| As with CV writing, there are few firm | | | | Cover letters should be no longer than a |
| rules for producing a cover letter, only | | | | few paragraphs - three or four ideally - |
| suggestions and guidelines. Despite a | | | | as their purpose is to provide a short |
| range of different suggestions and | | | | summary of how you meet the requirements |
| advice for composing one, one thing that | | | | of the role and highlight the most |
| is agreed upon universally is that | | | | relevant parts of your CV. Limit your |
| without a good quality cover letter as | | | | cover letter to a side of A4 and, if |
| an accompaniment to your CV, the impact | | | | issuing a hard copy, print it onto the |
| of your application can be severely | | | | same type of good quality paper as your |
| limited. | | | | CV. |
| It is important that you spend a | | | | In your first sentence, state who you |
| sufficient amount of time writing your | | | | are and why you are writing and, if you |
| cover letter. This will allow you to | | | | are applying for a specific job posting, |
| highlight the most relevant parts of | | | | cite the title of the vacancy plus any |
| your CV - those that make you most | | | | reference number provided by the |
| suitable for the role and entice | | | | company. If someone else has referred |
| potential employers to read on. Remember | | | | you to the organisation, include this in |
| that your cover letter should answer the | | | | your opening paragraph too. Be clear |
| question, "What can this person do for | | | | about why you are applying for that |
| us?" This doesn't relate only to posted | | | | particular role at that particular |
| applications; if you are emailing your | | | | company. |
| CV it is still crucial that you compose | | | | Following on from your introduction, |
| a cover letter that grasps the attention | | | | take up to three points of particular |
| of its recipient. The style of an | | | | relevance from your CV and provide |
| emailed covering letter should mirror | | | | further details. Do not simply copy what |
| that of a posted application (avoid the | | | | you have already written in your CV - |
| temptation to adopt a casual tone when | | | | pick out the main highlights and |
| emailing your CV) this will ensure that | | | | re-phrase them, expanding where |
| you create a professional impression | | | | necessary, but try to keep this section |
| from the outset. | | | | to just one or two paragraphs. |
| Wherever possible, address your cover | | | | In your closing paragraph, reiterate |
| letter to a specific person. Even if you | | | | your enthusiasm for discussing how you |
| are sending your CV out on a speculative | | | | meet the requirements of the role during |
| basis, you should try to find out the | | | | an interview and thank the recipient for |
| name of the head of department or the HR | | | | their time. To finish, you have two |
| manager at the company that you are | | | | options; you can either make a |
| applying to - a simple phone call to the | | | | commitment to contacting them at a |
| company's reception should be all that | | | | specified time and date for feedback |
| is required to obtain this type of | | | | about your application or you can state |
| information. Letters addressed to 'Sir | | | | that you will await their response. If |
| Madam' will create a similar level of | | | | you do commit to contacting them again, |
| interest to those you receive that are | | | | ensure you do so. As with your CV, check |
| entitled 'Occupier' - highly impersonal | | | | (and double check) for spelling and |
| and much less likely to engage the | | | | grammatical errors. Your cover letter |
| reader of your application. | | | | should be as flawless as your CV. |