Covering Letters?

[aimeepearce]

Hello

If I have filled in an application form and enclosing my CV does this mean I need to also include a covering letter?

Cheers in advance,

Aimee xx

[Buenchico]

Unless you're applying for a job teaching office etiquette, it probably doesn't really matter!

Personally, I'd enclose a brief letter, roughly as follows:

"Dear Ms Bloggs,

I enclose my completed application form for the post of Deputy Asssistant Head Cook & Bottlewasher. I also enclose a copy of my curriculum vitae.

I look forward to receiving your reply.

Yours faithfully,

John Smith"


Chris

[Top Turkey]

If you are confident that your application form and CV covers everything in the job description (ie you have demonstrated that you can do the job using these two) then I would say, just do a very basic letter along the lines that Buenchico suggests.

Good luck.

[Miss Zippy]

If you're addressing the letter to a named person (e.g. Ms Bloggs as in Buenchico's example), then you should close it using 'Yours sincerely', not 'Yours faithfully' (the latter is used when addressing correspondence to a 'Dear Sir' or 'Dear Madam'). It's the sort of thing employers look out for when wading through CVs. Good luck :o)

[WoWo]

I think the general form on this is that if the job requires a seperate application then a cover letter is not included.

As suggested a brief letter would do the trick.

[lilyfrog]

When I recruit I get so many applications that anything other than the application form is put to one side and not taken in to consideration during the selection process. However it wont do you any harm to put a letter in as long as it is addressed directly to the correct person. Nothing irritates me more than someone who wants to work for me but cant be bothered to check the name of the person recruiting!

[Buenchico]

Miss Zippy and I have been brought up with different conventions regarding 'Yours sincerely' and 'Yours faithfully'.

I was always told (and taught the students that I gave careers advice to) that if the letter starts with Dear Sir (or Dear Madam) OR if the person's name could reasonably be replaced with Dear Sir (or Dear Madam) then the letter should end 'Yours faithfully'. Under these rules. 'Yours faithfully' should only be used where the letter-writer actually knows the recipient in person (and not just their name).

I agree, however, that whenever possible, it's always better to use the recipient's name rather than 'Sir' or 'Madam' - which is why I did so in my example.

Chris

[ilovetohelp13]

Yup, you should.