Writing a cover letter for an apprenticeship
Cover letters or covering letters are what you include with your CV when applying for an apprenticeship. Think of them as the story of your CV – you will expand on the shorter points and bullet lists of your skills and show how your experience makes you the perfect fit for the role.
If you have never written one before, a cover letter can feel like a difficult task. But as long as you stick to a few simple rules there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to write a strong cover letter that really sells you to a prospective employer.
How long should an apprenticeship cover letter be?
The ideal length of a cover or covering letter is no more than one side of an A4 page – any longer and you risk rambling. Any shorter and you won’t have covered enough of your skills and experience or explained why you should get the job. Four paragraphs is a good length.
The basics of a cover letter
Write a new letter for each application
It can be tempting to copy and paste your way through numerous applications, but each letter should be unique. After all, each role is different, as is each company you apply to. It’s ok to have similar points and explanations for skills, but each letter you write should feel distinct from one another.
It’s ok to use a template as a starting point
You can find numerous templates online to help guide you. As long as you aren’t copying someone else’s work it’s ok to use one. Details like where to include the date, who you are sending the letter to and your contact details are all important, and a template will show you this. There’s a lot of variety out there, so make sure whichever you choose it is clear and easy to read – not one big block of text.
Address the letter to a named person
One of the ways you can make a good impression is by addressing your letter to a named individual. It shows that you have done some research about the company, and you are serious about the application. You can easily find out the name of the person you need to write to by looking at the company website, emailing or phoning the company.
The structure of a cover letter
· Paragraph 1: Why?
Your opening paragraph is where you get the reader’s attention. Explain WHY you are writing to the company and WHY you are applying for the job. You can include information here relating to where you saw the job opportunity e.g. ‘I am writing regarding your advertisement for a construction apprentice on the Talentview website’.
· Paragraph 2: Sell yourself
Sell, sell, sell! This is your opportunity to tell the prospective employer why you should get the job. What is it about you – your experience, skills or interests – that makes you the perfect candidate? What can you offer them? You can make reference to your CV here, by selecting a few strengths or achievements mentioned and expanding on them.
· Paragraph 3: What you know about the company
Show that you have done your research about the company – its history, values and the work it does. If it is a construction company, you could make reference to some of the projects it has been involved in, and what excites or interests you about working for the company.
· Paragraph 4: Call to action
This is the final paragraph and your last chance to impress, so it’s important to get it right.
The end of the letter is your chance to summarise what you would bring to the job. You can finish by thanking the recipient for their time reading the letter, and then providing a ‘call to action’. This could be by asking for a meeting or a phone call to discuss the position further. Sign off your letter formally. It is best practice to use ‘yours sincerely’ if you have addressed the letter to a named person, and ‘yours faithfully’ if you have addressed it to ‘Sir/Madam’.
Check your letter
Read your letter again in a few hours time or the following day. There will be some changes you will want to make. Go back to it a couple of times until you are happy with it.
Have more than one person check your cover letter if possible. Someone who works in a similar industry would be ideal, but a friend or relative who will give you honest feedback is also helpful. Read it out loud, too, because this will help you to hear clunky or awkward sentences or highlight missing words and spelling errors.
Writing a CV for an apprenticeship
If you’re looking for a construction apprenticeship, having a stand-out CV (curriculum vitae) which accurately reflects your skills and qualifications should be your top priority.
You will need an apprenticeship CV because it will give potential future employers a first impression of you based on your education, work experience, skills, hobbies and achievements.
Structuring your CV
There isn’t a one size fits all approach to structuring a good apprenticeship CV, but there is certain information that all CVs should include.
There is some basic information that all employers want to see on a CV, such as contact details and referees, and while most CVs contain the same sort of information, the way it is presented and ordered can make all the difference.
Contact details
Your name should be at the top of the document – there’s no need to write ‘CV’ or ‘curriculum vitae’. Below that, you should include:
- Your full address and postcode
- Landline or mobile number – whichever you’re most likely to be reachable on during a working day
- Email address – make sure to keep it professional
You don’t need to include other details such as your age, marital status, date of birth, nationality etc. If you have one, you can include a link to your profile on a professional social media site like LinkedIn.
Personal statement
A personal statement isn’t essential, but it’s a good way to introduce who you are, your career aims and key attributes. It is a short statement which aims to prove why you’re suitable for the role, helping you to stand out from the crowd.
This is to briefly tell the employer what experience you have or what your current role is, what interests you about the apprenticeship and what your professional goals are. Keep it short with two to three sentences.
Education
Depending on your personal circumstances you may want to put work history next – if you have limited or no work experience, put education here.
In this section you will need to include in most recent order:
- The names and grades of your qualifications
- The school, college or university where you studied
- The dates you attended
Most apprenticeships have specific educational requirements, such as a certain number of attained qualifications or ones in a specific subject. If the apprenticeship requires a qualification in a certain subject and you have a higher level qualification in it, be sure to mention it. This could give you an edge over other candidates.
If you completed a work placement, a traineeship, work experience, etc. this will be better placed under work history.
Work history
Even if you don't yet have any experience directly related to your chosen field, still mention any experience you do have. This could include part-time work, school work experience programmes, voluntary work and any apprenticeships you've already done.
Outline your responsibilities and the duration of your experiences. You’ll need to give details of:
- The employer, with the most recent first
- The title of the job
- The dates you worked
- A brief outline of what you did
When discussing your strengths and skills, use active words such as ‘organised’, ‘built’, ‘created’, ‘managed’, or ‘planned’.
Rather than just listing your duties and responsibilities, giving positive examples of your achievements is a great way to bring your qualities the employer is looking for. The STAR method is a good way to do this:
- Situation– Your role in a previous work setting
- Task– A time you had you had to use your qualities to complete a specific task or solve a problem. Consider how this relates to a specific quality on the job you’re going for
- Action– How did you complete this task? Use specific examples
- Result– What was the outcome of your action, and how did it contribute to a success story?
Hobbies, interests or achievements
This isn’t an essential section, so if you’re going to include it keep it short. It’s a good place to include achievements which aren’t related to work or education, such as running a marathon, winning an award or completing an endurance challenge.
What skills should you include on an apprenticeship CV?
Some CVs include a separate section which lists applicants’ skills. In most situations, it isn’t necessary to include this as you will have mentioned all of your skills in the other sections. However, it can be a useful way to highlight skills if you are particularly experienced in a certain field.
It is better to use specific skills, such as software packages you’re proficient in, rather than generic terms like communication skills, teamworking and multitasking.
References
Employers will take up references in the event of offering the job to you. They will usually ask for two referees, one of whom should be your last employer. If you haven’t had a job before, you can ask an employer you have done work experience for, a teacher or anyone who knows you who isn’t a member of your family. It helps if they are employed or work in a profession or industry.
What to expect from an apprenticeship interview
You’ve applied for an apprenticeship and landed yourself an interview – well done! Getting this far is a fantastic achievement, and now it’s time to prepare so you can get that apprenticeship.
Think of an apprenticeship interview as a polite conversation, rather than an interrogation. The interview is an opportunity to see if you’d like the apprenticeship and company, as well as a chance for the employer to see if you’re a good fit for the role.
It is natural to be nervous before an interview. The best thing you can do is to prepare well, think about the questions you might be asked, and have an idea of how you would answer them.
Apprenticeship interviews – the basics
Interviews can take the form of one-to-one chats or panel discussions (where there is more than one person interviewing you), in person, online or over the phone; they might be competency-based in content, or focus more on your character or specific situations.
Apprenticeship interviews are likely to be competency-based. They will focus on the things you can do, so you’ll be asked to give examples to show you have the skills needed for the role. However, this guide will also include general advice, hints and tips which can be applied to any interview setting.
During the interview, you can expect the interviewer to ask about:
- Your skills and experience
- Your strengths (and potentially your weaknesses)
- Why you want this particular apprenticeship
- Your understanding of the construction industry and the job at hand
- Your future goal
How to prepare for the interview
Remember the “5 P’s” (prior planning prevents poor performance) from school? It’s applicable to interviews too, because it's great to appear well-prepared.
A good place to start is to conduct some background research on the company interviewing you:
- Visit their website to find out their core values and areas of speciality
- Find out about any key projects they’re working on
- Look online for any news related to the company.
Having some basic background knowledge of the company is something employers really appreciate, as it shows you’re genuinely interested in them. It can also serve as a handy way to break the ice.
Common questions
Tell us about yourself’
The classic first question. There are many ways to answer it.
The key thing here is to keep it relevant to the job – you can talk about some of your hobbies or interests, but don’t go into great detail about your love of cats or football.
Instead, discuss what drew you to the apprenticeship. Talk about why you want to work for that employer and any work or education-related achievements you’re proud of. Keep it personal, open and honest – it’s a good way to let the employer know the sort of person you are.
‘Give an example of when you …’
This sort of question is used to find out whether you have the required skills for the apprenticeship. Some common ones include: ‘Describe a time when you demonstrated leadership’, ‘Give an example of when you used your initiative’ and ‘Give an example of when you juggled deadlines’.
You can answer these questions by using the STAR format. This is a method of structuring answers to questions so they highlight particular skills and qualities in a succinct way. Using the STAR method helps with recall too. It is comprised of explaining the Situation, the Tasks you had to complete, the Actions you took and the Results of your actions. Place the most emphasis on Actions and Results.
You can use examples from your work or education experience, but make sure to place an emphasis on the skills the employer is looking for.
'What are your strengths and weaknesses?'
When thinking about your strengths, try to relate them to the job description, and give examples of how those strengths were demonstrated. Identifying your weaknesses can seem much harder to do, but employers ask this question because they want to know about your level of self-awareness and the potential you have for personal growth in a job role.
Try to focus on those areas of your personality that do not reflect badly on yourself and would put someone off employing you. It is better to say, for example, ‘I am too much of a perfectionist’, than ‘I lose concentration easily’.
'What would you do if …?'
This is a scenario-based question which can cover topics such as dealing with conflict within a team or with a client, receiving negative feedback, an unexpected delay in work, a burst water pipe etc.
These questions aim to see how you go about solving problems, so explain your thinking and why you would take a particular course of action. If possible, call upon times in the past when you’ve faced similar problems and how your actions led to a positive outcome.
Again, this can come from an education experience, and not necessarily from a work environment.
'How well do you cope in adversity?'
This is an example of a competency-based question.
It is designed to see what skills you have in specific situations – either at work, in education or in other areas of your life.
Again, you can answer this kind of question by using the STAR format.
'What are you passionate about?'
Questions like this give an interviewer an idea about what kind of personality you are, and what values you have. This is not something you can list on a CV. It might seem like an awkward question to have to answer because it is quite personal, but it can also be an opportunity to relax a little and let them see the ‘real you’.
It doesn’t have to be something worthy like volunteering for a charity. You could enjoy playing a sport, or going to the gym – it helps if you can relate your passion back to something that the employer may value, such as teamwork, organisational skills or staying fit and healthy.
'What is your greatest ambition?'
Towards the end of an interview, you may be asked questions like this. Another typical one is ‘Where do you see yourself in five years?’
These are called motivational questions, and give employers an idea of what drives or motivates a candidate. If someone sounds ambitious or has clearly defined goals, this will help an employer to make a judgement about the potential of a candidate.
You could answer with a professional ambition, such as ‘I would like to run my own company by the time I’m 40’, or perhaps a personal goal like wanting to start a family. There is no right answer here, but steer clear of overly materialistic answers. Interviewers will be put off if you say ‘I want to win the lottery’ or ‘I want to have a holiday home in the country’.
Ask the employer questions
It is important to ask the employer questions too. This usually happens at the end of the interview, although questions may naturally arise from the discussion. It’s good practice to head into the interview with a few prepared anyway. Some useful ones include:
- What have your other apprentices gone on to do?
- What kind of challenges are your industry facing?
- Ask about the company’s key projects, achievements and things they’re proud of as a whole
Finally, thank the interviewer for their time and say that you’re looking forward to hearing from them.
Finding an apprenticeship
Once you have written a CV and a covering letter, you will be able to apply for an apprenticeship. There are lots of ways to search for apprenticeships. You could look on websites like Talentview or the government’s apprenticeship service, or apply directly to employers. It won’t be long before you’re preparing for that all important interview!