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Tips on how to write a great cover letter

4 September 2026

Tips on how to write a great cover letter

​When an employer receives a job application, they often will want to see a good cover letter. A cover letter is a great chance to market yourself and explain why you’re right for the role.

Writing a cover letter can often feel like an intimidating and unnecessary task, but sometimes a CV can be overlooked in the recruitment process so having a well-written cover letter can give you the edge over other candidates and help you secure your dream job.

The goal of your cover letter is to convince the person who receives it that you’re the best candidate for the job – so make sure you have every detail in place before sending it off.

There are two ways to write a great cover letter. The first is to look at the job description and research the company and make sure you can write about how you meet those requirements. The second way is to look at the job description and research similar companies, check out their websites, and see what kinds of skills they list. You can then tailor your cover letter to match these skills.

We have put together some tips to help you create a great cover letter.

Firstly, what is a cover letter?

A cover letter introduces you to an employer and asks them to think about your application. A cover letter allows you to highlight the skills you have that are most suited to the job and is a chance to include any relevant information that is not already included within your CV.

A great cover letter should contain:

  • An explanation of why you are sending your CV

  • Your interest in working for the company

  • Specific qualifications and skills that fulfil the job description

  • An explanation of your desire to progress your career

  • A glimpse of your personality

What should you include in a cover letter:

Ensure that you start by stating the position you’re applying for and explain why you’re applying. Mention the reasons you would like to work at that specific company, showcase your passion for the company, and explain how you match the culture and its values.

Explain how your skills are suitable for the role – you can use the job description for this. Mention your transferrable skills if the job you’re applying for is not currently one you have experience doing.

Finish your cover letter on a positive note by explaining that you’d welcome the chance to discuss your application in more detail and that you are contactable if they have any items they would like to discuss with you. You could also include that you’re looking forward to hearing back from them.

Things to remember:

  • Make sure you proofread your cover letter for typos, spelling mistakes, and formatting

  • Make sure everything you highlight in your cover letter relates to your CV

  • Use the same font and formatting in your cover letter and CV

  • When emailing your application, include your CV as an attachment, but you can add your cover letter in the main body of the email

We are here if you need any help or advice with your cover letter. Our friendly and highly skilled recruitment consultants can assist you with all aspects of your recruitment journey.

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THE ONE GROUP

Where we're from,
and how we got here

Twenty years of specialist recruitment in the East – and a lot of small decisions that added up.

TOG started in Peterborough in 2004 with a small team and a simple idea: that recruitment is a people business, done best by specialists who stay in their sector long enough to know it properly.

More than two decades on, we've grown into four offices across the East of England and Home Counties. We recruit for finance leaders, HR directors, engineering managers, tech founders, scientists, and the commercial teams that keep businesses running day to day. Between us, we've built up over 258 years of collective recruitment experience across our specialist divisions, and a network of more than 150,000 candidates we've placed, coached, or come to know across two decades in the region.

The founding principle hasn't changed. Recruitment as it should be.

OUR STORY

Key events timeline

2004

Doors open in Peterborough.

Our first office launches with a team of six on Lynch Wood. Cambridge follows the same year, giving us two offices before our first anniversary.

2015

Northampton makes it three.

Our third office opens with a team of five, quickly growing to eleven consultants covering the wider Midlands region.

2017

Peterborough moves across the road.

The team has outgrown the founding office. We move into Arena House on Lynch Wood, big enough for a growing consultant base and the back-office team that supports the whole group.

2018

Cambridge moves too.

Our second office relocates to Cambourne Business Park, giving the growing Cambridge team the space it now needs.

2023

Four offices, three counties, one very good year.

The Hertfordshire & Essex office opens in Potters Bar, extending our footprint into the Home Counties.

In the same year, we're named Business of the Year in Northamptonshire, and Employer of the Year in both Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire at the regional SME Business Awards. Three counties, three panels.

TODAY

Still growing.

Four offices, more than 258 years of collective recruitment experience across our specialist divisions, and a network of over 150,000 candidates.

Same founding principle.

SPECIALISTS BY DESIGN

What we do

We're specialists, not generalists. Every consultant at TOG focuses on one sector and stays in it. Not because it's the only way to do recruitment, but because it's how you build the depth to spot the difference between a strong CV and a strong hire.

It's also why so many of our clients come back to us years, even decades, after a first placement.

01
Accountancy & Finance
→
 02
Human Resources
→
 03
Commercial Office
Administration, customer service, project management and more
→
 04
Technology
→
 05
Engineering & Manufacturing
→
 06
Scientific
→
 07
Sales, Marketing & Creative
→
 08
Executive Search
Across all of the above
→

Beyond the recruitment itself, we produce annual salary guides, regional market reports, and the practical resources our clients and candidates turn to when they want a clearer view of what's happening in their sector.

THE WAY WE WORK

How we work

Four principles show up in every conversation and every process.
01

Be curious.

We stay interested in the market we work in, and in the people who work in it.

02

Keep it human.

We remember your kids' names and know how you take your coffee. That's just how we work here.

03

Make a difference.

We're here to help people build careers they love and businesses they're proud of.

04

Enjoy the ride.

Recruitment is a career, but it should be fun too. If it isn't, we've done something wrong.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

Recruitment
as it should be.

Hire with TOG → Looking for a role →
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