Writing a cover letter for a job in the construction field is one of the hardest things a job seeker has to do, in fact for any role. Writing a cover letter is about explaining to the employer why you want a certain job rather than sending the same CV to every employer. A covering letter shows an employer more personality and enthusiasm rather than stating certain facts and credentials which is primarily what an employer looks for.

Introduction:

This is the most important part of your cover letter as it is the first thing the employer would see, if you have a good introduction, the employer is guaranteed to read the rest.  The introduction should be professional therefore should start with “Dear Sir/Madam(or the name if you know it), I would like to take this opportunity to apply for the…” and then note the position you are after. Also use your opening paragraph to describe everything that should be included with the letter. “I have included my CV and application form with this letter…”.

Body:

Next is the main part of your cover letter. This where you briefly explain who you are and how your experience relates to the job role and why it is suited to you. You should include a brief summary of your previous construction history and relate this to the job you are applying for. However, do not include much of this as this is all clearly stated in your CV and the employer does not want a repeat of your CV in a letter format, therefore you can link the two together by using sentence starters such as “As you can see from my CV….”.

Note your qualifications and industry accreditations and link this to the relevant job role you are applying for. As noted above, do this very briefly indeed. Your CV contains this information: though in the case of your Construction NVQ Level and CSCS card colour, it is perfectly appropriate to note during the course of your cover letter.

Conclusion:

Overall your cover letter should be no longer than a side of A4, your closing paragraph should mainly include why you want the role and what excites you about it. Employers want to know what you can bring to the company/job so in your closing statement include one attribute that you have that makes you worthy of the job “I believe this I can bring….to the job because….”.

Let your employer know that he or she may contact you at any time using the details contained on the header of your letter, and on your CV, then finally end it off with your signature.

By writing a cover letter an employer can see that you have taken the time and effort to write one (which some people don’t), this shows that you are dedicated and passionate about the role you are applying for.  However, keep to what you have written in your CV minimum this gives the employer no extra information about yourself and makes the cover letter repetitive.