How do you make that cover letter stand out? What can you put in there, that's going to make you stand out from the crowd and give you a better than average chance of getting the job?

Tailor Your Content

Resist the urge to copy and paste! The only part of a cover letter that can be covered with a cut and paste is your skill set; if you do this, make sure to include only RELEVANT skills. Every job you apply for is different, if only in minor details. Take the time out to plan what you're going to include. A freelance cover letter that you have executed well could be the difference between no earnings and earning thousands.

About You

A lot of cover letters I've seen include a great deal about how fantastic a worker you are, how worthy. This doesn't work; by all means, put a few lines about yourself, but providing what amounts to a 6 paragraph self publicity mail shot isn't going to get you that dream job.

Provide Ideas

A reasonably detailed brief by the potential employer will give you enough information to form a rough idea of how you would tackle the job. Go into as much detail as you can, for example:

• If using a CMS, which one and why

• Which components you'd use to process the task

• Talk about design ideas; does the employer have something in mind?

• What's their target demographic?

• Will the site be expanding in the future; what are the key areas to build in from the start to accomplish this?

By all means, add some ideas yourself! Just don't let them take over the dialogue. If you have the ability to provide a mobile site, let them know. Providing ideas can fuel future work that might not of been there if you hadn't suggested it.

Make Yourself Approachable

Tread the fine line between formality and informality. Tailor this to the company or individual; you're a creative, nobody (in my experience) expects a stiff in a suit. Put in a couple of lines about being contactable at all times – 'I'm available at all times via email, and during working hours on Skype'

Your Skills

Outline the relevant skills you have for the job in hand. Include those that may come in useful for the future; for example, if you have copy writing skills, include them.

Your Portfolio

The majority of this should be held on your site profile – provide a link to this. If you have something exceptional that is reasonably close to what the employer is trying to achieve, include a short paragraph to this effect, together with a link to the example.

Your Quote

Don't fall into trap of trying to undercut everyone else. A midrange to high quote will paint you as someone who knows what they're doing, considers this a full time career and has bills to pay. A low quote paints you as a back room hack with little ambition and an assembly line approach to creativity. Analyse the hours needed for completion. Don't provide an off the cuff quotation; it'll back fire on you down the line, when you realise there are extra costs involved and have nothing but your time to cover it.

Summary

Every job you apply for is different. Potential employers (or, rather, those employers worth working for) appreciate the level of care and attention you've taken. It speaks volumes about your character and work ethic. Remember as the old saying goes, you only have one chance to make a good impression; make it count!