Graduate Employment: Your Cover Letter: Tone and Style

As a graduate, how you write your cover letter is very important. Coming across as friendly, professional and capable is essential.

Here are a few great tips on how you can write your cover letter to increase your chances of landing graduate employment:

• Don't try to be too clever. Avoid big, flashy words. Keep the language simple and down to earth.
• Be confident, but not over confident. When describing yourself and your abilities, be honest. Don't use exaggerated claims like: "an exceptionally talented and highly sought after lawyer". Instead, say something like, "An experienced and qualified lawyer". Use everyday language to talk about any relevant graduate employment.
• Be positive. Assume that the person is interested in you, and write your letter accordingly. For instance, rather than saying: "if you have time...", or "if it wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience..." say, "I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you".
• Check your grammar. Always get someone you trust to look over your letter to pick up any typos or bad grammar. Mistakes like these will turn a potential employer off pronto…