The Covering Letter quickly tells potential employers why you are the right person for the job.

Employers don’t have time to read every job application they receive in full, so they scan them for key information.

Make sure your cover letter shows how you meet the criteria for the job through your personal strengths, skills and abilities, work experience, or academic results.

When applying for a specific position, the basic format for a cover letter is:

• State you’re applying for a particular job - naming both the job title as it was written in the advertisement, and the company's name too
• State why you want to work for the company - what is it about the role or the company that appeals to you? Where possible, try to show you have some knowledge of the company, and its products or services
• Highlight the skills and qualifications you believe make you the best candidate for the job - always try to link these with the key requirements of the position (as stated in the position description or job ad)
• Ask for an interview. Don’t be shy - this shows you have initiative and are enthusiastic about the job

Tips to write a great letter

• In your letter, make sure you cover each one of the key skills and requirements for the job.  Don’t provide details of skills that haven’t been asked for.
• Your resume supports and expands the key points from your cover letter
• List your key selling points in bullet form to make them easy to read
• A personal touch will help you stand out from other job applicants (eg: briefly explaining why you think you would fit in with the company culture, how much you like the company’s products/services, or the interest you have in the area the organisation works in)

How to highlight your skills and qualities if you don’t have work experience

If you don't have specific, paid work experience, you’ll still be able to use your cover letter to highlight the skills, abilities and experience you’ve gained through school, training, or work experience programs in other industries or voluntary positions. The letter needs to be brief (no longer than a page), so you'll need to write only one or two paragraphs that describe these key selling points. This might include:

• Any experience you have that could be relevant to the job.  For example, you have had customer service experience through a retail job you held through Harvey Norman
• Your key skills, qualities and abilities specific to the job.  For example, you may have had experience working with small equipment and machinery in your father’s business or helping a friend or family member in their business.  Or you may be both very practical and solution oriented, having done well in that area at school.
• List any related academic qualifications and skills.  For example, you may have taken metalwork in year 11 and 12 and acquired skills with welding equipment.

Remember, the covering letter is about giving the potential employer a very quick idea about you and that you can fulfill the job requirements.