Covering letters

You might be asked for a covering letter to go with a form or CV.  Writing the right letter or email may help you to get an interview. 

Here's some advice to help you with writing a covering letter:

• Type your letter and print it on plain white paper and make sure it is no longer than one side of A4.
• If you do handwrite your letter, make sure it is neat and your writing is legible.
• If applying for a specific job advertisement, quote where you saw the job advertised, the name of the job and any reference numbers.
• Make sure you tailor your covering letter to the job you are applying for and outline how your experience matches the job requirements.
• Explain why you want to work for the organisation and list the skills you have that may be relevant to the company and job.
• Include your availability for interview, whether you are seeking full or part-time work and your availability to start the job if successful.
• Keep your covering letter concise. It should give a flavour of what is in your application or on your CV.
• Check you have addressed your letter to the right person, used their correct job title and spelt their name correctly
• Letters to ‘Dear Sir’ or ‘Dear Madam’ end ‘Yours faithfully’.  Letters to a named person end ‘Yours sincerely’.
• If you are sending an email instead of a letter, structure the email in exactly the same way as you would if you were writing a letter.
• Make sure you have an ‘appropriate’ email address.
• Always check your spelling and grammar and always get someone else to check it through before sending it.