A cover letter sample to get you motivated!

Cover Letter Sample: Do you really need a cover letter?

• If you can, use the FULL contact details of the employer including a contact name and title. Often you will find that some employers prefer not to list their own so use what they’ve provided.

• Always highlight the position applied for either just above or beneath the Dear ....

• Do your homework, study the company and the position and refer to it in your letter but don’t go overboard - your aim is to send through a well balanced ONE page letter, not a novel. Learning a little about the company shows you are truly interested.

• Use a bullet point list to highlight the benefits that you would bring to the position – four or five will do.

• Watch your grammar removing superfluous commas, semicolons etc and be especially careful when it comes to spelling. Use the spell check on your PC but do not rely on it. Proof read for sense and use a dictionary.

• Start the body of the letter with reference to the position and if you are passionate about your career - let your enthusiasm for the role show.

• End your letter well – don’t insist on meeting with them at date and time. That will put them off for sure.

• And remember, it doesn't hurt to use a little colour to stand out from the crowd, not too much but enough to catch their eye.

The cover letter sample provided uses colour while not overdoing it. Be mindful of the preferences used where you live or where you are sending the application(see below).

**The cover letter sample is my own and is intended as a guide only**

A quick guide to some of the English speaking countries preferred styles are:

The US market is slightly more flamboyant in their approach while the UK market is much more conservative. Here in Australia, as with New Zealand and Canada, we tend to sit somewhere in the middle.

The main thing you need to be concerned with is selling your skills and abilities. I don't mean blow your own trumpet, that will do you no favours at all. It’s about confidently putting your case forward, selling them on the benefits they will receive when hiring you - and of course follow that with an equally compelling resume.

Writing well takes skill.

I hope this cover letter sample has helped. Click here for a full explanation of why a cover letter is so important.