It's a line that regularly appears in advertisements for senior appointments and one that is frequently disregarded. "Please enclose a covering letter stating your suitability for the position." It can either be an obstacle or an opportunity. Underestimate the importance of your covering letter and you can fall at the first hurdle. Use it well and you'll be ahead of the pack.

Why you should spend time writing a covering letter:

• A good covering letter demonstrates that you have carefully considered the position and its requirements, and that you have matched these against your own skills and experience.  (In other words, it's not just another job application!)
• The covering letter helps the client and recruitment consultants to make an initial assessment quickly and easily which in turn means that your application is likely to be viewed more positively.
• In your covering letter you have the opportunity to present yourself succinctly, to emphasise your strengths and to make an immediate impact.
• Writing a covering letter ensures that you thoroughly review your CV and revise it in order to demonstrate where and how you match the person specification.

A good covering letter should be punchy, pertinent and to the point.  It should leave the reader wanting to know more about you, to turn the page and to read your CV.

How to write a good covering letter:

• Read the advertisement carefully noting:
• the job description
• the person specification
• the description of the organisation
• the background to the appointment (if available).
• Review your skills, experience and expertise against the person specification and job description to see where and how you the match the target requirements.
• Present your supporting evidence in a series of bullet points rather than as narrative.
• Keep your covering letter short - a maximum of two pages.
• Address the general tenor of the requirements rather than each one individually.
• Ensure that you have made the necessary adjustments to your CV so that relevant skills and experience are highlighted.

A covering letter can make the difference between success and failure. You may think that your CV speaks for itself but if you treat your covering letter as little more than a compliments slip your CV may never be listened to!