In the UK it is a covering letter, not a resume — and a British sign-off rule applies. This guide covers covering letter conventions, paragraph order, an annotated template, common mistakes and FAQs on right to work.
The UK covering letter is standard for professional applications and is sent as a separate document with your CV — British employers say CV, not resume, and expect one page for the letter. Half a page suits many roles; the full page is available but should be earned. Salutation follows a firm convention: 'Dear [Name]' with 'Yours sincerely', or 'Dear Sir or Madam' with 'Yours faithfully'. Mixing the pairs up is a small error that UK readers notice, because the rule is taught in British schools.
The letter should address the essential criteria when the advertisement includes a person specification — quoting back what the role requires and how you meet it, in order. British workplace register is polite but plain: understatement outperforms superlatives, and 'passionate' appears too often to carry weight. CVs and letters exclude photograph, age, date of birth, marital status and nationality. For roles connected to the Skilled Worker sponsor route, mention your right-to-work or sponsorship position in one clear sentence — employers licensed to sponsor need to know early where you stand.
A UK screener reads the covering letter first and looks for the essential criteria answered without searching. Open with the role and the source, then argue your case:
What a UK recruiter looks for first: the role title, the reference number if given, and — where a person specification exists — evidence against the essential criteria.
The template below is a working UK covering letter in placeholder form. The annotations show what each block does for a criteria-driven market:
Re: [Job Title] — [Reference Number]
[Opening: introduce yourself, state the role, explain your interest.]
[Second paragraph: highlight relevant experience and skills. Connect your background to the job requirements.]
[Third paragraph: explain why this company specifically. Reference their work, values, or recent projects.]
[Closing: summarise interest, mention attached CV, express enthusiasm for an interview.]
Same document — British usage is 'covering letter'. Use it in your files when applying to UK employers; 'cover letter' will be understood but marks the letter as written elsewhere.
'Yours sincerely' when you address a named person, 'Yours faithfully' after 'Dear Sir or Madam'. If you write 'Dear Hiring Manager' with no name, 'Yours sincerely' is the pragmatic modern choice — but naming the contact lets you use the rule cleanly.
If you need sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa or have limited right to work, state it in one clear sentence near the close. Employers on the sponsor register must confirm eligibility before an offer, and early clarity avoids wasted stages.
When the ad asks for one, yes — and most UK professional postings do. Where optional, a one-page covering letter is still the place to answer the essential criteria in your own words, which the CV alone cannot do.