Cover letters and emails to employers

A cover letter or a short email is often the first thing an employer reads. It shows why you want this role at this organisation and gives a quick taste of how you communicate.

What a cover letter is for

• A cover letter sits alongside your CV. Prospects says it should complement your CV rather than repeat it, highlighting the most relevant points and explaining your motivation.
• Prospects recommends three to five concise paragraphs and no more than one A4 page.
• Tailor every letter. Prospects warns that generic letters rarely get positive results, and suggests using keywords from the job advert to show you have read it closely.
• Save and send it as a PDF unless the advert asks for another format.

A four-part structure

• Opening: state the role, where you saw it and when you are available. Example: 'I am writing to apply for the summer volunteer role at your animal welfare centre advertised on your website. I am available from 1 July to 20 August.'
• Experience: link two or three of your experiences to what the role needs, with specific examples.
• Motivation: explain what attracts you to this organisation and this work, and what you can offer.
• Closing: restate your interest, say you would welcome an interview, and mention any dates you are unavailable.
• Address it to a named person if you can. Prospects suggests checking the website, searching online or on LinkedIn, or phoning to ask. Use 'Yours sincerely' with a name and 'Yours faithfully' after 'Dear Sir or Madam'.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Prospects lists pitfalls including an overly casual tone, focusing only on what you will gain, underselling yourself, highlighting weaknesses, copying a template, rewriting your CV and writing your life story.
• Do not open with 'Hey' or use text-speak, emoji or slang.
• Do not apologise for being young or inexperienced. Focus on what you have done and what you are keen to learn.
• Proofread after a break, not straight after writing, as Prospects suggests, and check that you have used the right organisation name, especially if you adapted an earlier letter.

Short emails to employers

• Many opportunities for school students are arranged by email, either in reply to an advert or as a polite enquiry to an organisation that has not advertised.
• Use a clear subject line, for example 'Summer volunteering enquiry: Year 12 student, available July'.
• Keep the body to three short paragraphs: who you are and why you are writing; one or two relevant strengths with an example; a clear request ('Would you have any volunteering or work-shadowing opportunities this summer?') and a thank-you.
• Attach your CV as a PDF, sign off with your full name and phone number, and send from a professional email address based on your name.
• If you do not hear back, Prospects suggests a brief follow-up email after two weeks to confirm your application was received and restate your interest.

A model enquiry email

• Subject: Work-shadowing enquiry, Year 12 student interested in architecture
• 'Dear Ms Rahman, I am a Year 12 student at Example School in Abu Dhabi, studying Maths, Physics and Art. I am considering a career in architecture and admired your firm's work on community buildings.'
• 'Last year I designed and built a scale model of our school library for a design competition, which taught me to work to a brief and a deadline. I would be very grateful for the chance to shadow your team for one or two days during the summer holidays, between 1 and 31 July.'
• 'I have attached my CV. Thank you for considering my request. Kind regards, Omar Saleh, +971 50 000 0000.'
• If you are under 18, mention in follow-up messages that a parent or guardian is aware, and remember that any formal placement in the UAE may need a permit or school letter (see lesson 5).