Cover Letter
The first impression
A good cover letter is essentially a sales document, designed to convince the employer of what an asset you will be to the school. It complements your CV, which should add credibility to your claims.
Role of the cover letter
When designing a cover letter, remember the employer is probably receiving many applications for any one job. They will be very busy. You have a window of opportunity of no longer than 30 seconds to convince them to take your application to the next step and read the CV.
The cover letter provides an insight into your personality and how you express yourself. This helps to build an overall picture of you and As it is the first impression, it is crucial you get it right.
Being concise, meticulous and relevant is paramount. It reflects badly on you if you express yourself poorly or you don't get to the point. There are three basic things you need to communicate clearly and concisely to a potential employer in your cover letter.
Structure
Addressing the letter:
Send letters to people, not schools. If you don't know the contact's gender or proper title, then call the school secretary and ask. Never guess. If you can't find out their gender, use their full name (eg Chris Smith).
Para 1 — what you are applying for and why you are applying
State the purpose of the letter in the first paragraph. If you meet all the stated requirements state this. Opening the cover letter with a statement that grabs their attention and compels them to read more about you is a good idea. However, it must be related to the position and the reason you are writing.
Para 2 — stake your claim
Don’t under-sell yourself. Not only match your skills and experience to the requirements of the job, but make a point of offering more. Every employment decision is a significant investment for the employer. Be mindful of this when you make your claims. Explain to the reader how employing you will benefit the school — don't leave them to guess.
Para 3 —thank you
Thank them for considering your application. If you are answering an advertised position, take a passive approach and wait for them to process all the applications. If they are interested, they'll call you. Chasing them up is just likely to annoy them.
A good cover letter is essentially a sales document, designed to convince the employer of what an asset you will be to the school. It complements your CV, which should add credibility to your claims.
Role of the cover letter
When designing a cover letter, remember the employer is probably receiving many applications for any one job. They will be very busy. You have a window of opportunity of no longer than 30 seconds to convince them to take your application to the next step and read the CV.
The cover letter provides an insight into your personality and how you express yourself. This helps to build an overall picture of you and As it is the first impression, it is crucial you get it right.
Being concise, meticulous and relevant is paramount. It reflects badly on you if you express yourself poorly or you don't get to the point. There are three basic things you need to communicate clearly and concisely to a potential employer in your cover letter.
- The position you are applying for.
- The skills you bring to the school that satisfy the requirements of that position.
- The action you would like to happen next.
Structure
Addressing the letter:
Send letters to people, not schools. If you don't know the contact's gender or proper title, then call the school secretary and ask. Never guess. If you can't find out their gender, use their full name (eg Chris Smith).
Para 1 — what you are applying for and why you are applying
State the purpose of the letter in the first paragraph. If you meet all the stated requirements state this. Opening the cover letter with a statement that grabs their attention and compels them to read more about you is a good idea. However, it must be related to the position and the reason you are writing.
Para 2 — stake your claim
Don’t under-sell yourself. Not only match your skills and experience to the requirements of the job, but make a point of offering more. Every employment decision is a significant investment for the employer. Be mindful of this when you make your claims. Explain to the reader how employing you will benefit the school — don't leave them to guess.
Para 3 —thank you
Thank them for considering your application. If you are answering an advertised position, take a passive approach and wait for them to process all the applications. If they are interested, they'll call you. Chasing them up is just likely to annoy them.