What’s a cover letter?
A cover letter is a three to four-paragraph, one-page memo-like document you write to prospective employers in response to a job posting. It explains your interest in the company and, most importantly, the advertised job.
It is an effective way of showcasing your suitability for the job. Its main aim is earning an interview slot, where you can land your dream job if you do it successfully. A cover letter is usually submitted with your resume when applying for a job.
You must learn how to write a good cover letter to present the highlights of your experience, skills, achievements, and their relation to the job posting you are responding to.
In contrast to resumes, effective cover letters are the ones that give you a chance to go into deeper detail about your professional career. And show why you are the most suitable candidate for the company’s vacant role and not other candidates.
Cover letters are optional in most job applications. But a cover letter can give the hiring managers a gauge of an applicant’s skills, experience, and background in a job application. These are vital when related to the job position you’re applying for.
When you don’t need to submit a cover letter, including one with your job application is a tactical way of elevating yourself above other job seekers. It is a good way of showing the recruiter a genuine interest in the job you are applying for.
A successful cover letter will impress recruiters and set you apart. Writing a successful cover letter will require you to communicate your experience succinctly.
You must do this in a way that makes your candidacy the most suitable for meeting the company’s needs. It is also supposed to show your compatibility with the company culture. Avoid writing a cover letter that is bland and generic.
You should research the company, including the role you are applying for.
How to write a cover letter using the 3-step formula
Writing a professional cover letter for a job application can be divided into three broad steps. By following this complete guide and the sample cover letters below, you will indeed write a unique cover letter that gets the job done and lands you more interviews.
The three-step cover letter formula:
1. Who are you?
As you create a cover letter, begin by using the first sentence of the opening paragraph to make a professional introduction of who you are. It would help if you used your most impressive career achievement in the opening paragraph to capture the hiring manager’s attention.
2. How do you best fit the role?
This section requires you to go through the job description one more time. This will help you identify the main topics and tasks that the candidate who succeeds in acquiring the new job will undertake.
Then, share why you have the unique skills and professional experience to undertake the tasks. To demonstrate why you are the right person, you can explain or use a story to deliver your message.
In this section, you personalize the company’s needs to achieve your goal, using events, facts, or even name-dropping. You should also use the right tone.
3. Why this organization?
You can use one short sentence to explain your interest in the company. If you get the position, you can showcase your dedication and compatibility with the company environment and your scheduled tasks.
You need to be aware of how you will address this important letter of introduction. The following cover letter template examples will guide you.
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Why this is a great cover letter sample
In the first paragraph, the writer begins by indicating the challenges the company he worked for had and how he resolved them.
In this professional cover letter example, the writer shows that he is goal-oriented, quality employers love seeing in job applications.
This sample cover letter is also short and gets directly to the point. It also details the applicant’s previous role, demonstrating his personality and why he would be a great hire.
Example Cover Letter 2:
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Why this is a great cover letter sample
In this cover letter example, the writer first demonstrates her interest in the role and passion for working for the company.
The cover letter also contains words that show off the job applicant’s personality and successes in previous positions. The cover letter helps the job seeker stand out by including a unique opening paragraph, relevant accomplishments, and professional skills.
Example Cover Letter 3:
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Why this is a great cover letter sample
This cover letter’s writer took time to consider the skills relevant to the employer. The writer does not scatter many facts hoping that one might be appropriate.
Instead, she provides the hiring manager with information about being an experienced financial analyst and accomplishing a lot. In the last paragraph, she demonstrates why she is a perfect fit for the firm.
As you create a cover letter, it is advisable to identify the problems a role is meant to solve for an organization.
After that, demonstrate why your experience can solve those issues. This way, your cover letter will stand out from other applicants.
Example Cover Letter 4
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Why this is a great cover letter sample
The writer of the cover letter includes specific numbers which can impress employers. The writer does not add much flair but does an outstanding job by having relevant information employers look for, such as skills and achievements.
The candidate proves he has the needed experience and project-management skills from his career.
This cover letter is easy to read and professional. It is suitable for formal industries. From the beginning, the writer addresses the cover letter well, referring to the recruiter by name.
The applicant also introduces fundamental competencies and creates a personal connection with the audience. The candidate shows the recruiter that he researched and cares about the company’s needs.
After a strong introduction, the writer includes a list of achievements relevant to the job. The list makes the candidate stand out from other applicants, making him appear perfect for the role he’s applying for.
Example Cover Letter 5
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Why this is a great cover letter sample
Recruiters are glad to see some personality shining through in a cover letter. The applicant begins her cover letter by summarising her most important qualifications and expressing her enthusiasm, all in an informal, fun tone.
In addition, the applicant manages to balance humor with factual information about her achievements. This professional cover letter can enable the recruiter to remain engaged and understand the candidate’s experience and skills.
Yet, not everyone can use this approach. You can add humor to your cover letter when applying to more casual fields, such as social media management.
Yet, the general rule for writing a cover letter is to avoid informal language when applying for positions in conservative industries such as accounting or law. The hiring managers in such sectors expect conventional cover letters, which our cover letter builder can help you with.
Example Cover Letter 6
*Download the Word file
Why this is a great cover letter sample
This cover letter example is a super inspiration for job seekers because it is brief and concise. The short cover letter wastes no time explaining why the candidate is an ideal fit for the nursing position he’s trying to get.
He states his need in several concise paragraphs and summarises his professional successes confidently.
Reducing details may not work for every application. However, in this case, the applicant knows what the employer is looking for and addresses the need directly.
This saves employers the work of getting the information they need in a lengthy cover letter. Hiring managers usually appreciate a direct cover letter in a dynamic field such as nursing.
If you are wondering how to write yours, that is how you introduce yourself in a perfect cover letter.
In line with the 3-step formula to craft the document that no potential employer will overlook, the steps mentioned above can be expanded as shown below.
1. Begin your cover letter with a golden first paragraph
These few lines will increase your chances of being considered a good fit. They will encourage the hiring manager to read more about your experience, education, and skills. The reader will put your application letter aside to give it a closer look later.
You need to attract them and capture their interest by describing yourself aptly. Imagining you were Frodo, the best way you could start your cover letter could be:
When I destroyed Sauron.
And then go on to tease the hiring manager with the biggest win that you have had so far. Your grasp of written Elvish might not be your best-selling point unless you are introducing yourself to have that specific skill.
Yet, it would help if you carefully refrain from flaunting skills with nothing to offer your prospective employer. So, what you choose must fit the employer’s job description, like a custom wristwatch.
Below are two example introductions you can use for your cover letter for a job that calls for applicants with good delegation skills in its advertisement. Your best achievement is boosting sales by 30%.
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A good example
Dear Cate,
Before leading the sales team at Natural Beauty to a 30% increase in sales, I could not have believed such a feat was achievable. It can be summed up in delegating critical projects, like cutting the churn by 22% and increasing the open rate by 28%. Once I learned that Davis & Schaff was looking to increase revenue, I could not resist applying. I have closely followed your company since 2015, when you received the Cannes award.
A bad example
Dear hiring manager,
I am a specialist in sales and marketing with two years of experience and excellent marketing competencies. I have worked for some well-known and large companies and partnered with cross-functional groups to create the correct message to transform the top-of-the-funnel into sales points. My unique skill set qualifies me as the ideal marketer for your company.
Your achievements in the first cover letter example bind you to the job offered, and no employer will want to overlook that.
The second example provides no details or value, and the finishing line is flat, which differs from what the manager is looking for.
Some achievements you can use to spice up your cover letter include the following.
Improvement of the company metrics, such as:
- Cut costs by X%
- Increased revenue by X%
- Improved customer relations by X%
- Delivered all projects assigned at least four days before the deadline
- Spearheaded the department that saw customer appreciation rise by X%
An impressive personal achievement like:
- I got promoted in just three months
- Chosen as a mentor to the team
- Scored 98 out of 100 in three of four sections of the CPA examination
- Managed six mega construction projects
- A project I did won the Kramer award
- The manager talked of my being his “most professional employee.”
Knowing whether a proud achievement will make the impression you wish on the hiring manager is hard.
To unravel this mystery, be innovative and connect with some company employees on the phone or via LinkedIn and chat with them to get a good picture.
2. Let your cover letters be personal documents
The introduction to your cover letter should drop the jaw of the hiring manager. To do this, you need to tie your cover letter to both the company and the hiring manager’s needs by including one of the facts outlined below:
The needs of the company
You must thoroughly research whether the hiring company requires cutting costs or marketing ROI. This information is available in the job advertisement, failing which you must contact a couple of company employees.
Facts about the company
You should know the company’s interests, be it the development of its employees, coming up with innovative ideas, or anything else pertinent. This information might be available on the website; you can contact its employees if you need it.
Name dropping
You need to let them be aware of anyone in the company you are connected to. You can go through your LinkedIn connections, Facebook, or Twitter and contact them for better information.
Events at the company
The hiring company might have just made it to the list of Fortune 500 companies, or they might have just received an award. News headlines will give you the information to work your magic trick on your cover letter.
As far as how to use the facts you come up with for the introduction of your cover letter, the examples below will give you insights.
You might have as your impressive achievement an increase in the efficiency of development at your former workplace by 33%. And the company might have had an Agile push that appeared in Tech Crunch the previous month.
A good example should appear as follows:
Dear Kate,
I had the honor of leading the Caryle Jung team that produced a 33% increase in development using Agile best practices. Last month when I read about the Agile charge of Friedman Inc. in Tech Crunch, I was very excited since I have been devoted to your software programs from the start.
A bad example might look like the one shown below:
Dear recruiter,
I am a top-quality software engineer with four years of experience generating cutting-edge solutions using my adept coding skills. You will agree that my expertise in PHP, C#, HTML, JavaScript, SQL, and Ruby compose the candidate well suited to fill the gap.
First, you will mention your huge achievement and what the hiring manager has taken pride in over the last few days.
Beginning your cover letter with the hiring manager’s name is a golden move. If you need to know, dive into LinkedIn or any other social media platform for company workers. For a double effect, match your cover letter layout with your resume.
3. Know how to address your letter to the hiring manager
With all the knowledge on how your cover letter should start, knowing who you are to address it to is another essential thing. Some examples of how you can begin your cover letter are shown below:
Dear Arthur,
Dear Mr Murdock,
Dear Ms McCabe,
Starting your cover letter with your hiring manager’s name rather than Dear Sir or Madam is a great way to get their attention. If all your research turns up no name for the recruiter, use one of the formats shown below:
Dear Hiring Manager,
Dear Project Management Hiring Manager,
Dear [Dept[ Hiring Team,
If you do not know the first name of a female employer, do not use Mrs. or Miss; use Ms. instead. That title has no marriage connotations and will not be at all irritating to the hiring manager. Using Mrs. or Miss without being sure of it may be unwise.
The third step of writing your cover letter involves telling the hiring company why you are sending the job application letter. First, you should know they have needs and are willing to hire you.
Knowing their needs will allow you to create a cover letter that shows you are the right person for the position you are applying for. Therefore, as you write the cover letter, you will focus on satisfying those needs.
To unlock the magic of the third paragraph, you’ll need to show your prospective employer why this job is not just any other you want. This is crucial if you are writing an entry-level cover letter.
Passion will help show that you are ready to start immediately. The most important thing is to avoid developing a generic cover letter. One targeted and tailored to the specific job is the one that wins the job.
An easy way of going about it is by:
- Beginning with a fact about the organization, such as an upcoming event
- Stating why you are intrigued by it
- Reiterating how your proficiencies, knowledge, and experience will help you succeed.
An excellent example of the third paragraph of a cover letter is shown below:
Self Care plans to develop a comprehensive online portal focusing on healthcare issues. The project matches perfectly with my professional and personal interests. It is a superb opportunity to generate an online base for healthcare professionals and patients. I want to use my experience in online growth marketing and SEO marketing to produce revolutionary results for the project.
FAQs
What do I write in a cover letter?
The perfect cover letter should revolve around two main issues.
(1) why you, and not other job seekers, are the ideal candidate uniquely suited to fill the job vacancy, and
(2) why you are passionate about that particular job.
How do you start writing a cover letter?
A good cover letter should be direct, precise, and memorable, making the employer know what you are applying for in the opening paragraph’s first sentences.
You should also include information on how you got to know about the job opportunity. Then, state successes in your former positions.
You should then show how excited you are to be considered for the work and ask for an interview.
While doing all these, you should use the keywords in the job description in the cover letter to avoid straying.
Related Reading
- How to sell yourself in a job interview – essential tips from experts
- Top competencies companies need in the digital age
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