Covering letters

If an employer requests a CV to apply for a position you should always include a covering letter. This is your opportunity to introduce yourself and explain your suitability.

Writing a covering letter

Letters are an important method of communication. They can provide a chatty and friendly view of personal events to people, or they can be formal documents offering factual information to people you have not met. Unlike email letters are tangible and layout is as important as content.

Letters have a standard format and this is shown in the examples attached. If you are writing to a named person then it is 'Yours sincerely', if you write Dear Sir/Madam the correct ending is 'Yours faithfully'.

A good letter can cut through the competition:

it can make the employer want to talk to you;
it can introduce them to your personality and your commitment to them;
it can demonstrate your written communication skills.

Download a cover letter template below:

Cover letter template (pdf - 28KB)

Some golden rules
Never put anything in your letter that cannot be backed by your CV or application form.

There are some conventions about letters of application. Generally letters sent with a CV or application form should:

be addressed to a named person;
state why you are writing, what you are applying for and what you are currently doing;
flag up the most important/relevant thing you want the employer to know about you;
refer the reader to your CV or application form;
show that you know something about the company;
make a connection between your skills and abilities and company needs or wants;
identify the career you are seeking;
be reasonably brief.

Remember if the covering letter is poor, the employer may not bother to read your CV or application form.

Attached are two examples of letters of application. Both are acceptable. Use these examples only as a guideline, your letter should show your originality and if you are serious about working for a particular company it should not be difficult to adapt these examples. Remember you will have to justify what you say and how you say it at an interview.

Example 1
Letters of application can be short and to the point.

Example cover letter 1 (pdf - 34KB)
This letter provides the reader with the reason you have sent the application form and a general background to what they can find in the CV or application form. This letter may be more suitable to send with an application form that is asking very detailed questions.

Example 2
Letters of application can contain detailed information about you.

Example cover letter 2 (pdf - 35KB)
This letter is a selling tool and lends itself to a speculative approach or to an application in response to an advertisement.

The personal statement
The personal statement can be used as a heading to a CV or as an additional statement on an application form.

The personal statement is not solely for telling the employer what a great person you are, it is about telling the employer what you hope to achieve in the future, that you will fit into their structure and you have transferable skills which will be useful for them. For example:

"My career objective is to enter research in the ... industry. I have demonstrated strong research skills during project work and much of my experience has been within a team environment. I am able to take responsibility for my own work as well as being able to demonstrate leadership when required. Meeting deadlines has been a consistent part of my academic and working life and have learned how to communicate with people in situations which require tact. My academic skills have given me the ability to communicate effectively on paper as well as through presentations."

The personal profile
The personal profile reflects the kind of person you are. It offers the employer a taste of your personality and your goals and many CVs use a skills profile. For example:

"I am an outgoing person who can talk to people at all levels and have been complimented on my ability to listen to other people. I can take responsibility for my own work and my own goals, but In enjoy working with other people to reach a common goal. Reflection is an important part of my personality and this has lead me to develop a strong feeling for detail without losing sight of the whole picture. ... holds strong fascination for me and my objective is to research within this field."

"My academic and work experience has taught me to work well with other people and to take responsibility for my own work. I have an outgoing personality and am keenly interested in good health through exercise and diet. One of my most important assets is my ability to listen to people."

The skills profile
The skills profile identifies your competence in a variety of skills and these can be shown through bullet points or by a short sentence linked to specific skills. For example:

"During my academic study and work experience I have developed skills such as:

problem solving
time management (etc)"

Or you might support them with a short sentence, for example:

"Problem solving

My project work has demanded that I undertake investigation into a specific topic and to analyse the information before putting recommendations forward in a presentation."

"Time management

During my time at university I have undertaken full-time study, part-time paid work and enjoyed my sport with the basketball team. I have prioritised each of these activities successfully."

Whatever style you adopt remember what you say in your profile is open for questioning at an interview.

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