How to Write a Great Cover Letter [10+ Example Cover Letters]

How to Write a Great Cover Letter [10+ Example Cover Letters] How to Write a Cover Letter for a Job Application September 23, 2019 | By Geoffrey Scott | Reviewed by Mark Slack, CPRW Curious how to write a cover letter thatll get you that job interview? Were here to help. Enjoy our expert cover letter guide, as well as our free cover letter examples at your leisure. Build My Cover Letter Now Writing a cover letter is a key part of the job application process. A great cover letter will impress potential employers, set you apart from other applicants, and get you more job interviews. A poorly written cover letter will hurt your chances of landing any work at all. Don’t write a bad cover letter. Learn how to write a cover letter for a job, so you can create a complete application that resonates with hiring managers and recruiters everywhere. Follow these simple instructions, and you’ll be able to assemble the best cover letter possible. Table of Contents What is a Cover Letter? What to Include in a Cover Letter Writing a Good Cover Letter Formatting Cover Letters: Layout Structure Other Cover Letter Writing Resources 1. What is a Cover Letter? In short, a cover letter (sometimes called a covering letter or application letter) is a one-page document written to express why youre the best candidate for a specific job. It is always paired with a resume, and should: Highlight your relevant experience Showcase your familiarity with the company and their goals Convey a bit of personality A strong cover letter is also an essential part of a job application. A well-written cover letter will prove youre the right person for the job, even if your resume is lacking. A bad one, however, can make you look unprofessional and hurt your job search. Tip If youre applying to a company that isnt advertising any new job openings, send them a letter of interest instead of a cover letter to ask about potential employment opportunities. What is the Purpose of Cover Letters? Although a cover letter is brief, a good one packs a punch. If you write yours well, it can: Successfully introduce you to the hiring manager Make a strong case why you’d be a good fit for the job Prove your desire to work at the company Fill in any missing data that couldnt be included on your resume Give the hiring manager a call to action Check off these five boxes, and your covering letter will be a compelling, powerful companion to your resume. Tip Our business letter format guide covers letter writing of various types in great detail, in the event you need more than just a cover letter for your job search. 2. What to Include in a Cover Letter If you’re curious what to include in a cover letter, this handy chart breaks things down nicely: A Contact Information: Basic cover letter details like your full name, phone number, social media, target company name, etc. B Salutation: A professional greeting that includes the hiring managers name. Do not write To whom it may concern. C The Intro Paragraph: Your cover letter introduction should grab the readers attention (in a good way). D The Body Paragraphs: A good cover letter has body paragraphs that showcase your abilities how you fit into the companys future. E Call-to-Action: The best cover letter CTA lets the hiring manager know when youre available to interview, and that you will follow up if necessary. F The Sign-off: A cover letter closing should consist of Sincerely, Regards, or Best Regards, + your name. Tip If you want to see what a cover letter for a resume should look like, browse through our cover letter examples. We have over 100+ from a wide range of industries. 3. Writing a Good Cover Letter Not sure what to write in a cover letter? This simply written cover letter guide will help you land more interviews. Appropriately Address Your Cover Letter First, you must know how to address a cover letter. Start by including the employers contact information and the name of the company. Be careful here â€" a small slip-up could send your application to the wrong place. Needless to say, this diminishes your chances of getting called in for an interview. While this example demonstrates the information you need to include in the section, there are various ways to format it. Just make sure the information is complete and correct. Use an Appropriate Cover Letter Greeting Next, find out to whom you’re writing. Put yourself in the hiring manager’s shoes. Would you rather be addressed as “To whom it may concern” or by your actual name? Even worse, writing “Dear Sir or Madam” makes it sound like you’ve just popped out of a time machine from Victorian England. Writing a good cover letter greeting sometimes takes a bit of research. So do it. Look through the company’s website, scour LinkedIn, and make a call to human resources and ask for the hiring manager’s name if it’s not readily apparent. If you really cant find a name on the company website or elsewhere, address your cover letter with Dear Hiring Manager â€" this way youre at least correctly addressing the person reading your letter. Tip Looking for more cover letter tips? You’d be surprised at how much work can go into a one page document. Start Your Cover Letter With a Strong Opening You want your cover letter introduction to stick out for the right reasons, and to reflect your application in the best possible light. It all starts with your first sentence. Opening Line There’s no need to get fancy here. The first sentence of even the best cover letter should simply include, a personal introduction an explanation of how the job opening was discovered Your opening line is like a firm handshake â€" a formality, but an important one nonetheless.  You’ll have time to elaborate on what you bring to the table later. Take a look at how its done in the sample cover letter opening below: Opening Paragraph Dear [Mr./Mrs./Ms.] [Manager’s Name], My name is Marcus Winfield, and I found your customer service position listed on Indeed.com two days ago. I have been working as a Customer Care Specialist at Satellite TV Co. for more than 2 years now, and during that time I’ve developed impeccable phone manners and an ability to politely deal with disgruntled customers. I am also accustomed to working on multiple projects simultaneously. The rest of your first paragraph should concisely present your background. Information like your degree, area of study/expertise, career goals, job title, and relevant experience can be touched upon, particularly in terms of how they align with the goals of the company. Don’t be afraid to let a little personality shine in this paragraph, either. Just remember that serious companies might not share your sense of humor, and that a good cover letter should always keep things appropriate. The Body paragraphs (2 3) Second Paragraph Your job posting mentions a need for someone who is comfortable handling telephone sales, which happens to be an area in which I excel. Duties at my previous company included making 60 cold calls a day to businesses and private individuals in order to solicit sales for goods and services. During my tenure, I implemented a new mobile strategy, reducing training expenses by 90% and increasing the close ratio by 10% on telephone sales within 3 months. The second paragraph should directly respond to the job description posted by the company. Use this space to explain how your previous work experience, skills, and abilities will allow you to meet their various needs. To make sure this section resonates with the hiring manager, you can (and should) literally include words and phrases from the job description. The second paragraph is the “what you bring to the table” portion of your cover letter, so be sure to take your time and make it great. Tip You’re allowed to talk yourself up in your covering letter, so long as you have the evidence to back it up. Third Paragraph My experience at Satellite TV Co. has helped me improve my leadership skills, hone my organizational skills, and has provided me with extensive knowledge of how to upsell services and goods to potential clients. It seems that [TARGET COMPANY] is looking for someone who can come in and make an immediate, positive impact on their telephone marketing, and my proven track record plus aptitude for making cold calls would make me an instant contributor to your sales team. In your third paragraph, explain how you personally fit into the company’s future. Paint a clear picture of the ways you can help push the company forward and achieve any goals you suspect they have. You’ve already proven that you’re a capable candidate in the second paragraph. Use the third one to illustrate ways you’ll take those capabilities and help the company grow and reach new heights. The Closing Paragraph I’m looking forward to discussing the position and my qualifications with you in more detail soon. Please contact me at (530) 137-2467, or applicant.name@email.com anytime â€" I’m most available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I can open my schedule if given a week’s notice. Ill be in touch next week to follow-up in the event I don’t hear back from you, just to make sure you’ve received my application. Thank you for your time and consideration. Your cover letter closing  should set things in motion, and push the hiring manager toward contacting you. This is best achieved by including a “call to action (CTA). In your CTA, inform the employer that you’d love to come in for an interview. Tell them that you’ll touch bases within a week if you don’t hear back. Thank them for taking the time to read your cover letter, and for the potential interview opportunity. Its important to not come off as too pushy, but you want to have conviction as well. A good cover letter sign-off will stick in the mind of the reader, so make sure yours has the tone youre trying to convey. Tip Remember, your cover letter is not only an important part of your job application, it also naturally showcases your communication skills. Writing a Cover Letter for Unique Situations If you’re worried about your background when writing your cover letter, understand that you aren’t the only one. Many job seekers have particular situations that may seemingly hurt their chances of landing work. Thankfully, there are ways to downplay these situations with a good cover letter (although you might still need to address such issues during an interview). For example, if you want to transition to another industry, youll need a career change cover letter. Here are several examples of scenarios that might cause a hiring manager to second guess your cover letter. If one applies to you, click on the corresponding link to learn more about ways you can handle it. Don’t let your particular situation become a roadblock in your efforts to secure a great job. I want to change careers/Ive job hopped in the past I need a cover letter for relocation I have employment gaps on my resume I was terminated from a previous job Ive been laid off in the past I was previously self-employed I have a medical issue/disability I need a cover letter to explain my criminal record Connect Your Resume and Cover Letter Tying the content (and look) of your resume into your cover letter is a great way to put a cherry on top of your application. First, you can cover resume content in the body of your letter (a strategy that may have led to the misnomer ‘cover resume letter’). To do this, elaborate on one of your more impressive work feats, or touch upon a relevant achievement that you had no space to explore on your resume. Just be sure to keep things consistent between your resume and cover letter, or it might get confusing for the hiring manager. You can also make your resume match your cover letter in terms of aesthetics. Heres an example of how it’s done: Do you like our ‘Windsor’ template? This and more are free to download on our resume template and cover letter template pages. Although the content of your application holds the most weight, it doesnt hurt to catch the eye of whoever is vetting your resume cover letter combo. Visual elements can make your application more memorable, and end up being just the push you need to surpass an equally qualified candidate. 4. Formatting Cover Letters: Layout Structure Other than the on-page content, your cover letter format plays the most important role in the success of your letter. Elements such as margins, font size and style, and alignment all factor into the hiring manager’s overall impression of you. Here are a few quick tips when styling your own: 1” â€" 1.5” margins are always a safe bet. If you are having trouble fitting everything on one page, there is some wiggle room, but be careful not to make the content look crammed together. Don’t go below a 12-point font unless absolutely necessary. Anything below 12 can strain the eyes. Font style is a matter of preference. Try to choose one that looks professional or that matches what the employer uses on their website. Keep in mind that different styles will change the size of the font. Maintain a uniform alignment. We suggest keeping all paragraphs left-aligned. How Long is the Ideal Cover Letter? Many people aren’t sure how long a cover letter should be, and get caught up in minor details like word count and paragraph length. While these points are important, remember to prioritize the content and tone. With that said, the purpose of your cover letter is to market yourself to a busy hiring manager. Too much text will most likely hurt your chances, and too little text will make you appear as if you don’t care much for the position. So an effective cover letter length to go with (if you’re using a word counter) is 200-300 words. It should also be three to four paragraphs, and NOT exceed one page. This gives you time to introduce yourself, hit upon your main selling points, and inform a hiring manager of your interest in the position. 5. The Final Step: Proofread, Double-Check, and Triple-Check At the very least, you should always use spell-check to make sure your cover letter isnt full of typos. But thats just step one. Apart from simply checking your cover letter for spelling mistakes, you should also double-check your cover letter for the following: Does your cover letter have the right tone for your target job? Do you mention enough skills and work experience directly related to the job requirements outlined in the job posting? Can you back up the claims made on your cover letter if asked about them in interview questions? Does your cover letter match cover letter samples from your industry? 6. Other Cover Letter Writing Resources Key Resource Pages Cover letter examples Cover letter templates Cover letter format Best cover letters of 2019 Cover letter tips Google Docs cover letter templates How-to Guides How to address a cover letter How to start a cover letter How to end a cover letter How to write a career change cover letter How to write a short cover letter How long should a cover letter be? How to write a letter of interest Types of Cover Letters Email cover letter General cover letter Relocation cover letter Entry-level cover letter Cover letter for an internal position Youve made it this far, which shows you’re dedicated to creating the most professional cover letter possible. More interviews and better jobs await you. Resumes, cover letters, interviews â€" they’re all a small part of the bigger picture. The big part is getting paid. So get paid. Did we miss anything? Leave a comment (or several) below, and our team of career experts will get back to you soon. In the meantime, you should check out our new and improved cover letter builder and see how it compares to other examples out there. Were pretty sure youll be impressed!