Direct Employers

Covering letters are a vital part of your CV. It is the first thing potential employers will see, so if it is of poor quality, they can dismiss your application before they even get to your CV.

Your covering letter is where you should make your sales pitch. It should encourage employers to read on and persuade them that you are worth pursuing.

• Make sure you address the letter to the right person. This will either be given on the job advertisement, or you will have to do some research (e.g. looking at their website or telephoning the organisation).
   
• It should be no longer than one side of A4 and three to four paragraphs long.
   
• It should be written in the style of a business letter with your address and the address of the employer at the top.
   
• Don’t just repeat what is in your CV. You should aim to give employers a flavour of what is on your CV, by highlighting your skills more than your background.
   
• Ask someone to proof read the letter for you.

In terms of the format of the covering letter stick to these guidelines:

a) Introduce yourself.

b) State the job you are applying for and where you saw it advertised.

c) Explain why you are interested in the job and their organisation. Do some research around the organisation so you can include some specific information.

d) Outline what makes you perfect for the job. What is it about your unique blend of knowledge, skills and experience that makes you ideal?

e) Conclude the letter positively.

SPECULATIVE APPLICATIONS

Speculative applications can be a successful method of gaining access to the hidden job market. If you can show employers that you are motivated and enthused enough by their organisation to contact them directly, you are in with a good chance of gaining a response. You are also likely to stay on their books, so will be considered first when positions become available.

Your covering letter is vital to a good speculative application and it will need a slightly different tone, i.e. persuasive. You should state why you are interested in their organisation and what line of work you are interested in. You should show that you know about the organization and highlight why your skills and abilities suit the line of work.

Research who you should contact, you will probably have to telephone the organisation to ask for the appropriate name. Conclude the letter by saying you will follow up this contact with a telephone call within a certain period. Make sure that you put this date into your diary.

Include your CV into the speculative application, and make sure you tailor it to the type of job you are looking for.

Consider what you are willing to do to secure a job. For instance, if not working at the moment, would you consider sickness absence cover at short notice, or some freelance work from the firm, or writing an article for their client magazine if they don’t have time to, or a two-day a week trial period to see if you can grow a client base in a new area. If you are applying for a traineeship please be aware flexible options for traineeships are possible.

Making a creative offer might be enough to open a door to a meeting and further work. Be careful not to be taken advantage of, and balance the time you might have to spend on such an offer against the time you need to secure full-time employment.

10 STEPS TO A PROFESSIONAL COVER LETTER

This section outlines 10 golden rules to abide by when writing a cover letter for a job application.

1. Tailor your cover letter to each job application. You want to make it look like you really want this particular job and have gone to a lot of effort.
    
2. Keep it short (maximum one page).
    
3. Always start the letter by addressing a person, not ‘Dear Sir/Madam’. Addressing a person shows that you have gone to the bother of researching who it is that you are writing to.
    
4. Indicate clearly the position that you are applying for or, if the letter is a more general enquiry, state who it was that put you in touch with the company.
    
5. Sell yourself. As with your CV, the cover letter provides a valuable opportunity for self marketing. Start with a strong first paragraph which will hit home with your employer, giving a good first impression, otherwise they might not read further.
    
6. The second paragraph should describe why you are the right applicant for the job, by matching your skills and experience to the job description. Demonstrate that you know something about your potential employer/company/position.
    
7. Highlight your previous achievements and skills. Include a brief description of what you are doing at present and how this will have prepared you for the job.
    
8. Close your letter with an invitation to meet with or speak in depth about the position to your potential employer. Show enthusiasm for the position.
    
9. The letter should be signed ‘Yours sincerely’ if, as suggested above, you have found out the name of the person, or ‘Yours faithfully’ if they still remain anonymous. Always remember to fill in your signature above your typed name.
    
10. Edit out all typos, formatting and spelling errors and print the letter on clean, crisp, white A4 paper of a good quality.

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