Cover Letter Guidelines

Cover letter guidelines.jpg

Once you’ve finished off a course you’ve wanted to do for years, then it’s time to make the leap into the new industry you’ve invested so much time and effort to learn about. However, in some instances, it’s not just enough to send out your CV; you also need a great covering letter to introduce yourself to what could be

HOW TO WRITE A COVER LETTER

To give you a helping hand, we’ve provided some cover letter guidelines, especially useful if you’ve just finished a Distance Learning Course and are looking to make the next step. So have a read of the best ways to write an amazing covering letter and prepare yourself to apply for the job of your dreams.

BEFORE YOU START 

You might want to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) straight away, but you need to do your research first. Start off by rereading the job role and making notes on what the employer is looking for in an ideal candidate. If you tick all of the boxes then you need to outline this in your covering letter, but even if you don’t, it’s worth pointing out your other strengths and noting them down before you start.

It’s also advisable to do your research on the company you’re planning to apply to. Get to know their values and the type of work they like to do. If you have shown a vested interest in them, this will shine through in your covering letter.

COVER LETTER STRUCTURE 

  • Address – include your full address at the top right of the letter
  • Introduction – ideally, address the letter to the name of the person who has posted the job, or got in touch with you
  • First Paragraph – state your intentions; the fact that you want to apply for the job and more importantly, why you want to apply for the job
  • Second Paragraph – include here why you would be a good fit for the role, including brief details on your qualifications and personal strengths
  • Third Paragraph – conclude your letter by stating you would be happy to meet to discuss the role and indicate your contact details included in the footer (below) if they would like to get in touch
  • Sign Off – finish with ‘Yours Sincerely’ and even include a digital signature to give your letter a personal touch
  • Footer – include your contact email address and contact telephone number, making it as easy as possible for the company to get in touch with you

IT'S ALL ABOUT PRESENTATION

This is potentially an employer’s first impression of you so you need to make it good. Be polite, interested in the job and present yourself in a clear and concise way. Short paragraphs make for an easy read, rather than a block of text that is likely to look untidy and off putting. It needs to be less than a page of A4 as well, so make sure to cut it down if it starts to get a bit too long.

To check out all of Distance Learning Centres courses, head over to our listings here. For any other enquiries, contact us today.