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Last week we took a look at structuring a job-winning resume using the mechanic.com.au profile builder. If you haven’t already checked it out, you can do so by clicking HERE
While having a complete and properly formatted resume is one of the most important tools to land that new job, having a well written cover letter gives a personal touch and tells the prospective employer a little about yourself and why you are a suitable candidate for the job.
But who really likes talking about themselves and what are the rules? What should it say? How long should it be?
You're here to fix cars, not write cover letters so here are some great tips and templates to help you nail that job application.
Aim of the game
In your cover letter, you need to make sure you check off the following 5 points
Got Skills?
Think about the skills that are most important when applying for a job in the automotive service and repair industry. Do you possess these skills? If so, make sure you include them.
Be creative
If you get bored writing your cover letter, the employer is going to get bored reading it.
Given that mechanic.com.au is the hub for automotive jobs in Australia & New Zealand, chances are if you are applying for a vacancy here, the person hiring you has had to read at least 10 other cover letters from 10 other people applying for the same position.
Don’t get lost in the crowd! Make sure your opening line starts strong. Add some personality to your cover letter by telling the story of how your heard about the job, or why you want to work for this workshop.
Go the extra mile
Did you know that when you apply for a job on mechanic.com.au you can upload any type of file with your application.
Why not stand out from the crowd; flick your selfie camera on and record a short video introducing yourself and why you think you are the right person for the job. Now, that’s different and bound to stand out!
Pretend you’re someone else
If you’re having trouble writing about yourself or feel like you are ‘bragging’, pretend you are someone else and write in third person - ie. ‘Jake is highly experienced at diesel diagnostics’
Just make sure you go back and change it to ‘first person’ once you are finished and make sure you triple check your cover letter from top to bottom.
Keep it simple
Don’t overdo it.
Remember that all of the important details the prospective employer needs to know about you is in your mechanic.com.au profile, so try not to go over old ground here.
You don’t need to write a small novel to introduce yourself and get the point across. A couple of paragraphs is more than enough to get the job done. Your cover letter should almost never be longer than a page. Aim for 200-250 words.
No Vanilla thanks
Remember that in this trade, most of us are straight shooting and fairly well travelled people. We tell it like it is and can see through a facade pretty quick so make sure you are yourself in your cover letter and that your personality shines through. Think of how you currently interact with tradesmen or workshop managers in a senior role to you. Keep it professional but be real.
Are you on the facebooks?
Go to your facebook profile.
Click ‘View as public’
Take a look at your Profile and Cover Photo. Would you hire you?
How public is your Profile and Timeline? You might want to consider changing your privacy settings so only friends can see your activity.
Don’t be surprised that looking up a candidate on facebook is one of the first things than a recruiter or prospective employer will do in this day and age so make sure you are happy with what they will see.
Why not even google yourself? How much of your personal image is publicly available on the web and how might this affect your job application?
What not to do
Typos and mistakes
Does a spelling mistake or grammatical error make you a bad mechanic? Probably not. Does it make your cover letter look bad? It just might, so be sure to triple check your cover letter for errors. Get a family member or friend to look it over for you just to be sure.
Using ‘I’ too much
Try to avoid overusing statements like ‘I am’, ‘I beleive’ and ‘I have’.
Your cover letter should read more like a conversation or story rather than a series of statements about yourself. Remember, a few ‘I’s’ are OK, just don't overdo it.
Mention other Job Applications
Whilst you may be applying for more than one position, it’s never a good idea to mention this in your cover letter. Furthermore, you should only really apply for the positions you are truly interested in to ensure both your own and the job poster’s time is not wasted.
What if the Job isn’t listed?
Maybe there's a workshop you’ve had your eye on or have always dreamed of working for? Maybe the Job Listings available aren't exactly what you're looking for?
There are plenty of workshops out there that will happily hire the right person should they come along but aren’t actively recruiting for a technician.
That’s why it’s imperative to have your mechanic.com.au profile up to date, so when a workshop carries out a technician search or you change your profile to ‘Looking for work’ the profile that workshop is presented with is a polished gem!
To update your mechanic.com.au profile or change your status to ‘Looking for Work’ CLICK HERE
Cover Letter Templates
Here we have included 3 Sample templates, each with a different style dependant on both the nature of the job listing and the personality of the applicant.
Make sure you put thought into the language and feel used in the Job Listing and rather than copy these templates verbatim, use them as a guide to put together your own winning resume!
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