If an employer requests a CV they’ll want a covering letter too. Don’t miss out on this additional opportunity to showcase your skills and enthusiasm. It may be just one page of A4, but it can make a big difference to your application.
A convincing covering letter should always accompany a CV for a vacancy. It’s your opportunity to show recruiters your most relevant skills and demonstrate your motivation and enthusiasm for the job and the employer.
But writing that one page can seem like the trickiest thing in the world, which is why many graduates & students opt out and go for the ‘Please find attached my CV for your consideration’ one liner. It’s a missed opportunity when all you need to do is follow a four-part, failsafe structure.
Covering letters in four parts
1. The opening: Introduce yourself briefly and tell them which job you are applying for and where you saw the advert.
Top tip: always address your covering letter to a named contact: give the organisation a call to find out to whom you should address your application if a name isn’t given on the advert.
2. Why them?
Write one paragraph explaining why you are interested in the job and the organisation. This is your opportunity to target your covering letter so that the recruiter knows you are interested in their graduate job and you’re not batch e-mailing CVs and covering letters to all and sundry. Tell the recruiter what attracts you to working for them and what interests you in the position.
Top tip: use this site to research employers – start with the graduate employer profiles or search the graduate jobs starting now.
3. Why you?
The next paragraph or two are about you. Tell the employer why you are a good prospect. Respond directly to the job advert/job description illustrating how your skills and abilities relate specifically to what the employer wants. Mix evidence of specific skills and knowledge related to the job with experience and personal skills.
At graduate level remember that it’s fine to refer to experience that isn’t directly related to the profession you are applying to. You want to show them how your current experience ‘transfers’ into the job, so examples for part-time jobs, extra-curricular activities and academic work are fine for demonstrating how you have used and developed skills such as communication, teamwork, problem solving, organisation, time management and commercial awareness.
Top tip: avoid copying statements direct from your CV: think about how you can rephrase the information or bring some extra, pertinent information to light.
4. The ending
This paragraph can simply state that you look forward to hearing from them, that you are available for interview (or advising them if you will be away) and that you are happy to provide any further information they need. If you are really keen, you can add a line saying that you’ll give them a call to see how your application is progressing, but if you say it you must do it! Don’t forget to sign the letter if you are sending it through the post.
Top tip: brush up your letter writing etiquette. For letters addressed to a named contact, finish: Yours sincerely. Dear Sir/Madam letters finish: Yours faithfully – but it’s better to get a named contact.
Make it punchy and make it memorable
Memorable in the world of recruiters is that you didn’t waffle, you matched your skills and experience to the actual job and that they can remember key things about you by the end of the letter. It’s not about adding a shock factor statement or something kooky. You only have one page, so you need to get to the point and make your covering letter memorable for being professional, succinct and full of ‘need to know’ facts.
Top tip: read through your letter out loud. This will help you identify verbose sentences that can be rewritten and will help you check the sense of your writing.
Remember this: SGS
Before you send out a covering letter check it for spelling, grammar and sense (SGS). Elegant formatting won’t make up for poor spelling and grammar. Recruiters will be reviewing your attention to detail and your ability to communicate in writing, so your covering letter is your first chance to impress. Get a trusted friend or careers adviser to give it a once over before you send it out.