writing a cover letter

The Cover Letter

We discussed how the average time an employer spends on a CV is just six seconds on our ‘Writing a CV’ article. Some employers won’t even read a CV without a cover letter, and a poor cover letter can rule you out of contention at the first hurdle too, so how do you write a cover letter that leaves the audience wanting more?

The Main Content

You should use your cover letter to showcase the skills and experiences you have that enable you to add significant value to the employer, and use your accompanying CV to highlight examples of how you have successfully utilized your skills and experiences previously. The employer will also want to know what sets you apart from other applicants, and this is a great place to show some of your best qualities and characteristics.

Using Good Standards

Address the cover letter to the person you send it to, and include the job title, job reference number, your name, and your CV.

Make the cover letter specific to the job and tailor it to the employer, keep it short and sweet, and never go beyond a full page, you want to keep the employer engaged from beginning to end.

Get it checked. Ask a colleague, a friend, or one of your references to read through the cover letter.