When you are looking for a new Accountancy job, along with your CV you must also enclose a cover letter to the company you are applying to. This is what the employer reads before the CV, so it is even more important that this stands out. The following pointers describe the things that should be avoided at all costs.

Do not have a weak opening, for example, ?please consider me for this role?. You need to grab the readers? attention and highlight your most important skills that relate to the accountancy job you are applying to. For example, write ?I am applying for the newly qualified accountancy role you have advertised in xxx. It would match my excellent 5 years experience in the accountancy industry?.

Do not make it too short. Pull out your most relevant accountancy related skills and experiences that relate to the job and highlight these in the cover letter.

Do not make it too long either. By waffling on about your previous accountancy job and the tasks you did in too much detail, the more likely you are to bore the reader. Keep it short, punchy and too the point.

Do not use ?I? too much. The cover letter is not all about YOU but about the accountancy role you are going for and how you would best fit into it.

Do not regurgitate your CV in your cover letter, as they will read this afterwards. Pull out the most attractive selling points and include these only.

Do not mass produce your cover letter and send the same one to multiple firms. By customising your cover letter to the accountancy firm/accountancy role you are applying, you will stand out from others and impress the reader. By mass-producing it, it will probably end up in the bin.

Do not end it abruptly. Thank them for reading your letter, say that you will follow up the application by a telephone call and sign off professionally and politely.