Covering Letter
The covering letter is the recipient ’ s first impression of you and is a powerful marketing tool . Along with your CV , it needs to be a quality document which sells you effectively . If the covering letter does not achieve this , the recipient may not bother turning the page to look at the CV . Never send a CV to an employer without a covering letter . If you are emailing an employer , it is safest to pdf the letter and send it as an attachment to ensure you retain your formatting .
GENERAL GUIDELINES
• The letter should usually be no more than one side of A4 paper .
• Always try to address the letter to a named person , avoid Dear Sir / Madam . Try ringing the organisation to find out who the letter should be addressed to .
• Use a formal layout with addresses and date written .
• It should explain why you are approaching the organisation , i . e . in response to an advert ( name the source in your letter ), a speculative approach etc .
• Your covering letter should highlight and expand on particular aspects of your past that are relevant to the position applied for , rather than merely repeat information already presented in the CV .
• It is essential that you show evidence of holding the skills required in the job and how you developed them . If you are responding to a job advertisement , look closely at the job description and person specification to see what the employer is looking for in applicants .
• Explain the particular attraction of the post and the organisation applied for and emphasise the contribution you could make to the organisation .
• Include any other relevant information not already included in the CV .
• Use the covering letter to touch on any potential weaknesses in your application such as disappointing ‘ A ’ level grades or lack of work experience .
• Include when available for interview ( keep this as flexible as possible but obviously around exam times this is impossible ) and when you ’ re able to start work .
• If you are emailing an employer , it is safest to pdf the letter and send it as an attachment to ensure you retain your formatting .
• Finish on a positive note , e . g . I look forward to hearing from you ...
Use your cover letter as another way to sell yourself and to get noticed
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