Writing a prospecting cover letter?

falko89

I have spent the morning overhauling my CV but now I need a decent cover letter, I am unsure what exactly to write, when a job exists its easy enough done, but when no job has been advertised what exactly do you write?

Wellery82

There isn't a correct answer as such, as every person has their own opinion, and looks for different things. Personally when i have done this i use a template pretty similar to this -

• An initial grab line telling them who i am and what i am looking for, eg the job you do, your experience/quals, and what it is you are looking for. Basically a line to capture interest if they may need those skills
• A new paragraph with a couple lines delaing why you are applying to that specific company - make this look tailored
• A new paragraph expanding on your skills and experience, and what exactly you want/can bring to a new role at their organisation
• A final paragraph outlining miscellaneous factors such as you are instantly available/would love to discuss further at a time of their convenience/can be contacted any time on xxxxx/are prepared to relocate/can send further information etc

When i last looked for work i sent out about 50 cover letters like above, tailored to companies, and about 100 more generic ones, both options got interviews which i was delighted with. I think often it is simply luck - if the letter falls on the desk of the right person at the right time it saves them lots of money and hassle, but you need to try a few before you get lucky