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How to write cover letters

A few months ago, I wrote an article about creating a CV, with the assistance of resources provided by the careers service. I learnt a great deal, but it was only one-half of the initial application process. This is a follow-up to that article, focusing on the other half: the cover letter. And thankfully, the careers service has resources to help again! 

When it comes to writing a cover letter to accompany your CV, there are several pitfalls you could run into. And the main reason is that many people don’t know exactly why they are writing a cover letter.  

Many make the mistake of just using it as an opportunity to rattle off their CV again.  

What you should be focusing on is you, what you are doing, why you want the role and why they should want you for the role.  

It is about linking the skills you have shown in your CV to the role you are applying for and why exactly they make you perfect for the role. 

What goes in my cover letter?  

In the past when I tried writing a cover letter, I didn’t really follow a set structure and just wrote until I filled a page. Not the best method to get the attention of a company. But through using the University’s resources, courtesy of the Careers Service, I have a much better understanding of how to approach this one-page conundrum.  

The main objective of a cover letter is to show the company you are applying for who you are.  

That personal touch makes you a person rather than another application in a dozen. The challenge is that you only have one page to do that. Sticking to that one-page limit is hard but here is a method of breaking it down: 

• Beginning  
• Introduction

Let’s look at what each step asks for… 

Beginning  

Address who you are talking to, and make sure to get their name and job title correct! Try to do some research to find the name of the person who will read your application. 

Introduction  

First impressions matter, and this is where you do just that. So be sure to make it something strong, positive and confident. Explain what you are doing now and explain why you are writing. If applying for a specific role, state which role and where you saw the application.  

This part is especially important if you are applying speculatively for a role as you will need to be specific about what kind of role you are applying for and be sure to consider giving a range of options in case the role you want is not available. 

Why you  

Now that they have a rough idea of who you are and why you are writing, it is time to start selling yourself to them and explain why they should hire you for the role. Summarise what you have to offer by talking about the key selling points from your CV that demonstrate that you are what they are looking for. Don’t just repeat what is in your CV (that’s why you have one!), but rather give a concise summary with specific examples. Avoid talking about generic skills and qualities in isolation! 

Convey your enthusiasm for the role and what you can bring to the role by talking about what relevant experience you can bring to the role. This could come from your degree, an internship or other bit of extracurricular work.  

This is the most important part of your cover letter and chances are you might write more for this bit than you would other parts, so feel free to break it down into two paragraphs. 

Why them  

It can be a pain having to write a cover letter for every single company you apply for, and it can be very tempting to just use a generic one; but that will do you no favours. Each cover letter should be tailored to the organisation and role you are applying for. Otherwise, you won’t come across well to employers. 

Research the company to find out as much as possible about the field of work, the company and the role you are applying for. This will also give insight into their ethos, training and product/services which you should also talk about. Furthermore, it will help inform you as to whether this company is the right one for you. 

The orginisation’s website is a great place to start to research but don’t just repeat what is on there. Have a look around on LinkedIn at current employees and what they are up to. 

Ending  

End on a positive and friendly note asking when they would be able to have an interview before signing off with ‘Yours sincerely’ if the name of the person you are applying to is known but if not, put ‘Yours faithfully’ 

The Careers Service has many more resources and detail about what to write in each paragraph of your cover letter, so be sure to check them out here . 

How do I write my cover letter?  

Now that we have a rough idea of what we should include in a cover letter, it is good to get some practice at writing them. The only issue with this is that you need a job to apply for. 

If you want to practice early, you may not want to wait for a specific role to come available for you to practice on. Thankfully though, the university links a fantastic resource where you can find templated job descriptions for a range of different roles. You can find it here . 

By using these examples, you can create cover letters that specifically target the requirements of those roles without the pressure of deadlines.   

The careers service has example cover letters that you can also give some initial inspiration if you are struggling. 

How can I check if my cover letter is good?  

Now that you have practiced writing a cover letter, how do you check what is good and what areas to improve on?  

If you have read the CV article, it mentions an extremely useful AI-powered tool called CareerSet which analyses your CV and highlights what areas you should improve on. CareerSet also works for cover letters.  

Like the CV, you get an overall rating of your cover letter, giving an indication as if you should make changes or not. 

It gives clear examples of not only what you could improve on, but also what you did well! 

Not only does it evaluate the content and structure of your cover letter, but the relevance to the job description you are applying for. This is extremely important to help stop your applications from becoming generic, and are more tailored to the role itself! 

Of course, computer-based feedback may have some advantages, but at the end of the day, you want to make sure your cover letter appeals to an actual human. You can submit your cover letter to the Careers service, and they will give written feedback to you in around five working days. You can book a slot here . 

The career service can also help if you don’t have much work experience to include in your CV as you can book an information appointment to help develop your skills. Additionally, if you need any reasonable adjustments or have extenuating circumstances, the careers service can help you with how best to include this information in your cover letter. 

Cover letters may seem intimidating but at the end of the day, they are just a single page that you get to spend talking about how great you are. How bad can that be? 

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Covering letters

If the purpose of your CV is to be shortlisted for an interview, why do you also need a cover letter? An effective cover letter should:

• Prove your interest/motivation for the role/company
• Provides further context and detail to your CV
• Evidences your communication skills
• Demonstrates you have the right skills and experience.
• A chance for you to differentiate yourself from the competition

As this suggests, cover letters should be individual and convey a convincing and personal motivation, however, if you are struggling to get started, here are some basic principles to help you:

• Begin by clearly stating the position you are applying for and how you heard about the vacancy
• Turn your attention to the company! Demonstrate in-depth research into this firm (look beyond a basic website check and a read of the job description) to show a compelling degree of motivation for the role and for the company itself. Consider their key values, behaviours and culture rather than simply focusing on the product/services that it offers.
• Now align your key skills and achievements to the company and their role. Highlight key skills and experience which demonstrate your relevance for the role in question and how you can add value. Employers look for hard evidence of your fit for the role, rather than reading too many cliched claims of you being committed, a good team player etc.
• Have an impactful short, positive closing statement. So, for example, suggest that you would be delighted to have an opportunity to further explain how you would add value to the organisation as well as learning more about the role. This demonstrates a good level of personal confidence and curiosity; two traits that any employer is looking for in candidates!

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Creating a professional CV and Cover Letter for the job vacancies you sourced is an important next step. There are online tools on our portal which will help you to generate a cover letter easily, whilst giving you feedback about your CV against 50+ checks. 

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Many employers use ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) to check CVs for spelling, grammar, length, headings, format and many more, before the recruiter for the job reads it. CV 360 quickly checks your CV for 50+ format and style checks, providing detailed feedback within seconds.

Cover Letter Builder

A cover letter or covering email is the most effective method you have at your disposal to get a recruiter or potential employer to read your CV. It is also the first opportunity you have to impress them. 

The Cover Letter Builder is made up of these four sections, introduction and interest, why you fit, provide more details, next step & close. These are all the basics needed to create a successful cover letter. By simply clicking ‘Next’, you will be able to learn more about what each of these sections mean and how to create your cover letter. You will also learn more about cover letters, find a selection of examples and gain useful tips and advice.

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There are two common ways of finding internships. Applying for advertised opportunities and seeking out hidden opportunities by networking and applying speculatively.

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About internships.

Internships provide an opportunity to gain graduate-level work experience. They usually take place during summer vacation or term-time.

Large companies look for undergraduate students in their second, or penultimate, year of study. They usually fill a third of their graduate vacancies with students who have done an internship or placement year with them.

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) also offer internships. They may be more flexible in who they will consider. Some internships are also open to graduates.

The two most common ways of finding internships are:

• applying for advertised opportunities
• seeking out hidden opportunities by networking and applying speculatively

We organise NCL internships, both on campus and with SMEs in the North East. These are available throughout the year.

Benefits of internships

Internships can help you to:

• gain hands-on experience and develop industry knowledge. Having evidence of skills and motivation is useful when you apply for graduate jobs
• decide where your future career interests lie
• gain an insight into UK business culture
• make contacts within the sector. Some students secure graduate jobs with their internship provider
• gain positive feedback and references, useful for future applications

Many internships are paid or provide a bursary. We don't advertise unpaid internships, but we offer advice on funding .

When to apply

It is best to start looking as early as possible to make sure you don't miss opportunities.

Large organisations:

• open applications in September, the year before the internship will take place
• start to close applications between November and February
• involve a lengthy application process

Small or medium sized organisations (SMEs):

• recruit all year round
• don't always advertise their opportunities

Our NCL internships are advertised all year round. See below for details.

NCL Internships

The Careers Service organises internships for current students called NCL internships.

They can be off campus with local businesses or on campus with Newcastle University. They are available in a range of occupational areas, from marketing and research to IT and project management.

See  examples of previous NCL Internships  (PDF, 163KB).

We offer internships during  term-time  and over  summer . Summer internships are offered on either a flexible or full-time basis.

All current undergraduate and postgraduate students are eligible to apply. You can find full eligibility details for each individual internship on the vacancy advert.

Benefits of NCL Internships

• Develop graduate skills for your CV
• Receive a tax-free bursary for completing an internship with a local business
• Get paid per hour for completing an internship on campus
• Work flexibly around your studies
• Gain insight into a particular role or sector to help you decide on your future career interests
• Gain practical experience and build your network
• Access support from the Careers Service throughout your internship

How to find and apply for NCL Internships

NCL internships are advertised throughout the academic year. Usually:

• term-time internships are advertised from October
• summer internships are advertised from March

To  search for opportunities , go to  MyCareer.  Click on 'Search' then 'Vacancies' and type ‘NCL Internships’ in the text search box.

Search for advertised internships

Use the resources below to look for advertised paid internships.

• MyCareer - select 'vacation internships' or 'term-time internships' under 'vacancy type'
• Prospects – select ‘work experience’ under ‘types of jobs’
• Bright Network
• RateMyPlacement – also includes student reviews
• 10,000 Interns  - paid summer internships. For students or recent graduates who are Black African, Black Caribbean and/or Black British. Applications open in August and close in October
• Graduate-Jobs.com: Internships
• LinkedIn – in the ‘advanced search’ feature, select ‘internships’ under experience level
• STEP – UK wide project based work for students and graduates
• EmployAbility – advice and work experience opportunities specifically for disabled students
• Change 100 – three month paid summer internships. For students and graduates with disabilities or long-term health conditions
• TheJobCrowd – select ‘internship’ under ‘job type’

For overseas internships, see Global Work Experience .

Finding work experience in a specific sector is often arranged through making speculative applications .

Explore Occupations  has resources to help you find sector specific internships.

Advertised internships are often aimed at second or penultimate year students. If the advert doesn't specify which year groups can apply, you could contact the employer to clarify whether you are eligible, or apply anyway.

Some organisations offer insight programmes for first year students.

As well as using the other resources on this page, you could try these websites:

• Student Ladder – work placements for first year students in a range of sectors
• Rate My Placement – insight programmes for first year students, mostly in finance and law
• targetjobs - insight programmes
• e4s - insight days
• consider work shadowing as a way to gain a practical insight into your area of interest
• making contacts – building up your network can allow you to explore industry contacts
• external events – can include insight days and events aimed at first year students

See finding hidden internships below for information on applying to companies directly.

Advertised internships are often aimed at second or penultimate year students. If the advert doesn't state that you need to be a current student to apply, you could contact the employer to clarify eligibility, or apply anyway.

The Careers Service organises internships for graduates with local and regional employers. These are advertised on MyCareer throughout the year.

As well as using the other resources on this page, you could try the following websites:

• STEP  – UK wide project based work placements for students and graduates
• Inspiring Interns  – agency specialising in graduate jobs and internships
• Change 100 – three month paid summer internships. For graduates with disabilities or long-term health conditions
• work shadowing as a way to gain a practical insight into your area of interest

See finding hidden internships for information on applying to companies directly.

Finding hidden internships

Not all internships are advertised. In fact, many people create opportunities through:

• networking and making contacts
• developing their own business ideas

How to access hidden internships

To find hidden internships, start by identifying companies you would like to work for. Our guide to finding companies below can help. Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities:

• Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in.
• Send them a tailored CV and cover letter . Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company .
• Follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated.
• If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice , and keep trying!

For more information read this guide from targetjobs on finding hidden internships .

How to find companies

• Find organisations on MyCareer . Select ‘search' then 'organisations’.
• Look up organisations in specific sectors on our Explore occupations pages.
• Use the business directories and databases on our Researching employers page.
• Search for companies on LinkedIn . The Find Alumni tool shows you where Newcastle graduates are currently working.
• Browse our  NU Work Experience Directory . This shows the internships and placements Newcastle University students have had previously.
• Explore our NCL Graduate Employment Outcomes directory. See examples of what our graduates were doing 15 months after their studies.

Rate my Placement have a guide to The Top Undergraduate Employers , ranked by students.

Other ways to find internships

In your school.

Speak to your academic school to find out if they offer internships or similar schemes. They may offer:

• research scholarships
• externally-funded vacation studentships. These can be through research institutes and charities. For science-related scholarships, see our Life Science and Physical Science sector pages.
• contacts you could approach.

The Business School  offer global experience internships. They also advertise internships and placements on their Student Experience Blog .

Competitions

Some student competitions  offer a paid internship as a prize.

Forage offers free virtual internship programs. These are built and endorsed by leading companies, such as KPMG, Deloitte, PwC and Unilever. Their tasks and resources simulate the real-world experience of starting a career.

You can add them to your CV as achievements and as certificates on LinkedIn. Forage advises not to include them in your main work experience section. For more information about describing your experience, view Forage's Referencing Policy .

For information see the SRS guide to Everything you need to know about virtual internships (39:55)

Events to look out for

Recruitment events are not just for graduate jobs. Most employers at our events also offer internships.

Attend our recruitment events and employer and sector insights to:

• hear about internship schemes
• build your network
• ask questions.

We also list events from external organisations. These can include opportunities to find out about work experience.