How to write a graduate cover letter

Have you ever been asked to submit a graduate cover letter as part of an application, and felt unsure about how to write one? You might be wondering how to make it different your CV, or how to talk about your experience and education in a way that shows you are the right person for the job?

We’ve got you covered with our guide to writing a graduate cover letter!

Why is a cover letter important?

A graduate cover letter accompanies your CV and is usually the first document that the employer will read. This means a cover letter is the first impression a company will have of you, so it’s vital to use this opportunity to your advantage.

The aim of a graduate cover letter is to introduce yourself, your ambitions, education and (if you have any) your work history. It is your chance to showcase the value you would bring to a company, how your skills set you apart from other applicants and demonstrate what you know about the business.

Your cover letter should be engaging and persuasive enough that the person reading wants to go on to read your CV.

What should a graduate cover letter include?

1. Your details, their details and a date

It might seem unusual given that a lot of graduate job applications are now online, but it is still common practice to format the beginning of your cover letter like a letter you would post. This means including your contact details, the contact details of the person you are writing to and the date at the top. For example:

[Your name]
[Email address]
[Phone number]
[Your address or city/county]

[Their name]
[Company address]
[The date you are writing the letter]

2. A personal greeting

You should try to find the name of the person who will be reading the letter and address them personally, for example ‘Dear Elizabeth Hughes’ or ‘Dear Ms Hughes’.

If you cannot find the name of the person hiring for the job, then ‘Dear hiring manager’ is a good replacement. ‘Dear hiring manager’ should only be used as a last resort. Try everything you can to find out the name of the person recruiting, as using their real name is much more personal and shows you have taken the time to find this extra detail.

3. Introductory paragraph

Start off with a clear and concise paragraph that explains who you are, the degree that you have or are working towards, and the institution that you are studying at or have graduated from.

Mention the role that you are applying for, and in a short sentence or two explain why you are interested in the job and how your education and skills are a good fit for the position.

4. Your experience and skills

The next paragraph (or two, depending on your skillset) in your graduate cover letter should focus on the experience and skills you have that would make you an asset to the company and perform well in the job.

This should complement what’s listed in your CV, but provide a little more information. Think about it like this: if your CV lists your skills and experience, your cover letter should explain why they make you the right person for the job. With every skill or experience you mention, think about how it relates to the vacancy in question.

5. Closing paragraph

It’s good practice to end a cover letter with a concise closing paragraph. Thank them for their time and mention that you would be happy to answer any further questions. You could also mention you have enclosed your CV and any supporting documents (industries like art, design and the media may ask to see a portfolio of your previous work).

At the beginning of the letter, did you address the person directly by name? If you did, sign off with ‘Yours sincerely’ followed by your own name. If you don’t know their name, ‘Yours faithfully’ should be used instead. If you prefer, ‘Kind regards’ would work in both scenarios.

How long should a cover letter be?

The general rule is that graduate cover letters should be no more than one page of A4 (but this isn’t a strict rule!).

Struggling to fill a whole page? Read through what you have written and identify if there are any areas where you could elaborate more. Perhaps you’ve got an example or two you could use to illustrate some of the points you’ve made? If there is nothing more to add, then don’t worry about writing more just for the sake of filling a whole page. It is better to have a shorter cover letter than a longer one with lots of irrelevant ‘filler’ content.

If the opposite is true and you are having a hard time condensing your cover letter to one page, read through it and see if there are any parts where you have repeated yourself or could explain something more concisely. If your cover letter is over one page but everything is relevant to the job at hand and written succinctly, then it’s fine to submit a longer cover letter.

Writing a high-quality graduate cover letter

Don't write one cover letter for every job

At Graduate Talent, we see a lot of cover letters and it’s easy to tell when someone has used the same one for multiple job applications. While your skills and experience will be the same, and you might even be applying for similar roles at different businesses, it’s still important to customise your graduate cover letter.

Read the job description a couple of times and cross reference it against your cover letter, highlighting the relevant experience that you have and removing anything that they aren’t looking for.
This will take more time but it is better in the long run, as generic cover letters are much less likely to get you that interview.

Demonstrate your understanding of the company or industry

Make your graduate cover letter specific to that company by showing what you know about them or the sector.

This is more than just mentioning the company or industry by name. Take a look through their website and social media accounts, and do some research into recent updates in the sector. If you come across something interesting and find a way to mention it naturally (without it sounding like you are trying to tick a box), this will elevate your cover letter and help you to stand out.

Show, don't tell

It’s a common piece of career advice, but we needed to mention it because it makes a big difference! When you are listing your knowledge and skills, show the person how you acquired them rather than simply telling them that you have them.

For example, ‘I am able to handle multiple projects at once’ tells someone what you can do without any evidence to back it up.

Something like ‘Throughout university, I worked part-time in hospitality and held the position of Social Secretary for the History Society. Managing these responsibilities on top of my studies gave me good experience in managing multiple projects at once’ shows them that you’ve already been doing what they are looking for.

Ask someone to read through it

When you have been working on a document for a long time, it’s easy to miss spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Read through your cover letter thoroughly (at least two or three times) and perhaps even ask a friend or family member to read through it for you, before sending it.

At Graduate Talent, we support graduates just like you with finding exciting job opportunities within small-to-medium sized businesses. Get in touch today to start your career with us.