Covering letter
A covering letter introduces you and summarises why you are
the best person for a job.
With your covering letter, you aim to interest the employer
enough to read your application thoroughly and give you an
interview.
Why should you write a
covering letter?
A covering letter is your chance to show your skills,
highlight your selling points and answer an employer’s
three main questions:
- Can you do the job? Do you have the necessary
qualifications, knowledge, skills, abilities and
experience?
- Will you do the job well? Are you dependable,
self-motivated and enthusiastic?
- Will you fit into the organisation? Are your values,
image and goals a good match with the company’s? Will you
get along well with clients and co-workers?
Address all the employer’s requirements as set out in the
job advertisement. Leave no doubt that you are the right
applicant for the job!
What will an employer look for
first?
If a lot of people apply for the job you want, the employer
may have only 30 seconds to decide whether to bother
reading all of your application.
In that first half-minute, they are likely to want to
find out:
- whether you match the selection criteria
- how well you communicate in writing
- how well you structure written information
- your experience, skills and qualifications
- your level of professionalism
- clues to your personality
- how well you check for typing mistakes, formatting
errors and wrong information
- your grammar and spelling ability.
Some employers screen out applicants using this information
alone, so take great care when you write your covering
letter. Be prepared to write more than one draft, to get it
right. Print it out and check it slowly and carefully when
it is complete.
Keep your covering letter
relevant
Always send a resume to fill out the information in your
covering letter.
Sometimes you can use the same resume for different
positions, but never use the same covering letter. Write a
unique covering letter for each individual job and company
for which you apply.
Focus on what you can offer the employer, not on what you
want from the job. Highlight the
selling points you have that are most relevant to the
job. Indicate the mixture of skills, experience and
enthusiasm you can contribute to the company.
For more information
For more tips on covering letters, look at: