How to write a cover letter for university application
How to write an academic cover letter for a position at a college or university, what to include, how to submit an application, with examples.
It's OK to print your letter on expensive cream or pale blue paper, but content and layout are far more important!
Use the same colour for your CV. Don't use lined paper or paper with punched holes! If emailed put your covering letter in the body of the email.
University student cover letter
If you attach it with nothing in the email body it may be misidentified as spam. Don't make the employer work to read your letter!
Keep it clear, concise and to the point. Try not to go over one side of A4: Action verbs can help to make it sound better. Spell-check and then double-check your spelling and grammar. Spell checkers won't pick up form instead of from or sex instead of six!
Three excellent cover letter examples
Answer the question "Why should I see you? Relate your skills to the job.
Show the employer that you have obtained the communicatingteamworkingproblem solving and leadership or other skills that are appropriate for the job. See our Skills pages Say when you're available to start work and end, if it's a placement: Find a quiet place to write your letter Even something as basic as the name of an employer, or an individual recruiter, is often spelled incorrectly.
Understanding Cover Letters
Who should you address your letter to? Try to find the name of the person to write to.
Think of a covering letter as a glass of brandy. Action verbs can help to make it sound better.
Writing Cover Letters
Spell-check and then double-check your spelling and grammar. Spell checkers won't pick up form instead of from or sex instead of six! Answer the question "Why should I see you? Relate your skills to the job.
Show the employer that you have obtained the communicatingteamworkingproblem solving and leadership or other skills that are appropriate for the job. See our Skills pages Say when you're available to start work and end, if it's a placement: Find a quiet place to write your letter Even something as basic as the name of an employer, or an individual recruiter, is often spelled incorrectly.
Who should you address your letter to?
Try to find the name of the person to write to. Think of a covering letter as a glass of brandy.
It's a short measure, quite potent, you'll know very quickly if you like it or not, and it's very easy to judge the quality. A CV is more like a glass of wine.
It's a bit longer, and while like brandy it's basically fermented fruit juice it takes more time to grade, and probably a bit more skill. David Welsh, Richmond Solutions A recent survey by Saddleback College in the USA found that the preferred salutions of HR managers were: Dear Hiring Manager, The best applications were succinct and clear, with unfussy covering letters and CVs.
Many candidates use buzz words they think employers wish to hear. It is also always worth checking over a covering letter before sending it, as there were silly errors such as spelling mistakes or the covering letter written for a different placement.
A good andrea palladio essay that we saw surprisingly little of is to list the competencies that the job advert says are being looked for, and outline how and why you fulfil those competencies.
