Cover letters

A cover letter is an important part of your job seeking whether you’re applying for an advertised job or making a speculative approach. A cover letter usually accompanies a CV or application form and it’s your chance to sell yourself to the employer and emphasise why your application is worth reading.

What to think about

Think about your cover letter like a trailer to a film; it should offer the highlights and entice the reader to want to look further into your application.

It’s important to show your enthusiasm and your research by tailoring your cover letter for the job you’re applying for and the organisation .

You can also use your cover letter to give additional information, such as your reasons for a career change, for example. If you have a disability, you can use your letter to ask for any reasonable adjustments you may need for a possible interview.

Writing a cover letter

Employers often receive lots of applications for each vacancy, so you need to ensure that your cover letter makes a lasting impression for the right reasons.

Start and end your cover letter in the right way

If you can, address your letter to an individual by name and job title. If this information isn’t included in the job advert, research this from their website, social media or other online sources. If you’re writing to a named individual, end your letter with ‘Yours sincerely’. If you start your letter with ‘Dear Sir or Madam’, then end with ‘Yours faithfully’.

Explain why you’re applying for the role and why you’re suitable

Briefly explain why you’re applying for the role and how you meet the person specification. Use the same key words used in the specification where possible. If the specification is extensive, focus on how you meet the ‘essential’ criteria in the cover letter. Refer to the most relevant parts of your CV or application form.

Introduce your examples

Give brief accounts of examples of how and when you've used your skills and experience. If possible, include outcomes with facts and figures to illustrate the impact you made. You should cover these examples in more depth in your application form. The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) technique can help you to present examples.

Tailor your letter for the role and the employer

Write your letter for the role and organisation. Explain why you want to work for that organisation and show that you have done your research.

Keep it brief unless asked otherwise

Cover letters are usually not more than one page. However, read the application instructions carefully for specifics. In some cases, you may be asked to provide more detail in the letter about demonstrating how you meet the criteria in the person specification.

Keep the presentation simple and clean

Make sure your cover letter is well spaced and as uncluttered as possible. Use the same font and size you used in your CV.

Check your letter for spelling and grammar

Check your letter carefully for spelling or grammar mistakes that a spell checker may not pick up. Ask a family member or friend to check too.

Cover letters for speculative approaches

You may want to approach organisations speculatively for job roles that haven't been formally advertised.

Your cover letter should include the type of role you’re looking for and why you want to work for that organisation in particular.

Emphasise your skills

Tell them about the skills you have which are relevant to the organisation and direct them to your CV for more detail.

Review previously advertised vacancies

Review person specifications or job descriptions of previously advertised vacancies with the same organisation (or similar organisations) to help guide you towards the most relevant skills, experience and qualities to highlight.

Offer alternative options

If they have no vacancies at the moment, ask if they could keep your details on file. If you’re interested in unpaid work experience or an information interview, say so.

Cover letters to tell an employer about a disability

You may want to use your cover letter to tell an employer about a disability. You can't be discriminated against for having a disability and your cover letter can be a good opportunity to talk about it. Mentioning your disability at an early stage gives the employer the chance to make any required adjustments so the recruitment process is accessible and fair. Many employers really want to attract candidates with disabilities; the Disability Confident scheme includes a badge which shows an employer has made certain commitments, for example,

making sure their recruitment process is fair
supporting any employee who becomes disabled to stay in work
offering work experience to disabled people.

Look out for positive things about disability or treating people equally within the job application details and on employers’ websites. In some cases, having a disability might be seen as having an extra qualification to do the job.

If you do decide to talk about your disability in a cover letter you should

Explain how it affects you stating what you can and can't do in relation to the job.
Be positive and talk about how you've overcome any hurdles.
Explain any adjustments you would need the company to make - you’re the expert on you and your needs!
End by saying you're available to discuss if they have any questions.

Do you have to tell an employer at this stage?

You don’t have to disclose a disability in your cover letter; you can always talk about it at a later stage. You can find further information about telling an employer about a disability and accompanying podcast available in Explaining a disability to an employer.

Cover letters to tell an employer about a criminal record

You may want to use your cover letter to disclose a criminal record. If you have a criminal record you may have questions about if, when and how you need to tell an employer. It can feel challenging.

Read our article on Disclosing a criminal record which explores the issues from a range of viewpoints, so you can weigh up what's right for you and feel more confident in explaining this to an employer.

Example cover letters

A cover letter is your chance to market your skills and experience to employers. They can also be an opportunity to explain how you've managed a disability and how you used these strategies to develop your skills. You can also use cover letters to ask for work experience or disclose a criminal record. The links below will open examples of cover letters.

Your Career Planning Guide

Deciding what you want to do with your career can feel like the start of an exciting journey, but it can also feel daunting if you're not sure where to start. Your Career Planning Guide is available to all students, you'll need to be signed in to access the guide.

Your Career Planning Guide (PDF 3.98MB)

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