Lesson 7 of 1225 minutesFree

Letters, forms and supporting statements

Match your evidence to every criterion in a person specification, then plan a three-paragraph cover letter that answers “why you, why us”.

Goes with Chapter 7 of How To Get Your Dream Job. Everything saves in this browser only.

Before you start

Your path

Choose your field and level. The examples and suggestions in this lesson change to match.

The story

Eleven criteria, two answered

Grace · Registered care home manager · applying for an NHS service manager role

Grace had managed a sixty-bed nursing home for six years. She wrote a warm, heartfelt supporting statement about her values and why integrated care mattered to her. She wasn't shortlisted.

The person specification listed eleven criteria, from “managing a budget over £2m” to “leading service improvement using data”. Grace met nine of them. Her statement mentioned two. The shortlisters were scoring against a list, and most of the boxes were empty.

“I still care just as much. I just showed it in the way they were looking for.”

Supporting statements are scored criterion by criterion. If you don't mention a criterion, you usually can't be given a mark for it, however obvious it seems.

Step 1 · The criteria matching grid

Answer every criterion, in order

Paste the person specification, one criterion per line, and press the button. Each criterion becomes a row: mark it essential or desirable, choose your evidence (a STAR story from Lesson 3 or another example), and tick it when your statement covers it.

Criterion

E / D

My evidence

Covered?

Step 2 · Write it, criterion by criterion

Short STAR paragraphs under each heading

Use each criterion as a subheading, with a short STAR-style paragraph under it. At senior level the panel itself often reads the statement, so show scope and judgement, not just activity.

Word limit (if there is one)

Step 3 · The cover letter

Why them, why you, what next

Rarely more than a page. It doesn't repeat your CV: it connects your strongest evidence to their hidden priority (Lesson 2).

Addressed to

Role and organisation

1 · Why them: what specifically draws you to this role and organisation?

2 · Why you: two or three pieces of evidence that match their must-haves and hidden priority

3 · What next: one confident closing sentence

Your letter

“Yours sincerely” follows a named person; “Yours faithfully” follows “Dear Sir or Madam”. In US English, “Sincerely” is used in both cases.

★ Core activity

Your application pack

Your criteria grid, statement word count and cover letter, on one page. Check every row has a tick before you submit.

Before you move on

Three questions

Five minutes, in English or your own language: whichever lets you think most clearly.

Which format do you meet most often in your target field: cover letters, forms or supporting statements?

What's the hidden priority in the next role you'll apply for, and where will you address it?

How will you make sure anything written with help, from people or AI tools, still sounds like you?

What to remember

Five things to keep

A cover letter answers three questions: why them, why you, what next.
Supporting statements are scored criterion by criterion: answer every one, in order.
Use the criteria as subheadings; it makes the shortlister's job easier.
At senior level, show scope and judgement, not just activity.
Use AI tools honestly: start from your own evidence and make it sound like you.

Lesson 8: Preparing for interview

Predict the questions from the job description, research like a senior candidate, and prepare questions that show you're thinking at the right level.

Start Lesson 8 All lessons

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