Newcomers to Canada: Guide to Writing an Effective Cover Letter

The candidate cover letter, often seen as being supplementary to the resume, can be an effective tool in helping a new immigrant or Newcomers to Canada land meaningful employment in Canada. Many candidates place emphasis on the resume, making sure that the formatting and content of the resume is up to standard. However, often times there is not as much thought put into the cover letter. Newcomers to Canada need to think differently.

It is important to note that many employers value a greatly written cover letter. Employers gain more insight into the candidate, and their professional career, through the cover letter. This letter helps the candidate better personalize their application with the company.

With the number of candidates in the job market, the competition calls for applicants to stand out in order to be recognized by employers. One way to do so is by generating a unique cover letter. When drafting your cover letter, do not follow generic templates that you may see online – be original. Customize the cover letter so that it is specific to, not only you as a candidate, but for the company and role you are applying to. It is important to create an individual cover letter for the specific role and company, rather than sending the same cover letter to multiple employers across the board.

The next step is understanding what a great cover letter entails. An ideal cover letter includes additional information that you may not have included in your resume. It is also used to expand on points in your resume. With limited space on your resume, you may not be able to include or highlight all of your skills and qualifications. When you do mention certain skills and qualifications, the cover letter is a great tool to elaborate on them. How have you demonstrated the skills that you have in previous roles? How will you apply the knowledge you have if given the opportunity? Why do you feel that you are the most qualified candidate for this role, given your experience, skill set and abilities? These are all questions you can seek to answer in your cover letter. Essentially, you want to address what you can do for the company and why you are suitable for the role. In order to do so, it is imperative that you fully understand the requirements for the role and touch on how you will deliver in order to meet those requirements.

When writing the cover letter, ensure that you demonstrate knowledge about the company and its culture. Indicate how you would align your professional goals with the mission and objectives of the organization. Research the company, its history, business trends, future plans and other relevant information. Address the cover letter to a specific person (i.e., the hiring manager), rather than using headers like “To Whom It May Concern” or using the company name itself. It shows that you took the initiative to learn about the company and have taken the time to get familiar with the organizational climate.

Lastly, edit your cover letter. Go over for any spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Also, read over the cover letter to see whether there are areas where you would like to rephrase or exclude.

These useful tips will help better a Newcomers to Canada increase ones chances in ensuring that you stand out as a viable candidate for the next Canadian employer you apply to.

Do you operate any other specialized job boards in Canada?

In addition to the partnerships mentioned above, we also share resources with two other targeted job boards.

www.aboriginaljobboard.ca is a national resource for first nation job seekers looking to work across Canada.

www.canadayouthworks.ca is a national job board for youth with barriers to the job market.

To apply for a job, submit a resume here 

To post a job and become one of our featured employers, submit your position here