Cover Letter - France

Once you've prepared your resume, it's time to highlight your achievements in the cover letter. How you go about doing that can also vary from country to country. In this section you'll find some general as well as culturally specific tips about how to make your letter (and yourself!) stand out when applying for a job in France.

• Place your personal details in the top left-hand corner of your sheet of paper:
  • First name, last name; in this order,
  • Address,
  • Telephone, fax,
  • Email.
• Place the basic details of the company in the top right-hand of the letter (see model for example). If addressed to a particular person, indicate their name above the address. Example: Monsieur le Directeur du personnel
• Place the city you are writing from and the date below the company info. Example: Paris, le 8 avril 2000
• If answering an ad with a reference number, indicate the number on the left side, after the date, with "Ref. :" or "Objet :"
• If your contact is a man, address him by "Monsieur", or "Cher Monsieur". Address a woman with "Madame", or "Chère Madame". If you don't have a contact name, address your cover letter to "Monsieur, Madame".
• Avoid beginning your letter using the pronoun "je".
• Avoid using the pronoun "je" too often.

Remember that your cover letter (in French, lettre de motivation or lettre d'accompagnement) should attract the interest of the employer in order to get an interview. Therefore, try to keep it short (one page maximum) and clear.

If you answer an ad, specify where and when you found the ad.
Develop a separate paragraph for each of the characteristics listed in the ad and explain why you are applying.

• Show your interest in the position and the company.
  
• Strengthen your application with concrete examples of your professional experience or education
  
• Suggest an interview
  
• End your letter with an appropriate "formule de politesse" (a ready-made phrase which is the French equivalent of "Yours Faithfully"):
  
  • If you started your letter with "Madame, Monsieur," end with: "Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées." This is the most neutral and proper ending.
    
  • If you know you are writing to a woman, use, "Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées."
    
  • If writing to a man, end with: "Je vous prie d'agréer, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées."
• Do not forget to sign your letter.

If you are sending a cold-calling letter follow the 3-axes line :

End your letter with an appropriate "formule de politesse". See above for examples.

Of course, do not forget to sign your letter.

Now that you've read our guidelines for writing a cover letter, check out our model French cover letter, or continue on to our page on writing a resume for France.