The Value of a Cover Letter According to Employers

The AUT Employability and Careers team do sometimes get asked why a student should bother with a cover letter as well as a CV. Here’s why! A recent employer survey we conducted found that 78.5% of employers surveyed wanted a cover letter, and of those, 48% read your cover letter before your CV!

So yep, I reckon cover letters are important!

Here are some tips we picked up from the survey regarding cover letters.

Layout

62.5% wanted a business letter layout, 37.5% didn’t mind.

68% wanted the letter to be attached to the email – 19.6% were happy to have it in the email and 19.6% didn’t have a preference

Therefore, to be safe, I’d recommend taking the business letter layout approach and attaching the letter to your email, which you would tend to do if you were using a business letter layout anyway.

Length

One page is a good length for a graduate, but if you have a lot of previous work experience to talk about, it isn’t going to ruin your chances to write a bit more, if it is relevant.

Salutations

There was fairly equal preference for either
Kia ora/ Ngā mihi nui - 44.6%
OR
Dear Hiring Manager/Kind Regards - 37.5%

Four frequent errors

These common errors are so easy to avoid as long as you remember that your cover letter is your big chance to show your motivation and desire to work in that role in that organisation.

1. Don’t send a general or vague letter that could be sent to anyone from anyone.
2. Don’t simply repeat your CV – that is a waste of time. Read the job advertisement and then briefly explain the skills and attributes you have that fit those requirements.
3. Don’t send a fully AI-generated cover letter. AI cover letters are very obviously AI and don’t represent you as an individual. Maybe use it as a starting point, but never send it without putting your own thoughts into it.
4. Make sure there is no incorrect grammar and spelling errors.

Top tips on cover letter content

• Why this role?
  “The key thing I want to read is why you’re applying specifically for this role.”
• Paint a picture of you!
  “The applicants that paint a picture of who they are will stand out. I love reading something relevant about you that isn’t easily found or explained in your CV.”

“There is nothing nicer than receiving a cover letter where an applicant lets their personality come through. Tailored letters that all look the same are pretty boring and not much use.”

• What motivates you?
  “I want to find out about your motivation, what interests you and why you want to work with us. How does your skillset align with the role you are applying for?”
• Why should we hire you?
  “What skills make you stand out? Don’t brag about achievements but mention things that are unique about you. What do you want to gain from working with us and what can you offer us?”
• What experience do you have?
  “Tell us about information and transferrable skills we can’t necessarily see on your CV.”
• What do you know about our company?
  “Show us you’ve researched about the company. What do you know about the business and how do you align with it?”

“What stands out about us to you and why are you applying for it? Highlight the company values and how you align with them.”
“Tell us about the value you can add to the company.”

• Show passion for the role and sector
  “It's helpful to know what you are passionate about, what made you apply for the role and where you want to go with it.”

• Self-awareness about your gaps
  “If you are ‘overqualified’ or changing fields, why choose this role? What are your transferable skills, etc? If you don’t have relevant experience, then what will make you stand out in another way, e.g. work ethic, commitment, dress standards and so on?”

“If there are any gaps in your experience, explain them. Also explain if your situation is a little unusual, e.g. ‘I live in Christchurch but am originally from Auckland which is why I have applied for this (Auckland) role’ ... OR’ I’m looking for a change of city/pace of life’.”

Want help with your cover letters?

The AUT Employability and Careers team run workshops regularly on writing CVs and cover letters. You can book an appointment simply by going to Elab Online. Not used Elab Online before? It’s easy, just put in your AUT username and password and you’re in the portal where you’ll find the Appointment tab near the top of the page. Appointments are at city campus and online.