A perfect cover letter for a job in New Zealand

Looking for a job in NZ could be a very stressful process for anyone. CV, cover letters, interviews - require so much time and makes even most confident people shake. I prepared for you 3 simple rules on how to write a cover letter that will be noticed by a NZ employer.

They are:

1. Be personal

2. Be relevant

3. Be confident.

I developed those rules based on my personal experience. Cover letters that I have written helped me to be selected for interviews with organisations such as Palmerston North City Council, Department of Conservation, Massey University, Wildlife sanctuary Rotokare and a couple of community organisations. In addition, I have led a recruitment process myself. This has given me a different perspective. I had not understood why employers always ask to provide cover letters when everything important is already written in the CV. But after I was selecting candidates for a position of a project coordinator myself I  understood in-depth the importance of cover letters. I’ll give you an example. Let’s say you are applying for the position of an English teacher. All people who would apply for this position will have a degree in teaching English and some experience working as a teacher, so most CVs will look the same. Cover letter, on another hand, is your chance to tell your personal story and make your application memorable. So let's explore the 3 rules:

1. Be personal
Never use cover letter templates that you can find online, tailor every cover letter specifically to each position. And when I say tailor your cover letter I mean not only changing the title of the role and the company's name, but also rewriting it every time you apply for a new position. This is your chance to show your personal connection to the job. It may be a direct connection, for example, you have worked on a project with the team or you volunteered with this organisation in the past. For example in my cover letter for a position with the Rotokare Sanctuary I wrote:

'While conducting my field work in Bushy Park on hihi population I was lucky enough to assist the Rotokare team in preparing birds for translocation.’

In this sentence, I'm grabbing the employer's attention by mentioning that I have worked with a team from Rotokare and I'm skilled enough to assist with translation. 

But you may not have this direct connection with the employer, which is fine, because you can make an indirect connection. For example, in my Cover letter to the Department of Conservation I said:

‘I have been looking for an opportunity like this since I heard from Martin Rodd about the project Janszoon at the environmental funders’ symposium this October. I was really inspired by the level of collaboration among community groups and institutions and by achieved results.'

In this paragraph I'm giving 3 relevant clues to the employer: I know of a very respectful person in the Department, I admire project Janszoon - one of the biggest conservation projects on South Island, and I was at the environmental funders' symposium - emphasising that I keep myself up to date with what is going on in the sector. 

In an indirect example, you can also show how the job you are applying for relates to your personal experience or your personal values. Needless to say that your connection should be relevant to the position.

2. Be relevant
You may know five languages and be an Olympic champion in ice skating, but you should not mention it if those skills were not listed in the job description. When I was recruiting candidates for a project coordinator position (an office-based role), I had an application from a person, who mentioned in her cover letter that she could fly a helicopter. Although this is interesting information, the job (as you can imagine) didn’t require piloting skills, thus this candidate was refused straight away as overqualified. And yes, I still remember this cover letter, but I remember it as irrelevant.

I noticed that many NZ migrants, like to mention that they speak fluently in their mother tongue. My recommendation is - if the job does not require you to talk your mother tongue don’t mention it. It may give an impression that you didn’t read the job description or that you don’t have the skills they are asking for. Mention only skills that are listed in the job description; you have limited space, don’t waste it on something they are not interested in. And how do you know what are they are interested in? It is all written in the job description.

3.Be confident

In today’s world competition is very high, we have lots of good and skilled people but not many positions are offered on the market. So rule number three is 'be confident' and sell yourself. Ask yourself 'Am I the best candidate for this position?' And the answer has to be always - 'Yes!' Yes, you are, because if you don’t believe that you are the best candidate for this position yourself how are you going to convince the employer? Choose 2-3 top skills that are needed for the job and provide real examples in your cover letter to back up your claims. Instead of saying 'I have excellent communication skills', say 'My excellent communication skills have allowed me to [for example] double the number of members in the IPU Toastmaster club.' In this sentence, you are providing two important proves of your communication skills, first - you double the number of members, second - you are a member of a Toastmaster club. 

Even if you don’t have all the skills and experience that were listed in the job description, your cover letter is a place where you convince the employer that you are the most professional person that would acquire those skills very quickly (given the opportunity) because you are so passionate about this job.

So next time when you are writing your cover letter, start with a blank page and Be personal, be relevant and be confident, and I’m sure you will get the interview.