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A cover letter is the first introductory contact that an organisation has with job applicants. As such, all efforts should be made to ensure that it motivates job recruiters to look at the CV attached and not assume that the applicant in question does not have the necessary qualifications for the job. Below we have prepared some simple steps to follow to ensure that your cover letter is professionally written and competitive on the job market. We have also included a sample cover letter that has been written with all the tips included in this article.
 

A cover letter is based on these elements: addresses, contact information, date, salutation, subject matter, body and closing remarks. The sender’s and receiver’s address are the first areas that are completed on a cover letter. Throughout the UK the accepted format has been to left justify the sender’s address and right justify the receiver’s address. You may also include contact details such as your telephone number and e-mail address just below the sender’s address. There should be a single or double line spacing that separates your address from the receiver’s address, because this facilitates clarity.
 

It is very important that you take the initiative to research the name of the person and his or her position within the company to include in the address section. Generic details such as “To the Recruitment Manager” can cause your CV to be tossed from place to place until it finally reaches the HR manager’s desk. This is especially true in large organisations that have various HR managers for different sectors. Not only can this mean losing valuable time, it can also cause your application to not be considered for a certain vacancy due to the fact that other applicants managed to get the recruiter’s attention first. The date on which you are writing the cover letter should be located just below the receiver’s address and there should be a double line spacing separating both. The same applies for the salutation that immediately follows the date.
 

The salutation should include the persons name and not a generic format such as “Dear Sir or Madam.” By including the recruiter’s name you will make him or her see that you do not need someone to hold your hands so to speak and that you are not just mindlessly sending out standardised cover letters all over Europe. The position that you are applying for should follow the salutation and you should provide as much detail as possible regarding the vacancy.
 

The body of your cover letter should start by establishing the reason you are sending a letter to the job recruiter. This is usually one sentence that explains your reason for writing, the location you saw the advert and the date as well. You should also use it to mention the fact that you have enclosed your CV. Try to avoid the traditional “I am writing to apply for the XX post”: the recruiter already knows what the cover letter is intended for and mention of the position just after the salutation makes this clear. Instead you can write “It is with great pleasure that I enclose my CV with the intention of being considered for the XX position that was/currently being advertised on XX. 
 

 The development of the rest of your cover letter should be based on qualifications, mention of key areas in your CV, experiences, training, availability for an interview, etc. You should not “pitch” your cover letter with a strong sales focus. The information that you present should be skilfully wrapped up in 3-4 paragraphs without any unnecessary references to skills and promises such as: “I am sure that if your company hires me you will see a drastic change in your sales figures within one month of my entry into the company.” Be sharp, humble and not boastful.
 

You should end your cover letter thanking the HR manager for taking the time to read it. Below we have provided a sample to clarify our points above.