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.