Five types of covering letter
There are five types of covering letters:
Whichever type of covering letter you write, it must meet
accepted standards for business letters.
Advertisement response
letter
This kind of letter is written in response to an advertised
position. It addresses the hiring criteria and employer
requirements presented in the advertisement. Make it clear
that you're responding to the ad by:
- including the reference number of the position and the
position title in the subject line of the letter
- mentioning the advertisement early in the letter
- naming the publication where you saw the ad, and
including the date of publication.
You might be responding directly to the company that has
the job. Or you might be going through a recruitment agency
or Job Network member who screens all the applications
before passing the suitable candidates on to the employer.
If you're responding to an agency, refer to the company as
'your client' or 'your client's organisation' (rather than
'you' or 'your company').
You have even less time to catch a recruiter's attention
than you do a company's. The recruiter's reputation is at
stake - they want to find someone who meets their client's
criteria as perfectly as possible, and usually as soon as
possible. Don't waste their time, and be absolutely
straight with them about what you can and can't do.
Canvassing letter
You write this kind of letter to express interest in a job
with a specific company, without knowing whether the
company is currently offering any positions. It's the
written equivalent of a
'cold' telephone call.
You should have researched the company thoroughly so that
you have an idea of what they want and can sell your skills
in a specific, focused way.
In your opening paragraph, make it clear that you're
enquiring whether a position is available. Be very clear
about what kind of position you're looking for.
A canvassing letter should make a strong impact; it should
compel the reader to contact you. Even if they have no
position available, by the time they've read your letter,
they should want to fit you into their organisation
somehow, somewhere. For this reason, you should take time
and care to compose the letter carefully. It should be
absolutely perfect, with no inaccuracies or typing errors.
Referral letter
You would write this kind of letter to a particular
person at a company or agency, at the recommendation of
someone else.
It's similar to a canvassing letter, because you aren't
sure whether a company has a specific vacancy. You'll
have researched the company in the same way, too, so that
you know the kinds of skills they're interested in.
The difference between a referral letter and a canvassing
letter is at the start, where you mention the person who
referred you to the company.
This person should be immediately recognisable to, and
well respected by, the reader. The fact that they have
referred you, and given you permission to use their name,
should recommend you in itself.
Again, you should aim to impress. Compose the letter very
carefully, and make it letter-perfect.
Online letter
You write an online letter in response to any job
advertisement that has instructed you to respond by e-mail.
The main differences between a 'soft' letter like this and
a hard-copy letter are:
- This is shorter. The paragraphs are shorter, to make
them easier to read on screen. It's okay to use bullet
lists rather than putting everything into complete
sentences - again, this makes for on-screen readability.
The letter is still long enough, though, to include your
top two or three
selling points.
- An online letter is more direct in style and tone. It
gives the impression of being composed at a keyboard rather
than carefully composed in many written drafts. This does
not mean you don't take time to read through it at least
twice, ensuring that no mistakes have crept in.
- It is plainer looking. You can't know whether it will
go through to the recipient with bold or italic text
intact; you can only use CAPITAL LETTERS to emphasise
words. As the use of all-capitals is considered rude in
e-mails, only use them for headings within the letter.
In the subject line of the e-mail, refer to the position
you are applying for, including a reference number if one
is given in the advertisement.
Do not include the recipient's full mailing address the way
you would in a paper letter. Just start off, 'Dear
[recruiter's name]'.
As in other ad-response letters, present your skills and
experience as they link to each requirement specified in
the advertisement.
Response to selection criteria
letter
Most public sector positions ask specifically that you
address their advertised selection criteria. You must address
each of the points, in the order in which they have listed
them in the advertisement, if you want to be considered for
the job. See
addressing the job requirements for help.