Why Is a Cover Letter Important When Making a Job Application?

Recently graduated and looking to get into the job market? It might be challenging to work your way through numerous job applications. While your resume would hold the utmost importance in listing your qualifications, a nice, fine-tuned cover letter would show the distinction in your application. It is not just a formality, but rather an efficient tool that can immensely contribute to getting a good job. This article considers some of the reasons why a cover letter is an important document to use in making a job application, particularly for graduates who intend to get into a job opening in South Africa.

2. Personalize and Connect:
   An advantage of a cover letter is that it allows you to showcase yourself, highlight who you are in the application. A resume is often very comprehensive to the field you are specializing in, whereas a cover letter provides a chance to speak directly to the hiring manager. This can help you get close to the reader and let him or her know that you have taken enough time to understand the company and the position you have applied for. This personal touch might be the difference that could mark the distinction in a highly competitive job market.
3. Motivation and Fit:
   The employers are not only interested in a candidate with the right set of skill but want to ensure that they can fit into their company culture and have an interest in the company and the position that is being offered. A cover letter gives you the opportunity to express exactly why you are the best fit for the position and how you can see yourself bringing value to the company. This is crucial for graduates, because through this, one gets a chance to express excitement and enthusiasm as well as dedication to the profession when there is a lack of extensive skills and work experience.
4. Relevant Skills and Experiences:
   While a resume outlines the qualifications a person has, it is the duty of the cover letter to explain your most relevant experiences in detail. You can explain here how your academic achievements or any experience of internship or volunteer work has prepared you for the job. You will be given an opportunity to connect your experience with the position requirements more effectively by way of a cover letter in order to clearly bring out the fact that you are the ideal candidate for the job.

Last but not least, the cover letter is much more than another extra document to be added to your job application; it is a predominance tool, so to say, over other candidates. Needless to say, in countries that boast very competitive job markets, such as South Africa, graduates can easily make the effort of creating a telling cover letter that would make all the difference between an invitation for an interview and rejection. Remember, your cover letter is that first impression-make it count. In sending along a cover letter with your job applications, you’re telling a potential employer that you are interested in the job opening and want to work for the company; and thatyou are, in fact, the best fit.