Read through our Job Covering Letter Checklist to make sure that you write a good job cover letter that helps you get to the interview stage.
Even in this modern day and age, when applying for a job, a job covering letter may be asked for. Stand out from the crowd and make sure that your covering letter is tailored to the job you are applying for. It’s no good writing a generic job cover letter – it will be quickly spotted and your job application is more likely to quickly end up in the reject pile.
Contents of a job cover letter
- Provide your contact details:
- email address
- phone number
- Date it!
- Address the letter to the person who posted the job:
- ‘Dear Mr. Jones’
- ‘To Whom It May Concern’
- ‘Dear Sir/Madam’
- Include the job title
- Include the job reference number
- First paragraph:
- Mention the job you’re applying for
- Where you found the job listing
- Middle paragraphs:
- Discuss your qualifications. Why you are a qualified candidate for this position?
- Relate back to the job description given and reference it.
- What work experience do you have that fits the job requirements?
- Final paragraph:
- Say that you look forward to discussing your qualifications further
- ‘Feel free to call me at <contact number>, to arrange a time to meet. I look forward to hearing from you.’
- Don’t forget to thank them for their time.
- If the job application asks questions, make sure that you include the answers in your covering letter
- Save the job covering letter with your name in the filename (for your records)
- Don’t forget to add anything new back into your job covering letter template