I will tell you what, I’ve had my share of going through a couple of cover letters through a previous work experience. Although the designs or templates may vary across recruiting firms and individuals, the message always remains the same, “Sell yourself” to the recruiter.
A cover/ing letter is your sales pitch to the recruiter/hiring manager/HR, whether you are applying for a director position, a managerial position or in this case, a graduate trainee position with no prior working experience other than an attachment/internship position.
Key focus points should be on
- A highlight on teamwork skills that demonstrate you can work with other people (this could be from working or volunteering in various clubs in campus)
- A mention of your core strengths and contributions that show you are a stand-out applicant
- School work experience or volunteer work that demonstrates your strengths and contributions
- Highly important is to mention your involvement in sporting or community clubs
- And lastly you cam mention hobbies or interests that are relevant to the job.
What you should stay away from
- Using too many I’s
- Repeating what’s on your CV
- Irrelevant salutations/wording (hey, how are you, hope this finds you well etc)