How to write a cover letter
Cover letter advice and guidance
Cover letters are sometimes requested in job applications. Even if a letter is not requested, it might be beneficial to send one. This could be when applying speculatively or when applying by email. Something has to go in the email and it can’t just be ‘Please see the attached.’ So, what you put in the email becomes your cover letter.
Whatever the format (email, Word, or Google Docs), here is some advice for writing an effective cover letter.
What should be in a cover letter?
Your cover letter should include the following information:
- State what role you are applying for. It’s helpful to the employer if you say where you saw the job advertised (if relevant).
- Summarise why you are suitable for the job. That should be the same as summarising your CV.
- I like to include a list of 4 to 6 bullet points that either summarise ‘Why choose me’ or your key achievements.
- The only other thing to include is a brief summary of why you were attracted to that job and the company specifically. Show what valuable things you have in common.
- End by saying that you would welcome the opportunity for an interview. Possibly state dates and times when you are available. The idea here is to make it as easy as possible for the employer to move on to the next stage.
How to write a cover letter
Some principles are universal for cover letters. The first is basic logic: You have a two-page CV and a one-page letter – so, it’s clear which one should contain the most detail.
Guiding principles include:
- Don’t include anything that is not on your CV. The main reason is simply that you can’t be certain that your cover letter will be read. Also, you don’t have enough space for new things.
- When summarising your CV, don’t rehash it word by word. Try to make your cover letter compelling and different.
- Cover everything that the employer is looking for. That means everything that’s on the Person Specification.
- Make sure your cover letter fits on one page unless a longer one is requested. This is discussed further below.
What if an employer asks for a two-page cover letter?
Sure, if the employer tells you how to apply, you have more chance of being selected following their instructions than not following them.
If they tell you how long the cover letter should be, then you might as well use the available space. The more detail you give, the more evidence there is of your suitability for the role. That’s if you give the right kind of detail, of course.
If they tell you what to include (usually it refers to the Person Specification), then that’s what you should do. If it says ‘Provide a two-page ‘cover letter’ outlining how you meet the Person Specification’, then you should treat this like an application form rather than a cover letter. It becomes a detailed explanation of how you meet that criteria. Or, as detailed as allowable in the space. You should cover all points on the Person Specification.
If you are thinking ‘That’s unfair, asking for a CV and an application form’, then, I agree with you. The amount of time it takes to do these things well and the comprehensiveness of the result both suggest to me that the employer only needs one or the other. But, if you want to apply for the role, then you may as well do what it takes to get selected.
Cover letter format
It’s unlikely these days that you will be printing a formal letter and putting it in the post. But, a cover letter should broadly follow the format that was used in the days when that was common.
Typically, you will produce a Word or Google document or just use the email content. There is no point in attaching a cover letter to an email – you may as well use the email itself and just attach your CV.
If sending by email, you don’t need to include your address and their address like you would in a formal letter. Just start with ‘Dear (Name)’ and then say what you want to say.
At the end, you can sign off ‘Yours sincerely’ or ‘Yours faithfully’ as you would in a formal letter or you can use one of the common email signoffs like ‘Kind regards’. Personally, I don’t like ‘Kind regards’ because it doesn’t make sense to me, but ‘Best regards’ can work.
For a document, I’d suggest you should include your address and their address (shorten it if you need more space for the content). Then the letter content, then the sign-off.
A motivation letter is the same as a cover letter
In some places, job applications are accompanied by a ‘letter of motivation’ or ‘motivation letter’. These are alternative names for cover letters since they should do exactly what I have described above.
A motivation letter should, as the name suggests, outline why you are applying for that job specifically. Because one of the best answers to ‘Why are you motivated to apply for this?’ is ‘because I think I’d be great at it’, it becomes also a summary of your career. That’s why it’s the same as a cover letter.
Get help with a cover letter
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