Keep it clear, keep it simple, keep it short!
What should go on a covering letter?
You should always send a short covering letter with your CV.
Your covering letter is the first impression a prospective employer is going to get. As you know, first impressions count. One look at a candidate's covering letter is all an employer requires to decide whether or not to read through the CV.
Pay attention to details such as spelling, grammar, formatting and font. Make sure you keep it plain and simple. Dressing up a covering letter or CV may detract from the all important content and trying to compensate for lack of material by fancy fonts and styling will not fool anyone.
Never repeat the information provided in the CV when you write covering letters. They each have different purposes and if you give too much away on your covering letter, they may not read the all important CV, thinking they have gleaned enough. Also, presented with a long rambling covering letter and a clear concise covering letter, which do you think is less likely to be appreciated by the reader of possibly hundreds of such letters?
Always write clearly the position you are interested in at the top of the letter so they know for which vacancy you wish to apply. Your letter could be going direct to a Human Resources department or an agency who could be dealing with a large number of job vacancies at any one time and you want to make sure that your letter is read by the right person for the right position.
The more clearly presented your covering letter is, the more likely it is to be noted.
You want your covering letter to be brief and enticing. You want your prospective employer to read your CV, so your letter should tell them why you are writing to them, the position for which you are applying and directing them to your CV. Use a hook such as ‘as a qualified engineer who has extensive experience in the field of....... I feel that my CV may be of interest to you in regard to the post of..........
Always make sure your covering letter is polite and easy to read, and let them know that you are available for an interview.
Make sure you make reference to your Webme1 CV so they know where to find it!
CURRICULUM VITAE
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