How to Write a Successful Australian Cover Letter

How to Write a Successful
Australian Cover Letter
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nadine Myers is the Founder and Director of Nab That
Job in Australia!, Australia’s leading emigrant job
application service, assisting emigrants from all over
the world to successfully secure employment in
Australia.
Nadine is degree qualified in Business Management
through the University of Queensland, Australia; with
further studies in Organisational Psychology, gained
through the University of London, UK.
Nadine has more than 10 years’ work experience gained in Australia and
Internationally in the fields of Human Resource Management and
Recruitment; gained across several industries, including Tourism,
Engineering, Government, Health Care, Engineering, Manufacturing and
Finance. Nadine has expertise in assisting people to achieve their career
dreams, and naturally specialised in the emigrant market after several
years’ experience working with this market and realising that there was not
a known company or service specifically for assisting emigrants to be more
successful when applying for jobs in Australia.
Nadine Myers and Nab That Job in Australia! are affiliated with
www.SponsorshipAustralia.net, a resource focused on assisting foreign
nationals to secure job sponsorship in Australia.
COPYRIGHT © Nadine Myers, Nab That Job 2011 – All Rights Reserved
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR ................................................................................... 2
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................ 5
DON’T WRITE AN ESSAY ............................................................................... 6
TAILOR YOUR COVER LETTER TO THE JOB YOU ARE APPLYING FOR ............. 8
ADDRESS THE SELECTION CRITERIA.............................................................. 9
Government and Other Selection Criteria ................................................. 9
KEEP A CLEAR AND CONCISE LAYOUT ........................................................ 13
Example 1................................................................................................ 14
Example 2................................................................................................ 15
FORMATTING YOUR AUSTRALIAN COVER LETTER ...................................... 17
WATCH YOUR SPELLING AND GRAMMAR .................................................. 19
STATE WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR .......................................................... 20
YOUR AVAILABILITY.................................................................................... 22
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER....................................................................... 24
Step-by-Step Guide to writing a Successful Australian Cover Letter: ....... 24
CASE STUDIES ............................................................................................ 27
EXAMPLE 1 .............................................................................................. 28
EXAMPLE 2 .............................................................................................. 29
SUCCESSFUL AUSTRALIAN COVER LETTER TEMPLATES ........................... 31
Australian Resumes: Secrets Revealed .................................................... 31
CVs For Job Sponsorship in Australia ....................................................... 31
Cover Letter Templates Download .......................................................... 32
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SUCCESSFUL AUSTRALIAN COVER LETTER CHECKLIST ................................ 33
Getting the Basics Right .......................................................................... 33
Putting it All Together ............................................................................. 33
NAB THAT JOB IN AUSTRALIA’S JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE.......................... 34
Australian Job Sponsorship Services........................................................ 34
Australian Job Search Services ................................................................ 34
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INTRODUCTION
Although your CV or resume is the most important part of your Australian
job application, your cover letter comes a very close second. The reason
being, that in many cases, the cover letter is the first thing that the
Australian employer will read, and therefore, your first chance to make a
real impression on the Australia employer.
A well written cover letter that is straight to the point and relevant to the
job you are applying for can act as an excellent support to your CV,
particularly if your CV doesn't quite match up to the requirements of the
job you are applying for.
Further, when applying for job sponsorship in Australia, your cover letter
plays quite a key role as to whether the Australian employer will eagerly
move on to read your CV, or make a decision not to consider you any
further, before even assessing your background and suitability against their
requirements for their vacancy.
This e-guide will assist you to create an effective and enticing cover letter to
accompany your CV, and increase your chance of being considered for an
interview with an Australian employer.
You will find that this e-guide is set out in sections, addressing the key
points to consider when writing an effective cover letter for job
sponsorship in Australia. You will also find that the e-guide includes a stepby-step guide for you to follow, and introduce you to our cover letter
templates so that you can create your successful cover letter right here
with ease. The e-guide then finishes up with our final points to remember
and to apply when writing your cover letter, and applying for jobs in
Australia. We also include a section detailing our professional services for
job sponsorship that will assist you further in being more successful when
applying for jobs in Australia.
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DON’T WRITE AN ESSAY
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when applying for a job is to
write a cover page that is unnecessarily long. The reason this is significant
is because the Australian employer has a list of key criteria that they are
looking for when they are considering applicants for their vacancies, and
they are generally more interested in what is actually on your CV, or
resume, than what you actually write in your cover letter.
Keeping this in mind, you should aim to keep your cover letter short and to
the point. A good length to aim for is less than one page. You only want to
include information in your cover letter that you need to highlight, for
example, your skills and experience that are relevant to the job you are
applying for; or what your CV lacks, such as an explanation for gaps in your
employment, or why you feel that you are suitable for the job considering
that your work experience is not an exact fit for what the Australian
employer is looking for.
Only write relevant points that support your application to the specific job
you are applying for, and don't fill your cover letter with information that
has nothing to do with the job that has been described. For example, if you
are an Architect who has worked on church and bridge projects, and you
are applying for a job as a Bridge Architect, you should only highlight your
bridge projects in your cover letter. The Australian employer does not want
to hear about your work with churches, because it is not something that
you would be doing in this particular role.
Some employers will have a set of criteria that they require you to address
in your cover letter, particularly Government organizations whom have
more complex recruitment processes than most private Australian
organisations. In these cases, it is expected that you support your resume
with a one-two page cover letter addressing their criteria. This type of
cover letter doubles as an assessment of your writing ability. This particular
type of cover letter will be addressed at a later stage, since it has a different
approach to normal cover letters.
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My suggestion for every cover letter is to always address the selection
criteria and how you ‘rate’ yourself against the criteria, even if the
Australian employer does not specifically ask you to do this. If written well,
this should serve the purpose of strengthening your application, and
increasing your chance of being invited for an interview with the Australian
employer.
We’ll do some case studies later in this eBook to give you a good
understanding of how to create an effective cover letter for Australia.
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TAILOR YOUR COVER LETTER TO THE JOB YOU ARE APPLYING FOR
Tailoring your cover letter to the job you are applying for is key to writing a
successful cover letter for Australia.
Quite often when a job seeker is applying for jobs, they will have a standard
cover letter that they use over and over for various jobs that they are
applying for.
This can have a negative effect when applications are rushed and the job
seeker does not take the time to read over the cover letter before sending
it, as sometimes the job types vary, making the cover letter not quite the
right “fit” for the role. A job seeker can also look quite ‘sloppy’ and portray
having poor attention to detail if the cover letter is addressed to someone
for one job, then forwarded with their resume for a different role, and a
different person.
Nab That Job in Australia!’s advice is to take the time to tailor the cover
letter to each individual job. What this will in effect do, is appear that you
specifically would like the job you are applying for, rather than just wanting
any job that is available. Australian employers are looking to employ staff
who want to work for their particular organisation, who have specifically
been looking for the job the employer is advertising, and who are of course,
suitably skilled for that role or at least willing to undertake the necessary
education to attain the skills and experience for that role.
TIP: To make the best impression possible, ALWAYS check your cover
letter before sending it out so as to ensure that it is tailored to the specific
job and company you are applying to.
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ADDRESS THE SELECTION CRITERIA
As mentioned earlier, if there are specific selection criteria the employer is
looking for, or the advert refers to attributes, skills and/or experience they
are looking for in their ideal candidate, then you should always ensure that
you address how these specific items relate to yourself.
Recruiting managers in Australia have listed those specific criteria on their
job advert because they are looking for candidates who match those skills
or have that particular experience or qualifications. Let’s face it - otherwise
they wouldn't have listed the criteria in their adverts. They are trying to
make it easier for the candidate (i.e., you) to determine whether they are
suitable for the role; and on the other hand, they want to make the job
easier for themselves when they screen the applications.
TIP: If you do not make the employer aware of your “match” to what they
are looking for, your CV may not be considered for the position.
When addressing the selection criteria, you should always back up your
statements with a brief example.
For instance, instead of stating, "I am highly organised and work well to
tight deadlines"; support this statement with why. An example could be, "I
am highly organised and work well under pressure and have demonstrated
this in my previous roles through my adoption of techniques such as proper
planning, prioritisation and delegation of work load". Now you are making
a powerful statement against the selection criteria!
GOVERNMENT AND OTHER SELECTION CRITERIA
As mentioned earlier, Australian Government recruitment processes are a
lot more complex than private Australian organizations. For one, they tend
to have a list of selection criteria that you need to address before you will
be considered for any position within the Government organization. Some
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private Australian companies also use this technique to assist the recruiters
in their screening process.
An example of a typical Government advert, as taken from Seek.com.au on
8 June, 2011 is set out below:
RECRUITMENT CONSULTANT PSO SPECIALIST
Recruitment Consultant - Protective Service Officers
•
Challenging and fun working environment
•
Excellent on-site facilities including gym and cafes
•
City centre Location
•
$53,502 to $64,962 plus super
Victoria Police is a large organisation employing more than 15,000 employees, including
police, public servants and protective security officers, serving Victoria, with a population in
excess of five million.
Being part of Victoria Police means you have the opportunity to contribute and make a
difference to the community. Our objective is to deliver a safer Victoria in conjunction with
our partners.
Currently we have an exciting opportunity for an experienced recruitment professional to
come on board to assist us the Recruitment of Protective Service Officers. This is a new
initiative to place 940 PSOs in all metro Railway Stations and 4 Regional over the next 4
years.
As this is a new initiative we require someone who is innovative, excellent selection skills,
can manage end to end recruitment of volume capacity and is a self starter. You will have
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excellent written and oral communication skills and will have intermediate skills using
excel.
Some of your key responsibilities will include:
• Manage end to end recruitment activities for PSOs
• Co-ordinate and assist with recruit selection panels.
• Process and assess applications for employment in Victoria Police.
• Report on various recruiting stats for department
To apply online and for furthur information on position description and selection criteria,
visit www.careers.vic.gov.au and refer to position number 20023386.
Closing date for applications midnight, Sunday 19th June 2011.
Victoria Police … Delivering a Safer Victoria
www.police.vic.gov.au
As you can see, applicants are then directed to the website where they can
download the position description, selection criteria and application form
for applying for this role.
This Australian Government website gives very valuable guidelines for
addressing
selection
criteria:
http://www.bom.gov.au/careers/guide2SC.shtml .
Ensure you read
through this website extensively before completing your Government
selection criteria application, because it is written by Human Resource
professionals within Government to assist you to be more successful when
addressing their selection criteria.
They also explain what their
expectations are and how you can meet them.
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What you will find on this web page is:
• Understanding the selection criteria
• How to respond to each selection criteria
• How to brainstorm before providing your response to selection
criteria
• Providing evidence in support of your response to the criteria
• Checking your work
• Layout – what is expected
• Expectations of length
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KEEP A CLEAR AND CONCISE LAYOUT
Like your CV, you should aim for your Australian cover letter to be clear,
concise and to the point.
Australian recruiting managers generally tend to scan CVs and cover letters
for key points before going back to read the information in more detail.
With this in mind, don’t be afraid to highlight certain relevant points in
bold, italics or even set out your strengths and examples against the job
description in bullet points or numbered - this makes the information very
easy to process when scanning over the cover letter. Refrain from long
drawn out descriptions and paragraphs unless you are asked to address the
selection criteria in a more comprehensive or formal manner, such as with
Government applications, as mentioned earlier.
To provide you with examples of how a “clear and concise” layout with key
points highlighted looks in comparison to a cover letter that is not so clear
and concise are set out below.
The position for this example is Electrical Engineer, and was advertised on
www.seek.com.au on 12th January 2010 by the company, Generic
Engineering. The selection criteria for the position is: 5 years’ experience as
an electrical engineer, degree qualified, experience leading projects,
working towards post degree qualifications.
Both candidates have the required experience and skills for this position,
however their approach to their cover letters are both very different.
Which example do you feel is more powerful?
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EXAMPLE 1
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing in application for the position you had advertised on the SEEK
website and I feel I am suitable for this position due to my extensive
experience in the field of electrical engineering.
My experience has been gained internationally in positions of great
responsibility, with companies such as Georgian Electrical, American Energy
and IAT Inc. I have proven my experience with each of these companies and
progressed steadily into my current role as Electrical Engineer for IAT Inc.
I am very honest and hardworking with excellent self-motivation and ability
to multi-task. People I have worked with have told me that I am a good
team player and I also work very well on my own. I enjoy working as an
Electrical Engineer. I would love to work for a reputable global company
based in Australia.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Janet Goodwin
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EXAMPLE 2
To Whom It May Concern,
RE: Electrical Engineer Vacancy – Generic Engineering
I write with great interest in the above position, advertised on the SEEK
website on January 12th, 2010.
I am a degree qualified Electrical Engineer with approximately six and a
half years’ experience gained within a similar-sized organization to Generic
Engineering, called General Engineering. I am also working towards my
Masters in Electrical Engineering, in which I am due to complete in 2011.
As one of two senior Electrical Engineers at General Engineering, I have
been responsible in the past three years for leading 11 electrical
engineering projects, including delegating and motivating teams of up to
12 technicians and junior Engineers. In credit to my leadership and project
management skills, these projects have all run smoothly and were
successfully completed within the set timelines and budgets. Please refer
to my attached CV for full details of each of these projects.
I am available for an interview at your convenience, and look forward to
hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Susan Sharpe
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If you selected Example 2 as the most powerful cover letter for this role,
you are 100% correct. As you can see, Susan Sharpe’s cover letter is
concise and straight to the point of highlighting the key skills and
qualifications that Generic Engineering is looking for. Not only that, Susan
has been very specific with his information, including with the date that he
saw the advert on the Seek website – indicating attention to detail. Susan
also noted that the company that she currently works for is a similar sized
organization to Generic Engineering – thereby pointing out that her
experience would be quite suitable for Generic Engineering. Further, when
addressing the selection criteria of having experience leading projects,
Susan not only stated that she had experience in this area, she noted the
exact amount of experience leading projects, and gave brief details of the
projects, as well as highlighting that each project was successful. Not only
that, she gave the Australian employer just enough information to want to
know more about her experience, and referred the Australian employer to
her CV for more detailed information.
In comparison, Janet did not address the selection criteria, she did not
highlight why she is the best person for this job, and she did not give any
relevant details or facts in her cover letter, except for mentioning that she
is an Electrical Engineer. Further, she mentioned that she is looking to work
for a ‘reputable global company’, which shows very poor attention to
detail, since the job advert mentions that Generic Engineering is a local
Australian company – and therefore not a global organization. Janet may
have used a general cover letter for this role, and did not carefully go
through it to tailor it for this particular application.
Can you see how an Australian employer would not be too impressed by
Janet’s cover letter, however would be quite eager to learn more about
Susan?
Now let’s move on to formatting your cover letter.
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FORMATTING YOUR AUSTRALIAN COVER LETTER
The majority of recruiting managers appreciate a traditional letter format
with your name, address and contact number, their company name,
address and the correct person you are applying to all at the top. Then
underneath your address ("Dear Mr/Mrs/etc") a subject heading outlining
the job you are applying for, the body/content and signed off by yourself.
This shows respect, indicates that you value presentation and
demonstrates your skill level with word processing.
It is also generally acceptable to write your cover letter in an email,
however it shows more effort and importance if you take the time to write
a formal letter; and therefore can make more of an impression. Sometimes
it's the little things that determine whether you are screened out or short
listed for an interview.
Furthermore, where you can, stick with Microsoft Word documents.
Although other programs may provide better-looking CVs, your potential
employer may not have the program you are using on their computers, and
so will not be able to open your letter and CV. This could mean an instant
strike out!
Recruitment consultants also like to have the ability to manipulate your
resume. Usually recruitment consultants, for example, will hide your
personal details on your resume when they are forwarding your application
to Australian employers, so they are in control of the recruitment process
and control all contact with candidates.
Recruitment consultants will sometimes make adjustments or
improvements to your resume (with your permission, of course) prior to
forwarding your resume on to Australian employers.
This is nothing for you to be alarmed about, it is just the way things work in
the recruitment world in Australia. If you do have any concerns with this
though, I recommend addressing them with the recruitment consultant you
are dealing with.
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Microsoft Word is the safest option with all of your Australian job
application documents.
Another tip to remember when writing a cover letter, is to keep the
formatting the same as what you have used on your resume. For example,
if you have used size 11 Arial font for your resume, you should use the
same for your cover letter.
NB All of NAB THAT JOB IN AUSTRALIA!'s resumes and cover letters are
always in Word format.
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WATCH YOUR SPELLING AND GRAMMAR
This may seem obvious, but you should really take care with spelling and
grammar in your applications. This is particularly important for jobs where
written communication is important. If you can't write a simple letter
without making spelling mistakes and using incorrect grammar, you will
make a bad impression from the start and may not get the opportunity to
make up for it at the interview stage.
Always do spelling and grammar checks before sending your application,
and where possible, have a friend or family member run their eyes over
your application before sending.
If your first language is not English, Nab That Job in Australia! recommends
that you take particular care when writing your cover letter and resume for
an Australian job application.
Many job seekers in the Australian job market do not take a lot of care with
their spelling, grammar and use of the English language when applying for
jobs. This leaves a very bad impression on the Australian employer, and
also makes it easy for them to quickly screen out your application if the
cover letter is full of errors.
Since your cover letter is the first document that the Australian employer
reads, this is your absolute first opportunity to make a positive impression
on the employer. If your cover letter is poorly written, the employer may
decide not to take your application seriously and disregard your application
before even looking at your resume. You do not want this to happen! A
well-written cover letter should entice the Australian employer to assess
your resume. Your spelling, grammar and use of the English language play
a vital part in writing an effective cover letter.
Tip: Have someone you trust, who has good command of the English
language and excellent spelling and grammatical skills to read your cover
letter before applying for a job in Australia.
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STATE WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR
Don't forget, when you're applying for a job with an organization in
Australia, you're also assessing THEM on whether they are the type of
organisation YOU are looking for. This is particularly important if you are
seeking sponsorship. After all, if an Australian employer is willing to
sponsor you, it should be high on your priority list to work in an
organization that would suit you and keep you motivated and happy.
By stating what kind of organisation you are ideally looking for, you are
putting the ball back in the recruiting company's court to assess whether
they are up to YOUR standards!
An example of a statement of what you are looking for, that you could
include in your cover letter, is;
"I am ideally looking for a company that values its employees, and
demonstrates this through supporting personal development, offering
career progression or succession planning, having a flexible work
place, and a friendly and positive working environment".
This statement effectively communicates to the Australian employer that if
you could find these values in an Australian employer, then you would be
willing to commit long-term to a career with the Australian organization.
In addition, you could then follow up your statement with an impression
you have received about this company possibly being on track with meeting
your criteria, such as;
"From my research, company X appears to have this kind of culture,
and I look forward to having the opportunity to learn more about
your organisation and discussing this role in more detail".
You are now setting your application apart from other candidates, and
potentially creating the Australian employer want to find out how they
can impress YOU.
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NB: It is optional to include in the letter what it is that you are looking for
in an Australian employer; however, it can be very effective to do so.
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YOUR AVAILABILITY
Always include your availability for commencing a new role, by indicating
your notice period with your current employer, or whether you are
available to commence a new job immediately.
You may feel it appropriate at the beginning of the letter to state why you
are now on the market for a new job - whether it is that you are seeking
new challenges, or putting your newly completed qualifications to use etc.
Nab That Job in Australia!, however, recommends that you refrain from
stating your reason for seeking new employment, if it is that you have been
retrenched or have had your job terminated. This can open up
opportunities for conclusions to be reached before you have the
opportunity to explain yourself, and usually this has a negative effect.
If an unpleasant experience has lead you to be seeking new employment, it
is best to save this kind of information for the interview, or sometimes, not
to be mentioned at all. Where you need to be careful with withholding
information, is when the information is likely to be divulged during the
referencing stage of the recruitment process. This is another topic that will
be covered in the Australian Interview Guide, a new eGuide coming out
soon from Nab That Job in Australia!
If you are applying for a job from overseas, it can sometimes be better not
to mention your availability until you have stirred up enough interest in the
Australian Employer for them to want to know that information. Your main
aim with your job application is to have the Australian employer want to
learn more about you. If you give away too much information up-front, you
may effectively close the door on any opportunity for an interview, as many
Australian employers may choose a local applicant above one whom is
overseas, due to the ease of interviewing and the speed of having the
candidate to commence employment. This is not always the case, but you
have to keep in mind that the majority of Australian employers want to find
the most suitable and skilled candidate for their company, and they also
have time frames for filling their roles. However, sometimes it is more
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important for an employer to fill a role within given time frames, than it is
to find the ideal candidate.
If you position yourself as the ideal candidate and do not indicate the time
frame that you could commence a role; you may engage the Australian
employer and gain enough commitment to you for the Australian employer
to consider you for their role, even though it may take a little time for you
to migrate to Australia. My point is that it is “challenging” to find an
Australian employer who will employ an overseas national and wait for
them to migrate to Australia – however, it is not impossible. It will simply
take patience on your part.
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PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
That is enough theory for now on what to do and what not to do when
writing a cover letter for Australia – let’s get started by putting it all
together.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO WRITING A SUCCESSFUL AUSTRALIAN
COVER LETTER:
1 Rather than including your home address on the letter (unless you
have an Australian address), just include your email address,
telephone number and/or Skype number (aligned right). If you don’t
already have a Skype account, you should set one up now by visiting:
www.skype.com . See the Case Studies to follow for examples.
2 Add the date that you are writing the letter underneath your contact
details (also aligned right).
3 Address the letter to the name of the person on the job advert, or, if
you do not have a name, “To Whom It May Concern”. Australian’s
generally use “Dear [Name]” when writing a covering letter.
4 Follow the above with “RE: [name of job advert], Ref# [reference
number if listed]”, meaning that you are writing regarding a job
advert that you have seen.
5 The first paragraph should state why you are writing the letter. If you
are writing in regards to a job advert, you should state here the name
of the job advert, where you saw it advertised, the date the job was
advertised and refer the reader to your CV/Resume attached. For
example: “I apply with great interest to the above position that was
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advertised on [SEEK.com/name of website or newspaper], on [DATE];
and attach my resume for your consideration.”
6 The second paragraph should tell the reader a bit more about
yourself, only sharing information that is relevant to the job you are
applying for. Read the job advert carefully, making note of what the
company is looking for and what particular skills, experiences and
qualifications the employer is looking for. This is where you need to
state your relevant qualifications, years of experience in your field.
7 If there are some skills or experiences you are lacking in relation to
what the company is looking for, be sure to counter this with
something like: “Although I do not have X experience”, I have proven
in my previous roles to be extremely adaptable and versatile, with
the ability to pick up new skills very quickly”. See example 1 under
Case Studies for an example of this.
8 The third paragraph should state your strengths that you can offer
the employer in relation to the skills they are looking for. This is a
good place to back up statements with examples, particularly if the
advert has asked for experience in specific areas of your field.
9 Paragraph four should effectively “wrap up” the letter, and is the
place where you would state what you are looking for in an
employer, or specific information about the employer or the job that
appeals to you and why.
10 You should finish the letter, letting the reader know how much you
are looking forward to discussing the position and your suitability in
more detail; and advising of your availability for an interview –
whether it be telephone or face-to-face.
11 The majority of people in Australia sign off their cover letters with
“yours sincerely”, and therefore we recommend that you do the
same. Although “Kind regards” is a good way to end a letter in most
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circumstances, with a cover letter, stating that you are writing your
letter in all sincerity is more effective.
12 Finally, write your full name, leaving a space for you to sign above.
However, these days most letters are delivered electronically. Feel
free to insert an electronic signature here, or just leave blank for your
online applications.
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CASE STUDIES
Below are two examples of simple, yet effective, cover letters that you can
use to get an idea of the type of information you should include in your
cover letter.
Both cover letters were written by Nab That Job in Australia!, the first for a
British Occupational Health and Safety professional, for him to use as a
general template and amend as appropriate to suit each job that he applies
for. The second cover letter was for a South African Instructional Design
professional for the same purpose – to use as a template.
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EXAMPLE 1
[Your Name]
E: [Your Email]
T/M: [Your contact Telephone Number]
S: [Your Skype Name or Number]
[Date]
To Whom It May Concern:
RE:
[NAME OF VACANCY]
I apply with great interest to the above position that was advertised on
[SEEK.com/name of website or newspaper], on [DATE]; and attach my
resume for your consideration.
I am a qualified Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) professional, with
continuing education and training in this field. With more than four (4)
years gained in OH&S, and approximately 16 years gained as a Research
Chemist prior to this; my speciality area has become that of OH&S of
chemicals/catalysts. However, I consider myself to be an extremely
versatile and adaptive individual, and therefore could successfully apply my
OH&S expertise to various industries and business types.
I pride myself on my ability to build effective business relationships at all
levels, my organisational ability, and my superior attention to detail – a
crucial component to success in OH&S in the workplace.
I would love to have the opportunity to discuss this position, and my
suitability, in more detail, and am available for an interview at your
convenience.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
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EXAMPLE 2
[Your Name]
E: [Your Email Address]
T/M: [Your Contact Telephone Number]
S: [Your Skype Name or Number]
[Date]
To Whom It May Concern:
RE:
[NAME OF VACANCY]
I apply with great interest to the above position that was advertised on
[SEEK.com or other website or newspaper], on [DATE]; and attach my
resume for your consideration.
I am a degree qualified learning and instructional design professional, with
continuing education and training in this specialty field. My experience
totals more than 10 years, gained across various industries; including IT,
Banking, Mining and Technical Training organisations.
As well as facilitation, training and coaching, my experience also includes
Instructional Design, Business Analysis, Learning Analysis, Design Learning
interventions, Project Management, Account Management, Resource
Management, Business Development, LMS, Communication, Marketing and
Change Management.
I pride myself on my ability to build effective business relationships at all
levels, my exemplary organisational and project management skills and my
proven ability to reach targeted goals.
I would love to have the opportunity to discuss this position, and my
suitability, in more detail, and am available for an interview at your
convenience.
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I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
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SUCCESSFUL AUSTRALIAN COVER LETTER TEMPLATES
Nab That Job in Australia! has developed standard templates for you to use
when creating your own successful Australian cover letter. These
templates are set out so that you can just fill in the relevant information in
the places indicated on the template, and so you can delete specific
paragraphs so that the cover letter can be tailored for whatever situation
you are using it, for example, for job applications through job search
websites, or for direct applications to companies who have not advertised a
vacancy.
These templates were created so you can match them up with the
templates you downloaded with your Resume Writing ebook. If you have
not yet purchased your Resume Writing ebook, do this now so that you
ensure you have a cover letter template that will match in with the resume
template you selected:
AUSTRALIAN RESUMES: SECRETS REVEALED
This is a standard ebook for those who are Australian residents or already
have their Australian visa. Click here to purchase and download:
http://www.nabthatjob.com/jobsearchassistance.htm#308728140
CVS FOR JOB SPONSORSHIP IN AUSTRALIA
This is an ebook for those who require employer sponsorship to migrate to
Australia.
Click
here
to
purchase
and
download:
http://www.nabthatjob.com/jobsponsorshipassistance.htm#537448651
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COVER LETTER TEMPLATES DOWNLOAD
To download your successful Australian cover letter templates now, visit:
http://www.nabthatjob.com/uc1d0wn10d3b00k.htm
If you’re not sure which cover letter template is best for your occupation, it
is best to select your cover letter template based on the CV template you
have selected from one of the above CV writing ebooks. The reason being,
each CV template is suitable for specific industries and occupations.
If you first select your CV template, you can then simply select the matching
cover letter template.
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SUCCESSFUL AUSTRALIAN COVER LETTER CHECKLIST
Getting the Basics Right
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Keep your cover letter to one page or less
Tailor your cover letter to each job you are applying for
Address the selection criteria in the job advert
Keep the information concise and to the point
Ensure your cover letter matches the formatting in your CV
Ensure spelling and grammar is correct and suitable for Australia
State what you’re looking for in an employer if you feel comfortable
Include your availability for both interviews and commencing employment
Putting it All Together
□
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Follow the step-by-step guide on page 27 for constructing your cover letter
□
Review Nab That Job in Australia’s job search assistance services to see whether
there are any services available that will assist you in your job search
□
Start applying for jobs!
If you have not already purchased the CV writing ebook, do so now to ensure you
select the write cover letter template (go to page 35 for the download links)
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NAB THAT JOB IN AUSTRALIA’S JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE
Nab That Job in Australia offers various professional job search assistance
that are aimed at people who are from overseas and are applying for jobs
either within Australia or from their home countries.
Various services are available, such as:
• Job Search Packages
• Tailored Job Search Strategies
• CV distribution services
• Professional Australian CVs
• Professional Australian Cover Letters
• Online Portfolios
…and more.
To view our professional job search services, click on one of the below links:
AUSTRALIAN JOB SPONSORSHIP SERVICES
For people requiring employer sponsorship:
http://www.nabthatjob.com/jobsponsorshipassistance.htm
AUSTRALIAN JOB SEARCH SERVICES
For people who have PR or working rights in Australia:
http://www.nabthatjob.com/jobsearchassistance.htm
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You can now start applying for jobs, and watch your results improve as
you start using your new and effective Australian cover letter!
On behalf of Nab That Job in Australia! And Sponsorship Australia, I wish
you all the best in your search for employment in Australia! I am sure you
have found this eGuide to be very useful in your application process.
Kind regards,
Nadine Myers
Managing Director &
Emigration Job Search Strategist
www.NabThatJob.com
www.SponsorshipAustralia.net
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