Writing A Covering Letter
A lot of companies these days ask you to apply in writing. This means writing a covering letter which you should send with your C.V. The letter should contain the key points from your C.V. without being a direct copy of it.
Here are some tips for writing your letter of application:
How your letter should look:
- Always have your letter word processed or typed, unless a handwritten one is specifically asked for.
- Use a typeface or font which is very easy to read and will photocopy well.
- Print your letter of application on high quality paper – this will help it to stand out.
- Always check your spelling and ask someone else to proofread your letter before you send it.
What to include:
- Try to make the most of your experience and qualifications and make sure that anything you put is relevant to the job.
- Make sure that you include day and evening contact numbers in the letter.
- Ensure that you emphasise that you are very interested in the position and that you will be available for interview.
Other tips:
- If you know the name of the person that you are writing to, for example Mrs Bailey, you should finish off the letter with Yours sincerely followed by your name. If you do not know who the letter should be addressed to, you should start with Dear Sir/Madam or Dear Madam/Sir and finish your letter with Yours faithfully. (Sometimes people remember this rule with the phrase ‘Always be faithful to a sir’!)
- Don’t use complicated business language, it’s always best to keep things simple – both for you and the person reading the letter.
- Restrict your letter to one side of A4.
- If you are responding to advertisement that you have seen, always state where you saw the ad.
View a sample of a covering letter.
If you’re not applying for a particular job but are looking for work, speculative letters are a good way of contacting companies to see if they have any vacancies or if they are looking to recuit soon. Find out more about writing speculative letters >>
