A cover letter is a document submitted with your CV when you apply for a new job
It can help your application by highlighting some more personal details and the reasons why you are applying for that position. It can be especially helpful if you’re applying for a role in the care sector for the first time in your career or if you have no work experience.
For example, if a care home is looking at several CVs for a Care Worker role, a well-written cover letter can help your application stand out.
Simple tips to write an engaging cover letter
- Tailor your cover letter to the company/role you are applying for. This means that you’ll need to make some changes to the letter for each application but it shows effort and enthusiasm to the recruiter. Do your research on the company and the job role and use this information to tailor your letter.
- Think about the personal qualities that a care home would be looking for in an employee – attributes such as a caring nature, empathy and the ability to work well in a team could be great qualities to focus on.
- You should use the same font as you’ve used in your CV so that everything looks consistent
- Ideally, you want to address the cover letter to the person named as looking after the role you’re applying to. If you don’t have this information then “Dear Sir/Madam” is a polite way to start.
- Try to keep your letter to 1 page.
- The format of the letter is really important so that it’s easily readable:
- First paragraph – Why you’re writing the letter.
- Second paragraph – Why you are interested in the job role and company.
- Third paragraph – The skills/qualifications you can bring to the company.
- Closing paragraph – Thank the reader for reading your cover letter.
- Try and stick to between 200 – 400 words for your cover letter.
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