Tailoring a cover letter – Page 3

Show reliability, loyalty and respect for how the business works, and that you are willing to help where needed. Family businesses often value trust and long-term commitment.

What to highlight:

• Experience in similar-sized companies.
• Flexibility and willingness to take on varied tasks.
• Respect for the company's history, products and customers.
• Long periods with previous employers, if you have them.

Example:
"I spent five years with a family-run trading company, where I handled everything from supplier orders to customer accounts, and I enjoy the close teamwork of a smaller business."

Address the letter to the owner or manager by name if the advert gives it.

Read it as the employer would and check for specific details. If key parts could apply to any company, it needs more tailoring.

Warning signs:

• The company name appears only in the greeting.
• No requirement from the advert is mentioned.
• The motivation paragraph could be sent to a competitor.
• Your examples do not match the main duties of the job.
• The job title is missing or general, such as "this position".

Fix it by adding the role and company in the opening, one example matched to a key requirement and one sentence about why this employer.

Prepare reusable pieces in advance so tailoring takes minutes, not hours. Focus your time on the parts that matter most.

A quick system:

• A base letter with fixed header, structure and closing.
• An example bank: short paragraphs for your main skills.
• A short research routine: five minutes on the company website and news.
• A checklist: role, company, greeting, examples, motivation, date.

Example workflow for one application: read the advert, pick two examples, write a new opening and motivation sentence, then check names. Prioritise deeper tailoring for jobs that match you best.

For a hospital, emphasise working within large teams, protocols and specialised units. For a clinic, emphasise versatility, patient relationships and handling varied tasks.

Hospital example:
"On a 30-bed medical ward, I work closely with doctors, physiotherapists and pharmacists, and I follow strict handover protocols."

Clinic example:
"In a small family clinic, I handle triage, vaccinations and patient follow-up calls, and many patients ask for me by name."

Research each employer's specialties and patient groups, and choose the examples that fit best.

Name the curriculum the school uses and show your experience with it or something close. Schools want to know you can teach their programme confidently.

Examples:

• "I have taught the British curriculum at Key Stage 3 for four years, including preparing students for end-of-year assessments."
• "Your school follows the IB Primary Years Programme; I have planned inquiry-based units and taken part in PYP training."
• "Although my experience is with the CBSE curriculum, I have used inquiry-based methods and am completing an online course on the American curriculum standards."

Check the school's website for its curriculum, values and any specialisms, such as languages or sport.

Yes. A recruiter needs quick facts to match you with clients; a direct employer wants to know why you want to work for them specifically.

For a recruiter:

• Clear role target, location and notice period.
• Two or three key strengths and results.
• Flexibility on industries or locations, if true.

For a direct employer:

• Specific reasons for wanting this company.
• Examples matched to their advert.
• Knowledge of their products, customers or projects.

The recruiter may rewrite your profile for their client, so accuracy and clarity matter more than company-specific detail.

Combine information from the job advert, the company website, professional profiles of team members and any conversations you can have with people who work there.

Useful sources:

• The "responsibilities" section of the advert.
• Team or department pages on the company website.
• Profiles of people in similar roles at the company, which may show projects and tools.
• Company news about projects involving that team.

Use what you learn to choose examples: "I understand your team supports finance systems for all regional offices; I currently support Oracle users across three countries."

Not as your main reason. Saying you want the job for the salary, housing or holidays can make it seem you care more about benefits than the work. Focus on the role, the team and what you can contribute.

Acceptable exceptions:

• Training or development programmes: "Your structured training for new analysts is one reason I am applying."
• Mentoring or professional qualifications support, if it relates to growth in the role.

Discuss pay and benefits later in the process, when the employer raises them or an offer is being made.

Keep most of the letter about what you offer, with one or two sentences about the company. A letter full of praise for the employer leaves too little room for evidence of your fit.

A good balance:

• Opening: the role and your main strength.
• Body: your examples, linked to the employer's needs.
• Motivation: one or two sentences about why this company.
• Closing: thanks and next step.

Example of a balanced motivation sentence:
"Your plan to open a dedicated paediatric unit is exciting, and my five years in children's nursing would help it get off to a strong start."

Only if you do it tactfully and offer a constructive link to your skills. Pointing out problems can show insight, but it can also sound critical if handled poorly.

Tactful example:
"As a regular customer, I have noticed how busy your branches get on weekend evenings. In my current store, I helped introduce a queue-management system that kept waiting times short at peak hours, and I would be glad to bring that experience to your team."

Avoid:

• "Your service is slow and your staff are untrained."
• Detailed criticism of the company's website or products.

If in doubt, leave it out and focus on positive interest and your evidence.