CVs and cover letters

Structuring your cover letter – a letter should have 3 parts:

1. Why you want to work for the company (Why them?). Thoroughly research the employer/ organisation and what makes them stand out in comparison to their competitors, look at their products, services, research, culture and working practices.

Explore the following:

• Website, beyond the first pages, looking at any case studies, reports
• Sector news – know what is going on, e.g., the latest trends
• Social media – check all their platforms for news
• Current or former colleagues and especially valuable are alumni of UofG

2. What skills do you have that would be valuable (Why you?)

The next paragraphs should focus on what you bring to the role, so analyse the job description and choose 3 or 4 skills and write an account of when you have used these skills.

3. Sign off or ending

Finish your letter with a short paragraph (a few lines), reiterating your enthusiasm for the role with something specific. Avoid cliches, like, it would be an honour to work for your company.

Check the spelling, grammar and ensure that it reflects your story.

• Get to the point quickly - show rather than tell how you have the skills necessary to do the job – provide evidence. Pick out bits from your CV, but avoid repeating exact phrases
• Be concise - do not cram every reason why you might get hired. Be selective and create impact
• Keep it to a page - brevity is more effective. Be mindful of using small fonts or narrow margins to squash text
• Match your CV - e.g. font and size, however avoid writing out your CV, think about 3 or 4 skill areas and highlight them
• The employer is the focus not you - try not to begin every sentence and paragraph with "I". State why you are attracted to the organisation and what you like about it. Try to work out the top half dozen or so priorities in the employer's mind and offer five or six matching pieces of evidence in your cover letter
• Why you are the person for the job - select a range of achievements relevant to the needs of the organisation and set out your top three or four as points you will cover in the letter. Do not apologise in your letter for the lack of experience or your lack of a specific qualification
• Accuracy and research - you need complete accuracy in names and job titles, as well as the name of the organisation itself (plus the names of products or services). Print a letter off and proof read it carefully before emailing
• Who to send it to? - research the staff list of the organisation carefully to ensure your letter is read by the right decision maker. LinkedIn will help and some organisations’ websites will have a list of staff. For larger organisations, the HR/ talent acquisition departments will deal with all aspects to do with recruitment and it is also worth targeting the head of the department in which you are trying to get a job
• Follow instructions - have tehy asked for you to address all the criteria or just a few? Have they given a word count? 
• Proof read - check the spelling, grammar and ensure that it reflects your story
• How to end - avoid being pushy and simply end your message stating that you would like the opportunity to take the conversation further