A cover letter should compliment your CV and it is usually needed in every job application. Today a lot of the recruitment process is completed via email and the first chance you get to express your interest in the post should contain your CV and a cover letter.

With both of these the employer has everything they need to consider you for a position. They can see your experience on your CV, your qualifications and your interests, while the cover letter should be more tailored to the job role, outlining why you can help their company progress.

A cover letter and a CV should not be sent off in a hurry, and even if a job post is due to expire you should always try to take the time to perfect it, and improve upon it each time you send it out to a potential employer.