What is a cover letter?

A cover letter is a short, one-page letter you send with your resume to explain why you want a specific job and why you are a good fit for it. Your resume lists your experience; the cover letter connects that experience to this employer and this role.

A typical cover letter does three things:

• Says which job you are applying for and why it interests you.
• Picks two or three strengths from your background and links them to what the employer needs.
• Ends politely, saying you would welcome an interview.

It is written in full sentences and in the first person, so it also shows how clearly you communicate. Example opening: "I am applying for the Accounts Assistant role at Harbour Trading, where my three years of supplier reconciliation work would be useful from the first week."

Think of it as a short introduction that makes the reader want to open your resume, not a second copy of it.