When you’re looking to land your dream aviation role, there’s a lot of work to do before you even get to the interview stage.
First, you’ll need to write a killer CV, accompanied by an impressive cover letter. Your cover letter is a crucial part of your job application – it’s basically your first piece of correspondence with the recruiter, so use it wisely.
Here are the answers to the most commonly asked cover letter questions to help you produce a top-notch cover letter that convinces the recruiter that they must read your CV:
How long should a cover letter be?
Getting the cover letter length wrong could immediately ruin your chances of success.
If you write too much, you risk losing the attention of the recruiter – and they may even decide not to read your CV as a result. But if your cover letter is too short, you’re missing out on the opportunity to impress.
So, your cover letter should be around 6-8 lines in length to give a very high-level summary of what you could bring to the company, without overdoing it.
How should I start and end a cover letter?
As you’ll be sending your cover letter as an email, you should start and end it in the same way that you would with any standard professional email that you are writing.
There is no need to use old-fashioned phrases like ‘To whom it may concern’ – you should be able to get the recruiter’s name from the job advert to address them personally. Instead, start with ‘Hi’ and their name – it’s direct, polite, personable and not too formal.
The end of your letter should remain professional and polite, e.g. ‘I look forward to hearing from you’, or ‘Kind regards’.
What should I include in my cover letter?
Your cover letter’s purpose is to ensure that the recruiter opens your CV, but it’s also your first opportunity to build rapport and describe your main areas of expertise. Think of it as your method of introducing yourself, before going into full detail in your CV.
You cover letter should include:
Subject line – Use the email subject title as a powerful statement e.g. Aircraft technician with 5 years aircraft maintenance experience.
Address the recruiter – Use their name to build rapport.
Friendly greeting – Include a friendly greeting such as ‘I hope you’re well’ or similar.
Explanation of which job you’re applying for – e.g. ‘I would like to apply for the role of Aircraft Technician as advertised on {job website}.
Your suitability for the role – Convince the recruiter that they need to hire you, based on the high-level skills/experience that you bring to the role.
Your motivations for applying – Share your reasons for applying to the role – they should suggest that you’d be highly committed to the target company.
Signature – After ending the letter appropriately you can emphasize your professionalism by including your attractively formatted email signature at the bottom of your email.
How should I send the cover letter?
Some job sites request that you upload your CV and provide a text box for you to include your cover letter.
However, if you are sending your application via email, make sure that you send your cover letter as the body of the email and never as a separate attachment, as this wastes the recruiter’s time.
Hopefully, that’s your burning cover letter questions answered. Now, you’ve got all you need to write an aviation cover letter that will really impress the recruiter!
