If you’ve just stepped out of the gates of your alma mater with a scroll in your hand, welcome to adulthood. With that, it’s time to job hunt. But, what is this cover letter that they’re asking for? Cover letters are essentially a short write-up, detailing the skills that you have that would be beneficial for the job that you’re applying to.
But why do you need one? Isn’t a resume enough? Well, hiring managers most definitely have no time to read every bit of your resume. Cover letters help them see your skills that are related to the job. It’s also a good medium for you to give your hiring manager an idea of how you are as a person and a would-be employee. Also, it helps explain any gaps in your resume timeline, if you have one. Anyways, let’s see what else makes a good cover letter.
When writing a cover letter, always include a header portion. This is where your name, contact details, and description would be. A description is usually a key phrase that indicates your strongest skills. Once you’ve done that, introduce yourself to your hiring manager and briefly state a few achievements that would be relevant to the job. Don’t forget to mention the name of the company as well. This shows your attention to detail and that the cover letter isn’t just a generic one.
Your next paragraph should be all the skills you have to offer in relation to the job. Highlight your qualifications and add some data or skills that strongly portray your ability to succeed in the job position you’re applying to. Remember to use a few keywords from the original job description as well. To end, thank the reader for their time and offer a few methods of contact. Email and a direct mobile number are usually the best. But, there are increasingly more HR people in Malaysia that use Whatsapp and Telegram so it won’t hurt to add those as well.
If you did the whole TL: DR thing, here’s a quick checklist for you lazybums :
“I don’t have any experience, what do I write in the cover letter?”. Lots of fresh grads have this thought pop up in their mind. That actually isn’t even a problem. As a fresh graduate, most hiring managers in Malaysia know that you have the least experience to offer. But, what they want from you is the ability to keep an open mind and learn quickly. Additional soft skills can also be valuable, as they are much harder to pick up through training courses.
So if you’re writing a cover letter as a fresh graduate in Malaysia with zero experience, just follow these points and you’ll be good to go. Just remember that your cover letter is all about selling yourself and your skillset to your employer. Express your skills in a way that can convince them that you’re a great hire, even without the experience.
Now that we’ve covered all the basics, it’s time to get technical. Here’s a full breakdown on how you can write your cover letter as a fresh grad in Malaysia, the right way :
There are many templates out there on the internet. Pick one that closely fits your application type.
Your name, location, contact details, and a description of your key skills.
Addressee with the correct salutations.
Go into detail about your skillset and how it can benefit the company.
Include any relevant volunteer, internship, or working experience.
And add details on how best to contact you.
Bonus tip: Add a postscript (#PS, if you’re not familiar) at the end of your letter. You can use this bit to further reinforce your abilities and skills. Plus, not many people do this and it gives you points for standing out.
And that’s all there is to it!
As mentioned earlier, there are a ton of different templates that you can choose from on the Internet. But, the tricky part is choosing the one that works for you. Here are a couple of cover letter templates that would be useful for you as a fresh graduate applying for a job in Malaysia.
You may have done everything that’s been listed in this article. But, speaking from experience, it never hurts to give it all a second go-over before you hit that send button. Also, there are always things that are missed the first time around. Let’s take a look at some of the things you should consider before finalizing your job application as a fresh graduate.
This cannot be stressed enough. As a fresh graduate, it is in your hands to give your best shot when applying. Faulty grammar, erroneous spelling, fish turns of phrases can all point to a subtle lack of detail in the candidate. This could earn you an express pass to the paper bin. We wouldn’t want that now, would we?
When applying for a job, it is crucial that your skills and expertise match the requirements of the job. Read job descriptions thoroughly and single out what the job entails. Then put them against your skills and weigh if they are a fit with the job requirements. If you have no academic experience or skills that match the job you’re applying for but would like to make a career for yourself in that position, always have volunteer or internship experience to back you up.
Always, always do some research on the company that you’re applying to. Get to know their niche, their products, and services, and get to know the key people in their organization. It would help if you address your hiring manager by name, as well. This shows that you do take the initiative to go the extra mile. And even if this doesn’t contribute much to your cover letter and application, it could be a big help during the interview stage.
Ask questions, don’t be shy. Asking questions gives the hiring manager the impression that you have put substantial thought into being in the job position and how you can lend your skills to the company. In addition to that, it shows your future employer that you are inquisitive and curious, which is a good trait to have for those in entry-level positions. Asking questions also benefit you as you will be able to get a good overview of what you’re signing up for and whether it fits in with your personal career goals.
Now that we know what to do, time to find out what not to do. There are a few big NO-NOs when it comes to cover letter writing. The main one is grammatical errors. Such errors are a big put off to hiring managers and could get your application sent straight to the shredder. Be sure to write the correct addressee and company names and company. Mistakes in these can indicate a lack of detail on your part. Also, avoid specifying personal particulars and your salary expectation.
Don’t be too eager in your letter as well, excessive flattery may not work in your favor in this case. Try not to go into too much detail about your desired career path as well. Your employer is interested in what you have to offer them, not what you are seeking to get out of them. Write as objectively as possible and try to tip the benefit scale towards the company that you’re applying to.
So, you see, writing a cover letter as a fresh graduate in Malaysia really isn’t rocket science. The most important thing is to keep it as brief as possible and market your skills to your employer. Be sure to tailor each cover letter for each of your world-be employers. They appreciate it and it does earn you a few brownie points along the way. Good luck with your job search!
