Advice about how to end a cover letter

Other types of cover letters include, but are not limited to: -

• Enquiry or prospecting letters
• Letters of interest
• Letters explaining why you have sent a book/parcel and so on to the recipient
• A general explanation letter, for example explaining how to use the item that accompanied the letter.
• Letters to recruiters

However, by far the most common types of cover letter are formal or semiformal ones that are for the purpose of seeking a job.

An enquiry or prospecting letter can be written to a company to find out if there are any vacancies at the time of writing. You can also ask that the company keeps your name and contact details so that if, at some time in the future, a vacancy arises that you would be a suitable candidate for, they contact you with details.

Letters of interest are the same as prospecting ones, you are writing to find out if there are any jobs available.

Letters to recruiters accompany CVs and are generally similar to those you send to a prospective employer. You should include your contact details, including your email address and fax number if you have one. Give your mobile phone number as well as the number of our landline if you have one. In these letters you can explain why you are looking for a new job and which types of job interest you. Also mention which industry you would ideally like to work in and state why. It is also useful to state what salary range you expect.

If you are prepared to relocate if you were offered a job, say so. You can also say where you would be prepared to relocate. Would you move to another country, for example? You might also consider whether or not you would be prepared to travel if you got a job. These days companies have offices in a number of countries, which provides for scope to travel.

Be sure to remember that if you want to change jobs and work for another company it is never a good idea to trash the company you are currently working in. This reflects badly on you as the person reading your letter will think that you are not loyal and will trash them too if you decide to leave. Employers often know each other, so be careful what you say. You don’t want to get a reputation for being disloyal.

If you are wondering how to end a cover letter, you may have already written it. If you have, you may want to revise it after reading this advice regarding how to end a cover letter and how to write one.

You are often asked specifically to write a cover letter that goes with your CV or resumé. It should highlight your experience, suitability for the job you are applying for and illustrate points in your CV or resumé. You should remember that the CV or resumé is a brief document that gives dates of your work history and where you have worked. It also might give details of your responsibilities, although these can be detailed in your cover letter.

You write a cover letter to explain your experience and state why you are an ideal candidate for the job you are applying for. However, if you are expressing interest in working for the company in general, you should offer an explanation as to why you would be an asset to it. You can take the opportunity with a cover letter to highlight your skills and experience that you believe the company should employ you. If you have a degree, you can explain what specific courses you took and what your dissertation or thesis was called. Then you could explain its relevance to the company or job that you are applying for.

The cover letter gives candidates for jobs the opportunity to stand out from the crowd. Remember that yours if not the only cover letter that will be read by the person you have sent it to.

In your introductory paragraph you should mention where you saw the job advertised or say precisely who told you about the vacancy and suggested you apply for it. If you know someone already working fir the company, that may or may not work in your favour. If that person is hardworking, reliable and trustworthy, that’s an advantage, however, if they are not, then this could jeopardise your chance of being employed by the firm.

In the second paragraph you can write about what makes you an ideal candidate for the job. Explain why you should be interviewed. In a cover letter you shouldn’t be very modest, boast a little about your achievements, but don’t overdo it, or you will alienate the person reading the letter. Moderation is the key to a successful job cover letter.

You can write as many paragraphs as necessary, as long as you don’t write too much. A cover letter is generally a page long. However, it might go on to a second page, depending on your experience and expertise.

You should end your cover letter by thanking the reader for taking the time to read it, and state when you wold be available for interview. Often these days, employers give interview dates so that job applicants can indicate whether or not they could be available for interview.

The last paragraph of your letter should also include how you intend to follow up the letter. For example, you might say that if you have had no response to it in a week, that you will telephone to find out about the progress of your application. Show that you really are keen to get the job.

Many job applicants make mistakes in their cover letters. Sometimes they are overly long, so the reader becomes bored, especially if the letter concentrates on the ‘wonderful’ past achievements of the applicant.

Standard cover letters that are not tailored to the specific job you are applying for will fail to impress. You need to write separate cover letters for each job you apply for. Have the job advertisement to hand when you write your letter. Go through the advertisement carefully and make sure that you have addressed all the necessary points in the job description. Read the letter several times to ensure that all points are covered. Job descriptions vary so there is no one-size-fits-all as far as cover letters are concerned.

With the advertisement clos to you, it will be easy for you to check that you have followed all the guidelines mentioned in the job description. It is probably easier to do this by printing out the job description and manually checking that you have covered all the points.

You should always proofread your cover letters, or any other type of letter. Hardly anyone writes a perfect first draft. Remember that the spellcheck on your laptop can’t always check for typos. If you type a recognised word instead of the word you intended to use, the computer won’t know that you have made and error. For example, you might have intended to type ‘use’ but you omitted the ‘e’ leaving the word ‘us’.