Cover letter
The covering letter is generally the first part of your application that the employer reads and it can have quite an impact on their initial impressions of you. The tone and quality of the letter is critical in determining success, particularly with speculative applications.
Top tips:
- Use one side of A4 only and be succinct, relevant and interesting.
- State clearly what the vacancy is and how you heard of it or, if a speculative approach, indicate what sort of work you are interested in
- Highlight your strengths, your understanding of the position, and how well you will fit into the organisation
- Demonstrate an understanding of how your background links with the company and with the requirements of the position
- Send out the right signals of enthusiasm and appropriate focus; create a business-like impression
- Show originality in the way you present your key attributes
- Create a desire for the reader to meet with you.
To find out all you need to know about preparing a covering letter see preparing a cover letter (52kb)
