Writing a successful covering letter

Guest post by Mark Green

 A covering letter is vital to applying for work experience, paid internships, graduate vacancies and increasingly, for part time jobs. You're normally asked to provide a covering letter alongside your CV when applying for a job. The importance of a covering letter with job applications is great, it is a chance to showcase your writing style and give your application a personal feel, which is something you would stuggle to convey through a shorter, concise CV.  Before I came to university, I had never written one before.  The first time I had to properly 'sell myself' was in my personal statement. I didn't know what to include, or how formal it had to be. The tips below should give you an idea of where to start when writing one.

• Most obvious, but still necessary to mention; tailor each application to the job you are applying for.  You may have much valuable, transferable experience, but it is crucial to emphasise the specific skill-sets you have developed from your previous work experience. For example, if you are applying for a part-time job at a local supermarket, whilst still studying, it would be best to stress how you have developed your interpersonal skills in the past.
• Try to get as much background information about the position you are applying to as possible.  It may be time consuming, especially when you are applying for lots of jobs at the same time, but that little bit of extra research about the current developments of a the company, or the industry that they are in  will help you stand out compared to other candidates.   
• Avoid merely repeating what is in your CV in more long winded ways. A covering letter is an opportunity to give the employer more insight into your motivations and the extent to which you want the job. Another reason not to just repeat your CV is that the cover letter will often physically be attached to it!
• Be clear and concise. Although specifications on the length of a cover letter may vary from job to job, it is generally custom to keep a covering letter to one page. Make your points eloquently, you're essentially advertising yourself.  Employers will often have tens of applications to read and will not appreciate 2-3 pages of you waffling on. Just because you write more on a covering letter than another person does not mean you must want the job more. Quality, not quantity.
• Proofread your covering letters.  You may be applying for several jobs at once and as a result become a little lazy in your writing and editing.  But ultimately, the covering letter will hold sway as to whether or not you get an interview, so it is vital to present a professional appearance.  If only there was some sort of cost-effective software that automatically proof-read your work for you...

Hopefully these tips will give you a hand in finding that flexible part time job or that dream internship. Best of luck with the job hunt!

Have you ever committed any covering letter blunders? Leave a comment below.