Job Applications & Cover Letters

A covering letter has one job: to make a busy stranger want to read your CV and meet you. It does this by showing, with evidence, that you have read the advert and that you can do what the job needs.

Most people write a covering letter (also called a cover letter) at some point: for a Saturday job, a work-experience place, an apprenticeship, a scholarship or a first full-time post. It builds on the layout you learned in Formal Letter Writing, but the body of the letter follows its own plan, because the reader is silently asking three questions: Why this job? Why you? What happens next?

This guide explains the whole application, not only the letter: how to read an advert, how a CV and a letter work together, how to lay a letter out, how to open and close it, how to turn ordinary experience into convincing evidence, and how to check your work. It includes two worked examples, a checklist, common mistakes and ten practice questions.

1.What a Job Application Really Is

An application is a small package of documents that together answer one question from an employer: Should we spend our time on this person? Depending on the job, the package may contain:

• a CV (a short summary of your education, experience, skills and contact details);
• a covering letter (a letter or email that introduces the CV and argues that you fit this particular job);
• an application form (questions the employer wrote, which you must answer in the order and format given);
• names of referees (people, such as a teacher or a former employer, who can describe your character and work).

The word CV stands for curriculum vitae, Latin for "the course of life". In the United Kingdom and many other countries people say CV. In the United States and Canada people usually say résumé for a similar document. In some places, CV can also mean a longer academic record, so follow the wording of the advert.

Employers often receive many applications for one post, so each package may be read quickly at first. That is why every part must be clear, correct and relevant. The official careers service of the United Kingdom advises that you include a covering letter whenever you apply with a CV, and that you write a fresh one for every job.

2.How an Application Travels

Strong applications are built in order. Many people start by typing the letter, which is the wrong end. The diagram shows a better order, and the steps appear one after another.

3.CV and Covering Letter: Two Different Jobs

A common mistake is to make the letter a copy of the CV in sentences. The two documents do different work, and the reader should learn something new from each.

Think of the CV as a map of everything you have done, and the letter as a guided tour of the three places that matter most to this employer.

4.Step One: Read the Advert Like a Detective

Before you write a word, study the advert. Adverts usually contain two lists. The duties (or job description) say what the person will do. The person specification says what the employer wants the person to be: qualifications, skills, and qualities. Some adverts mark requirements as essential (you must have them) or desirable (helpful but not compulsory).

Underline every skill and quality. Then, beside each one, write a true example from your own life. This simple table is the raw material for your letter.

If a requirement has no evidence at all, do not invent some. Think wider: school duties, sport, a club, a religious or community activity, helping in a family business, looking after younger relatives and volunteering all build real skills. If something is truly missing, say that you are keen to learn it, and be honest.

5.The Layout of a Covering Letter

A covering letter is a formal letter, so it uses the same neat layout. The most common style today is block format: every part starts at the left edge, except that your own address and the date may be placed on the right, as in the diagram. Use a plain font in a readable size, and the same font as your CV so the two look like a matched pair.

A few layout notes:

• The subject line (part 5) is a short bold heading such as Application for Saturday Sales Assistant. It helps the reader file your letter correctly. If the advert gives a reference number, include it.
• Leave a blank line between paragraphs rather than indenting them.
• If you print the letter, sign in the space above your typed name. In an email, the typed name is enough.
• If you are sending a CV with the letter, add the word Enclosed or Enc. under your name, or mention the CV in the last paragraph.

6.The Greeting and the Sign-Off

The careers service of the United Kingdom advises that you try to address the letter to a person by name. Look in the advert, on the employer's website, or telephone to ask politely who will receive applications. Then use the traditional pairing below.

Use Mr, Ms or Mrs only if you are sure which the person prefers. If you are not sure, you may use the full name, for example Dear Alex Morgan. In British style, these titles are written without a full stop.

Some writers today use Dear Hiring Manager when no name can be found. Opinions differ on whether this is better than Dear Sir or Madam, which some readers find old-fashioned. For school and exam tasks, follow the traditional rule exactly: a name goes with Yours sincerely, and no name goes with Yours faithfully. In a friendly email to someone you already know, Kind regards is acceptable.

7.The Opening: Name the Job and Say Where You Saw It

Your first sentence should tell the reader the job you want and where you found it. The reader may be handling several vacancies at once, so make it easy.

You can add one more sentence that gives the basic facts the reader needs: your age or stage of education, and when you are available. This is useful in a first job application, where the employer must know that you can legally work the hours offered. The age at which young people may work, and the hours allowed, differ from country to country, so check the rules where you live.

Avoid openings that waste the most valuable line of the letter, such as I am writing this letter because I need a job or My name is Danish and I am a student. The reader has not yet been given a reason to care.

8.The Middle: Prove It with Evidence

This is where letters succeed or fail. A claim is something you say about yourself, such as "I am reliable". Anyone can write that. Evidence is something you did that shows the claim is true. Readers believe evidence far more readily than claims. A simple three-part pattern turns a claim into a convincing sentence or two.

Here is the difference in practice. Both versions are about the same person. Which one would you rather read at the end of a long day?

Notice that the strong version contains no big words. It contains facts. Use numbers when you have true ones (three days, forty customers, a class of twenty), but never make up a figure to sound impressive. Employers can ask about any number you give, and an invented figure may be exposed at interview.

9.Why This Employer? Show You Did Your Homework

The third part of the letter shows that you chose this employer on purpose. Look at the employer's website, noticeboard, social media page or advert for one specific thing you can honestly respond to: a service, a value, a project, a product, or a way of working.

Be careful with flattery. One honest, specific sentence works better than three sentences of praise. And do not copy long phrases from the employer's website: the reader will recognise their own words.

10.The Closing: A Polite, Clear Next Step

End with a short paragraph that does three things: refers to your CV, shows you are ready to take the next step, and thanks the reader. Keep it confident and brief. Avoid begging ("Please, I really need this job") and avoid demanding ("Phone me tomorrow").

A good closing is also a place to check practical details: Is your telephone number correct? Is your email address sensible, such as a version of your name, and not a joke nickname? The national careers service advises making sure that the contact details on your letter and CV are the same and correct.

11.Tone, Words and Honesty

Write in formal but natural English. That means complete sentences, correct spelling and punctuation, no slang, no text-speak and no exclamation marks. It also means avoiding stiff, old-fashioned phrases that no one speaks, such as "I beg to state" or "I have the honour to apply".

• Use "I" with action verbs. Verbs such as organised, served, led, repaired, taught, helped, designed, collected, practised, completed show what you did.
• Be positive about your past. Never criticise a teacher, a school or an employer in an application.
• Be modest but clear. "I am the best candidate you will ever meet" sounds boastful. "I believe my experience matches your requirements" is confident and polite.
• Stay truthful. Do not claim skills, results or qualifications you do not have. A false statement can lead to a withdrawn offer later, and it damages trust. You can always say "I am keen to learn".
• Write in your own words. Letters copied from the internet look alike and are easy to spot. Models are useful for learning the shape; the content must be yours.

For more on choosing the right level of language, see Formal vs. Informal English.

12.Length and Presentation

The careers service of the United Kingdom describes a covering letter as a short letter, usually three to five paragraphs. Keep to one page. If you need to cut, remove sentences that repeat the CV. Other presentation points:

• Use a plain, easy-to-read font in the same size as your CV. Do not use coloured paper, decorative borders or cartoon fonts.
• Name files sensibly, such as Danish-Malik-CV.pdf and Danish-Malik-Covering-Letter.pdf, not final2.docx. A PDF keeps the layout the same on any device, but follow the employer's instructions if they ask for another format.
• A photograph is not expected on a UK-style CV, although customs differ in other countries. Follow the advert.
• Keep a copy of every letter you send, because you may be asked about it at interview.

13.Applying by Email and Online

Many applications are now sent by email or through a website. The same ideas apply, with small changes. For an email application, the message is the covering letter. Put a clear, specific subject line in the subject box, such as Application: Saturday Sales Assistant. Do not repeat your postal address or the date in the body, because the email shows them. Attach the CV and say so in the last paragraph. Before you press Send, check that the attachment is really there. For more, see Professional Email Etiquette.

When there is an application form, answer every question, in the format asked for, within the word limit. Do not write "see CV" unless the form permits it. A long box labelled "Why do you want this job?" is your covering letter in another form, so use the same claim, proof, link pattern.

Stay safe. Most employers are honest, but some adverts are scams. Be careful if a "job" asks you to pay a fee, to send bank details or identity documents with your first application, or to meet an unknown person alone. If you are under 18, show the advert to a parent, guardian or teacher before you reply.

14.Worked Examples

15.Your Checking List

Run through this list before you send anything. It is easiest to spot mistakes if you read the letter aloud, or wait an hour and read it again. For a full editing routine, see Editing Your Own Work.

16.Common Mistakes

17.Common Myths About Cover Letters

18.Key Terms

19.Why This Matters

Writing a covering letter teaches skills that last: reading a task carefully, choosing evidence, arranging ideas for a reader who is short of time, and writing in a polite, formal register. These skills help in exams, in school applications and later in work. If you also write emails, read Professional Email Etiquette. If you are writing to a friend instead of an employer, see Informal Letter Writing.