What to include in your covering letter

We'd suggest the following structure for your covering letter. The order for the second (why you) and third paragraph (why them) is flexible – you can swap these around if you prefer.  

Beginning

Make sure that you write to the correct person – it's important to get their name and job title right. If a name is not given, try to find out who you should address your letter to by contacting the organisation or checking the website. This is especially important if you’re applying speculatively, ie where you approach an employer directly to ask about opportunities, not in response to an advertised vacancy. Contact the organisation to ask who is responsible for recruitment, or for a key contact in the department or section you want to work in.

When addressing your letter, use their title and last name only. If you're unsure about their gender, marital status, or preferred pronoun, you can use their full name. If you can't find out the name of the person, use a generic term such as ‘Dear Hiring Manager’ or ‘Dear Recruitment Team’.

First paragraph: Introduction

Briefly explain what you are doing now and why you are writing. If the job or placement was advertised, include where you saw the advert.

If you are applying speculatively, be as specific as you can about what you are looking for. Consider giving the employer a range of options, so if no vacancies are available, you can possibly get involved another way, for example, through work experience, shadowing or even the chance to meet and ask questions.

A strong, confident and positive opening statement makes a good first impression, eg 'I believe I have the relevant skills, knowledge and experience to make a real difference in this role and in your organisation.'

Second paragraph: Why you? Summarise what you have to offer

Summarise the key selling points from your CV which demonstrate that you have what they are looking for. This should be a concise summary with specific examples, rather than talking about generic skills and qualities in isolation. For example, 'I am a reliable and trustworthy person with good communication skills' doesn't demonstrate to the employer how you developed your skills.

If you’re not applying for a specific advertised post, you may not have a job description to help you. You’ll need to work out which skills are required. To help with this, look at the job profiles on the Prospects website.

Convey your enthusiasm for the job and what you can bring to the company, rather than talking about yourself in a general way.

Give reasons why the organisation should consider you. What have you got to offer them? Talk about any relevant experience, knowledge and skills and how you could contribute. Your examples could come from your degree, internships, part-time jobs, volunteering or extra-curricular experience.

Try not to repeat phrases from your CV. Make sure that your CV clearly provides evidence for statements that you make in your letter.

You can split this paragraph into two, depending on how much you have written.

Third paragraph: Why them and why this role? Target the employer

Each letter should be tailored to the organisation and role. Recruiters will not be impressed with a generic covering letter. This is especially important if you are applying speculatively. Find out as much as possible about the field of work, the company and the type of role you are interested in.

Explain why you want to work for this organisation, eg their ethos, training, product/services, or contact you have had with people who work there.

You should also show that you have researched the organisation and know what they do, but don't just repeat what is on their website.

Optional paragraphs: Other relevant information

It may be relevant to include other information in your covering letter, eg explaining the circumstances of disappointing academic grades. Come and talk to us if you have concerns about explaining these or other issues in your letter.

For advice on asking for adjustments from an employer, see:

• asking for reasonable adjustments  (Careers Service)
• British Dyslexia Association: applying for jobs and promotions - includes examples of reasonable adjustments employers could make during the application process
• example of disclosing a disability in a cover letter (Prospects)

Additional tips

For more advice on writing an effective covering letter, see:

• how to make covering letters stand out (The Student Room)
• elements of a winning cover letter (Cleverism.com)
• how to write a speculative job application (Prospects)
• do speculative cover letters work? (Guardian Careers)

Feedback from a CV adviser

Before booking an appointment with a CV adviser, you will need to have first completed the CV and Covering Letter Pathway on MyCareer, including uploading your covering letter to our automatic online checker, CareerSet. 

Once you've completed the Pathway, you can book an in-person or online CV appointment -  click on the button below (you may need to log into MyCareer first). 

You can also send your covering letter to us for written feedback - this can take up to 5 working days. Click on Queries/CV in MyCareer (top right-hand corner) to submit your query and covering letter.