Covering Letters

• CVs
• Application Forms
• Covering letters
• Speculative applications
• Postgraduate study application forms and personal statements

Covering Letters - general information

• Our CVs and covering letters booklet (PDF, 1.35 MB) includes further advice and information. It is also available to buy for £2.50 from the Careers Service Welcome desk.



• There are many other books on covering letters available at the Careers Service, as well as booklets and journals on specific job sectors to take away. You can also search for what you need via the Careers Catalogue.



• Bring along your covering letter and an adviser can go through it with you during an appointment.



• Two examples of covering letters: the 1st is a general purpose covering letter (PDF, 16 KB), the 2nd is a covering letter that discloses disability positively (PDF, 14 KB).



• Two examples of speculative letters: an example speculative letter to a Tour Operator and an example speculative letter to an environmental consultancy.

When to send them?

• Always with a CV.



• Sometimes employers ask for a letter in addition to an application form. If they don't ask, sending one isn't necessary unless you have a specific issue you'd like them to know about.
  
  

How long should they be?

• Ideally, the main text should occupy no more than two thirds of a page.

What to include?

• Who you are and why you're writing
• e.g. "I am a studying for a BA in History and will be graduating in June 2008 from Bristol University".
• State the specific job role to which you are applying and where you saw it
• For speculative applications be clear about what you are looking for, i.e. permanent/temporary work? work experience? shadowing?

• Why them?
• Paragraph explaining why you're interested in the job and the employer.
• Avoid being vague e.g. 'I want to work within a dynamic forward-looking market leader with unrivalled reputation for training" could bee applicable to any company, instead...
• ...Find specific reasons why you want to work for that company, e.g. mention clients, projects, awards, etc
• Be creative. Look beyond company brochures and websites for inspiration. Talk to someone on our Careers Network. Check the Internet search engines for news about the employer.
• Let your enthusisam and personality stand out. It's important the employer feels that you really want the job and that this letter isn't one of a number of identical letters going out to many employers.

• Why you?
• Paragraph highlighting why you would be great at the job. Emphasise major selling points such as skills, knowledge, or experience.
• Don't be afraid to repeat things which are on your CV.
• Be specific and use examples, i.e. Instead of "I'm a good organiser" say "Among events I've organised was...."
• If replying to an advert, match two or three key skills they are looking for.

• Dealing with problem areas

The covering letter can be a useful place to address a problem area such as a health problem or disappointing exam results. Only do so if you believe the problem is obvious and significant - be wary of drawing attention to something which is minor (check with a Careers Adviser if in doubt). Be brief and positive - if you've made a mistake emphasise what you've learned from it.

• Anything else?
• Say when you're available for interview/to start work
• If it's a speculative application say you'll follow up with a phone call within a week or so. Much more likely to prompt a response.
• Don't forget - 'Yours sincerely' is for a letter to an named person and 'Yours faithfully' for an un-named person.

...and lastly

Nothing is more off-putting to an employer than mistakes in spelling and grammar. Check and check again!