Cover letter tips

Why have a cover letter?

A good cover letter is often the difference between a successful applicant and a lost opportunity.

A cover letter is your opportunity to tell a potential employer why you're the best person for the job. The cover letter is extremely important, as it is the first contact between yourself and the potential employer, and your opportunity to make a good first impression.

A cover letter compliments your CV. You should never send out your CV without attaching it to a good cover letter.

The aim of the cover letter is to quickly and clearly state these four things:

• why you are interested in the job,
• why you are interested in this particular company,
• why the company should consider you for the job, and
• which the parts of your CV demonstrate your suitability for the job

Our top ten tips for a successful cover letter:

1. Point out your strengths.
   Your CV contains your record of employment history and experience. Your cover letter should explain to the employer how you could use these qualities to benefit their business.
2. Be unique.
   Don't be afraid to stamp your personality on the letter. Keep it professional but personal. Your cover letter should be very enthusiastic.
3. Keep it simple.
   Use carefully crafted sentences which get to the point quickly. Avoid over-explaining paragraphs!
4. Be personable.
   Take the time to find out the correct name and title of the recruiter. If mentioning a specific company, use the names people within the company. Make sure you have the correct spelling of all names!
5. Plan each letter.
   Make a short list of points you want to get across in the letter, and refer to the list as you are writing to make sure you leave nothing out.
6. Be concise!
   Avoid a long cover letters! Anything longer than one page is much too long. Three paragraphs, or about 10-20 lines should be plenty.
7. Paragraph one: Introduce yourself
   The first paragraph explains your reason for writing. Introduce yourself and express an interest in potential positions. If you are applying for a specific position, mention where you saw the ad and when. If you were referred by a mutual friend or associate mention them too. You then outline the position and what you believe you can offer.
8. Paragraph two: How you can help
   The second paragraph is where you show how you can fill this need. You don't need to tell them about your qualification of experience, but indicate where the employer can find the information in your CV. Focus on how you would use your skills to benefit the company.
9. Paragraph three: The next step
   Tell the recruiter where and how they can contact you. Mention any specific contact details that may be relevant (such as call me at home etc). Finally, Thank the recruiter for taking the time to read your CV.
10. Check it!
    Proof read your cover letter!. You can implement all the above points, but if you get something wrong it's all been for nothing. Check spelling and grammar and when you think you've checked it completely, check it again. Give the letter to someone else to read. If English is not your first language, give it to a fluent English speaker to read and correct.