Here are our top tips to help you write your cover letter for the role of Student Ambassador. Plan Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to plan, draft, proof and finalise your cover letter. It is the most important part of your application so making sure it represents you well is really important. What are we looking for in your cover letter? A cover letter is a personal statement (max one side of A4) detailing your skills and experience. It should answer the following questions while referring back to the job description: Why do you want to be a Student Ambassador? What skills and experiences do you have that are relevant, in particular in relation to the essential and desirable criteria, in the job description? We want to understand how you meet our essential and desirable criteria which you can find on the Job Description. When answering the questions make sure you are clear as to how you meet each criteria. This is our first interaction with you, so make sure your cover letter stands out. We are looking for quality over quantity and giving examples from your experience is key. How to show your experience When you are showing us how you meet the criteria, back up your statements with examples, this can be previous work experience, clubs and societies, group assessment, and previous education experiences etc. We recommend the STAR technique to help structure your answer – this is also a really good structure to use when answering questions in an interview if you are offered one. The STAR technique Situation: Briefly describe the context of the situation Task: Explain the task that had to be completed Action: What actions did you take to ensure the task was complete Result: If possible what the outcome was and how your actions benefited the situation Using "artifical intelligence" We have seen an increase in use of AI tools for writing applications. While such tools can help with an initial structure and ideas for applications often the cover letters we recevie look very similar and aren’t showcasing the applicant as an individual. What can you bring to the role that makes you stand out from all our other applications (300+)? An AI tool cannot answer that question. The information you provide in the cover letter must be true and authentic. We may ask questions about what you have said in your application during your interview. Authenticity is a really important part of being a Student Ambassador as the role requires you to share your student experience. While it is ok to use these tools to support you, you should still ensure that your cover letter represents who you really are. Further advice on writing cover letters You may also want to look at the Careers Service's advice on cover letters. How to write your cover letter This article was published on 2024-07-22
