How to write the best cover letter for CV South Africa: guide, sample, format
If you are hunting for a job, please polish your skills for drafting a cover letter for CV South Africa. This is the first step of impressing the employer so that you are given a chance for an interview. Did you know that managers are trained to examine the character of the job applicant through the cover letter? Job vacancies are available, but how will you get one if the presentation of your application document speaks lowly of you? Your CV letter should enable you to stand out.
Source: UGC
You need to go through a cover letter for CV example. It is a simple guideline for writing application letters for jobs. However, do not rely on all the online samples because some of them do not use the South African writing structure. The formats for drafting a job application letter vary slightly per country because of the different education systems. For you to get the attention of the employer in South Africa, please stick to the South African format.
What is a cover letter for CV?
It is a one-page document that you MUST send with a resume to employers when looking for a job. In the document, you should provide the employer with details about the unique skills and experience that you possess, which are in line with what the job needs.
Source: UGC
Cover letter format
Recruitment policies within organizations slightly differ from one organization to another. Some companies may need the job application letter while others may not because they may assume that the resume has all the required information they need to know about you.
Today, the majority of organizations insist that applicants should apply for jobs online. However, there are companies that still accept the traditional handwritten cover letters. Here is a detailed discussion about the appropriate format for penning a letter of employment in South Africa.
Date and contacts
In a hard copy, write the date of application, your address, and lastly, the company's address. Do not change the order of these items and arrange them vertically while leaving a space after each one of them.
In a digital copy for an online application, there is no need to write the company's address and your address. The essential information that the employer should know is your city, country, cellphone contacts, and email.
Salutation
Use the name of the contracting manager to address him or her. This shows that you know who you are writing to because you have done research about the company. The titles Mr., Mrs., and Miss. in a CV cover letter can offend the manager because you may be wrong about the marital status of the person. The world has moved away from the traditional "Dear Sir/Madam" greetings to "Dear Hiring Manager" because the latter is more appealing than the former. The "Dear Hiring Manager" salutation is also a clever cover-up for not knowing the names of the managers.
First paragraph
Here is the part where you show the enthusiastic side of you. State the job title that you are applying for and how you learned about the vacancy. State the most recent and major scholarly qualifications that you have that match the job requirements. It can be a bachelor's degree, masters' degree, certificate, diploma, etc.
Paragraphs at the center
In this section, you will write in detail the qualifications that you have, starting with the educational qualification that you mentioned in the opening paragraph. Write about your work experience and the skills that you got from those jobs. Persuade the manager to hire you by letting him or her know the achievements you made in those jobs and your values.
Ending paragraph
The manager needs some acknowledge from you. Request for an interview courteously and provide him or her with your email and cellphone number in this part.
Closing complements and signature
Seeking for a job can make anyone emotional. Do you know that you sound affectionate when you write words like cheers, yours truly, and warm regards? "Yours sincerely" or "Regards" with your name at the bottom is the most appropriate way to go about it. If you are using your handwriting, do not forget your signature.
Source: UGC
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Job application letter sample
Here is a sample for an online job application:
(Applicant's name)
(Applicant's phone number)
(Applicant's email address)
(Date of application)
Dear Hiring Manager (or Name),
REF: APPLICATION FOR A (JOB TITTLE) VACANCY
Regarding the advertised (job title) that I learned about from (where or how), I seek to work for your esteemed organization. I am an (undergraduate/diploma graduate/masters graduate, etc.) from the (school) with a (credits).
My scholarly background, leadership experience at (organization), and working for (company) have empowered me with in-depth knowledge and proficient skills as a (job title). I am confident that my (state your skills) will enable me to bring impressive contributions to your company.
I am interested in working for (company) because it offers (services the company offers its customers) that have critically brought a positive change in society. I also believe that (company) will enable me to gain more skills and experience to build my career and make an impact on society.
Here are my attached resume and qualifications documents that will give you more information about me. Thank you for going through my resume. I will appreciate it if we can meet for an interview. You can contact me through (phone number and email).
Regards,
(Your name)
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Please click here for more cover letter examples South Africa. Did you know that a cover letter template makes it easier to write this document? A template is a simple cover letter sample for job application in word format that you can edit on your computer after downloading it. Some are for sale but at an affordable rate.
What are the precautions for writing a CV cover letter?
- Send the document as a PDF or .doc because, unlike the word document, the orderliness in the PDF or .doc cannot be altered by the system of the organization.
- Make it readable by using Arial, Calibri, and Verdana fonts of size ten to twelve. Add spaces between the sections and use single-spacing to make the document look neat.
- Use 250-350 words for the entire document but fix in it all the vital information.
Have confidence when writing your cover letter for CV South Africa. Check the grammar and punctuation mistakes by proofreading it using Grammarly or any other app that you know. Best of luck!
READ ALSO: Step-by-step guide on how to write a CV in South Africa
Source: Briefly News
