never written a covering letter before, so just wondering whether it needs to fit onto 1 page, or can extend onto a second?

I’d rather it was on one page, however the job role is quite detailed, and i feel i need the space to show that i have relevant experience in each section.

That’s not a covering letter then, that’s a job application…

ah…

so they want a CV, covering letter (explaining why i am a suitable candidate) and 2 examples of my work.

but they also say that the idea candidate should have xxx, yyy, zzz etc. i was using the covering letter to complement my CV, adding detail as to how i have these skills, and filling in extra requirements, which wouldn’t go on a CV.

😐

i’ve never had to apply for a proper job before, and i really want this one!!

do not underestimate the power of including a couple of naked photos of your good self with the application.

Dont explain that you have the skills, explain how you have used them in previous work/projects. Knowing something, and being able to put it into practice are very different things.

It MUST be just 1 page. It should be a very short, to the point intro and explanation of yourself. Details which are not essential or absolutely pertinent should not be included in the cover letter, they should go in your actual resume.

Effectively imagine a boss having 50 CV’s in front of him.
Will he read every single one? No.
Will he look at the cover letter of each first? Yes.
Will he read every detail of every cover letter? No
Will he just look for the main good points in a cover letter to decide whether he reads the actual CV? Yes
So should that cover letter be pages long? Absolutely not!

If your cover letter is an essay I guarantee you it will not get read. See the cover letter like an advertisement for a film – put all your good bits right there in front of the guy who’s job it is to trawl the CV’s and give him a short teaser to make him want to turn over to read your actual CV.

Using that concept, cover letter should have max 3-4 paragraphs with about 5 lines max each.

And remember to make it well written, short, snappy, very much to the point, include only your very exceptionally good bits that you think will get them interested in you as a candidate and ensure your last paragraph really gets across the reason you want that job.

thanks peaks, looks like a re-write is in order… i think my CV covers a lot of my decent skills, its just how to convey how i’ve put that into action that’s difficult.

Oh and by your last post, you can include the how you have and apply the skills as a very short excerpt in your cover letter, but this is best to be put into a summary section in your CV. Top tip – put the summary on the front page of your CV, below your age, DOB, qualifications etc. If employers have a big pile of CV’s they rarely get to the back page of every one.

short and snappy. extra points for use of Hope rotor shaped bullet points.. possibly.

ah, as above. I’ve seen CVs which are more the description of skills than a list of employments or projects within employments. Require a bit of a mental shift in perception, but I think that’s what they’re after here.

Should be plenty of samples of how to do it on the web..

Cover letter should pick some of the main points from the job description and answer why you fit the profile, just a few paragraphs.

Some excellent advice there from peaks.

extra points for use of Hope rotor shaped bullet points.. possibly.

I have actually been offered a job in the past (where my experience and qualifications have been similar to other applicants) simply because my sporting interests and achievements fitted nicely in with the m.d.’s outlook 8)

thanks guys. a swift re-write (its for a writing job, so testing my swift writing skills 😉 ) and it’s now 4 paras, 4-5 lines each (other than the ‘i want x job’ and ‘plz interview me’ lines)

i will, of course, re-draft it all, but i’m a lot happier with it now. thanks for the advice..

the CV does have a bit of a personal profile in it, along with my key skills (which genuinely match the job desc…)

Does your CV match the job description, too? A generic CV will likely be less successful than one that is tailored to the application.

yep, prev job was similar in many ways, and other experiences are relevant to role

Good luck! Sounds like your a good match for the job so hope you get the interview 🙂

Short, snappy, tell them why you’d be suitable for the role, how the position lets you build on previous experience etc. Include a picture of your bike.

cheers! its a dream job (probably for many on here too!). i’ll almost definitely not get it, but always worth a shot i guess 🙂

I thought that about my current job, almost cancelled the interview as I had another job in the offing already. Decided to go just for interview experience sake – I didn’t have all qualifications they wanted, wasn’t graduated for the length of time they wanted and hey, I got offered the job half way through the interview! All dreams are worth a shot. Over 2 years on and I’m not disappointed I took that punt 🙂

A good business letter has only three paragraphs:

Introduce.

Main point.

Conclude.