Your covering letter is equally as important as your CV, often being the first document a prospective employer sees and better demonstrating your writing skills. Rather than a generic letter for all prospective employers, your covering letter should be targeted towards a specific company or position, showing that you’ve researched and put some time into the application process.

Layout:
The covering letter should be set out much the same way as a standard formal letter. From the top:
- Date
- Recipient’s name and address (where applicable) set to the left margin.
- ‘Ref: Insert role targeted‘ (optional).
- ‘Dear…’ ‘Sir/Madam’ or ‘name of individual’.
- Paragraph 1: Introduce yourself.
- Paragraph 2: Why you are interested in this job.
- Paragraph 3: Why the prospective employer should be interested in you.
- Paragraph 4: Conclude.
- Sign off: Use ‘Yours faithfully’ if addressed with ‘Dear Sir or Madam’. Otherwise use ‘Yours sincerely’.

Paragraph 1: Introduce yourself.
- Why have you sent the enclosed CV? “I write in response to a recent advertisement for the vacancy of Mortgage Advisor”.
- Relevant background: “My previous experience in IFA roles (Independent Financial Advisory) and experience of successfully selling related products make me a good candidate for this vacancy”.

Paragraph 2: Why you are interested in the job.
- Why do you want to work in this role?
- Why do you want to work for this particular company?
- Why do you want to work in this industry?
Show that you’ve done your research – you need to convey extreme interest, motivation, and hunger, for the job you are applying for.

Paragraph 3: Why the prospective employer should be interested in you.
- Sell yourself. How do your experiences, skills and achievements make you a suitable candidate for this role? Demonstrate to the employer how you might add value to his or her company, that you tick all the boxes.
- For clarity, you may want to use bullet points to make a brief list.
- Be careful not to exaggerate or sound arrogant – be modest, support your statements with brief evidence.
- Be careful not to use the exact wording of your CV.

Paragraph 4: Conclude.
- Be positive, “I thank you in advance for taking the time to review my CV, I look forward to discussing my application further with you.”

Your covering letter should be kept to a maximum of one A4 page. If sending via email, place the letter in the body of the email (rather than as an attached document) and omit the address.