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CV Guide

Cover Letter Guide

A cover letter should explain why this role, why this employer, and why your background fits in a way the CV cannot do on its own. The strongest letters feel selective and purposeful: they connect the job brief to a few relevant examples, add motivation without rambling, and leave the recruiter with a clearer reason to keep reading your application.

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What the letter should do

Use the cover letter to interpret your CV, not duplicate it

This guide is for applications where a cover letter is requested or clearly expected. The aim is to add context the CV cannot carry well on its own, especially around motivation, employer fit, and how your background connects to this specific brief.

Open with fit and intent, not a generic introduction

The first paragraph needs to tell the employer what role you are applying for, why it caught your attention, and what makes your background relevant enough to keep reading. That is different from a CV summary. The letter can be more direct about motivation, employer interest, or the kind of move you are making.

  • Name the role and give one credible reason this employer or brief suits your direction.
  • Connect your most relevant experience to the vacancy in plain language within the opening paragraph.
  • Skip stock phrases that sound polite but reveal nothing about fit.

Choose two or three points that strengthen the CV

A cover letter does not need to retell every job. Its value comes from selecting a few pieces of evidence and explaining why they matter for this application. That might mean expanding on a client-facing result, showing a pattern of judgement, or linking a career move to the employer’s needs.

  • Lift the examples most likely to matter for this role rather than the biggest achievements in absolute terms.
  • Add context around scope, challenge, or motivation where the CV has to stay concise.
  • Keep each paragraph focused on one reason you fit instead of mixing unrelated strengths together.

Close by reinforcing the match and keeping the tone credible

A good closing paragraph should leave the employer with a simple takeaway: your application makes sense and the CV will back that up. It does not need exaggerated enthusiasm or hard-sell language. A concise, confident ending usually feels more professional and more believable.

  • Restate the match in one or two lines rather than summarising the whole letter again.
  • Keep the tone warm and specific, especially if the application route is formal or competitive.
  • Check the finished letter against the CV so dates, claims, and emphasis still align cleanly.

Final check

Use this before you send the cover letter

Use this final pass to tighten the document before you send it. The strongest academic CVs often improve because the last review catches small issues in structure, clarity, and evidence.

Why this matters

Make the letter explain the application, not pad it out

A strong cover letter gives the recruiter a cleaner reading of your CV. It shows why this role makes sense for you, why your experience is relevant, and what the employer should notice first when they move to the rest of the application.

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  1. 1 Check that the opening paragraph names the role and gives a specific reason your application fits.
  2. 2 Make sure the body adds context or motivation that is not already obvious from the CV alone.
  3. 3 Trim any paragraph that repeats job-history detail without interpreting why it matters here.
  4. 4 Keep the letter selective enough that each paragraph has a clear purpose.
  5. 5 Read the CV and cover letter together to confirm they support the same application story.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

These FAQs cover the most common cover-letter decisions, especially around length, overlap with the CV, and when a letter genuinely improves an application.

What should a cover letter include that a CV does not? Open

Usually motivation, employer fit, and brief interpretation. The CV shows your background quickly, while the cover letter explains why those experiences matter for this specific role or organisation.

How long should a cover letter be? Open

Usually one page or a few concise paragraphs is enough. The letter should feel selective and easy to scan rather than exhaustive.

Should I repeat achievements from my CV in the cover letter? Open

Only if you are adding useful context. A cover letter can expand on one or two examples, but it should not duplicate the CV line by line.

Do I need a different cover letter for every application? Open

Usually yes, at least in the opening, key examples, and closing emphasis. Reusing a base draft is fine, but the finished letter should still sound specific to the role.

When is a cover letter most useful? Open

It is especially useful when the role is competitive, the employer values motivation, or your application needs explanation, such as a career change, a sector move, or a non-obvious fit.

On this page Section-by-section guidance 4 sections Open

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1 Section-by-section guidance 2 Final checklist 3 Frequently asked questions 4 Related guides and examples

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