Is a covering letter necessary?

The main aim of a covering letter is to encourage recruiters to read your CV. However, it needs to do a lot more than say, ‘here is my CV!’ While a CV sets out the skills and experience you have for the job, the covering letter more explicitly demonstrates your understanding of the employing organization and the nature of the job being advertised.

A covering letter gives you the opportunity to show how your skills and abilities fit the vacancy. It can be used to highlight particular parts of your CV that are your unique selling points or to draw attention to additional information that does not fit easily into a CV. It can also be useful tool for explaining any personal circumstances or anomalies in your application.

In short, it is the biggest chance you have to sell yourself.

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