Build your cover letter

A cover letter is a short, professional letter that accompanies your CV and introduces you to the employer when you apply for a job. A cover letter should confirm the role you're applying for, outline the key skills and achievements that make you suitable for the position, and leave a call to action that encourages the reader to contact you to commence a dialogue that will hopefully result in a job interview.

Typically you'll write your cover letter after writing your CV. This enables you to refer to your CV in your letter and emphasise the credentials listed in that document. Use a traditional, professional letter format and create your cover letter in word processing software, or using a cover letter maker tool such as CVwizard.

Aim to include the following information in your cover letter:

• A header that includes your name and contact details
• The name and position of the hiring manager, if you know it, as well as the address of the company
• A professional greeting, such as 'Dear Andrew Harwood', or if you don't know the name or job title of the recipient, 'Dear hiring manager'.
• An opening paragraph confirming the role you're applying for and your reasons for applying for it (including your career ambitions).
• A middle paragraph outlining your key skills and career achievements, and how they relate to your ability to do the job.
• A closing paragraph expressing your gratitude and enthusiasm, and leaving a call to action that encourages the reader to reach out to you, either to arrange an interview or discuss your application further.
• A professional complimentary close, such as 'Yours sincerely' or 'Yours faithfully', followed by your signature and full name.

The best way to make a positive impression with your cover letter is to tailor it for each role you apply for. A generic cover letter that you use for every application is unlikely to impress employers as much as a a tailored one. Follow these quick tips for tailoring your cover letter:

• Read the job description and identify the most important skills and experience the employer is looking for.
• Review your CV and pick out the main skills and achievements that make you the best candidate for the job.
• Research the company, so you can understand the organisational culture and the types of qualities and strengths they look for in employees.
• Explain why you want to work for the company, identifying a key feature or characteristic of the firm that attracted you to the role.
• Outline how the role fits with your plans for your career.
  Reference your key skills and achievements that reflect the job description.

Your cover letter is a critical aspect of your job applications, and can make the difference between success and failure. As such, a well-designed cover letter is essential. A cover letter maker is an online tool to help you quickly and easily create a professional-looking cover letter. It provides attractive templates featuring stylish designs that are fully customisable, as well as tips to help your applications stand out from the crowd.

CVwizard's cover letter maker enables you to create a cover letter that catches the eye of the reader and helps your applications make a positive impression. The tool is easy-to-use, with simple instructions and an intuitive layout and process that involves completing text boxes and selecting and customising your template.

The aim is to create a cover letter that matches the styling of your CV, attracts attention and showcases your credentials. A well-written, well-designed cover letter can get your foot in the door with recruiters and hiring managers, increasing your chances of landing an interview.

After logging in, head to our Dashboard and select the "Cover Letters" tab. Click 'Create new cover letter" and select the type of cover letter you want to create, from "Formal letter" to "Email or digital text". Start building your cover letter by filling in the relevant information in each box. You can use the drag and drop function to change the order of the elements in your letter, add more elements or remove elements that are currently included in the letter structure.

Each letter section in the cover letter builder has pre-defined text fields that you can add your text to, or pre-written content from professional careers experts, that you can keep, amend or delete however you see fit. There is pre-written content to match a variety of different types of applications, skill sets and seniority levels, so you can select the content that best fits your career stage and motivation.

Choose from a wide range of CV templates and see your cover letter update instantly. You can also amend any of the available templates to reflect your style and preferences, using the formatting options.

When you've finished drafting your cover letter, simply click download to export a PDF file of your letter, ready to send to employers.