CoverLetterWriting

Thecoverletteryousendwithyourresumeisanopportunitytosummariseyoursuitabilityfortheroleyouare
applyingfor.Toenableyoutowriteaneffectiveandcompetitivecoverletteryouareencouragedtocallthe
contactpersontoclarifyexactlywhattheemployerrequiresinyourapplication,includingyourcoverletter.

Itismorethanjustabriefcovernoteinwhichyoumerelyintroduceyourself,asktheemployertoacceptyour
application,andrefertoyourattacheddocuments.Togetherwithyourresumeitprovidesyouwithan
opportunitytosellyourselfasahighlysuitablecandidateforthejob.Thereareusuallytwotypesofletters
oneisinresponsetoanadvertisedpositionortoapersonalcontacttheotherisseekingtobeconsideredfor
possiblevacanciesandisoftencalledaspeculativeorcoldcanvasletter.

CareersandEmploymentrunsworkshopsofferingassistancewithwritingyourcoverletterhavea
lookattheworkshopscheduleonCareerHubintheResourcesboxunderevents.Onlineassistanceis
alsoavailablethroughourResumeandLetteronlinemodule,clickonCareerDevelopmentPrograms
fromwww.careers.qut.edu.au.

NotesonCoverLetterWriting

Theletterisalinkbetweenyourresumeandthejobororganisation.
Itisusedtoemphasise,tohighlightortoaddtotheinformationin

yourresume,andtoconvincetheorganisationyouhavetheskills

andexperiencenecessarytobethebestapplicantfortheposition.



Yourcoverlettershouldbespecificallytailoredtoeachroleyou
applyfor.

Youshouldcontactthecompanyandfindoutadditionalinformation
suchasthenameofthepersontowhomyouneedtoaddressthe
letterandwhethertheycanprovideyouwithanyadditional
informationaboutthecompanye.g.brochuresandannualreports.

UsetheInternettoresearchadditionalinformationaboutthe
companysothatyoucantailoryourletterspecificallytothe
company.

Astheemployermighthavemanyapplicationstoread,yourletter
needstobeconciseandtothepoint.Acoverletterisnomorethan
onepagelong.Fourorfiveparagraphswillbeneededhowever,to
conveyyouressentialmessages(asuggestedformatisoverthe
page).

Ifthejobadvertisementlistsasetofselectioncriteria,preparea
specificresponsetoeachoftheseonseparatepagesfromyour
letter,toincludeinyourapplicationwithyourresumeandletter.For
helpwithpreparingyourresponseshavealookatourinformation
sheetonSelectionCriteria.

Yourcoverletterismuchmorethanacovernotewhenitisprepared
wellit:
Introducesyoutotheemployer
Highlightsoraddstokeyinformationinyourresume
Tellstheemployerwhytheyshouldconsideremployingyou,based
onyourskillsandexperience
Showstheemployerthatyouknowabouttheirorganisationand
howyoumatchtheirrequirements
Invitestheemployertoreadfurthertofindoutmore,and
Convincestheemployerthatyoureworthinterviewing

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CoverLetterOutline


YournameandaddressIncludeSUBURBSinCAPITALletters

Theirnameandaddress(alwaysaddressyourlettertoaspecificpersonifpossible)

ThedateUselongdate,e.g.,30January2013

DearMrsFlemington
(Ifname&titleareunknowncallthemtofindout,butifforsomereasonyoucantfindout,addressitto:
HumanResourcesManager,orTheManagingDirector)

PARAGRAPH Outlinewhatyouareapplyingfor.
ONE: e.g.,Pleasefindattachedmyapplicationfor
e.g.,AspartofmyBachelorofBusinessstudiesIamlookingtogainwork
experience/workplacement/WILat(namethecompany).

PARAGRAPH Outlinewhatyouaredoingnow,howitrelatestotheposition,andmakealink
TWO: betweenthisandthechosencompany.Incorporatekeythemesfromyourresume.Include
yourlatestqualificationorthedetailsofthedegreeyouarecurrentlycompleting.Mentionthe
Universityandanymajorsstudiedandaprojectorinterestareaifrelevant
e.g.,CurrentlyIamathirdyearsciencestudentat..
e.g.,Iaminterestedinapositionwithyourcompanybecause.

PARAGRAPH Makelinksbetweenyourskillsandtheskillsthattheemployerisrequesting,andbenefitsyou
THREE: bringtotheorganisation.Includereasonsforwantingthisparticularjob,andwhyyouwantto
workforthem.
e.g.,Iamabletoassistyourcompanybecause

PARAGRAPH Makeanyotherlinkstotheposition/organisationfromyourlifeexperience.
FOUR: e.g.,RecentlyIwaschosentobewhichallowedmeto
e.g.,Iaminvolvedwithwhichhasdevelopedmyskills

PARAGRAPH Concludebystatingwhichdocumentsyouhaveenclosed,e.g.resume,responsetoselection
FIVE: criteria,statementofclaimetc.andsuggestthatyouwouldliketodiscussyourapplication
furtherandcanbecontactedon
e.g.,Iwouldvaluetheopportunitytodiscussthiswithyouand


Yourssincerely,
(Signyournamehere)
MaryJones

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CoverLetterWritingTips

TIP1
Makesureyouobservebusinessletterwriting
conventionslefthandjustified,openpunctuation,
clear,concise,readableandofcourse,NOspelling
orgrammarerrors!Thisisaformalletter,whether
youknowthepersonyouarewritingtoornot,so
makesureitreflectspositivelyonyouasa
professional.
TIP2
Personaliseyourletterasmuchaspossible.Findout
thenameandpositionofthepersontosenditto,
andresearchtheorganisationsoyoucantellthem
whyyouwanttoworkforthem.Thisisgreat
preparationforwhenyou(hopefully!)getinvitedto
aninterview.
TIP3
Getfeedbackfromanindependentperson.Fresh
eyeswillfindmistakesyouoverlookedbecauseof
yourfamiliaritywiththecontentofyourletter.
Rememberyoucanemailyourdraftapplicationsto
CareersandEmploymentforfeedback.
TIP4
Makesureyoutailoreachcoverlettertothespecific
organisation.Thismakesyoustandoutfromother
applicationsasitindicatesthatyourjobsearchisa
targetedapproach,ratherthanitseemingthatyou
aresendingthesamegenericletterto50employers.
TIP5
Keepyourcoverlettertoonepagemaximum.Aim
forfourtofiveparagraphsofconcise,easytoread
text.
TIP6
Makesureyouaddressanykeyrequirementsifyou
arerespondingtoanadvertisement.Selection
criteriarequireaseparateresponseinadditionto
yourletter.
TIP7
Applyinwritingdoesntusuallymeana
handwrittenletter.Employersgenerallyrequire
typedhardcopyorelectronic(emailoronline)
applications.Beguidedbywhattheemployeris
askingfor,andmakesureyourespondtoselection
criteriaifrequested.Ifitsnotclearwhatisrequired,
contactthepersonmentionedintheadvertisement
toclarify.

Thereslotsofinformationavailabletoassistyoutowriteacoverletter:

CheckouttheCareersandEmploymentwebsite
www.careers.qut.edu.auforinformationonletters,resumesandother
applicationpaperworkaswellaspersonaltransferableskills.

HavealookatAustraliansitessuchaswww.careerone.com.auand
www.seek.com.auforresourcesonletterwriting.

Forinteractivehelpwithyourresume,letterandselectioncriteria,
checkouttheonlinecareermoduleonResumesandLettersand
SelectionCriteriaontheCareersandEmploymentwebsiteunder
Students/GraduatesCareerDevelopmentPrograms.


CareersandEmploymentcanprovidefeedbackonyourdraftcoverletters,resume
andresponsestoselectioncriteria.EmailyourdraftasaWordattachmentto
careers@qut.edu.au.Pleaseallow5workingdaysforfeedback.

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SpeculativeCoverLetters

Thisletterissenttoanemployeroremploymentagency,seekingconsiderationforpossibleemployment
opportunities,i.e.positionswhicharenotcurrentlyadvertisedorwhichdonotcurrentlyexist.

Itisvitaltoincorporatethespeculativeapproachinyourjobsearchforthe
followingreasons:
Ahighpercentageofjobsarefilledintheunadvertisedjobmarket
Manyemployersrelyonkeenstudentswhowritetothem,oftheirown
initiative,tofillvacancies
Anemployermaybeimpressedwithyourinitiative,experience,and
excellentpresentationandmakeeffortstocreateapositionto
accommodateyourrequest
Anunexpectedjobvacancymayariseandyourapplicationisalreadyin
theemployershands

ApproachestoAdopt

Whereyouknowtheemployerhiresgraduates:
Iftheemployeryouaretargetinghiresgraduatesregularly,youshouldindicatethatyouareseeking
employmentwiththem.

Whereyouareunsureiftheemployerhiresgraduates:
IfyouareUNSUREhowoftentheemployerhiresgraduates,donotindicateyouareseekingemployment.
Thissingularapproachmayclosethedoor.

Instead,indicatethatyou:
o are(morebroadly)seekingadviceaboutgraduateopportunitiesand/or
o areseekinginformationabouttheindustry,careerpathsforemployees,training
opportunities,newdevelopments,orareasofspecialinteresttoyou.

Thiswill:
o benefityourcareerplanning,giveyouvaluablecontactsandprovideanopportunityto
networkandtoobtainotheremployerreferrals.
o allowyoutoimpresstheemployerwithyourinitiative,knowledgeandprofessionalismso
thattheemployerwillthinkofyouwhenafuturejobvacancyoccurs.

Youcouldalsoindicatethatyouare:
willingtoundertakevoluntarywork,casualworkorcontractwork.
seekingvacationemployment.
undertakingauniversityprojectandinterestedinitsapplicationtoaparticularorganisationor
industryarea.

Personaliseyourletter:
Ineveryinstancefindoutwhoyoushouldsendtheletterto.Thisensuresyouhaveafollowupcontact.

Includeanactionplanattheclosureofyourletter:
Donotexpectanemployertocontactyou.Inyourletterstatethatyouwillmakeafollowuptelephonecall.
Giveatimeframeforundertakingthis.IfyousuggestthisMAKESUREYOUDOIT!

Forexample:
Iwilltelephoneyouwithinthenexttendaystodiscussmyrequestwithyouoranothersuitable
person.Thankyouforgivingmyletteryourtimeandconsideration.

Includestudy,work,personalqualitiesandtransferableskillsinformation:
Ifyoucannotaccessinformationonwhatqualities,skills,andexperienceacompanyseeksingraduates,
refertoyouruniversitystudiesandworkexperience.Focusonthepersonalqualitiesandskillswhich
researchshowsemployersseekingraduatesseeourinformationsheetonPersonalTransferableSkillsfor
moretips.

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