ADD ADVICE TO FAVCovering letters
Your first point of contact with your potential graduate employer will probably be your covering letter, so it’s important to include the right information:
- who you are and what graduate job you’re applying for
- what relevant skills, experience and education you have
- why you want to work in this particular sector
- why you are applying to this particular organisation.
The purpose of your covering letter is to get the employer to read your CV and invite you for interview. It’s important that you highlight the relevant points covered in your graduate CV, without repeating them word-for-word. Try using the following template for your covering letters.
Paragraph one: introduction
- Why are you writing? ’I am writing in response to your job advertisement in the Daily News for the position of trainee marketing assistant’.
- Who are you? ’I will be completing my business and management degree in June, and am very keen to establish a graduate career in marketing’.
- Refer to your graduate CV if it’s enclosed. ’Please find enclosed my CV for your consideration’.
Writing a covering letter
- Address your letter to a named individual. If you’re not sure who the best person to contact is, telephone the company and ask.
- Keep your letter to one side of A4.
- Use a formal business template, showing both your address and the name and address of the recipient.
- Use ’Yours sincerely’ to sign off. Only use ’Yours faithfully’ if you have addressed the letter ’Dear Sir/Madam’.
Paragraph two: why you want the job
- What attracts you to this particular company? Demonstrate that you’ve researched their activities.
- What attracts you to this particular graduate job? Look carefully at the job description and pick out what makes this job especially appealing to you.
- Why do you want to work in this sector? You could refer to relevant experience or study. Does the job make use of your strengths? Is it particularly varied or challenging?
Paragraph three: why the company should be interested in you
- Pick out three or four of the qualities the employer is asking for. What evidence can you give of these?
- Mention relevant experience or study.
Final paragraph: conclusion
- Cover any practical issues. You could refer to when you are available for interview.
- Be positive. Thank the company for considering your application and say you look forward to hearing from them.
It is vital you proofread your covering letter carefully and present it well.
If you are sending your covering letter as an e-mail, a formal style is still important, although you can leave out the addresses at the top of the page.
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