Earlier on, we reviewed the five simple rules to ensure that your cover letter leaves the recruiter excited about meeting with you. This was done with three examples of cover letters based on different types of applicants and a brief analysis of what stood out from each letter. Today we look at 3 more examples:
Cover Letter Example 4: Returning to Work after a Job Gap
Life has its own curve balls and at times you will find yourself out of work, for different reasons like relocation, or even family. This is an example of a letter where the applicant is resuming the job market after some time out. This, consequently, creates a job gap in the CV.
| Dear Principal Dilnesa, With five years of experience in teaching high school and a master’s degree in Linguistics, I believe I am an ideal candidate to fill the English language teaching position advertised on www.znugz.com. My teaching experience was at Ethio-Parents School in Hawassa before my husband and I moved here in Addis Ababa three years ago. While there, I taught all levels of English and helped host the Annual Spelling Bee Contest. When we moved here, I was pregnant with our second born. Now that he has started kindergarten, I am eager to return to the workforce. Although I focused on my family these last three years and have not worked for pay, I kept up with developments in teaching and language by reading literature. I also offered tuition for grade 11 and 12 students. Please review my attached CV. I will be contacting you next week to schedule an interview. Thank you for your consideration. |
Analysis:
The strength of this letter lies on the aspect that the applicant lays a lot of emphasis on her relevant qualifications in the first line. She highlights her ability to do the job and not the fact that she is returning to work after several years at home. Later, there is an explanation of her break and how she has kept current. Of course her CV will show a gap and so proactively addressing this aspect, makes a lot of sense.
Cover Letter Example 5: Transitioning Careers
在生活环境中可能会迫使你to change careers. This is an example of a letter of a candidate transitioning careers.
| Dear Ms. Yiselamush, 混合一个正式的背景与专业营销ven success in retail sales and customer service roles, I am looking to transition into public relations and believe I would make a great fit for the advertised position of Public Relations Specialist at your company. Having both used and sold your products, I am already well versed in your brand in both present and past years’ offerings. I have followed with excitement as you launched your new product in the Ethiopian market and incorporated an international feel into your product line. I would bring both passion and expertise to championing your company with the press and public. I am already trained in creating buzz and awareness through social media channels including Twitter and Facebook. When my sales team decided to participate in the Ethiopian Run two years ago, we used social media to heighten our sponsorship support and raised more than 100,000ETB for the event. Confident my transferable skills make me a solid candidate for this opening, I respectfully submit my CV for your review and request a meeting to discuss the opportunity further. I will make myself available at your convenience and look forward to your call to arrange a time. Thank you for your time and consideration. |
Analysis:
The candidate precisely begins with a strong statement about her career change goals and how she is fit for the specific position at hand. The candidate uses the rest of the letter to discuss her interest in the company and some of her key transferable skills or experience to the new company.
Cover Letter Example 6: Senior- Level Executive.
Let’s just say this is for the veterans, you know, guys who have been around in the career for a while in leadership and managerial positions and are eyeing the senior level positions.
| Dear Mr. Yeshuas, As aSenior-Level Finance & Operations Executive, I offer proven success in maximizing productivity and improving profit margins. My work spans companies and business units at various stages of growth, including start-ups, established, and turnaround settings. Believing profitability requires strong revenue generation and cost controls, I monitor budgets and sales performance closely to identify areas for improvement. I am known for enhancing overall performance through technology upgrades, advanced employee training, and implementation of best practices. Examples of my work include: • Drove successful launch of start-up company by hiring a talent team, defining product development plans, and leading go-to-market strategies to achieve 2M+ revenue and 50% margins within two years. • Proved vital to reorganization leadership that cumulated in a 10% productivity improvement in the sales and service organization and a 20% improvement in support organizations. As a Certified Public Accountant and MBA holder, I am confident I will prove valuable to your company and respectfully submit my CV for your review. I would also like to request a personal meeting to discuss your upcoming goals and how I can help you achieve them. I will make myself available at your convenience and look forward to your call. Thank you for your consideration. |
Analysis:
This letter highlights the years of experience into a concise overview of what really “sells” achievements most relevant to the specific advertised role. The candidate also used bullets to present a compelling high-level overview of a specific position, complete with impressive data points. This cover letter stands out in the sense that the candidate remains concise despite the number of years in the career. Remember, a concise letter is always more effective. Make the most exciting information jump out of the letter and grab the attention of the recruiter.
Source: Ethiojobs