Cover Letters
Learn to Write an Effective Cover Letter
Covering letters are a crucial part of distributing your CV and the importance is usually highly
underestimated by candidates applying for work. The cover letter is an introduction of you and
sets the scene for your CV.
It gives you the opportunity to express why you are applying for the
role and why you feel you are suitable. With this information in mind it will make the reader
far more likely to continue to read your full CV. Your CV is an advert for you, however the
covering letter is the advert for the CV. Preparing a good, personalised covering letter takes
time, but it is a worthwhile investment.
Outline of a Good Cover Letter
Open with the reason you are writing, what position you are looking to be considered for and where it was advertised. You will then need to explain who you are and why you are applying, consistently showing yourself in a positive light through competency statements.
The following paragraphs (1/2) need to provide a summary of your expertise and career
highlights that will support any claims that you have made in the previous paragraph.
Include some achievements that reinforce your case and enable the employer to understand
why it would be beneficial to them to recruit you. You may also wish to include some of your
personal qualities to give an insight into your characteristics as an employee.
Give them your reason for why you are particularly interested in the company, there is nothing
wrong with a little flattery just don't overdo it! E.g. "Your organisation has an excellent
reputation in the local area as an employer, making the position even more attractive".
Close with a strong positive paragraph that will set the scene for the next stage, thanking
them for their consideration and politely request for a reply, e.g. "Many thanks for
considering my application, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further with
you, I can be available to attend an interview at short notice". If you know the person's
name sign 'Yours Sincerely', if you don't use 'Yours Faithfully'.
Key Cover Letter Rules
- Write a new cover letter for every application
- If the addressee is listed in the advert write directly to that person, or in the event there isn't a name, contact the company directly and ask who it needs to be addressed to - this will show initiative.
- The date must be correct
- Include your contact details ensuring that all are correct
- It should never be more than one page
- The Cover letter should have a professional appearance
Speculative Cover Letters
Speculative applications are where you are sending your CV to a prospective employer that may not
currently be advertising positions; however you feel you have the skills that would be of interest
to them. The principles of a speculative cover letter are essentially the same as straight forward
applications; however there are some differences in the final product.
Firstly the opening will not contain the position being applied for, but instead you will need to
explain who you are and why you are sending your details to that employer. It would be advisable to
again do some research to find out who the best person is address it to, otherwise your letter may
just get filtered out and never reach the appropriate reader.
You will still need to target your letter towards the organisation however it is advised to look into
the background of the company, so that you can highlight your key skills and qualifications that are
relevant to their business or industry.
As it is a speculative application you cannot be quite so demanding in terms of requesting feedback,
however politely encourage future contact, and or requesting that they consider you when their next
vacancy becomes available.
Emailed applications
A growing number of employers wish to receive application via email. With this in mind, put your
covering letter as the main body of the email. It is probably wise to format it as plain text; this
will mean it can be viewed by any reader. Your CV is then sent as an attachment, usually as a
MS Word ( .DOC ) format, however
Rich Text Format ( .RTF ) and
Web Page Format ( .HTML ) are accepted
alternatives. Portable document format ( .PDF )
is also quite widely used.
Online applications
Most job boards will provide an opening for you to copy and paste a Cover Letter prior to sending
an application. However it is strongly advised to not copy and paste from a Word document.
Overview
Whichever type of Cover Letter you are creating, remember that it is often the first thing that the recruiter will read and it should instantly generate a positive impression of you as a candidate. It is essential to check spelling and grammar and place as much attention to this as you would your final CV.
Please click here to down load our Free Cover letter templates to assist you.
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FREE Our fantastic budget option is only £10. Find out more here. Get your CV scored and evaulated with actionable feedback for £35. The best of both worlds for 10% less. Find out more here. Get the experts to write your CV, prices start from £105. 3 Exclusive products to help the Ex-forces back to work