Job Ready: Writing A Cover Letter

During February on the Legal People blog, we are bringing you a series to get yourself job ready. In this article we bring you our tips for writing the perfect cover letter. Follow these tips to help you get in the door for the interview!

Format

Recruiters generally ask for your CV and cover letter in a particular file format. This might be a PDF or a Word document. One reason for this is that they may be using scanning software to check the document for specially selected key words. It is important to submit your cover letter in the way they have requested. If it is not specified, use PDF format.

Please use professional looking fonts and formats. Remember Legal firms in Australia can be a conservative bunch, so keep your paper white and your text black.

Length

Your cover letter is not a summary of your CV. Its purpose is to highlight your relevant skills and experience. It should convince the hiring manager of your interest in their role and their company. It should pique their interest and pursuade them to want to find out some more about you.

Addressee

It is good practice to address the cover letter to the person who is recruiting for the position. Sometimes this takes a little bit of research which makes you look like you have initiative. Is there someone at the hiring firm you can ask for the person’s name and title? Can you do some cyber sleuthing on LinkedIn?

Your Contact Details

Please don’t forget your contact details. You should always include a professional looking e-mail address. It is good practice to include a mobile phone number that you are easily contacted on.

Include the role details

In the subject line of your cover letter you should include the title of the role you have seen advertised and where you saw it. You never know, the recruiter may be sourcing candidates for several roles at the same time.

The body copy

This should include only the information that is relevant to this role. It is a good idea to use key words that have been used in the job advertisement. For example if they are looking for someone who is motivated and enthusiastic, then it is a good idea to use these words or their synonyms when you are describing yourself.

You should highlight your skills and experience in the particular area of law or support they are looking for. For example, you may specify that you have 7 years of experience in Construction Law if the role is for a Construction Lawyer.

Edit Carefully!

Read over your cover letter carefully and ensure you do a spell check. Have someone you trust read your cover letter and check it for grammar and spelling. It can also be a good idea to read it to yourself out loud so that you get a feel for how it sounds. This will help you tell if the sentences are too long. Remember the hiring manager is likely to be reviewing lots of applications. They will most likely just scan your letter on the first read so keep it succinct and to the point.

Submit according to the deadline

Once your cover letter is finished, make sure you submit it according to the deadline in the job advertisement. Submitting it late is not a good look and is unlikely to get your application into the "Yes" pile.

If you are on the hunt for a new role in 2017 in Melbourne, Australia, then get in touch with us here at Legal People. If you enjoyed reading this article, you can follow our Company Page on LinkedIn for available roles and more career tips for the Legal Industry.