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

Thank you - ACCA Paper P3

It was very nice to receive a message from one of my ACCA students, Samyak M. Shah. He writes as follows:

'Please note that by God's Grace and blessings of wellwishers like yourselves, I have passed Paper P3 with 59 marks.

Sir - your teaching and training is simply marvellous.

You have taught us a lot and we owe you a gratitude for the same.

Probably - the words will never be sufficient to express the gratitude.

With regards ...'

Well done Samyak!
.

ACCA Papers F1, F2 and F3

The syllabus for ACCA Paper F1, ACCA Paper F2 and ACCA Paper F3 will change for exams taken from 1st December 2011 onwards. The current e-books published by Tony Surridge Online will remain for students taking the exams up to and including 30th November. This is appropriate as many students only study these subjects for a few months. We intend to publish new books in September 2011 for students taking exams from 1st December 2011. We will then run both publications in parallel (to meet the needs of both types of studens - those sitting the F1, F2, and F3 ACCA exams up to 30November and those from 1st December) and we will then will withdraw the current editions on 1st December.

Accounting Jobs available on the TonySurridge website

For those of you who may be unaware, the TonySurridge.co.uk offers an active and up to date Accounting and Finance specialist job board. With latest vacancies posted from numerous recruitment agencies throughout the UK, the TonySurridge.co.uk job board is more like a spring board to help with your ACCA career.

Have a look now on our website and see what new accounting jobs we have.

ACCA Job Interview - General Tips – Prepare correctly for your Accounting career

I know many of you have already read various general interview tips but let me reiterate the issue. Let me put you in the Employers’ shoes for a moment. Just imagine you are an accountancy employer, either working for a big firm or even a small independent accountancy practice, looking to take on that newest ACCA part qualified staff member to join your team, and you’re looking forward to interviewing respective candidates… but the following happens:

• He/she enters into the room with a smell of smoke and chewing gum in his/her mouth. How much would you be impressed? What does this say about the candidate? (People often chew gum before an interview to maintain fresh breath, but you’d be surprised how many people actually forget to take the gum out before walking in! And resist the urge to smoke before an interview, the smell is overpowering!)
• He/she is not wearing a proper suit, or worse yet, wearing jeans. (You are interviewing for a professional accounting career… you need to dress accordingly)
• He/she only has one single copy of their CV with them. (Take multiple copies to give out in case they need one again. You don’t yet know if it’s a multiple-seated interview panel.)
• He or she is fifteen minutes late. (Never, ever be late for your interview! If you appear late for one of the most important meetings, this suggests you won’t even care about other business meetings in the future)
• Their information in their CV, and information the applicant provides during the interview are totally different. First thing on your mind? Doubt! (Always make sure your CV is factual and you know it inside-out)
• The candidate has called you by your first name without permission (how would you feel in this professional setting?) and even worse, they’ve pronounced your name wrong! (always use their formal name until you are told to call them otherwise. Listen to how they introduce themselves when you first shake hands. It will be an indication of how they want you to address them)
• The candidate is yawning and more interested in a view outside the window, not even bothering to make eye contact with you. (If you don’t want to pay attention or act interested, then this is not the job for you. Don’t waste your time or the time of the interviewer)
• He/she sits before you even ask. (Wow! Do you feel empowered?… because the interviewer could feel like they are on the back foot before they’ve even started… watch out!)
• No professional conduct and no sense of humor (your staff is going to hate you for hiring them). (Always act professionally, and you want to come across as if you can work in a team. It will be an important issue for the interviewer to review overall)
• The candidate conducts inappropriate or weak body language. (Not everything is measured verbally - think of your upright posture, your smile, your arms and hands etc)
• His/her answers are like a never ending speech and he took you for granted (presuming himself the only applicant). And still you are wondering why are you even interviewing him/her? (this is a 2-way process… they need to ask you their questions to see if you fit. Allow them to ask, then it’s your turn at the end. Wait until then)
• They start debating on Politics or Religion. (This is a job interview, not a current affairs debate, unless the state of the economy and government has some significant bearing directly relating to the job role)
• And before leaving, they assume they already have the job and ask you how much you’re willing to pay them? (Always let the interviewer bring up the discussion of salary. They may have to go away and think about it, or perhaps they haven’t offered it to you at all because they won’t be offering you the job. In either case, appear too pushy and most interviewers won’t like that)

Yes, I know you are completely frustrated if you could imagine the scenario above and as an employer you know what should not be done. So, respectively, if you really want to fail an interview, follow all the steps above.

However, look at these 5 top tips to hold yourself with a fighting chance.

Five tips for a top ACCA interview

• Be prepared
  Learn as much as you can about your potential company, who they are, their services and their strategic direction. Make sure you can articulate how your strengths and career goals align with the company, and why you think you’ll succeed in that particular organization.
• Be proactive
  Prepare a list of questions to ask your interviewer(s) so you can assess whether the company is the right place to launch your ACCA career. Ask them questions about the organization (they would be pleased to tell you more) but be specific about the role, the clients you will be expected to take on, the opportunities they can offer you and what you can expect from them in general. (All of these points should not be questions which you can find the answers about on their website – see research point above, “be prepared”)
• Be yourself
  Try to relax and remember that companies are interested in the real you. When preparing, it’s helpful to think about how you’d like to communicate certain points but avoid over-rehearsing, as it may come across as impersonal.
• Be professional
  Take pride in your presentation. Companies adore professional traits like how you dress, how you speak and what you tell them about yourself. You will, after all, be representing them in meetings, with clients etc. They want to make sure you represent them well in appearance and tone.
• Be aware
  Throughout the interview take a quick moment to think before you act. Be aware of how you are sitting, your posture, your body language, don’t yawn, keep eye-contact etc. Don’t just blurt out any response simply to answer the question quickly, make sure you understand the questions and answer them accordingly and thoughtfully. If you’re speaking too fast, slow down.

For more tips and techniques in preparing for your ACCA job interview, please see the Tony Surridge “Boost Your Chances” section. www.tonysurridge.co.uk/boost-chances

For the latest ACCA and other general accounting jobs throughout the UK, please go to the Tony Surridge specialist job board. www.tonysurridge.co.uk/job-search

Here's a little article from one of our writers. It's all about Telephone Interviews. If you've thought you don'tneed to prepare for your telephone interview, think again!

RING RING – Telephone Interviews for your ACCA job


Ring!!!!Ring!!!!

• “Hello?”
• Sir/Madam we are calling from DD Audit Firm.*
• “Okay, and how may I help you? (meow, background noise of pet cats)
• Sir/Madam you submitted an online CV for an ACCA accountancy related job on our website.
• “So?”
• We need a telephonic interview before we ask you for a face to face interview…


The background pet cat was the least I mentioned. People even have more terrible experiences for their telephone interviews. Yes, many accounting companies are now starting to prefer telephone interviews before they call you onto their premises. Reasons could be many, but in light of growing accountancy applicants, many recruiters now need to be more efficient when finding their ideal candidate.

With the changing technological advancements, companies are one step ahead of us in using them. There are stories of people who were rejected just because their Facebook profile does not seems fit or show an inappropriate behavior. So next time, before you do anything inappropriate or extremely stupid on Facebook, don’t think your actions are going un-noticed. Accountancy companies are now even hiring their potential employees on social networking websites, especially, Linkedin. (Read our other articles on social sites like Linkedin, this could be your biggest advantage if you are serious about your career).


So, How to Tackle a Telephone Interview?

People form opinions and make judgments about us in the first 60 seconds they see us. People also make judgments about us based on the way we sound on the telephone. (For more on this topic I will strongly, and may I say very strongly, suggest you the book of Malcolm Gladwell, BLINK.

Because these accountancy recruiters cannot see us over the telephone they will form these opinions based not only what we say, but also on "how" we say it. In fact the message we communicate over the telephone is based primarily on these two important qualities;
(1) "What" we say (Verbal) and (2) "How" we say it.

There are many ways to handle the telephone interviews. Here are just a few thoughts...
To see our FULL article for free, click here

Be a Friend with LinkedIn – good for your ACCA career

I was never into internet. With just one email address and checking it only once a month, I was trying to avoid it. Why? I don’t exactly know why, but one big excuse was that at the time I was way too busy with my ACCA Studies.

One day my friend forces me to be more active on internet. “It will help you find ACCA Jobs and make new contacts. Plus as you’ve been a teacher, you can also impress others, make new connections and it would be good for your ACCA career”, he said in a mocking tone.

I gave it some thought when it came time to try it out I was confronted by numerous social websites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Before I knew it, my fate was decided – I experienced a new career in digital media. No longer did I check my emails only once a month, I was reading them constantly, and now I am reaping the rewards of these technological advances. Sometimes I regret I should have started it earlier.

I decided for Facebook first. From time to time I'd get invites and messages. Often I ignored them, or put them off for another day. Since Facebook seemed more fun, with its photos and games and fan pages, I spent much more time there, accumulating more than 300 "friends," revising my bio several times, and posting various article links.

Then 3 months ago I started covering leadership and ACCA careers, and every career expert I talked with, from coaches to headhunters to campus recruiters, told me that LinkedIn was an essential job search tool. Great for your ACCA career! A LinkedIn profile can serve as a passive job magnet, since accountancy recruiters and hiring managers use the site as a gold mine for locating ACCA qualified candidates.

I met ACCA students and ACCA professionals alike, who shared their experience about how they get their jobs through Linkedln. “It’s a new experience. I wrote an article in a local newspaper and a newspaper editor, after going through my article hired me in a permanent position”, told one of my LinkedIn connections.

So my best advice for ACCA students (after their June attempt) is to set up a profile on LinkedIn and update their CVs accordingly.

Think professionally and act in a professional manner with LinkedIn. Facebook is a different kettle of fish, more fun and perhaps more informal. But we’re talking about a professional community for professionals read by the professionals. And potential accounting employers won’t be pleased with stupid status updates or your teenage adventures. (this is what they might see with your Facebook page – think before you act or show your Facebook profile publically!) So look out for potential opportunities and do not give yourself any excuse (like I did) not to use these social networking websites. Who knows you might be getting a new ACCA career while making new acquaintances on Linkedln.

LinkedIn is not the only place to search for ACCA Jobs, or to upload your accountancy CV. Try specialist accountancy job boards, make sure you can upload your CV for free, ensure that you are allowed to apply for jobs for free, and see if they offer free tips and techniques to help you with your chances. All of these can be found at the specialist accountancy and finance job board, at http://www.TonySurridge.co.uk/job-search