Cover letters

There’s a distinct possibility that you’ll need to send a cover letter with your CV. The advice that follows on this page will help you to write one.

the purpose of a covering letter

The main aim of a cover letter (or e-mail) is to get your potential employer to read your CV, so it should include a number of golden nuggets that will whet your reader’s appetite and will leave them thinking ‘I must read this CV and find out more about the person that’s written it’.

A well written cover letter serves a number of purposes. It:

• gives your potential employer an opportunity to assess your suitability for the role that you're applying for
• draws your potential employer’s attention to your best bits
• gives you a chance to showcase your personality
• gives you an opportunity to explain why you’re interested in the job that you're applying for and why, in a few lines, you’re the best person for the job
• should convince your potential employer that they cannot afford to miss out on this opportunity to employ you.

what you should include in your cover letter

Your cover letter should:

• state what job you're interested in or applying for
• include any reference number(s) associated with the job in question
• state where you heard about the job that you're interested in or applying for or where you saw it advertised
• explain your background
• explain why you're interested in the job
• explain why getting the job is so important to you
• explain why you believe that you're the best person for the job
• mention that you have the experience, competencies, skills and qualifications that your potential employer has asked for in their advert, role profile, job description and/or person specification
• briefly touch on your key strengths and how they relate to the position that you're applying for
• clarify why you want to work for your potential employer
• demonstrate that you're enthusiastic about working for your potential employer (it often helps to write a few lines about the things that you would enjoy about the job)
• include times and dates that you could be available for an interview if invited.

things to remember about cover letters

• try not to use the same phrases, statements and examples that you used in your CV, think of some fresh ones if you can
• use the same typeface, font, design and layout for your cover letter as you have for your CV
• print your cover letter on the same paper that you printed your CV on
• make sure that you check all of your grammar, spelling and salutations
• always sign your cover letter and make sure that you print your name under your signature
• always keep a copy of your cover letter in a safe place. It’s a good idea to keep it with all of the other information that you've printed off as part of the recruitment process (e.g. your application form and any supporting information), you never know when you'll need to refer to it.