Write a cover letter

The cover letter is your most important marketing tool. It creates a bridge between your CV and the job requirements.
Cover letter

Key points

  • This is a formal business letter – rules apply!  jk;ljkl;jkl;
  • The cover letter needs to include information about your motivation: why do you want to work in this job? …in this organisation?
  • Target this to the job’s requirements – always read the person requirements (the attributes about the ideal candidate)
  • Address all these requirements and give examples for your statements, i.e. don’t just say you’ve got team-working experience – where have you worked in teams?
  • Your examples can come from your studies, work experience, volunteering or interests/society involvement (e.g. being actively engaged in a student society might give you many different examples to chose from).
  • Your claims need to be backed up by your CV; you can refer to a particular work experience in your CV without restating the details.
  • Don’t make any assumptions or expect the employer to assume anything. For example, if you have a French name, this does not mean the employer will interpret this to mean that you speak French fluently.
  • By way of summary/conclusion you could include a brief statement about what you will bring to the employer and your ability to make an immediate contribution to their business (this is what employers call ‘hitting the ground running’).

Handouts