Cover Letters
A cover letter is an important document in an application. It serves as a professional greeting and provides a snapshot of who you are and what you have to offer. It is valuable opportunity to create a personal brand that aligns with the position and organisation.
Key points about cover letters
- The cover letter should tell the employer both why you want the position/program and why they should want you.
-
- It should communicate strongly why you want the position – employers are very interested in your motivation because they know that motivated employees perform well.
- It should highlight your most relevant skills and experiences. Be selective here and focus on two or three which are particularly relevant. It is not the place to list ALL your relevant skills and experiences as this can dilute your message.
- Letters need to be professional yet personable. Avoid overly formal or academic language and long complicated sentences.
- Remember that employers will use your cover letter to assess your written communication skills.
Preparing your cover letter
- A straightforward approach is to use the template below. The template indicates what is appropriate to cover in each paragraph. While this is a sound professional format, it is not set in stone – you may have good reasons for approaching your letter in a different way.
- This template also sets out the business letter format required in cover letters.
- Always try to get the name and position of the person who will receive your application.
- Application Express has some useful sections:
-
- Module 2: Responding to an Advertisement gives a more detailed description of how to prepare a letter.
- Module 2: General Features provides tips on writing style (tone. Language) and structure (sentence and paragraph structure).
- Module 2: Cold Call Letter gives an example of a ‘cold call’ letter ie when approaching an employer to ask about opportunities even though no job has been advertised.
- Application Express is available in Online Career Tools.
- Questions about a cover letter you are working on can be brought to a Careers Drop-in session. Check Careers Online for times and locations.
Cover letter format
Your contact details
Date
Ms M. Employer (always try to get a name and position)
Recruitment Officer
Name of organisation
Address
Dear Ms Employer (always try to get a name)
(Position Title and Reference No. if applicable)
- Nominate the job for which you are applying. Indicate the source and the date of the published job information. Provide details of any contact you have had with the organisation, mentioning a name if appropriate.
- Introduce yourself in some way eg ‘I am a final year student at………’ You need to convey strong motivation for the particular role and the organisation. Try to refer to something topical regarding the organisation or industry or a personal experience/sentiment that connects you to the position.
- Over the next one or two paragraphs, indicate why you are a strong candidate for the job – that is, how you meet the selection criteria. Don’t try and cover every element. Focus on some key skill requirements and use qualifications, experiences and achievements to support your claims. Option – some applicants use dot points in this section.
- Try to include something which makes you stand out eg a defining skill or attribute, or some aspect of your work, life or extra-curricular experience which is unique in some way and relevant to the position.
- Express your appreciation for consideration of your application and your availability for work.
Yours sincerely (if you have the name of the recipient)
Yours faithfully (if you don’t have a name)
Signed A. N. Applicant
A. N. Applicant