STEP 4 -THE ENDING

How should you end your cover letter? Once you have matched the main requirements of the employer’s needs then you are ready to bring your letter to a close. It is important to include a call to further action in your closing paragraph i.e. ·

             advise you will wait for the employer to contact you to arrange an interview

·            say that you will contact the employer (make sure you follow up) ·       

             let the employer know when you are available for interview

             if living outside the area, advise a day when you will be nearby.

Here are examples of endings :   Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you to arrange an interview.   I hope you will consider me for this position. I look forward  to meeting with you so we can discuss my suitability in more detail.

I greatly appreciate you taking the time to read my application. I am  confident that I could provide value and service to your company.   You can contact me on ................... to arrange an interview time. I look forward to hearing from you and appreciate the opportunity to apply for this position.   I look forward to discussing my qualifications in more detail and am available for interview at your convenience.   I welcome the opportunity to meet with you further to discuss my application for this position. I will telephone you next week to see if we might arrange a time to speak. Thank you for your time.   I will call in one week to see if you would like to arrange an interview. Thank you for considering my application for candidacy. I will follow up within a week to confirm that you have received my details and hopefully set up an interview time.   Signing off As this is a business letter use ‘Yours sincerely’ or ‘Sincerely’.  Leave a space for your written signature – this goes above your typed name e.g.

                                                          Yours sincerely    

                                                            John Smith

STEP 5 – THE CHECKLIST  

Congratulations on writing your cover letter! Before you put it in an envelope use this checklist to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.   ·     

 Proof read your letter for grammatical and spelling mistakes. It helps to read your letter out loud. Ask a friend to double check it for you. ·       

Have you included your full address and contact details? ·       

Have you included the employer’s full details, including the name of the person you are writing to?

Check you have put on the date and any reference numbers. ·     

 Have you stated the position you are applying for and where you saw it advertised?

If a general enquiry, have you put what position you are interested in? ·        Have you identified your main strengths and used supporting statements? ·       

Do these match what the employer is looking for?

Does your letter end on a positive note with a call to action? ·       

Have you signed your letter?   Make sure you have an envelope big enough so that you don’t have to fold your letter, or at least, to fold it once.  Check that you have included your C.V., resume and any other requested supporting documents in your envelope