Career Tips: Covering letters
by paula.fox@haymarket.com, Brand Republic, 19/6/2008
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A covering letter is sent with either a CV or application form and is usually the first thing that is read, so whilst it isn’t hugely important in the total communication regarding a job, you can fall at the first hurdle if isn’t done properly.
As with any communication, a covering letter is an expression of your brand, i.e. you, so think about how you want to come across and what you want to convey.
Here’s some guidelines to make writing a covering letter a breeze:
· If sending by post, use good quality paper
· If sending via email, use tables without borders to keep the copy tidy and prevent it moving around or going onto a second page when sent to a different computer/operating system
· Create a headline with the job reference number and/or job title so that they are immediately clear about what it is referring to
· The letter should be short, to the point and clear
· If possible, find out the person’s name rather than putting ‘Sir/Madam’ and remember to use the correct sign off before your signature, i.e. ‘Yours sincerely’ if you use their name or ‘Yours faithfully’ if you can’t source their name and need to use Sir/Madam
· Use 12-point size copy and a normal non-wacky typeface
· Remember to check the spelling and grammar using spellchecker and have plenty of space rather than it feeling crowded, so use paragraph 1.5 lines in Word
· Refer to the advert/job specification and pull out what feel like the most salient points of what they are looking for and refer to these when you specify how you meet these criteria in broad terms
· Unless you are asked to do a hand-written covering letter, create one using a computer
· Show enthusiasm for the job advertised
· Offer to provide additional information and make sure that you put your relevant contact details, i.e. a phone number that you can speak freely on and an email that is confidential to you. Put your contact details on the letter, either at the top of the page or in the footer
· Be positive and never be negative about your current employer or job, or your potential employer may fear that you will do the same in the future about them
· At the end of the letter, put Enc. and list what you are sending with the letter, e.g. a CV, references or an application form.
