Cover letter writing is an art. Here’s how to do it well, get the attention of recruiters and win the mining job of your dreams.
If you’re struggling to write a cover letter for the mining job you’re going for, you’re not alone.
Cover letter writing is a task few people enjoy.
You’ve already spent hours working on your resume, which should speak for itself, and now you’ve got to find a creative and interesting way to turn all that information into an eye-catching letter to your prospective mining employer.
A cover letter is marketing and you’re not a marketer. It’s also writing. If you’re not a natural or practiced writer, that can be really daunting.
So, here are seven top tricks to writing a great cover letter that will give you the best possible chance of landing an interview for the mining job of your dreams. Three of these tips will help you with writing structure. Four will help you stand out from the other applicants.
1. Know who you are writing to
Always include the name of the person who will be reviewing your letter.
If you don’t know who to address your cover letter to, do not (under any circumstances) write “to whom it may concern”.
If you can’t find out the name of the person who will review the cover letter (after many hours of research, including calling the company and asking the name of the person to write to) then write something like “Dear Project Engineer Hiring Manager”. But, seriously, that’s the very last option.
2. Say which mining job are you applying for
The introduction of your cover letter should immediately mention the role you are applying for. Be specific in your letter. You may wish to put this in bold. For example:
Re: Application for Senior Geologist vacancy at The Very Good Mining Company (Job ad ref # 12345)
You can also put it in the first sentence of the cover letter. For example:
“I wish to apply for the Electrical Engineer position with the global gold producer, The Very Good Mining Company.”
Taking a small detail from the ad, rather than just copying and pasting the job title, shows you are paying attention and not just taking an “apply for everything” approach to your applications.
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3. State why you are the perfect candidate
Your cover letter is your opportunity to say why you’re perfect for the job advertised.
The job ad will spell out what the company is looking for, so it’s a smart idea to use the ad as a guide to your cover letter pitch. Succinctly, explain why you’re perfect for the role:
- Include any relevant skills and experience
- Say how you align to the company’s culture
- Briefly mention times you’ve worked with other companies or teams similar to their company.
4. Be professional without being formal
The days of excessive formality in cover letters are over.
If you’re writing, “Dear Mr Smith, I wish to extend my great interest in the Driller’s Offsider position available at The Very Good Mining Company”, then you’re going to sound like a bit of a relic from the past.
People want to work with people they relate to, so it’s important to appear human. Be professional, but also be yourself.
5. Format your letter for the online world
We no longer write physical cover letters. Most are sent electronically.
Of course, this means you often have to contend with computer programs that threaten to mess up your carefully crafted formatting.
Here’s a simple hack: convert your cover letter to a PDF so that everyone can read it as you intended.
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6. Include the right keywords
As mentioned, resumes and cover letters are now submitted electronically. This is more convenient for job applicants, of course, but has also simplified the way recruiters and hiring managers filter through applications.
Most job applicants don’t realise this but recruiters and hiring managers will often use keyword searches to scan resumes and cover letters for words and terms related to the vacant position. This is a quick and simple way to identify the most relevant applications to review first.
This means it’s vital you include the right keywords in your cover letter (and your resume)!
Use popular or common terms related to the kind of job you’re applying for and the kind of work you do. For example, in an application for an Electrical Engineer job you should include terms like “electrical engineer”, “gold”, and “PLC control system”.
7. Seek help
If you are new to cover letter writing and aren’t confident enough to do it yourself, get help. The great benefit of working with a mining recruitment agency, like MPI, is that we can take the cover letter writing burden off your shoulders – and help you to land the perfect mining job!
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