Below is a list of what you should always include when writing a cover letter:
- Your contact information (name, surname, phone number and email address)
- The recipient’s information (if possible: name and surname, addressing the letter to someone specifically)
- Place and date (the letter must be up to date; you don’t want the recipient to think you’ve sent an old form letter, leaving your application to chance)
- The updated authorisation to process personal data (Legislative Decree 196/2003: you must specifically indicate it in your CV, but if you include it in your letter it demonstrates that you are thorough)
You can divide the letter into three main paragraphs:
1) Who am I and why am I writing?
Our suggestion is to avoid repeating your name and surname (these are already found elsewhere). Remember to choose your words wisely: it doesn’t matter how much you want to come across as funny or friendly in your letter (these will be cards to play during the interview), but instead how able you are to get straight to the point. We say NO to ‘My name is Mario Rossi, I am an engineer’, but YES to ‘I am a young graduate’ (if you graduate on schedule and with high marks, you can write ‘I am an ambitious new graduate with a degree in …’) or, if you already have work experience, you can introduce yourself through your professional role (without references to specific tasks, which are found in your CV), e.g.: I am a marketing manager, an electronic engineer, a chemical expert, etc.
2) Why should the recipient consider my application and hire me?
This step is the most important paragraph of your cover letter, as it is often the only part carefully considered by the reader of your CV. This paragraph can change depending on the level of seniority of both you and the addressee (on that topic, we suggest looking at some examples). So, you must be perceptive, as you are playing an important card, that requires you to be precise and efficient:
- Motivations: clearly state the reasons that inspired you to look for a specific job or position, and talk about your motivations. Why did you choose this company and not another one?
- Goals: your short-term and long-term professional goals. What are you looking for in this company? On what basis do you think you will be able to reach this goal?
- Qualities and strengths: these can be traineeships or internships, other work experience, your thesis and studies on issues of interest for the company, experience abroad, language certifications and also a special, personal interest in the company’s activities.
3) Acknowledgements and conclusions
In the last paragraph, thank the reader for their consideration (‘Thank you for considering my application’), saying that you will be available for further explanations about your application and, meanwhile, that you await a response. Invite the reader to contact you by including your contact information.