Writing a cover letter

Your CV or resume should always be accompanied by a cover letter. Writing a cover need not be difficult.



The aim of writing a cover letter is to: a) introduce yourself to the employer; b) highlight your strengths, encouraging the employer to read your resume or CV; and c) prompt the employer to arrange an interview with you. Cover letters should never be uniform; they should always be tailored to the specific job you are applying for. If your require covering letter help, you should read on for some good advice on how to write a cover letter.

How to write a cover letter

The layout of a cover letter basically follows the steps outlined above. In the first paragraph of your cover letter you should introduce yourself and explain which job you are applying for. You may mention where you saw the job advertisement. Click here for more information how to write a cover letter. In the body of the cover letter, which should usually be 1-3 short paragraphs, you should demonstrate your understanding of the job requirements and highlight your strengths, ensuring those strengths are related to the job requirements. In the final paragraph of the cover letter you should request an opportunity to progress further with your application for instance suggest an interview. Read on for tips on how to write a cover letter for a particular job.

How to write a cover letter for a job

Cover letters should, as far as possible, be tailored to the specific job that you are applying for. This should start with the person to whom you address your cover letter. If you can avoid addressing your cover letter to ‘Sir/Madam’ and instead address it to the person who will be reading your cover letter, this will help to ensure your cover letter is not dismissed as a uniform cover letter. This person may be mentioned in the job advertisement. If the job advertisement does not mention the name of the person to whom to address your cover letter to, it may be beneficial to do some research over the internet or even call the company and ask to whom you should address your cover letter.



When writing a cover letter you should research the company and demonstrate your knowledge of the company in the body of your cover letter. For instance you may mention that you are aware that the company is branching into this area or that area. The important thing is to appear genuinely interested in the job.