Creating a Successful Cover Letter
Your cover letter is crucial to induce and sell yourself to your future employer. In this section we provide you with the necessary resources to create a great cover letter.
- Important Tips
- Sample Letter
- Display All
Important Tips
Keep it brief
Ideally, your cover letter should only be about half to three quarters of a page. It should never exceed one page. Two to four brief paragraphs are ample, and will show that you are focused and concise.
Include a heading
It is important that you state the position that you are applying for.
Match, but don’t rehash your resume
Sophisticated applicants are capable of matching specific skills and academic highlights to a firm rather than simply repeating their CV.
Do your research
One of the most important aspects of this stage! Firms can spot a pro forma cover letter a mile away.
Let the reader know why you are interested in them by displaying knowledge of the firm. To be successful, you want to show the reader that you are taking the application process seriously are genuinely interested in working with the firm. For example, when applying to a law firm, you can mention an area of law which that firm specialises in and talk about a case in which they took part in. Use firm profile links on this site, and links to client sites to help.
Proof read
Using a spell checker is not enough. Reread your resume 10 times and then give it to your old year 12 English teacher!
One of the MOST common mistakes made by applicants on a cover letter is using the same letter for each application and referring to the wrong firm, or listing the firm by an incorrect name. This is a big no no!
Sample Cover Letter
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Ensure that your covering letter is addressed to the right person.
It is useful to provide short highlights of your academic achievements.
Show that you have done your research. Describe what attracts you to the firm. For more information about how to research law firms see our research guide.
Highlight your strengths and achievements and indicate how they will add value to the firm. Rather than merely listing strengths, back up your point by listing specific examples.
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Important Tips
Keep it brief
Ideally, your cover letter should only be about half to three quarters of a page. It should never exceed one page. Two to four brief paragraphs are ample, and will show that you are focused and concise.
Include a heading
It is important that you state the position that you are applying for.
Match, but don’t rehash your resume
Sophisticated applicants are capable of matching specific skills and academic highlights to a firm rather than simply repeating their CV.
Do your research
One of the most important aspects of this stage! Firms can spot a pro forma cover letter a mile away.
Let the reader know why you are interested in them by displaying knowledge of the firm. To be successful, you want to show the reader that you are taking the application process seriously are genuinely interested in working with the firm. For example, when applying to a law firm, you can mention an area of law which that firm specialises in and talk about a case in which they took part in. Use firm profile links on this site, and links to client sites to help.
Proof read
Using a spell checker is not enough. Reread your resume 10 times and then give it to your old year 12 English teacher!
One of the MOST common mistakes made by applicants on a cover letter is using the same letter for each application and referring to the wrong firm, or listing the firm by an incorrect name. This is a big no no!
Sample Cover Letter
|
Ensure that your covering letter is addressed to the right person.
It is useful to provide short highlights of your academic achievements.
Show that you have done your research. Describe what attracts you to the firm. For more information about how to research law firms see our research guide.
Highlight your strengths and achievements and indicate how they will add value to the firm. Rather than merely listing strengths, back up your point by listing specific examples.
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