1.1 SEE SAMPLE COVER LETTERS FOR USE OF THESE AND OTHER PHRASES.

1.2 So what is a cover letter?

Quite simply a cover letter is a succinct means of communicating your interest in a particular job, or a field of work if you are applying for an internship with a company. It should highlight your skills and experience, and of course go into greater detail than space allows on your CV. Here is the place that you will sell yourself as most employers will briefly scan the letter before wading through the CV.

Make sure that your cover letter also shows that you know something about the company you are applying to or the field of work. This is easily done by visiting the company website or sending off for an annual report or consulting the press or public relation department of larger firms. For smaller firms, you may wish to telephone the HR Department/ Personnel manager and ask what projects they are involved in currently and how your skills may match up with that. Remember, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, the more you know about the people you are applying to, the more they will take you seriously and possibly offer you a position.

Finally, you should end your letter by expressing that you are available to be contacted for any further information and perhaps also indicate dates on which you are available for interview, and/or to take up employment. It is current practice in the US to end by saying that you will contact the person named on the letter within 7 to 10 days in order to discuss progress of your application. DO NOT DO THIS IN THE UK, UNLESS YOU ARE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF RECRUITMENT. The reason for this is that the British do things differently, and at a different pace than our American cousins and what may be a perfectly efficient and good way to show your determination to join a firm may quite simply come across as pushy to a British audience.

2. SOME PHRASES TO IMITATE IN YOUR COVER LETTER:

In reply to your advertisement in "name of paper/website etc", (date),

I would like to request an application form and a job description for the post of _________.

I am particularly interested in this position because ...

I have x years of experience in the field of/ in customer service etc.

3. WHEN YOU WRITE TO A PERSON WHOM YOU WISH TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A REFERENCE:

I have to supply the names of two referees with my application for the post of ________ and I am contacting you to ask if you would be so good as to allow me to put forward your name as a referee.



created by: David Anderson