How To Tailor Your Cover Letter For The Job

By Lilian Wamaitha

A cover letter is your first chance to get noticed by recruiters. So ensure that at least you tailor yours to the job you are applying to.

I sat down with Ms. Rebecca Nyawira, a professional CV writer at Corporate Staffing Services and according to her, the purpose of a cover letter is to get the employer to go through your CV.

“Less is always okay especially if you are aiming for an email application. Keep it as simple as possible,” says Ms. Nyawira.

When scanning through your cover letter, a recruiter is looking for those keywords that lets them know that you are the most qualified candidate for the job. This way they will be inclined to go through you CV and determine if you will be shortlisted or not.

Must Read >>> How To Write A Cover Letter That Recruiters Will Actually Read

The truth is that, if your cover letter is well – tailored to fit the job you are applying for, there is no reason why a recruiter cannot short list you for an interview.

That said her is how to tailor your cover letter for a job.

How To Tailor Your Cover Letter

1. Remember that each and every cover letter is important

“In the world we live in now, it is very easy to apply to dozens of jobs through the many job sites out there,” says Ms. Nyawira.

Ensure however, that each every cover letter you apply with is unique. If you nail it in your cover letter, you will stand out to a recruiter.

Tailoring your cover letter to fit the job ensures that you also get to think about the job you are applying to and the role you will be playing.

2. Pick two or three keywords and concentrate on that

Go through the job description while writing your cover letter and ensure that everything the employer is looking for is matched to the job you are applying to.

If for instance, the advertisement mentions that you need to have SEO skills ensure that you insist on this in your cover letter.

Weave in a variety of keywords associated with SEO such as social media marketing, digital marketing, email marketing, audience analysis and more.

This way you let the employer know that you are well vast with this field.

3. Explain why you are interested in that position

“Why do you want this position? Is it something that is in line with your career goals? Grab the recruiter’s attention by explaining why you are so much interested in that position and not any other.”

Recruiters care to employ people who are passionate about the job they are doing because unlike you, there have so much to lose if they hire you and you leave within the first few months.

Tie your interest in the position to the value you will be bringing to the organization.

4. Conclude with a unique selling point

What’s so different about you? Why would the recruiter consider you and not the other thousands of applicants?

Tailoring your cover letter also means explaining why you are the best fit for that position. Ensure that you fully understand what the organization is looking for.

If you are good at single handedly handling projects but the recruiter I looking for a team player, you might want to fine tune your cover letter to showcase your awesome team work skills.

Every section of your cover letter is important and needs to be tailored to the job description.

Find Out >>> 3 Clever Ways To Indicate Your Expected Salary in A Cover Letter

In conclusion

Tailoring your cover letter to fit a job description will go a long way in ensuring that you get the job. Grab the attention of the recruiter in such a way that they will have no choice but to go through your CV.

The writer is a Communications & Digital Marketing Officer at Career Point Kenya. Got any queries on how to write or tailor a cover letter? Email them to lilian@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke or cvwriting@corporatestaffing.co.ke.