Nailing down your dream job relies on making a great impression - here's some practical advice from www.randstad.co.uk on how to make a good impression with your covering letter.

1. Doing Cover Letters the Right Way
Peter Holbrook
Randstad Technologies

2. Introduction
• Before any employer even eyes on your CV they will make
a snap judgement based on the cover letter that
accompanies it.
• This makes your cover letter the king of the recruitment
process and often a weak spot for IT professionals who
may be skilled workers, but lack the writing skills to craft a
killer cover letter.
Fret not!
This brief guide is designed to take the pain out of
creating the perfect cover letter
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3. What to Write in Your Cover Letter
• A good covering letter must always contain the following
information:
• name of the sender
• addressee, place and date
• subject (with job reference number)
• your motivation for applying
• your experience and suitability for the role
• conclusion and signature
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4. Formatting Your Covering Letter
• Use freely available downloaded cover letter templates as
guidance but always personalise & adapt it to your
specifications.
• Stop sending your cover letters as emails – it’s more
professional to write and format using a Word Document or
PDF which matches the style of your accompanying CV.
• Don’t waffle. Generally a cover letter should not be longer
than one page, containing four or five paragraphs.
• Head up your letter with your full postal address (including
post code), and the date.
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5. Addressing your Covering Letter
• Always direct your application directly to an individual within
an organization – even when making speculative job
applications (do a little research to identify the right
recipient)
• Before continuing, make sure that the job for which you’re
applying is clearly stated and that the addressee’s details
are correct.
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6. What to Write in Your Covering Letter
• First paragraph - Keep it formal & basic, stating which
position you’re applying for, how you heard about it & what
documents you’re submitting.
• Second Paragraph – outline why you are interested in the
particular position & organisation, also mention how the
opportunity will benefit your career plan.
• Third & Fourth Paragraphs – sum up your key technical
competencies & previous work experience, explaining how
they make you eligible for the job.
• The Final / Closing Paragraph - a positive statement
outlining your availability for an interview.
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7. Finishing Off Your Cover Letter
• Sign-off using ‘yours sincerely’ or ‘Yours Faithfully’ if the
letter is addressed to an anonymous Sir/Madam)
• Insert your full name & signature (if sending via post)
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8. Final Checks Before Sending Out Your Cover Letter
• Double-Check It - Read through your letter carefully to
ensure it flows and is free of typos as well as grammar,
punctuation and spelling errors (spell and grammar check if
necessary).
• Triple-Check It - Many people stop reading a letter at the
first mistake, so check your letter carefully for language,
spelling or syntax errors.
• NOTE: Computer spell and grammar checks will catch most
mistakes but is never fool-proof, so have someone else
read through your letter to be absolutely sure you send it to
the right person.
• Package up your documents and send off, enjoy a coffee.
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9. About Randstad Technologies
The Randstad Group is the world’s second
largest recruitment company, with experience
spanning half a century – and Randstad
Technologies has been specialising in
matching IT professionals with the top companies
for 35 years.
This means that no recruitment agency is surely
better placed to advise candidates on the best
way to nail down their dream job, and it all begins
with making an impressive application.
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10. About Randstad Technologies
The Randstad Group is the world’s second
largest recruitment company, with experience
spanning half a century – and Randstad
Technologies has been specialising in
matching IT professionals with the top companies
for 35 years.
This means that no recruitment agency is surely
better placed to advise candidates on the best
way to nail down their dream job, and it all begins
with making an impressive application.
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