Your CV shows what you can do. Your cover letter explains why you want to work for this particular employer and why you are the right choice for the job. In healthcare, where candidates with similar education and similar licences often apply for the same post, a good letter is frequently what decides who gets invited to an interview.
In this article you will find how a cover letter is structured, what belongs in it and what does not, and an example you can adapt for your own application.
What is a cover letter and when do you need one?
A cover letter (in Slovenian usually called a motivation letter) is a short text you attach to your CV. In it you introduce yourself, your motivation and what you can bring to the team.
You need one:
- when the advert explicitly asks for it,
- when you are applying for your first job or traineeship and do not yet have much experience,
- when you are changing field, for example from a hospital to a private practice or from ward nursing to community nursing,
- when you are applying in another town and want to explain why,
- when you are sending a speculative application without a published advert.
Even when the advert does not ask for one, a short letter in the body of the email makes a better impression than a one-line message with an attachment.
How long should a cover letter be?
One page at most. In practice that means three to five short paragraphs. The HR officer or head of department will skim the letter first, so the key point must be clear in the first few lines.
Structure of a cover letter
1. Header and greeting
At the top: your name, phone number and email, then the date and the employer’s details. If the advert tells you who is running the selection, address them by name (“Dear Ms Novak,”). If not, “Dear Sir or Madam,” or “Dear Hiring Team,” is fine.
2. Opening: what you are applying for and why
In the first paragraph, state which post you are applying for and where you found the advert. Add one sentence explaining why the job interests you. Avoid generic sentences such as “With this letter I am applying for your advert”, which say nothing.
3. Main part: what you bring
This is the most important part. Do not repeat your whole CV; pick two or three things that best match the advert and support them with a concrete example. For instance:
- experience on a similar ward or with similar patients,
- skills the advert specifically mentions (particular equipment, courses, licences, a driving licence for field work),
- experience of shift work, teamwork or working under time pressure,
- language skills, if you deal with patients from abroad.
A concrete example is worth more than an adjective. “I worked for two years on a 28-bed internal medicine ward” says more than “I am responsible and conscientious”.
4. Why this employer
One short paragraph on why you want to work there. Perhaps you are interested in the field the institution is known for, perhaps it is close to home, perhaps you like the way it presents its team. Before writing, look at the employer’s profile and website so you can say something specific. On Zdravstvena.info, every employer has its own profile with a description and all open vacancies.
5. Closing
Thank the reader, say you are available for an interview and how you can be reached. End the letter with a closing (“Kind regards”) and your name.
Example of a healthcare cover letter
The example below is for a nursing technician applying to a care home. Adapt it to your profession, your experience and the advert; employers quickly recognise a letter that was sent to ten addresses at once.
Dear Hiring Team,
I am applying for the post of nursing technician at your care home, which you advertised on Zdravstvena.info. I have enjoyed working with older people since my placements at school, and I want to do this work in a setting where time to talk with residents is part of the job, not an exception.
For the past two years I have worked on the internal medicine ward of a general hospital, where I am used to working three shifts, caring for patients with dementia and working closely with registered nurses. On the ward I also helped induct students on placement, which taught me to explain things calmly and clearly.
Your home caught my attention because your website emphasises an individual approach and involving relatives. That is exactly what I would like to develop further in my work. As I live nearby, I can also be available at short notice to cover shifts.
Thank you for your time; I would be glad to come for an interview. I can be reached on 0xx xxx xxx or at this email address.
Kind regards,
First name Surname
The most common cover letter mistakes
- The same letter for every application. If the letter says nothing about the employer or the advert, it shows immediately.
- Repeating the CV. The letter should explain and connect, not list everything again.
- Too long. More than one page is often not read to the end.
- Empty adjectives without examples. Almost everyone writes “communicative, responsible, flexible”.
- Mistakes in the employer’s name or the greeting. The wrong name of the institution or person is one of the quickest routes to rejection.
- Typos. In healthcare, where precision is part of the job, employers notice them.
- Complaining about your current employer. Give your reason for moving positively: what you are looking for, not what you dislike.
- Salary in the first paragraph. Pay is better discussed at the interview, unless the advert explicitly asks for your expectations.
Special cases
First job or traineeship
If you do not yet have experience, draw on clinical placements during your education, volunteering, summer work in healthcare or caring for a relative. An employer does not expect experience from a trainee, but a willingness to learn, reliability and a good attitude towards patients.
Changing field
Explain why you are changing and which skills from your current work you will bring with you. For example, experience with acute conditions is also valuable in a family medicine practice.
Applying from abroad
State whether your professional qualification has already been recognised in Slovenia, or which stage the procedure has reached, and your level of Slovenian. This saves the employer questions and shows that you know the requirements.
How to send your application
- Send your letter and CV as PDF files so the layout does not break.
- Name the files clearly, for example “Firstname-Surname-CV.pdf” and “Firstname-Surname-cover-letter.pdf”.
- Put the job title and your name in the email subject line.
- Write two or three sentences in the body of the email rather than leaving it empty.
- Before sending, read the letter aloud or ask someone else to read it.
On Zdravstvena.info, applications go directly to the employer, by email or via the link in the advert. So check what the advert asks for and send exactly that.
Before you send: a short checklist
- Is the letter one page at most?
- Does it contain the correct job title and employer name?
- Have you given at least one concrete example from your experience?
- Have you explained why this particular employer?
- Have you said how you can be reached?
- Have you checked spelling?
- Are the letter and CV in PDF and clearly named?
Related advice
- How to write a strong healthcare CV
- 5 tips for your next healthcare job interview
- How to check an employer before you apply
- How to search for healthcare jobs on the portal
