Over the years I have received many thousands of applications for interesting marketing roles , mainly in the form of a CV! (although not always!). One of the things that still staggers me after all these years is the inability of many people, especially those who work in marketing, who are unable present themselves in a way that will garner a positive reaction from someone like me! There are many facets to this topic and I will return to it over the coming months but there is one aspect that I wish to address now. Covering letters.

With the advent of the Internet and web based job boards it is now very easy for individuals to apply for jobs. Equally it is very easy for someone to post their CV on a job board and wait for a headhunter or recruiter to come along! Equally, people like me post roles on social media and hope that someone ‘special’ will see them. All too often I am presented with people who use the ‘default’ covering letter supplied by job boards. Whilst this in itself is not a crime it often suggests a person’s commitment to finding a job is less then the individual who takes time to write a (short) covering letter, explaining their interest and relevance to the role. I usually write a letter (email) back to this person either inviting them for an interview or if I think they are not appropriate the reasons why. No covering letter or note usually results in one of our standard rejection letters! My recommendation to anyone applying for jobs is to personalise the covering letter to the role - but do remember that of you are using your own covering letter for numerous roles ensure that you specify the job title of the job you are applying for! 

I once got an email via Linkedin from an individual who had seen a role I had posted in one of the groups – all it said was ‘Consider Me’. I replied ‘No’.  

Happy Job Hunting!