Writing a Compelling Cover Letter: Tips and Examples, Lecture notes of Nursing

Download Writing a Compelling Cover Letter: Tips and Examples and more Lecture notes Nursing in PDF only on Docsity! TI P S FO R W R IT IN G Y O U R C O V ER L ET TE R WHAT IS A COVER LETTER? The cover letter is another avenue of providing a prospective employer with an insight to the skills, experiences and qualifications you can bring to a position. Your cover letter is the first impression the organisation will have of you, the candidate, and its impact may influence a selection panel’s further reading of your CV. Your cover letter must be professional and well written with correct grammar and spelling. The content should explain how you meet the requirements for the position, emphasising and directing the attention of the selection panel towards the abilities, skills and knowledge the candidate has proved, with concrete examples based on previous experiences. WHY IS A COVER LETTER USEFUL? A cover letter can be useful to:  Highlight yourself as the best applicant for the position.  Convince the selector to invite you to an interview.  Show your motivation for applying to the position and organisation.  Demonstrate your skills for written communication. Paragraph 1: Explain the reason for your cover letter and your aim, e.g. I am writing to express my interest in your advertisement for the (insert position name) with (organisation), and submit my resume for review. Paragraph 2: Include a brief introduction to your skills, e.g. Having worked in the (industry, position) field for (period of time), with continued success in (experience: delivering and exceeding operational goals or project implementation) I believe I can make a valuable contribution to (organisations) future needs. Paragraph 3: What you can contribute to the position and organisation (achievements, experience); abilities and capacities that you will use to perform the position’s functions (e.g. I have an extensive background in (insert broad skillset). Working in (insert previous employer’s details) has provided me with strong experience in (insert specific skills related to the position). Paragraph 4: You may like to include some detail on your personal work ethic, e.g. (I am detailed in my work and take pride in (insert experience). I remain calm under pressure and can be relied upon to manage multiple tasks / clients effectively. Paragraph 5: Sign off and link to CV e.g. (I am looking for an exciting and professional challenge (insert industry). My resume contains additional details regarding my career achievements I would welcome the opportunity for an interview to discuss the position further and the results you can expect from me.  Warm goodbye e.g. I look forward to hearing from you.  Salutation  Full name and sign the letter. TI P S FO R W R IT IN G Y O U R C O V ER L ET TE R Remember to make your cover letter eye-catching; you want the reader to be taken in, read on to your CV and give you an interview. You want to distinguish yourself from the other candidates. Think about your main strength for the position and highlight it from the beginning, don’t let your potential employer read through lots of irrelevant information and miss your best assets. Your main strength will be something that isn’t in the requirements for the job, all the other candidates will have these so think outside the box about what else can you bring to the table? Maybe you have worked for a competitor and so can educate your potential new employer about the competition. Maybe you were selected to complete a specialised training program or travel overseas to complete a project or deliver specialised training. The cover letter may be directed to a particular person (avoid using phrases like “Dear sir/madam” or “To whom it may concern”). You should try to find out the name of the person who will be making the hiring decision from the advert or organisation website. If this is not possible, you may address the letter to a title or to the Human Resources department.  Consider the cover letter as a business letter, a professional one.  Never more than a page for writing a resume cover letter.  Provide a brief explanation of what you offer and want, without forgetting that the cover letter must be in accordance with what the company needs.  Bring (from your CV or resume) only aspects relevant to the position (abilities, capacities, achievements). Do not make a new summary of your resume. Your resume talks about you already.  Use the cover letter to convince the reader that you are the most appropriate candidate for the position, that you can perform the functions of the role.  Show enthusiasm and interest in the company. Write something about the company or industry that shows you know about them.  Check your spelling and grammar before sending the letter.  Use short phrases, be concise, no more than four or five paragraphs.  Do not use copies of cover letters previously used for other selection processes. Send an original cover letter to each employer. Here is an example you may wish to model for your Cover Letter: Dear Mr Jones I am writing to express my interest in your advertisement for Graduate Registered Nurses with UnitingCare Health. As a recent graduate from (Insert University) I believe I can make a valuable contribution to UnitingCare Health’s nursing team. I am passionate about nursing and wish to work for a progressive, private health care organisation such as UnitingCare Health. Through my studies, I have proven to be a dedicated and enthusiastic student who has achieved an appreciation and understanding of evidence based nursing practice. I am keen to begin a career in nursing and believe I will be able to transition my experience as a student nurse to a Graduate position with your organisation. Prior to commencing my nursing studies, I worked in the Human Resources sector for a major mining organisation, providing Human Resource services for major business units and projects located across Australia and internationally.