Cover Letter Writing Tips by The
CV Centre, the UK's leading CV consultancy.
The covering letter that you send out to a potential employer with your
CV is arguably just as important as the CV itself. It is an ideal opportunity
for you to expand upon the skills and experiences that are highlighted
in your CV whilst also enabling you to express a bit of your personality.
There are two main types of cover letter which can be used to accompany
CVs - Advert Response and Speculative - and we will run through both in
detail in the sections below.
In general, covering letters should be no longer than one page, unless
you have been given clear instructions to the contrary. It is important
that they be written concisely and articulately. Take your time over them;
do not rush. It is also essential to check that there are no spelling
or grammatical errors as this is very possibly the employer's first impression
of you. Make sure it is a positive one. Presentation is clearly of the
utmost important and, again unless specified, letters should always be
typed and laser-printed onto high quality paper.
Advert Response
It is advisable to ensure that you do match any essential criteria specified
in the job advert before you send in your application. For example, if
a job advert specifies that the candidate must have ten years experience
in marketing, and you have only two years experience, there is probably
very little point in your applying for the position. However, there are
some circumstances in which some degree of flexibility may apply. An example
of this could be if the job requires an "excellent working knowledge
of the Microsoft Office Suite" and, although you have no practical
experience it its application, you have recently completed the CLAIT qualification
so do have a good theoretical knowledge.
Be sure to read the advert very carefully so that you can address the
letter correctly and mark it for the attention of the relevant member
of staff. You should also include the title of the post you are applying
for and any reference numbers given - often, companies will be seeking
candidates for a variety of positions and will want to see clearly which
job is being applied for.
The first paragraph should be quite brief and simply detail where you
saw the advert and on what date. In the main body of the letter you should
then go on to highlight your skills and experience more fully. If certain
criteria are mentioned in the advert, you should ideally try to explain
exactly how you match these - with brief but relevant examples that demonstrate
your suitability. Also, say why you want to work for that organisation
in particular, referring to any research that you have carried out on
the company to emphasise that you understand them and their line of business.
The final paragraph should conclude with any other information requested
in the advert such as salary and availability for interview. And before
you send it off, do read through the advert once more to ensure that you
have fully satisfied their criteria, keeping an awareness of the specified
closing date.
Speculative
The principal content of a speculative letter follows similar lines to
the advert response type, but make sure once again to tailor the letter
towards the organisation in question. The way you open and close the letter
will of course also need to be different.
Even if you are not responding to an advert, you must try to address
the letter to a specific person rather than just stating "Dear Sir/Madam".
You may well need to contact the organisation by phone in advance to find
out the name of an appropriate contact but it has been proven that letters
addressed to a specific person do get better results. Once again, conduct
some basic research into the company so that you can highlight the particular
skills and qualifications you possess which are of relevance to the business.
Obviously, the closing paragraph should encourage future contact rather
than demand it, as well as requesting for your details to be stored on
file should a suitable vacancy not currently be available.
Professional Help
Of course, the advice above may well be 'easier said than done' and the
best way to ensure that your covering letters inspire the reader to turn
over enthusiastically - and read the accompanying CV - is to enlist the
services of a professional. Take advantage of The
CV Centre's covering letter service and maximise your chances
of getting through to the interview stage. The
CV Centre is the UK's leading CV consultancy and, with many years
experience in this sector, you can be sure our cover letters are of the
highest possible quality.
