Covering Letters

• Read and re-read the job description: Before starting your application, read the whole job advert, not just the part that details the requirements. Understanding the job and the context is the first step in writing a standout application.
• Check what the employer wants from you: Not all jobs ask for a CV or cover letter and even those that do may ask for specific information to be included. Often job adverts will include instructions for applying, take time to understand these before starting your application.
• Never send the same letter twice: Tailor each letter to demonstrate your motivation and your research of the organisation to which you are applying. Taking time to understand the job and organisation will help you to do this.
• Make it personal: Thinking about using AI? Find out how to use AI tools responsibly in this article about Using generative AI in job applications (prospects.ac.uk).

The covering letter is an opportunity to summarise your suitability, draw attention to key aspects of your experience that you particularly want the employer to know about you. Your letter should:

• Be no longer than one page A4 (unless applying for an academic position). There is no standard word count but you should be aiming for between 400 and 600 words.
• Use the same font style and size as your CV, ensuring both look neat and professional.
• Use formal business language and double check to eradicate any spelling or grammatical errors. The University recommends Grammarly for proof reading software.

If you are applying by email, use the job title and/or reference number as the subject and attach your covering letter as a separate document (or merged with your CV to create one document). Your email should then consist of a short paragraph which summarises your suitability, demonstrates your motivation and refers the employer to the attachment(s). Make sure you save your document with your name, rather than an anonymous 'CV(12)'. 

Covering letters generally consist of four or five paragraphs preceded by a subject line detailing the job title and reference number (if given):

• Introduction - Explain why you are writing and briefly introduce yourself.
• About the employer and the job - Demonstrate a knowledge of the organisation and the role by explaining what has motivated you to apply. This could be areas of specialisation, values and ethos, or training on offer.
• About you - Match yourself to the requirements of the job and demonstrate your skills using your work experience, studies and interests. Cross-reference with your CV by using specific job or course titles, employer names etc.
• Conclusion - Confidently summarise your suitability and end positively with what you hope to contribute going forward.

Sign your letter off with "Yours sincerely" if you have a contact name ("Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms…") and "Yours faithfully" if you do not ("Dear Hiring Team").

GenAI can be a useful tool when preparing your cover letter, but should not be used to write the letter for you. 

You could use GenAI to:

• Analyse a job description and identify key words.
• Help you decide which examples best demonstrate your skills and interest.
• Suggest ways to make your writing clearer and more concise.
• Check spelling, grammar and readability.
• Give you feedback on how well your cover letter matches a particular role. 

Remember: AI can make mistakes and may produce generic, fabricated or inaccurate information. Check its suggestions and make sure your cover letter is truthful, sounds like you and reflects your actual experience.