How to write a covering letter

â- Research the business you want to work for and learn about what they do. Then you can use your CV to explain clearly what experience and expertise you have that make you suitable for the particular job they're advertising.

â- Make it clear what you have to offer that would benefit the company. It's fine to talk about why you want the job, but there has to be something in it for the employer too.

â- Keep it clear, concise and to the point. Try not to go over one side of A4: if you do, you are writing an essay instead.

â- Use your own words, not formal, long-winded clichés.

â- Action verbs make any letter sound better.

â- Say when you are available to start work, and try to be as flexible as possible.

â- If you are applying to an organisation but don't know the name of the person you are writing to, try to find out.

â- Check and then double-check your spelling and grammar. And remember that spell checkers only pick up incorrect spelling, they can't tell if you have used the wrong word, like "their" instead of "there".

â- If you send your application by eâ€'mail, put your covering letter in the body of the eâ€'mail. If you attach it with nothing in the eâ€'mail body it might be identified as spam.