cover letter template can also help you write personalised cover letters for multiple career opportunities saving you some time in the writing process.

Read next : How to write an outstanding cover letter

When is a cover letter not needed?

There are some scenarios in which you don’t need a cover letter, such as when there’s nowhere to upload it in a job application or when you’re applying to someone you have worked with before or know well – or if the hiring manager has advised that one is not necessary. If you’re unsure, though, it’s best to err on the side of caution and include an effective cover letter to show you’re serious about the job. If you’re working with a hiring manager or recruiter representing a potential employer, it’s best to ask directly.

Even if a cover letter isn’t necessary, remember that a resume still isn’t the be-all and end-all. 

Your professional profile extends to your LinkedIn and other social media profiles , and even a dedicated online portfolio (depending on your industry). With this in mind, it’s important to keep your social profiles up to date and relevant to the jobs you’re applying for in case the hiring manager reviews these.

Related: 8 ways to perfect your ‘social resume’

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In a competitive job market, the importance of crafting a professional resume and a compelling cover letter cannot be overstated. Here are the key takeaways for when and how to use cover letters effectively in your job application process:

Cover letters are essential when:

• The job listing specifically requests one.
• Highlighting specific skills and experiences relevant to the job.
• Demonstrating passion and transferable skills for candidates lacking direct experience.

Scenarios where a cover letter may not be necessary:

• The application process does not allow for one.
• Applying to a known contact or when advised against by the hiring manager.
• Always include one if unsure, to show dedication to the role.

Beyond the cover letter:

• Maintain updated and relevant LinkedIn and other social media profiles.
• These profiles extend your professional image and may be reviewed by hiring managers.

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Are there any Australian resources to help with writing a cover letter?

I'm applying for some roles ATM, my current position is likely coming to an end in December so I'm making steps now to ensure I'm not left high and dry.

I've never been great at cover letters, and basically leaving my resume to do the convincing.

But there's a number of roles at leadership level that I'm interested in giving a shot. But they are all requiring cover letters or key selection criteria. Ive written two and not been very happy with them. It is basically just summarising my experience "I've experience in x and y while at company z" but the way the PD is written seems like they want more of an example.

I've looked online and everything is American geared (so super suck uppy bullshit). Anything that's not a shitty recruiter like HAYS that has some advice?

How To Address A Cover Letter In Australia (With Examples)

Dear Hiring Manager?

(36 votes, average: 4.6 out of 5)

Contributing Editor | HR, careers & job search

I founded three separate companies over the past decade to help leaders and organisations do their best work. Arielle Executive helps leaders get noticed while Arielle Partners & Talent Avenue connect organisations to Australia's best leadership talent.

Last updated: September 18th, 2023

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A well-written cover letter is essential for ensuring that your job application gets noticed by Australian hiring managers and recruiters.

However, you must address your cover letter correctly – and to the right contact person. Make a misstep here, and you’ll immediately send the wrong message to a potential employer.

Why Is It Important To Address Your Cover Letter Correctly?

A personal, precise greeting tells the hiring manager that you’ve invested time and effort into finding their contact details.

While this may seem like a trivial detail, it kicks off your relationship on the right foot by:

• Building a connection.
• Positioning you as a conscientious candidate with strong attention to detail.

The WRONG Way To Address Your Cover Letter.

Australian employers want to see your personality come through on your cover letter, but not to the point where it looks too casual and/or unprofessional.

Avoid the following, or any variations thereof:

• “Hey, Tom!’
• “Hola, Hiring Manager.”
• “Sup Boss”

Who To Address Your Cover Letter To?

Ideally, you should target your cover letter to the person making the hiring decision.

• In a small business, this may be the Managing Director or owner.
• In a large business , this will probably be the hiring manager or a department head.
• If the business uses an external recruitment firm , you should address the cover letter to the recruiter.

Getting the person’s title and gender is helpful, but the most important detail you need to list is the person’s actual name.

(Related: Best Resume And Cover Letter Builders in Australia ).

How To Find The Recipient’s Name.

There are a few steps that you can follow to make sure that your cover letter has the correct address at its beginning. If one step doesn’t work, then try the others.

1. Use The Job Description.

Job descriptions frequently – though not always – contain the hiring manager’s or the recruiter’s contact details.

The more senior the role is, the more likely the JD is to include a point of contact.

Expert Tip.

If all you have is a job ad that’s published by a recruitment firm rather than a company’s internal talent team (logos are a dead giveaway), you can always call the firm’s front desk and find out who on their team specialises in your type of role.

This Seek job ad doesn’t provide a recruiter’s details, but the recruitment firm’s name is clearly visible.

After hopping across into LinkedIn and discovering that Finite IT Recruitment Solutions has 123 employees, I narrowed my focus down to 39 people by filtering in only people with the word “Consultant” in the job title.

Using this method, it’s often possible to narrow your pool of possible targets to 1-3 people.

2. Use The Company Website.

Look for an “About Us” or “Our Team” page, with the names and roles of all their key employees.

Poke around until you understand their organisational structure well enough to find the most appropriate person.

Depending on company size, it will likely be one of the following:

• The solo internal recruiter (e.g., “Recruitment Manager” or “Talent Acquisition Manager”)
• The internal recruiter who specialises in your field (e.g., Recruiter – Sales).
• Head of the department you’re likely applying to (e.g., Head of Sales).

If this approach doesn’t provide enough detail, call the company and ask for clarification. Explain that you’re applying for a role and would like to make a positive first impression by getting the hiring manager’s name right.

3. Use LinkedIn.

Find the company’s LinkedIn page, bring up the full list of its employees, and then use the filters to find either the head of the department you’re applying for, or the internal recruitment professional.

It’s often surprisingly easy to find the right person – even if the company is huge.

For example, if you were applying for a sales role with HubSpot in Australia, a LinkedIn search that filters out everyone except employees with the title “sales” would bring up 25 people.

You’ll need to use common sense and further research to narrow the list down further, but 25 people at a publicly listed global company with 883 million in revenue isn’t a bad starting point.

What If You Can’t Find The Hiring Manager’s Name?

If you have followed my earlier tips and could not find the name of the right person, you have the option of targeting the title.

Depending on the size and structure of the company, you’ll need to aim at either:

1. The Department Head.

Target your future boss or their boss. For example:

• “Dear Head of Marketing”
• “Dear CTO”
• “Dear Sales Director”

2. The Head Of Talent Acquisition.

Companies increasingly roll up their recruitment and HR teams under the overall umbrella of “People and Culture”. Your cover letter could aim at any of the following:

• “Dear Recruitment Manager”
• “Dear Talent Acquisition Manager”
• “Dear Head of People”

Larger companies with multiple departments and complex hierarchies are more challenging to target precisely. It’s not the end of the world if you can’t narrow your options down to one person. As long as you can make an educated guess that makes logical sense, you’ll be fine.

Can I Use The Hiring Manager’s First Name Only?

Yes, but tread with caution. Unless you’re certain that the company’s culture is very informal, it’s probably safer to use the person’s last name.

If you do use the first name only, the traditional approach is to prefix it with a title like “Mr” or “Mrs”, although a simple “Hello” is increasingly common.

Can I Use “To Whom It May Concern”?

Only as the very last resort. It’s distant, impersonal, and hints that you didn’t try to find the hiring manager’s real contact details.

Can I Use “Dear Sir/Madam”?

Same as above.

Can I Use “Dear Hiring Manager”?

Can i assume marital status.

I suggest you don’t. If you do get it wrong, you’ll end up looking unprofessional.

Instead of taking a stab guessing whether your hiring manager is a “Mrs” or a “Miss” Costanza, I suggest you stick to the more general “Ms” for all female recipients.

“Mr” is OK for all men, regardless of marital status.

Using gendered titles is becoming increasingly problematic. Avoid the possibility of misgendering someone by using a simple “Hello Jackie”.

How To Deal With Academic Titles?

Academic titles like “Dr” and “Professor” overrule the traditional “Mr” and “Mrs”. If you’re not sure, search the University’s website for the academic’s profile page.

What Is A Cover Letter?

A cover letter is a targeted career marketing document, which you must tailor to every job that you apply for.

It is a place to demonstrate to the recruiter why you are so interested in this particular role and why you’re a better fit than every other candidate.

While your resume provides an overview of your work history and commercial value, your cover letter is a 10-second elevator pitch that spotlights your most relevant and important accomplishments.

Your cover letter must be written in a professional tone, and be less than 1 page in length.

Cover letters should not be copied and pasted, because they need to be customised to the requirements of each job and each employer.

Do Recruiters And Hiring Managers Even Read Cover Letters?

I conducted a survey, which revealed that about 2/3 of recruiters and hiring managers never read cover letters.

As with most complex issues, the devil is in the details.

See, most cover letters get thrown in the bin not because hiring managers aren’t interested in cover letters per se, but because 90% of cover letters are generic, untargeted and dull.

Hiring managers don’t have an aversion to reading cover letters; rather, they have an aversion to cover letters that don’t reveal anything new, unique or valuable about the candidate.

Now that you know this fact, use it as an opportunity to set yourself apart from other job seekers:

• Write the best cover letter you can
• Target it to each role
• Ensure it’s not a carbon copy of your resume

Which Font Type And Size Should You Use On Your Cover Letter?

The styling of your cover letter should match that of your resume. Start with the following parameters and micro-adjust if necessary:

• Your Name : 32 points, Arial Nova, bold
• Your Title : 13 points, Arial Nova, bold
• Cover Letter Heading : 20 points, Calibri, all caps
• Cover Letter Body : 11 points, Calibri

All the best in your job search!

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5 things employers wish they could say about your cover letter

When it comes to job applications, cover letters play a key role. They introduce you to the employer and tell them how the experience and skills in your resumé make you a great match for the job.

So, what do employers want to see in a cover letter? What makes a good impression, and what are the potential pitfalls that could make your application less appealing?

Here are five things Sian Havard, Founder and Consultant at recruitment company Milkshake Group, would like to tell you about your cover letter, so that you can write a winning one.

1. If your application doesn’t have one, you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage.

All employers and recruiters ask for different things in their application processes, but it’s generally expected that you include a brief, relevant cover letter. If you submit an application without one, it could well be ignored.

A well-written cover letter can help you make a great impression. Cover letters can take different forms, so pay attention to what’s requested in the job ad. If you’re specifically asked to submit one as a Word document, follow those instructions. Otherwise a cover letter in an email may do, depending on the situation and job.

Havard explains, “A lot of applications these days are emailed directly to someone. This means the content of your email replaces the traditional cover letter, so there’s no need to attach a separate cover letter. A well written, brief email making reference to an attached resumé will be a strong start to your application process.”

2. Keep it brief. 

“Any email or attachment you send to a company you’d like to work at demonstrates how you might communicate with people inside and outside of the company if you worked there,” says Havard. So, keep it professional, and concise.

“Usually around four to five short paragraphs will be sufficient for a cover email,” she says. “An attached letter might be a little longer but shouldn’t be more than one page. The purpose of a cover letter is to offer the person reviewing it a taster of who you are, your potential fit for the position and incentivise them to review your resumé to learn more about you.”

3. It’s better to get straight to the point. 

Sometimes you want to build suspense and tell a longer story, but cover letters aren’t the place for this. Be upfront and explain what your skills and experience are and why you’re the right fit for the job right away. Consider writing the opening sentence of your first paragraph to include your most relevant experience and your objective. For example, “With a background in closing contracts at top corporations, I am confident that I could excel in the role of Sales Executive.”

“A cover letter is a great opportunity to succinctly tell the person reading it which role you’re applying for and why you’re interested in it,” Havard explains. “Your resumé should then showcase why you’re a good fit for the role in more detail.

4.  Don’t just repeat your resumé .

A cover letter should expand on the relevant points in your resumé, rather than repeat them. You want to give a sense of who you are, your skills and what you can offer. So, after your opening statement, focus on introducing yourself more. “Include things like how you found out about the role, why you’re interested in applying for it, and any relevant understanding you have about the position and the company.

Show that you understand the culture of the company you’re applying to. “If you’ve read about the company online and you can tell they’re informal in their communication, use your cover letter to show you know how to communicate in their language.”

5. Know who you’re talking to.

If a job ad states exactly who the person is going to, then use your cover letter to address it that person, Havard says. You could do some research to find out who the hiring manager is – this shows you’ve made the effort to learn more about the company as well. If it’s still unclear, you could try ‘Dear Hiring Manager’ or try addressing it to the relevant department. ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ or ‘To whom it may concern’ are traditional options, but could seem overly formal in some situations. Havard says ‘Hi team [company name]’ may also be fine if you’re applying to an informal environment, but it pays to be more professional unless you’re really sure.

If you’re sending your application to an email address – as opposed to uploading it to a website – Havard says it’s likely a particular person will be reviewing what you’ve sent. “In this case, a well written, basic cover email mentioning that they can find your resumé attached as an expression of interest for the position advertised is often enough to inspire them to open your resumé.”

By following these tips you’ll be on the right track to crafting a cover letter that makes a great impression to employers and goes hand-in-hand with your resumé to highlight the skills and experience you can offer.

While you’re at it, make sure your SEEK Profile is up to date and complete – it’s a great way to introduce yourself to prospective employers.

• Free cover letter template
• 5 things employers wish they could say about your resumé
• How to write a great job application email

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