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Careers Advice
- Where to start?
- Spice up your CV
- Covering letters
- First interview
- Assessment Centres
- Careers Clinic
- Job hunting tips
- Hints and tips video
Covering letters
When it comes to cover letters, this is another major point of confusion. In truth there is no great secret. You will have seen the job ads requesting you to send in a CV with a cover letter – so what’s it all about?One of the most difficult aspects of writing a really good cover letter is to say why you are interested in the job and in some cases what skills/abilities you think you will bring to the position. If you need help with this, consider getting it done professionally. The same rules apply as with your CV.
Tips for cover letters
• Never handwrite a cover letter unless specifically requested. Always get your cover letters typed
• Don’t photocopy and mass produce the same letter and fill in the details later – it looks sloppy and obviously mass produced, which tells a potential employer that you couldn’t be bothered writing to them individually
• If possible, print your cover letter on paper that matches your CV
• Don’t be tempted to put too much detail in your cover letters – they are only an introduction for your CV. Important information, such as your skills, should be in your CV already. Avoid repetition!
• There is no point going to the trouble of typing your cover letter if you’re going to handwrite the envelope. Get the envelope typed as well, or better still use a window envelope.
• When answering ads requesting a cover letter, make sure you include ALL the information they have asked for, such as salary expectations, preferred location, etc.
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