The persuasive covering letter

When you are applying for a job, you are only an applicant. If you manage to convince the employer that you are a serious choice you will become a candidate. Therefore it's important that your covering letter makes you as strong a candidate as possible.

The basics
A covering letter should always be typed unless specifically asked for by the employer. The letter should be on white paper so it can be easily copied, scanned or highlighted. It is also important to do your research and find out the full name of the person who will be reading your letter so you can address it to them. 

What to say
You should get straight to the point in the first paragraph. Do not waste the reader's time and patience with an introduction. You must grab and hold the readers attention. Say why you are writing, who you are and what skills you have to offer.

You should use precise words. Also, do avoid opinions and stick to facts. Specify your achievements rather than just experience and keep it relevant to the job you are applying for. Do not write too much on one aspect, even if you feel that it is relevant, as most readers will just get bored. Bullet points are more efficient in delivering information than large blocks of text and so can be useful in delivering key points across to the reader.

Keep the layout clean and neat with good margins and spaces between paragraphs. Sign off with 'yours sincerely' followed by your name and sign it by hand. This will give it a more professional look. Lastly but no less important is to spell-check your letter, also get someone to proof read your letter before you send it. Any spelling or grammar mistakes will be picked up on and can only look bad for you.
 
First impressions are always important, make sure this applies to your correspondence too.