What is the purpose of your cover letter? It should grab the employers immediate attention and express, above all the other applicants, why YOU should be hired!

The Cover letter is devided into three main sections:

Section One ("Why I am writing to you")

• tell the employer the position you want to be considered for

• point out why you are specifically interested in this position and company; make a research about their values and goals

• This is a very short section of usually 2-3 sentences.

Section Two ("Why I am qualified")

It is important that you highlight some of your most relevant experiences; they should relate to the position that you are applying for. Choose 2-3 points you want to make about specific experiences and provide examples to support them. This is the longest section of your cover letter and you can break it into two parts if it is too lengthy.

• The first sentence should be a quick introduction which is directed at the qualifications required for the job and industry

• You should provide evidence about what you just claimed e.g. specific projects, jobs or internships combined with those experiences

• Never copy passages from your CV  word for word; relate facts to the job and explain what and why you did; strong examples are the key

• The last sentence is a summary of what you have expressed above; you can mention the job title and company name to bring the reader back to the job in question

Section Three

• This is a short section of 2-4 sentences

• You should refer to your CV and it is vital that you thank the reader for his/her time and consideration

Tips to make your cover letter professional

• Make a research about the company and the specifics about the job opening in order for you to tailor your letter to the requirements of the organization

• Make yourself the subject of each sentence and express active descriptions, e.g. "In this internship...","I demonstrated..."; avoid writing in the passive phrase, e.g. "This experience enabled me to...", "Through my internship, I was responsible for..."

• Do not use contradictions, e.g. I'd, didn't, it's

• Always perform a spelling and grammar check; grammar mistakes are unacceptable; cover letters are a reflection of your writing skills

• Your letter should be short and simple. It is definitely not the time to tell your whole life's story.

click here for a sample