First off, let’s start by defining a cover letter. A cover letter is a personal introduction providing  information as to why you are suitable for the job position. In addition, it is a document that you  normally send with your CV acting as the front cover to help compliment your CV and provide  additional details besides your previous experiences and qualifications.  
 
To ensure that you portray yourself to the best of your ability, we've created some top tips to help  you write the perfect generic cover letter:
 
1) Keep it sweet but short 

A good cover letter consists of getting straight to the point; avoid going off topic or rambling on. The aim of a cover letter is to summarise your experiences and skills to the employer, therefore, try not to include any unnecessary information. Don't forget to back up any statements with facts or examples. Furthermore, adding some personality to your cover letter shows the employer that you've invested a lot of time and effort into writing it up which allows your cover letter to be unique. Ideally, your cover letter should be a one page maximum document on an A4 sheet template and 
make sure you choose professional font styles such as Calibri (body) or Arial with the font size of 11 or  12. 
 
2) Make sure you use professional language 

It is important to proof read your cover letter to make sure there aren't any spelling or grammar errors. It also helps ifyou get a friend to look over what you've written as they may notice something that you've missed. Avoid using slang words as you want to engage the employer rather than putting them of. Maintain a formal and professional tone throughout your cover letter; though maybe not too formal as you still want to show your fun side too. Finally, ensure you double check 
your work!
 
3) Tailor your cover letter to the job role 

It is important that you understand the job position BEFORE you write your cover letter. Once you understand the role, you can then tailor your cover letter to the role by including relevant skills and experiences, emphasising that these skills and experience are useful and essential for the position. For example if you were applying for a Marketing position, it is important that you list all the relevant skills or software you've used in previous experiences that relate to Marketing. 
 
4) What should a cover letter include?

Here are a few essential things you should include/cover in your cover letter: 

• Your personal details (e.g. name, address, email, telephone number)
• Hiring managers name (if provided) 
• Highlight your achievements 
• Explain why you're suitable for the job role 
• Where you found the vacancy 
• Closing statement (including thanking the recruiter for their time) 

Once you've created a cover letter, you can use it as a template for other vacancies you may decide to apply for. Remember to tailor your cover letter to the position!