02. IN the search of new beginnings...

Category: Career and Purpose

02. 

If you decide to write a cover letter, 
​these would be my 5 golden rules:

A cover letter or a letter of motivation may very soon be a thing of the past.
With Easy Apply in LinkedIn and ChatGPT used to create pretty good cover letters, most companies have decided to drop this from the selection process.
​
For one reason or another however, you may be asked for one or you may decide to write one for yourself. I have read probably 10,000 or more cover letters and resumes in my 20+ years in recruitment and human resources. I have also written at least 100 for myself. Yet, these would be 5 rules of thumb:

1. Make one good cover letter, then edit it when and as needed. Some may disagree, but personally, I believe in being smart and efficient when you are job hunting. Much like the resume, you may make a few tweaks here and there as you send it to different openings, but when the basis is good, this should be 10-min work.

2. Use the 3:2:1 rule. This is probably my favourite and best rule. You do not have to list your whole life journey or spend hours writing. Use this structure for clean, yet genuine letter:
Make a list of:

• 3 things you are really good at, be it skills or experiences. This goes into your first paragraph about yourself.
•  2 things you like about this position, field or company. This goes into your second paragraph about why you are applying.
•  1 thing you would like to learn or bring to it. This goes in your last and shortest paragraph.

3. Keep it short, one page - 3 paragraphs. Use the structure above, add what you are applying for at the top and courtesy closure in the end. Voila! Keeping things simple shows the skill of concise communication, the ability to actively prioritise and makes it easier to read.

4. Be yourself. This one rule is just for you. No, really. There is no worse feeling than the feeling you have to ´squeeze´ yourself into a perception or a box in order to fit in. Write the letter for yourself and as yourself. The place that is right for you, will appreciate that.

5. Read it out loud to yourself as you proofread, hearing it helps tremendously. Then pdf or export it accordingly. Do not send editable formats - they mess up your formatting. Sounds obvious but turns out, many people forget

That's it. Set a time for 55 min and get it over with in one go.

Bonus: Reading your own cover letter before an interview is actually the best prep technique. It reminds you how amazing you already are (3 things you are great at) and why you may want this opportunity.

That leads us to the question: Should you use ChatGPT?
         My answer is - yes, BUT read this first…