Preparing your Covering Letter

Your Covering Letter is just as important as your CV as this is the first impression of you that the recruiter gets. It is important to introduce your CV constructively, below you will find tips in order to help you to do this.

Do’s and Don’ts

Do: • Include all of your contact details. • Write/Print on good quality paper that matches that of your CV. • Personalise your Covering Letter to each employer. • Pick out specific skills/qualities from the job advert and show why how your skills are relevant. • Make sure that the letter is addressed to the correct person and that you have spell checked it for any mistakes.

Don’t: • Write too much, remember, your covering letter is a brief overview of what is included in your CV and should not duplicate it. • Include any negative information such as unfavorable comments about your current employer. • Use long words to sound impressive if they are not words you would normally use. • Get someone else to write it for you. • Send your letter without checking it for spelling mistakes. • Send your letter to Sir/Madam, always make sure that you find out the correct person to address it to.

After the reading through the Do’s and Don’ts there are four sections that you should follow in order to create an effective covering letter.

Introduction

The introduction of your covering letter should explain why you are writing and if it is in response to a job advert make sure that you quote the reference number and include when and where you saw the advert.

Second Paragraph

The second paragraph of the covering letter, briefly explain what qualifies you to apply for the job by stating your current position and any relevant qualifications. Remember to keep this as a brief overview or they will not want to read your CV.

Third Paragraph

The third paragraph of the covering letter is where you need to explain why they should employ you and demonstrate your knowledge of the company by telling them a little bit about themselves.

Fourth Paragraph

For the final part of your covering letter you should set out an action plan and tell them that you would like to meet them for an interview in order to discuss your application further, also mention when you are available.

Applying Via E-Mail

If you decided to send your CV and covering letter via e-mail it is important to customise it as much as possible to the job that you are applying for, this creates a good impression. When you apply via e-mail please take into account the following points: • Make sure that your letter is written in a common font with standard formatting. • Check that the layout doesn’t change when sent to another computer. • If you write your covering letter in the body of the e-mail, still use the same principles as above and don’t forget to spell check. • Remember to attach your CV.