Writing a cover letter for a part time job
Most part time applications do not need one. When one is needed it should be short, specific, and about four paragraphs long.
First, decide whether you need one
Plenty of advice treats the cover letter as compulsory. For part time work it is not, and writing a bad one is worse than sending none. It is worth the effort in three situations:
- You are emailing a manager directly. The email is the cover letter. Sending a bare attachment with no message is the most common own goal in this whole process.
- Nothing is advertised. A speculative letter is how a good share of part time work is actually found, particularly in cafes, shops and small businesses that never post a vacancy anywhere.
- The advert asks for one. Then it is a test of whether you read the advert.
If you are applying through a form on a job board and no letter is requested, put your effort into the CV instead.
Four paragraphs
- Which job, and where you saw it. One line. If it is speculative, say what you are asking for instead.
- Why you can do it. One concrete thing you have done that is relevant. Not a list of qualities. One example.
- When you can work. Actual days and times, and the date you can start. This is the paragraph that gets part time applications read twice.
- A short close. Thanks, and that you are happy to call in or talk any time.
An example you can adapt
Change every specific in this. It is a shape, not a script, and a manager who has read the same letter four times this month can tell.
Dear Ms Byrne,
I would like to apply for the weekend sales assistant role advertised in your window on Tuesday.
I have spent the last two summers working the counter in a busy deli, where I handled the lunchtime rush on my own and cashed up at the end of the day. I am comfortable on a till, with card machines, and with the kind of customer who has been queueing for ten minutes.
I am available all day Saturday and Sunday, and any evening from five o'clock during the week. I can start immediately.
Thank you for reading. I am happy to call in any afternoon that suits you, and my CV is attached.
Yours sincerely,
Sean Doyle
That is under 120 words and it answers everything a manager needs to know before deciding whether to read the CV.
Walking in with a speculative letter
Handing a CV and a short letter to a manager in a quiet hour is still one of the most effective ways to get part time work, and it is close to extinct as a habit, which is exactly why it works.
- Go at a quiet time. Mid afternoon, not lunchtime and not the Saturday rush. Arriving during a rush is asking someone to choose between you and their customers.
- Ask for the manager by name if you know it, and by role if you do not.
- If they are not there, leave it with someone and ask when the manager is usually in. Then call back at that time.
- Keep the letter to the same four paragraphs, but replace the first with what you are asking for: any weekend or evening hours going, now or later in the year.
What kills a cover letter
- The wrong company name. The most common fatal error, and it happens because the letter was copied and not read.
- Your life story. Three paragraphs about your school subjects before the first mention of the job.
- Adjectives instead of evidence. Passionate, dynamic and motivated appear in every letter in the pile, so they no longer distinguish one from another.
- No availability. The single most useful fact about a part time candidate, left out of a letter written specifically to make the case for hiring them.
- A subject line of "CV". Use the role and your name, so it survives being forwarded to whoever actually does the hiring.
Common questions
Do I need a cover letter for a part time job?
Often not. If you are applying through a job board form that does not ask for one, a good CV is enough. It matters when you are emailing a manager directly, walking into a place with nothing advertised, or the advert specifically asks for one.
How long should a cover letter be?
Between 150 and 200 words. Four short paragraphs. It has to be readable on a phone in a stockroom, which is where a lot of these are read.
What do I write if there is no name on the advert?
"Dear Hiring Manager" is fine. So is ringing the place and asking who applications go to, which takes a minute and puts a name at the top of the letter that almost nobody else will have used.
Should the letter go in the email body or as an attachment?
In the body of the email, with your CV attached as a PDF. Nobody opens two attachments to decide whether to open the first one.
Can I use the same letter for every job?
You can reuse the shape, but change the first line and the reason you want that particular job. A letter that could have been sent to any employer in the country reads exactly like what it is, and the wrong company name left in from the last application ends the application on the spot.