What should a covering letter be like ?
The crucial points concerning the general layout of your covering letter follow these rules :
| Vital information
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- your contact details
- a specific addressee
- a plain white background
- polite phrases (for the body text and the way you sign off)
- date and signature
- perfect spelling and grammar
- well spaced out text (spaces between paragraphs, indents, margins...)
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| Totally banned : |
- going over one page
- repeating information from your CV
- visible crossings-out or corrections
- using clichés
- using negative words or expressions
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| Handwritten or typed ? ? |
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In the UK & in the US cover letters are always typed.
Even though handwritten letters are less used in France today due to the growth of on-line job applications, they are still required for applications sent by post. You may also be asked to provide a handwritten letter at a later stage of the recruitment process.
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Our advice : Don't cheat with your writing !
eg. Don't ask a friend to write your letter for you, as this could have negative consequences for you later.
Just try to write nice and clearly.
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| When you apply via Internet, you often have to choose between several different ways of sending your application : : |
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Using your personal e-mail account
You have several possibilities, it's a question of personal choice :
- include your letter as an attachment.
- copy the contents of your letter (minus the addresses) into the body text of your e-mail.
- write your main reason for applying in the body text of your e-mail (giving a brief summary to interest your addressee) and then send your letter in its entirety as an attachment.
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Directly on-line via an Internet site
Depending on the site you use, you will have the choice between:
- copying and pasting your letter into a purpose-made form
- attaching your document by uploading your personal file
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| Our "extra" advice |
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When you send documents as an attachment, use the .rtf format where possible (unless otherwise instructed) : your layout choices will have a better chance of staying in place.
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You cannot really be original in terms of the layout of your letter, as this would not find favour with the addressee.
You should therefore try to stand out from the crowd through the way in which you send in your documents :
Instead of sending a document as an attachment (with all the problems reading it can cause : the need for an appropriate programme, the risk of a virus etc.), send an Internet address, available on line, which will re-direct the user to your documents. In this way, you will avoid any problems in reading your attachment (provided that your addressee has Internet access), and you will highlight the fact that you are a shrewd and "well-connected" candidate by showing that you know how to use the multimedia tools at your disposition.
To help you with all these points, we recommend the site : CVPerso.com
This site allows you to register your documents (CVs and covering letters), very easily, no matter what document type they are (html, Word ™, Excel ™, PDF, Text, PowerPoint ™) using existing sample documents as a template.
You can then send your contact the Internet address which corresponds to your application.
The advantages of this solution are:
- no need for IT knowledge
- no parasite ads on your web-page
- your documents can be consulted from around the world
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Now all you need to do is write the main text of your letter...
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The dossier in full :
45 covering letters
Covering letters folder in full starts at 1,80€
(Based on your country tarification)
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The "covering letter" dossier contains 45
sample letters which are :
- Compatible with most wordprocessing programmes.
- Written by human resource professionals.
- Immediately adaptable to describe your own career path.
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