Cover letters and application questions

Your CV shows what you’ve done. A cover letter, or the written questions on an application, is where you explain why you want the apprenticeship and why you’d be good at it. If you don’t have much experience yet, this is often where applications are won or lost.

Cover letters

The National Careers Service says a cover letter should be short, usually three to five paragraphs. Some employers set their own length: Williams F1 Team, for example, asks for a cover letter of around 400 words.

A simple structure

1. Introduction. Say who you are, which apprenticeship you’re applying for and where you saw it. Include any reference number.
2. Why you’d be good at it. Pick two or three skills or qualities they ask for and show you’ve got them, with a quick example for each.
3. Why them. Show you’ve done your research: what they do, the programme, and why it appeals to you in particular. This is where copy-and-paste letters get found out.
4. Ending. Thank them for reading, say you’re looking forward to hearing from them, and give your contact details (the same as on your CV).

You can add an extra paragraph to explain something like a gap in your education. The National Careers Service says it’s completely your choice whether to mention a disability.

Getting the details right

• Address it to a person if you can find a name, like on the advert or their website. If not, use “Dear Sir or Madam”.
• Sign off with “Yours sincerely” if you used a name, or “Yours faithfully” if you used “Dear Sir or Madam”.
• Use the same font and size as your CV.
• Double-check the company name. Sending a letter with another company’s name in it is one of the most common mistakes going.
• Keep a copy, because they might ask you about it at interview.

Written application questions

Lots of employers ask questions instead of, or as well as, a cover letter. Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, for example, asks for a filled-in questionnaire with your CV and cover letter, and counts an empty questionnaire as an incomplete application.

Common questions include:

• Why do you want this apprenticeship?
• Why do you want to work for us?
• Tell us about a time you worked in a team, solved a problem or showed leadership.
• What do you know about our industry?

Use the STAR method for examples

When a question asks for an example, the National Careers Service recommends the STAR method:

Part	What to write
Situation	Quickly set the scene: where you were and what was going on
Task	What you needed to do, or the problem you faced
Action	What you did. This should be the longest part
Result	What happened, and what you learned

Your examples can come from anywhere: school, college, sport, volunteering, a part-time job, hobbies or looking after family. Keep the situation and task short, and spend most of your words on what you did and how it turned out.

How to write strong answers

• Answer the actual question. Re-read it before you finish.
• Be specific. “I organised a charity bake sale that raised £120” is much stronger than “I’m good at organising”.
• Stick to word limits. Use most of the space, but don’t go over.
• Sound like you. Employers want to hear from you, not a robot. Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, for example, only allows AI as a tool and bans it in its online tests. If you use AI to help, check the employer’s rules and make sure every word is true and genuinely yours.
• Write it somewhere else first, check the spelling and grammar, then paste your answers in.