The covering letter accompanies an application form or CV in response to advertised jobs or when making speculative applications. Each covering letter should be distinct.
Always closely tailor your letters and CVs for the job and employer in question. See also the CV Builder page on covering letters for examples.
Format
- Typed on one side of A4 only, five paragraphs or fewer.
- Attach to a covering email along with your CV if sending online.
- Print on white A4, unlined, good-quality paper if sending by post.
- Address the recipient by name if possible. Use the appropriate title and surname or first name and surname, eg: Dear Miss Burton, Dear Diane Burton. Ms is fine for a woman if you are uncertain of her marital status.
- Where you know the name, sign off 'Yours sincerely'.
- If you cannot find a name to write to use 'Dear Sir/ Madam' and sign off 'Yours faithfully'.
- Use generously-sized margins and paragraph spacing for an attractive appearance.
- Proof read your letter, then pass it to a trustworthy friend to check it over again. You can instantly spoil an application with elementary typing, spelling or factual errors.
Style
- Appropriate to your audience. Font types can vary.
- Try to adopt a positive tone, avoiding negative or apologetic comments.
- Be natural, not stilted or pompous. Avoid trite phrases such as 'enclosed please find as per your request ...'.
- Focus on action words. Be persuasive; show the reader how they will benefit from your skills and achievements.
- Try not to state the obvious eg.: 'you are one of the major confectionary companies in Europe' (but see 'content' below).
- Avoid starting too many sentences or paragraphs with 'I'; use alternative starting words such as 'Whilst'.
Content
- Try to begin with an interesting sentence to catch the reader's attention.
- Explain the purpose of your letter early. Do not keep the recipient guessing.
- Do not repeat your CV or application verbatim. Use the letter to highlight and expand the most relevant points and to add other information in your favour. Focus on your strengths and achievements.
- Demonstrate that you have taken the trouble to find out something about the organisation especially recent news, but don't quote from the graduate recruitment literature unacknowledged.
- Prove you know about the type of work you seek and how your skills match, for example by showing what you have done to investigate it.
- Use the last paragraph to state what the next action will be. Speculative applications require you to be proactive. A follow-up phone call after a couple of weeks is good practice.
Examples
The following letters demonstrate the use of these guidelines. Remember that covering letters reflect the sender; you need to be comfortable with your own chosen style.
