A one-page cover letter is crucial. Keep it professional, concise and make sure it is well formatted and presented on the page.
Mention the position you are applying for and if you are responding to an ad, mention where you saw the ad - particularly if it was on the organisation’s own website. It shows you are interested in that organisation.
Brisbane’s St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital director of nursing Rosemarie White has reviewed countless job applications across a range of nursing levels, from graduate nurses to enrolled nurses and registered nurses right up to senior management.
“It’s really important that your letter is professionally presented; it’s clear, concise and that the letter you are writing to the organisation represents you as a professional nurse,” she says.
“For example, that you are a perioperative nurse with 10 years’ operating experience in the orthopaedic specialty.”
Rosemarie says it’s important to mention what position you are applying for, regardless of whether you are responding to an ad or sending a ‘cold’ application.
“If it’s a general letter where you are applying to a hospital for an RN or EN, be very clear in the letter what you are applying for so that people understand what type of position you are applying for,” she says.
“So say what position you are applying for, a few words around your qualifications or specialty that you are interested in and often people will add a paragraph that they value or would like to work with an organisation that has the same values as UnitingCare Health, for example.
“They look as if they have made an effort to understand what the organisation is about.”
Remember to mention what documents you have enclosed. For example: ‘I have enclosed my CV, my referees and selection criteria’.