What belongs in a cover letter and CV?
10 tips for a good cover letter
![]() | Your writing style should be clear and concise. Avoid meaningless clichés, complicated sentences and/or conditional verbs (I "would," I "could") |
![]() | Avoid the passive tense, e.g. "I was trained on ...". Instead, use active formulations, like "I developed skills in ...". |
![]() | Explain what benefit you would bring to the company. |
![]() | What sets you apart from other applicants? What special characteristics make you a good fit for this job? |
![]() | Make specific references to the job posting and to the position. |
![]() | Make specific references to the company. |
![]() | When describing your aptitudes and qualifications, support your claims with brief but meaningful sentences and examples. |
![]() | If the job posting asks for information regarding your expected salary or start date, please provide a response. |
![]() | Your text should be clearly organised, well structured and easy to follow. Make sure the layout looks good, too. |
![]() | After you're done, carefully reread your finished cover letter. Don't just rely on the spellchecker on your computer. |
Letters of reference
Letters of reference provide evidence of your past employment and are important to include in your application. If you're still in school, a current school report is required. If you've already completed internships, we'd also like to see your internship references or certificates.