A cover letter is designed to show the motivation of a person searching for employment. The letter describes working (learning) experience, personal qualities and skills; it provides justification of suitability for the desired work. A cover letter discloses personal strengths and shows that the applicant is the best candidate. It shall be sent together with a CV. However, a cover letter is not mandatory if the organizers of the competition do not require it. A cover letter is a great opportunity to distinguish yourself from other candidates.
If there is no working experience or it is insignifcant, the letter should emphasize learning results, activities in the academic community, participation in seminars, conferences, or independent activities.
It is important not to repeat everything that has already been written in a CV, but comment on the facts mentioned and provide more detailed information about yourself. Once the letter is written, it is a good idea to read it several times and evaluate the logics and consistency of the letter. Also, special attention should be paid to spelling and grammatical errors.
NB: the first sentence of a cover letter should intrigue the person responsible for recruitment, the last sentence should not leave any doubts about your, as a candidate’s, suitability.
The letter should include the title, indicating what job position is of interest (if requested by the advertisement, identify the source). The letter should be written in a formal style, consist of no more than 4-5 paragraphs, and not exceed one A4 page. A cover letter should be printed, not handwritten. Every cover letter, as well as a CV, shall be adapted to a specific job advertisement, and cannot be sent to the addressees of all job advertisements.
