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The cover letter that makes them
stop and read.
Most cover letter guides tell you what to write. This one tells you what recruiters actually read and what makes them pick up the phone.
With Jackie Bedford | 30+ Years' Recruitment expertise | Mayor of London Award Winner | Founder of Step Ahead Sunday Times Best Workplaces
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MEET YOUR EXPERT
Hi, I'm Jackie
I spent 30 years on the hiring side of graduate recruitment – reading CVs, conducting interviews and making the decisions that determined who got the job.
I built my company Step Ahead into an award-winning recruitment and employability business. Get Hired Expert is where I share everything I learned from that side of the table. Not career theory. Not generic advice. The inside knowledge that actually changes outcomes.
J x
WHAT'S INSIDE THE FREE GUIDE
5 steps to a cover letter that gets you an interview
Not what to write. What to say and how to say it so a recruiter reads the whole thing.
01
What a cover letter is actually for
Why it is not a summary of your CV and the three questions every cover letter must answer
02
Research that makes you memorable
What to find out about a company before you write a single word, and where to find it
03
A structure that flows
The exact format recruiters find easy to read, with real example openings, body paragraphs and closings
04
Personal, not generic
Side-by-side examples of a generic letter and a great one, so you can see the difference immediately
05
Final checks before you send
The three things to do before hitting send that most candidates skip entirely
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Jackie's recruiter perspective throughout
Every section is written from the hiring side — not career advice theory, but what actually gets read
WHO THIS IS FOR
Anyone who has ever written 'I am writing to apply for' as their opening line"
Cover letters trip up graduates and experienced applicants equally. This guide works for anyone who has ever stared at a blank page and not known where to start.
Final year students
Recent graduates
First job seekers
Internship applicants
Graduate scheme applicants
Career Changers
Experienced professionals returning to work
Anyone not hearing back from applications
TESTIMONIALS
Hear from people who got hired
"Jackie's coaching was invaluable as it gave me the confidence in myself that enabled me to go into the interview prepared and a lot less anxious than I would have been. Without her help I would have really struggled at the interview but instead I got the job that I had really wanted."
– Kristina Harper
"Thanks to Jackie's support and career advice, I was able to gain hands-on experience that has had a real impact on my confidence and career progression. I can't thank her enough and would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for a career advisor who is genuinely supportive and proactive."
– George Herbert
"As a recruiter for 30 years, I've seen every version of the cover letter; the ones that get filed straight away and the ones that make you stop and pick up the phone. This guide is everything I know about writing the second kind."
Jackie Bedford – Get Hired Expert, Founder of Step Ahead & 30 years in recruitment
Graduate interview questions answered
Common questions about cover letters
The questions people ask before they start writing. Answered in plain English, from the recruiter's side of the desk.
Do employers still read cover letters in 2026?
Yes and no. Some recruiters read every word. Others skim the first two lines and move on. Most read the cover letter only after the CV has passed an initial review. What this means for you: your first sentence needs to make them want to read the second one. This guide shows you exactly how to write that first sentence.
How long should a cover letter be?
One page. No more. Recruiters are reading hundreds of applications, a two-page cover letter signals poor editing, not thoroughness. Three short paragraphs is usually enough. Tight, relevant and specific beats long and comprehensive every time.
How do I start a cover letter when I have no experience?
Start with what you do have, not what you do not. A degree, a placement, voluntary work, a project, a relevant interest; any of these can open a cover letter. Lead with your strongest relevant point. Do not open with "I am writing to apply for." That tells the recruiter nothing they do not already know.
Should I use AI to write my cover letter?
AI can be a useful starting point. But the final version must sound like you, not like a summarised version of the job description. Recruiters are getting better at spotting AI-written letters. Use it to organise your thinking. Then rewrite it in your own voice.
Who are you and why should I listen to you?
Fair question. I am not a career coach who read about cover letters in a textbook. I spent 30 years on the other side of the hiring table; reading applications, deciding who to call and moving on from the ones that did not land. I have seen every version of the cover letter, good and bad, from the side that actually matters.
I built my company Step Ahead into an award-winning recruitment and employability business and I have helped thousands of people into work across that time. Get Hired Expert exists because I got tired of watching capable people get overlooked for entirely fixable reasons.
Everything in this guide is what I wish every candidate had known before they hit send.
Will this guide guarantee I get the interview?
No guide can guarantee that and anyone who says otherwise is not being straight with you. What it does is give you the best possible chance. A well-written cover letter that answers the right three questions, feels personal rather than generic and shows you have done your research will always stand out from the pile.
Cover all five sections in this guide and you will submit something that genuinely competes. What happens next is down to you and the employer, but you will have done everything right on your side of the desk.
Ready to write a cover letter that gets read?
