What is a Cover Letter for Job Application?

For a full fledged application for a particular job, a CV along with a cover letter is essential, now comes the question for many – what is a cover letter for a job application? What are the contents & why is it needed to prepare & attached with CV? Well, a cover letter is a letter that is written to validate the application & the CV attached & sent to the recruiter.

What is a Cover Letter?

A cover letter is that document that is written to a recruiter while applying for a particular post. Generally a CV or Resume is attached with the cover letter. It is a letter which –

• Is written to the recruiter or head of the Human Resource Department.
• Justifies the application for a post.
• Tells why the candidate is the apt choice for the post.
• Holds the key qualification sought for the post.
• Points out the source of the job notice.

What are the Contents of a Cover Letter?

This letter is written in few paragraphs without any heading, still the paragraphs should contain the following themes or cover these topics:-

Personal Details

After the salutation & subject line stating a post to apply, the starting should express the name & the running post held by the candidate, in case the candidate is a job holder.

Citing Source

In the first paragraph, after the introduction a citation is needed that tells – how the candidate got to know about the job. If it is through a newspaper or job portal or social media site, it has to be mentioned with the date of publishing the job post.

Justification of Application

Why a job seeker or candidate is applying for a particular post, has to be explained here in the next paragraph. The lines should be written in a way that can convince the recruiter. It should not be more than three sentences.

Promoting Qualification

The qualifications or skills or experience that are required for a particular post & published in the recruitment notice should be described here. This description will validate the application of the candidate.

Ending with a Positive Tone

The last paragraph of the cover letter should express the way the candidate can add value to the company with ample dedication & passion for the work. The ending line should indicate the enclosure of the support documents attached with the letter like CV / Resume & certificates if needed or wanted.

Why a Cover Letter is Needed for Job Application?

A cover letter is added before the CV or Resume. The cover letter is necessary because:

• It becomes easier for the recruiter or HR manager to sort CVs when they appear with a cover letter that points out the post applied for, as sending a CV without a cover letter does not give a clear idea about the post applied for.
• A CV contains a lot of information about the candidate but a cover letter helps focus on the particular skill or experience required for a job as this letter gives a scope to narrate this.
• It shows sincerity of the candidate towards application & preparing the supporting documents.
• An initial judgment is done by the writing & presentation of fact found in the cover letter.
• A cover letter proves the writing capability of a candidate.

So, these are some points about cover letters & its use that answer the question – what is cover letter for job application.