I know many people who do not include a covering letter when the send out their CV or resume in response to an advertisement.

This is a very big mistake!!

They simply address this including the reference number of the envelope applying to the employer directly. The same applies even if they are applying for a job on-line.

When you get a pile of CVs on your desk, it is a pretty daunting task. You open up the envelopes and are faced with having to read through a 3 or 4 page CV to see how relevant it is. This takes some time and you soon get bored with this. It is also not very personal when you receive a CV with no introduction.

However, part of the time you get a 1-page covering letter. This is fairly friendly (often in direct contrast to the CV). It summarizes the key points and gives you a feel for the candidate very quickly. At this point having been motivated by the summary, you then read the CV to find out more.

So the purpose of the letter is to get your CV read! As you may have gathered there are a number of key points to make this letter successful:-

It must be small & concise
It should state clearly the role or position you are looking for. This can be either for a specific position that you have seen advertised or make take the form that you are looking for "A challenging management position where you can make a real improvement to the profitability of the company"
It should point out the key points from your CV, but no more than four.
It must be positive and informal. CVs by their very nature are more formal and require more concentration to read. Even a new labour spin-doctor would struggle to make an entire CV interesting!

Secure the letter to the CV with a paper clip. It is very likely that your letter will get copied to other people. It is always a pain to remove staples. This helps to make life easier.

A key point I picked up from a recruitment consultant is never to finish a letter with a statement such as "I look forward to hearing from you". This is weak and totally leaves them in control.

You should always say that you will contact them to arrange a meeting. Try where possible to specify a date. This puts the pressure on them to make sure that they are ready for your call. Only leave it a few days, so that you will still be in mind.

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