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A job application is like selling a house.
Your CV is the thumbnail image of the house with a topline description: year of construction, size, location, and amenities.
Your Cover Letter is the pdf brochure with additional information that entices a potential buyer to book a viewing.
The job interview is the viewing itself.
Your cover letter should be written in such a way that it triggers the hiring manager to invite you for an interview to find out more.
Here are five tips from our experienced team of recruiters, on how to create a good cover letter for employers in Fintech:
1. Research the organisation.
Visit the website to get a good overview. What are the main business objectives and how are they achieved?
Also look at their live jobs, online blog, and any third-party news articles which may provide additional insight.
2. Match the job to your experiences.
List the job requirements and identify which ones you meet. How could you describe them in different terms? How do they match your experience and can you give concrete examples?
For paragraph structure, use STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Results. For Results, use metrics to explain your impact.
Lastly, identify what your added value is for this specific job at this specific organisation.
3. Apply a logical layout.
A cover letter should not be longer than one A4 page with a maximum of four paragraphs.
In the first paragraph, you briefly describe who you are and why you are interested in the position.
In the second paragraph, convey why you are the best candidate, how your previous experience fits in, and your added value. Show achievement and give concrete examples. If necessary you can split this paragraph into two.
In the last paragraph, you conclude the letter with a positive note, for example, describing where you see your journey with the company taking you.
An alternative structure could be to follow Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle where you start with why, followed by how and then what or in other words: why you are the best candidate, how you would do the job, and what you bring with you. Whether you chose the first or the second option, do not forget to write the letter in such a way that the reader would like to ‘book a viewing’.
4. Check, check, double-check.
If you’re writing your cover letter, it means that the first hurdle - your CV - has already been accomplished (otherwise, be sure to check out our article on "How to make a great CV").
Quickly skimming your cover letter aids in quick decisions and helps to avoid heartache later. Check for spelling errors, especially in the
company name, contact person, and title.
Do not write the letter just before the deadline. Even better, have several templates ready to go, whilst you are job seeking. Leave plenty of time for proofreading and ask someone else to proofread it too.
With every pass of your cover letter, you should also be shortening it, saying more in fewer words.
5. Practice makes perfect.
The more you write cover letters, the easier it becomes. Look for different types of job organisations across the breadth of the Fintech industry and write a matching CV and Cover Letter for each company type:
Why would you be suitable for this job? What would be your added value despite having little or no experience? That way you can experiment with writing, gain experience without pressure, and build up a catalog of cover letter templates for different job types.
What about your online CV?
Make sure to read our article “Using LinkedIn to its full potential during your job search”, for our top tips on improving your LinkedIn profile today.
For more advice, you can in touch with our experienced team of Talent Acquisition Specialists today, at: applications@trm-international.com
We are here and happy to help with all your recruitment needs, from CV to interview advice.
You can also check out some of our public job opportunities here.