Structuring and Content of a Covering Letter

teamcullen

Hi guys,
Just in need of a bit of advice. I've worked at the same company now for eight months (six months through an agency and past two months permanent) and worked previously for them for 14 months around five years ago.

Anyway, I've applied to join a programme to become trainee management and passed their first stage of competency and a vacancy has came up for a secondment which all people who passed are invited to apply for.
For it I have to write a covering letter to go with my CV and I've never wrote one in my life, so can anyone help with how it should be structured and what it should say?

Any help would be much appreciated as I really really want to have a go at management after all this time!

DCFC79

Your cover letter is used to sell yourself, you need to explain why your suited to the job. Make sure your cv is good as well as the letter as you dont want a goo letter with a poor cv or vice versa

caz07

• Explain why you are interested in this type of work and show an understanding of what it is likely to involve.
• Explain why you are interested in working for this particular employer. Demonstrate enthusiasm and evidence of research into such aspects as their successes, involvements, values or clients.
• Highlight what makes you suitable for this position. Provide evidence of your key strengths by referring to experience listed on your CV. Aim to show that your key strengths reflect their requirements.
• Take the opportunity, if necessary, to explain any anomalies in your background, such as time gaps or ways in which you do not match the selection criteria. Perhaps explain how any hurdles you have encountered have helped you develop in a positive way.
• If the role and organisation are creative, you should reflect this in your writing style. If the organisation is formal, you are more likely to be successful if you write a formal covering letter.
• Ensure there are no errors and spelling mistakes and that you have written the addressee’s name correctly.
• Respectfully request an interview or an opportunity for an informal discussion.
• The letter should be typed, but a nice touch in formal letters is to use a fountain pen to hand write ‘Dear ...’ (with the recruiter’s name) and to sign ‘Yours sincerely’.

I hope this is of help, good luck