A cover letter is your chance to connect your CV to the specific job. Not every employer reads it, but when one does, a short, specific letter can be what moves you from the "maybe" pile to the shortlist. A generic letter, on the other hand, adds nothing.
Do you need one?
Include a cover letter when the advert asks for one, when you apply by email (the email itself can serve as a short cover letter), and when you need to explain something your CV cannot, such as a career change or relocation. For public service posts, the Z83 and CV are the required documents; follow the advert's instructions about anything extra.
A four-paragraph structure
- Opening: the job and the hook. Name the post and reference number, and state in one sentence why you are a strong fit. "I am applying for the post of Finance Clerk (ref. FIN 12/2026). I have three years' experience processing supplier payments in a busy accounts office, and I meet all the requirements in your advert."
- Evidence: your two or three strongest matches. Pick the most important requirements from the advert and show, with brief examples, how you meet them.
- Motivation: why this employer. One or two sentences showing that you know what the organisation does and why the role appeals to you.
- Close. Thank them, say you would welcome an interview, and give your cellphone number.
Keep it short
Half a page to one page is enough. Use the same contact details and the same font as your CV so the two documents look like a set.
Make it specific
The test of a good cover letter: if you could send it to another employer by changing only the company name, it is too generic. Mention the actual post, the requirements from the advert, and something specific about the employer.
Common mistakes
- Repeating your CV word for word.
- Starting with "To whom it may concern" when the advert names a contact person.
- Focusing on what you want ("this job will help me grow") rather than what you offer.
- Spelling the employer's name wrong.
- Sending it as an editable document with tracked changes or comments still showing.
Applying by email
When you apply by email, the email body is effectively your cover letter. Use a clear subject line with the post title and reference number, write three or four short paragraphs following the structure above, and attach your CV and other documents as PDFs with sensible file names.
Signed-in users can generate a first draft of a cover letter for any job listed on this site, using the advert and their own profile. Treat it as a starting point: read it, correct anything that is not accurate and make it sound like you.