Cover Letter Guide

What is a cover letter?

A cover letter, also known as a motivation letter, is a formal one-page document submitted alongside your CV for each job application. It is where you sell yourself: it shows your personality, your enthusiasm for the organisation and the position, and how you align with the company's values and culture. It is also where you emphasise your most relevant skills and experiences in a targeted way, and say plainly what you would contribute.

Formatting

• One page. Clear and concise.
• Font size 12, in Arial or Times New Roman.
• Save as a PDF, so the formatting is locked wherever it is opened.
• Proofread for spelling and grammatical errors.
• Do not start every sentence with "I".

Structure

• Contact information (right side) — full name, phone number, email address, home address.
• Date — below your contact information.
• Company details (left side) — company name and address.
• Salutation — address the recipient by name if you know it, otherwise "Dear Sir/Madam" or "To whom it may concern".
• Introduction — the position you are applying for and how you heard about it. Introduce yourself as a student or recent graduate, and say why the role interests you.
• First paragraph — your interest in the position and the company, with the achievements and skills that make you a strong candidate.
• Middle paragraph — expand on those skills and experiences, using keywords from the job description to tailor the letter.
• Final paragraph — how you would contribute to the company, and what your work ethic and capabilities look like in practice.
• Conclusion — thank the employer for their time, and close with a call to action such as "I look forward to hearing from you."
• Signature — "Yours faithfully" if you opened with "Dear Sir/Madam", "Yours sincerely" if you addressed someone by name.

How to stand out

Research

A good cover letter is tailored to the company and the role. That means research before writing, not after.

The company:

• Its culture and principles
• Its mission statement
• Its products, services and clients
• Recent events and news
• Well-known campaigns and programmes

The role:

• Day-to-day responsibilities
• The skills it requires
• Routes to progression

No work experience? No problem

If you have no formal work experience yet, there is still a strong letter to write.

• Show off your education. List achievements and awards from school. Did you reach or exceed your predicted grades? Small accomplishments still tell an employer something.
• Be enthusiastic. Genuine excitement and a positive attitude towards the role read clearly on the page, as does real interest in the industry and the company.
• Lean on transferable skills. Every extracurricular activity, project and volunteering role develops something. Employers value teamwork, leadership and problem-solving, and you do not need prior employment to have built analytical or networking skills.

Mistakes to avoid

• Writing without researching. Research the company and the role first, every time.
• Discussing irrelevant experience. Stay on the experiences and transferable skills that bear on this role.
• Repeating your CV. Use the letter to expand on a few key achievements, not to restate the list.
• Complaining about past experiences. Keep it positive and professional.
• Going over one page. Concise and to the point.
• Spelling and grammar errors. Proofread.

Examples

Sample cover letters are in the Resources tab.