Tips and tricks for covering letters

Tips and tricks for covering letters

When employers ask for applications in writing, (přihlka psemnou formou) you should always send a CV (short for Curriculum Vitae) and a covering letter (motivačn dopis) - these two go together. The CV gives the basic factual information. The covering letter explains why youre interested and shows how youd be just right for the job.

Writing a CV and covering letter is very similar to filling in an application form. Your CV should include your personal details (osobn daje), education, qualifications and employment details, while the covering letter acts as a personal statement (osobn prohlen and a record of your relevant experience (přslun zkuenost).

The basic key with cover letters is to keep them brief (stručn), get across the important points and let a positive, enthusiastic (naden) personality shine through (prozřit).

If youve completed a long personal details section on an application form, the letter should be short to avoid repetition (vyhnout se opakovn). If youre sending a CV, your letter needs to be a little more detailed in order to put a personal slant (osobn pohled) on the information youve provided.

The tone of your letter (tn vaeho dopisu should respond to the tone of the advertisement and job description. If the advertisement seems relatively informal, follow their lead, but be careful not to go over the top (nenechat zajt daleko) and avoid using language you wouldnt normally use; its all about the real you.

As a rough guide, take a look at the following tips

- In the first paragraph, get across what vacancy (voln msto) youre applying for, and where and when it was advertised.

- In the second paragraph, let them know how your interests and abilities (schopnosti) link to the needs of the company (potřeby firmy) and why you want to work for them.

- In the third paragraph, without being repetitive, summarise your main strengths (shrnout vae hlavn přednosti) keeping them relevant to the position you are aiming for.

- In the final paragraph, let them know when you can start work - and conclude with a confident: I look forward to hearing from you.