Your covering letter is the best place to make an impression with a future employer and could be the deciding factor in whether they even read your CV.
It’s not just a letter saying your CV is attached. It’s one of the most important parts of your application and it’s your opportunity to make your application stand out from the crowd.
Your covering letter is a good place to say a little bit about your personality so we’re not going to tell you too much about what you should put on there but here’s a few tips to get you started:
- It should be no longer than one side of A4.
- Try to find out the contacts name and address it directly to them.
- Put your contact details at the top of the page.
- Start by saying where you saw the job applied and the position you’re applying for.
- Tell them why you’re interested in the job and why you want to work for their company.
- Make sure you make it specific to the role you’re applying for.
- Demonstrate understanding of the company and its values.
- Confirm to them you know what the role entails and that you’re perfect for the job.
- Tell them why you think you’re suitable and briefly mention any previous experience or qualifications that has set you up for the role.
- If in doubt check out the job advert and try to show how you match the skills and experience they are looking for.
- Be positive and enthusiastic; show the employer how much you want to work for them.
- End by saying that you look forward to discussing your application further.
- Make sure its word processed in a sensible font and clearly paragraphed and don’t forget to carefully check for spelling and grammar.
- Whatever you do, do not use the same letter for lots of different jobs. Employers take a very dim view of ‘standard letters’. Make sure you tailor each letter to the job.
