How to write a cover letter for a job in Kenya

Check whether the employer wants a letter

Read the submission instructions first. An employer may ask for a cover letter attachment, a short email, answers in an application form or a combined document. Use the requested format. If there is no place for a separate letter, do not upload it into an unrelated field such as a certificate slot.

Save the exact job title, reference number, closing date and submission route. A good letter sent to the wrong address will not solve the delivery problem. Verify an unfamiliar application link by starting at the employer’s own website.

Plan three short parts

The opening identifies the vacancy and introduces your relevant background. The middle gives one or two pieces of evidence. The closing confirms what you have attached and makes it easy to contact you. The National Careers Service also recommends researching the employer and keeping a cover letter focused.

• Opening: “I am applying for [role], reference [number]. My background in [training or experience] is relevant to [task in the advert].”
• Evidence: explain something you did, the skill it involved and how it relates to this role.
• Closing: identify the requested attachments, give a contact method and thank the reader.

• National Careers Service: cover letter guidance

Use an example as a structure, not a borrowed work history

The example below is fictional. It illustrates an application for an advertised administrative assistant position. Keep only statements that are true for you, replace the placeholders and use the actual employer’s instructions. A project or volunteer activity can replace the attachment example if it provides relevant evidence.

[Your name]
[Town] | [Phone] | [Email]
[Date]

Dear Hiring Team,

RE: Application for Administrative Assistant — [Reference]

I am applying for the Administrative Assistant position advertised on [official source]. I have completed [qualification] and developed practical document and record-keeping skills during [accurately named attachment or activity].

During my attachment, I organised incoming forms by date and reference, updated a document register and checked entries with my supervisor. This work required care with names, file locations and follow-up notes. It connects directly to the records duties described in your advert.

I am interested in this position because [specific, researched reason related to the work]. I would bring careful record keeping and a willingness to learn your team’s procedures.

I have attached my CV and [other requested document]. I can be reached on [phone] or [email] and would welcome the opportunity to discuss my application.

Kind regards,
[Your name]

Show interest in the actual work

Choose one detail from the employer’s official description and explain why it matters to you. For example, a role involving customer enquiries may connect to your experience helping visitors at a college office. Name the connection. “Your company is a leading organisation” could be sent anywhere and gives the reader little new information.

Do not claim to have used the employer’s services, met its staff or followed its projects unless that is true. If you know little about the organisation, focus on the advertised work and ask thoughtful questions at interview. Specific curiosity is more useful than invented familiarity.

Address limited experience directly

You can acknowledge the stage of your career without apologising throughout the letter. State your current qualification or training, then give evidence of a useful task. If a position requires a skill you are learning, describe your present ability and the project through which you are developing it.

Avoid claiming “expert” knowledge after completing one introductory course. A sentence such as “I used spreadsheet filters and basic formulas in a stock-recording assignment” lets the employer assess your level. If you have no relevant example yet, a small practical project may help you produce one for future applications.

Edit the letter before sending

Read it beside the advert and your CV. Names, qualification dates and experience should agree across all three. Remove a paragraph if it repeats the CV without explaining why the experience matters. Read the letter aloud to catch awkward phrasing and overly long sentences.

• Use the exact role title and reference number requested.
• Address a named hiring contact only when the name is verified; otherwise “Dear Hiring Team” is sufficient.
• Keep the layout readable and follow any stated length limit.
• Replace every placeholder, including the employer name from a previous application.
• Check the attachment name and open the final file.
• Keep a copy of the letter and the advert so you can prepare for an interview.

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