Cover Letters can be the bane of people’s life to write – don’t get us wrong, some people like to do them – but the majority find them a bit of a chore.

Whichever way you lean on them, plenty of companies still rely heavily on cover letters to help them get an idea of who an applicant is and what they’re about. The key objective of a cover letter is to communicate effectively and confidently, while making sure you’re staying relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Key Points to Remember:

*Tailor your cover letter to the specific requirements of the job you’re applying for

*Keep in mind the language, greetings used & length of your cover letter

*Be sure to proofread your letter – more than once! – before sending it.

Below XCL Group have outlined in further detail, a few simple tips to help you produce a well written cover letter.

Do you need a header?

Often, you’ll be submitting your cover letter alongside an online application, in which case the employer will already be able to see your contact details (e.g. address, telephone number etc), from other parts of the application form, therefore you wouldn’t necessarily need to have a header to your cover letter, repeating these details.

However, if the cover letter is to be a separate attachment, then make sure you use the same heading as your CV – so it looks uniformed – and include all relevant contact details.

Use an appropriate greeting

It may be the case that you know the name of the person you’re addressing in your cover letter; therefore, it is perfectly acceptable to begin by addressing them directly.

E.g. “Dear Helen……”

However, if you don’t know the name of the hiring manager / department, then there are various greeting options you can consider. To help you, have research of the company and get a feel for their culture so you know how formal / informal to be with your greeting.

I.e. “Hi there….” may appear too informal for some companies, whereas “To whom it may concern…” can seem too formal for others.  

Steer clear of generic references / phrases

It can be so easy to generalise specifics about your skills and attributes – any one can say they hold a desirable skill – but to be sure you make an impression, show these skills in action.

“I work well as part of a team and use my own initiative” is too general and vague, instead describe in detail a particular project / scheme you’ve led or implemented while in your current role, and what results this had on the company.

Within these examples, where possible, also try to avoid overusing the same words, i.e. oversaw, assisted etc.

How long is you letter?

There is no set length for cover letters – unless stated in the job description itself – so make sure you keep to the point and focus on the most important details, that are relevant to the job role you’re applying for.  So read the job description and write about examples from your past or current roles that would fit those requirements.   

TIP: Try not to repeat everything that is already in your CV!