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Brilliant Ethical Cover Letters
'They' say that good guys finish last. But 'we' say nuts to that. Not only are ethical cover letters incredibly persuasive but they will also score well on credibility. You can ace you cover letter even without experience, ethically.

Recent Graduate Cover Letters
Many graduates make the same mistake in their cover letters. Are you writing about you, or are you writing about how you can help the employer?

The Perilous Journey of a Cover Letter
Do you ever wonder why perfectly good job applications are not short listed for an interview? Cover letters must endure ruthless scrutiny before they are short listed.

How to Flesh Out a Response to Selection Criteria
Sometimes job advertisements ask for generic skills that are difficult to demonstrate. See a step by step example of how to produce a powerful response from a generic statement.

Aristotle's Cover Letters
The Greek philosopher Aristotle is credited with the earliest study of logic through his work titled 'prior analytics'. And it is some of this work that provides a construct for the persuasive arguments that are present in cover letters today.

Excellent Cover Letters Exposed
Many cover letter templates encourage you to promote yourself by imposing commanding, overbearing language such as "my background enables me to meet and exceed your expectations". This article examines the impact of grandiloquent statements in a cover letter. What do they achieve? What impression do they make? Are you disadvantaged by exercising some humility?


WHAT'S IN AND WHAT'S OUT

10 KEY ITEMS TO INCLUDE IN A COVER LETTER

  • Personal details such as your name and contact information.
  • The date and details on the job advertisement such as the source of the advertisement (newspaper, web site, word of mouth)
  • A brief note stating why are interested in the role.
  • Your relevant background, training and education.
  • Any relevant achievements such as awards and certifications.
  • Briefly address each criterion in the job advertisement. Provide specific background and experiences.
  • Strong, convincing arguments demonstrating how you meet the criteria at a high standard.
  • One or two references to your resume.
  • Should be four to five paragraphs in length including one for the introduction and one for the closing statement.
  • A 'call to action' suggesting an interview or further contact.

COMMON MISTAKES

  • Spelling mistakes and/or grammatical errors. Make sure that you use a spell checker. Proof read your response several times, I find it helpful to proof read my work after I have taken a break.
  • Poor formatting. This document must be visually appealing and easy to follow. Make sure that there is a clear introduction, body and conclusion.
  • Not tailoring the response to the individual job. Each job has a unique set of criteria to respond to. Addressing these criteria specifically will allow you to begin the process of establishing a common ground.
  • Don't write too much. You risk losing the recruiter's attention and interest.
  • Don't write too little. It seems a little tough, doesn't it! Don't assume that the recruiter knows your background or skill level. These key points must be spelled out - literally.
  • Don't be negative. Your entire document should be upbeat and positive with a 'can do' attitude.
  • Don't dismiss the cover letter as the 'least important' document. If this document doesn't shine it is possible that your resume will not be looked at.
Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much technical content should I include?

A. Many IT jobs are technical in nature. As such, it is appropriate to include acronyms and limited technical jargon if they are necessary in order to respond effectively to a criterion as long as the IT cover letter is eligible.


Q. Why do you say ethical cover letters are better?

A. Ethical cover letters deliver a higher quality argument and tend to be less easily dismissed due to their persuasive nature. Mounting evidence in the document provides a number of arguments focused toward the same topic that together result in a very convincing document. The reader in turn can reason that you are well suited to the role without being specifically told. This method of arguing has been used in the legal system for thousands of years due to its highly persuasive nature and can be adapted to cover letters to convince employers of your suitability to the offered job.

Q. Why invest time in writing a unique cover letter for each job?

1. Each job is different, skills that are applicable to one job may not be important to another.
2. The information within is usually used to short list suitable applicants. A 'short list' is the term used to describe applicants that have been selected to progress through to the next stage of the selection process.
3. An outstanding cover letter may tip the scales in your favor if you are very closely matched with another applicant.
4. It is an opportunity to present a strong, convincing argument for your suitability to the role.
5. It is an opportunity to shine brighter than competing candidates.




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Did you know? That we develop job descriptions based on multiple samples of real world jobs. Our cover letters, in turn, are written based on real employers requirements. 


IT Cover Letters