Careers - GUIDE TO APPRENTICESHIPS

Covering letters checklist

Covering letters need careful planning – so check the following:

Keep your letter to one side of good quality, A4, plain, white paper and use black ink. Use the same paper for your letter and CV and the same font size and style so it looks consistent. Arial is a good choice and no smaller than font size 11. Make sure your letter has both your address and the prospective employer’s address at the top and the details are correct. If known, address the letter to a named person, that is, the one who advertised the vacancy. If no particular name was mentioned, ‘Sir/Madam’. Aim for no more than three or four paragraphs and keep sentences short. Use the right language and tone – keep it professional and match the key words used by the employer in the job advert. Show you have done your research into the company and the job role. Double check the spellings and grammar are correct. Do not rely on the computer spell checker. If the letter is addressed to a named person, end it with ‘Yours sincerely’. If not, use ‘Yours faithfully’. After this, don’t forget your signature. Keep a copy of your covering letter as you may be asked about it at interview.

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COVERING LETTERS