Have you asked yourself why include a cover letter? As we reach the peak time for schools to recruit ECTs for September 2021, we thought we would highlight the use of including a cover letter when applying for a role. It is more important than ever to utilise this often-overlooked tool with the ongoing restrictions of Covid-19 impacting the recruitment process resulting in online and telephone interviews.
Often this letter is the first contact you have with a prospective school/college and more so than ever, given the current government measures in place regarding social distancing etc., it could be a key aspect of your job application.
Aims of a cover letter
The aim of a good cover letter should be to introduce to yourself and highlight aspects of your knowledge and skills that match the job role; the reader should be enabled to then see from your CV, why you are a suitable candidate. It should not include grammatical errors, untruths, specials requests re pay, hours etc., your ambitions for the future, or be overly long.
A cover letter is a means to:
- introduce yourself in a more personable way
- tailor your experience and skills to the specific role on offer
- demonstrate your local knowledge about the school/college
- make a good first impression in order to stand out from the other applicants
- demonstrate why you are a strong candidate for the job
- imply your enthusiasm for the available role
- indicate why you want the job
It should include:
- a brief opening paragraph to introduce yourself
- highlights from your CV
- relevant skills, knowledge and experience that match the role
- some local knowledge about the school/college
- genuine excitement and enthusiasm for the role (but not overly)
- a closing paragraph with contact details and availability to start
You read more about ECT supply teaching by visiting our specialist website section by clicking here