Get Shortlisted for your next ACCA job... with your Cover Letter

Secure that ACCA job with a decent Cover Letter

1. Your cover letter is your first sales pitch
2. Purpose of your cover letter
3. The ‘golden rule’ of writing a cover letter
4. The contents of your cover letter
5. General guidelines

1. Your cover letter is your first sales pitch

The letter sent with the CV - the ‘Cover letter’ - is a candidate’s first sales pitch to a prospective employer, yet fewer and fewer candidates seem to be taking the time to carefully craft one, especially in this day of e-mailed job applications. A good cover letter introduces you to the recruiter and makes clear why you are so admirably suited for the ACCA job role. It can serve to highlight you accomplishments, call attention to special abilities you possess and showcase your excellent writing skills. It’s simply an overview of ‘you’ - how you and your skills relate to the ACCA position as well as providing an essential first impression of your personality and level-headedness. Remember, you do not get a second chance to make a first impression and you want that impression to be very positive.

2. Purpose of your cover letter
It is essential to keep these goals in mind when creating your cover letter. A cover letter serves to:

- Create that vitally important favourable first impression
- Introduce yourself
- Show your communication skills
- Display your professionalism
- Demonstrate your personality

ACCA Job adverts and ACCA job descriptions often list “good communication skills” and here is a chance to demonstrate the skills you have. Make sure to use proper grammar, punctuation and capitalisation – this is not the place to exercise your ‘IT text’ skills.

3. The ‘golden rule’ of writing a cover letter

The ‘Golden rule’ is that a cover letter should not be a rehash of your CV. One of the biggest mistakes ACCA job applicants make is to simply copy things straight from their CV. A CV itemises your skills, abilities and experience while the cover letter strategically fills in unexplained gaps, clarifies things, and justifies lapses in your CV. The cover letter should enlarge on your CV and emphasise two important points:

- what you can do for the company, and
- what the company needs that you have to offer.

4. The contents of your cover letter

Your cover letter should have four general sections. The first short paragraph should demonstrate your interest and commitment, and explain why you are writing. It should state the title of the ACCA job (or type of position) you are applying for, as well as how you heard about the company and the position. In this first paragraph you should also refer to your enclosed CV, or to mention that a CV has been delivered separately by electronic means.

The second paragraph should explain your interest in this type of position. You should highlight those qualifications and strengths you possess that are particularly relevant to the job opportunity, and use action verbs to describe your experience. This paragraph should be brief. Be specific in what you have to offer the company. Even though your CV contains a wealth of information, you must select 2 or 3 key points - whether qualifications, experience, aptitude or personal attributes - which match your understanding of the company’s needs, gathered through studying their advert, job description, or website. (For ideas on the use of action verbs please refer to the http://www.tonysurridge.co.uk/job-search free guide, '20 Ways of Getting your CV in the Yes Pile’.)

The third paragraph should briefly explain gaps in your CV, clarify things in it that may not be clear and justify certain actions that you have taken in your career, such as why you only stayed eight months in one particular position. Remember, the essence here is one of brevity!

The fourth part is the closing paragraph. In this you respectfully request action, such as an appointment, an interview, or some other outcome. Make things easy for the recruiter by listing the best times to call you, the best number to call you on, and/or your e-mail address. Close by restating your interest in the company, and the position (if appropriate).

5. General guidelines
The following points should help you in writing an effective cover letter:

- The cover letter should not be more than one page. Use A4 sized paper. Use no more than seven lines per paragraph.

- Your cover letter should not look like it has been distributed as a standard form letter to numerous employers. It should be customised to the needs of the employer. Address your letter to the person who can employ you. If you do not know the name of the person, call the company and find out the name and title of the person to whom to address your letter. This shows initiative and resourcefulness and will impress the recruiter that you figured out a way to address him/her personally But – use name and title and don’t try to guess their gender – don’t even try to get into the minefield of ‘mrs’, ‘ms’ or ‘miss’!

- The cover letter should not appear self-centred but rather job or employer-centred. Downplay “I” and emphasise “you”. Try to convert “I haves” into “you wants” for the employer. Put across the feeling of ‘ What can I do for your rganisation’. This is where your research comes in. Make it clear that you didn’t just pick this company out of an advert. You know who they are, what they do, and you have a definite reason for choosing them. Also, make sure your letter doesn’t project an overly condescending, belligerent and obnoxious tone. Don’t be too cocky!

- There should be no grammatical, spelling or typing errors. Proofread the cover letter, and have someone else proofread it as well.

- It should look professional in form, structure and design. Use block style with one inch side margins. Make sure the letter sounds like you, not something out of a book. Don’t be too informal. Your letter should be as close to a business proposal as possible to get – not a plea for an interview. Your letter should be an accurate reflection of your personality. Employers are searching for enthusiasm, knowledge, ability and focus.

- It should not be handwritten but rather typed or word-processed. Use the same font and type size as used for your CV.

- Do not use inappropriate stationery or the wrong envelope size. Match CV stationery if sending hard copies.

- Be sure to include contact information - a return address, phone number and e-mail address.

- The primary goal of the cover letter is to get an interview. Be sure to request one at the end of the letter.

- And finally, be prepared to instigate a follow-up telephone call a week later. Let your prospective employer know you will be doing this in your cover letter. This may be just enough to get them to hold onto your cover letter and give it a more thorough reading.

For advice on how to improve your chances of obtaining a work position refer to the http://www.tonysurridge.co.uk/job-search/ Boost Your Chances’ free guide.

Alternatively head to our website to see a range of ACCA jobs available throughout the UK from ACCA job recruiters