When applying for most job openings, you are typically required to submit both a cover letter and a resume. Resumes provide a concise overview of your work experience, educational background, and skills using bullet points and section headers. On the other hand, cover letters allow you to personally and elaborately describe your qualifications. Ideally, cover letters should consist of four well-structured paragraphs and should not exceed one page in length.
Tips for Writing Your Cover Letter
Allocate a few days for the letter writing process. Rest assured, you won't be writing throughout this entire period. On the first day, prepare and draft your initial version of the letter (and resume if needed), and send them for proofreading to friends and family on the second day. While it can be beneficial to write your resume first for reference during the cover letter writing, it is not mandatory. On the third day, review both documents with a fresh perspective and consider the feedback provided by your reviewers.
As you review, follow these few key important tips:
Review Cover Letter Examples
It’s hard to write a cover letter and craft compelling opening paragraphs if you have no template or example. Read cover letter samples in job search books and on reputable job search websites. Pay attention to examples deemed “good” and “bad.” You want to include the right things and avoid potentially costly errors.
While you’re reading these samples, keep the job description with job requirements handy. Jot down any ideas you have for your cover letter.
Brainstorm
Write down anything you have that could constitute work experience: volunteer work, internships, on-campus jobs, mowing lawns, or babysitting work, to give a few examples.
Reflect on these occasions and write what you did and what you accomplished. Metrics are great because they quantify your accomplishments. “Worked as a babysitter in the neighborhood,” has less impact than, “Babysat for five families totaling 15 children.”
Similarly, “Maintained the blog and social media,” has less impact than, “Coordinated and produced content for daily social media posts and two blog posts per week.”
Nail the Basics
You may have to do a little research to find the basics, or they could be in the job listings. You should address your cover letter to a specific person and need details on the following for crafting your letter:
- The recruiter or hiring manager’s name and job title (this is who you address the cover letter to unless the ad specifies otherwise)
- The email address of the hiring manager and the mailing address of the company
- Copy of the job listing(s)
- The needs of the company for this position
Keep the letter to one page. Include your name and contact information at the top. You can format this in different ways, for example, with your name in a shaded bar across the top and your address, phone number, email, and LinkedIn profile link in a right-side shaded column.
Next, list the date, the recruiter or hiring manager's name and title, and then the company address. Write a salutation that says something like, “Dear [Hiring manager’s first name],” with the comma included.
Avoid using a, “Dear Sir or Madam,” opening because it is impersonal and not gender-inclusive. Try social media or the email contact address if you cannot find a name for the hiring manager. Re-read the job description. Some descriptions are quite lengthy, and it's easy to miss information. You can also contact the company directly and ask.
Otherwise, go for something along the lines of, “Dear Marketing Hiring Manager,” or “To the Digital Marketing Recruiting Team.” (Change “marketing” or “digital marketing” to the relevant field, of course.)
Break the Letter into Paragraphs
Now that you have the salutation and what’s above it completed, it’s time to get into the meat of the letter. Do not simply rehash your resume in narrative form. Aim for a four-paragraph structure that goes as follows.
- Opening: Explain why you are writing and how you found out about the job (an ad on a specific job search site, a referral from [person’s name], etc.). Touch briefly on who you are (a recent Ph.D. graduate in music, a graduate digital marketer student at the University of Virginia, etc.).
- Second and third paragraphs: Explain what you are doing professionally at the moment (or have done recently) and how your education and work experience make you an ideal fit for the position. If you’re new to the work world, you may have no paid experience to speak of. Still, you can use volunteering, internships, or tutoring experience to make a connection to the job opening. For example: "When I volunteered at Acme Animal Shelter as a digital marketer last year..."
- Second and third paragraphs: Structure the paragraphs so that paragraph two reflects why you'd be a great fit for the company, while paragraph three explains why the company would be a good fit for you.
- Closing paragraph: This paragraph goes something like, "Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I would love to discuss your digital marketing strategy and show you how I can XYZ.” Mention some kind of action such as discussing or interviewing.
- Formal closing: Sign off with something such as, “Kind regards,” or “Sincerely.” Be cautious with, “Cheerio!”-type closings that could sound flip.
Make Your Resumes and Cover Letters Consistent
Stick with the same font when you write a cover letter and resume. Ideally use recommended professional fonts such as Arial, Georgia, Garamond, and Times New Roman.
Times New Roman is extremely common, so your cover letter and resume may stand out a little more if you do not go with this font. Avoid Comic Sans, Futura, Papyrus, Impact, Lucida Console, and script fonts. Few people in the business world view these fonts as professional.
Other key areas where job applicants become inconsistent with their cover letter and resume include their name. Their resume might say, “Joseph Jones,” while their cover letter says, “Joe Jones.” Stick with one name, or if you must, go with, “Joseph (Joe) Jones” on both.
Double-check that any mentions of schools, majors, volunteer stints, internships, and the like on your cover letter match what is in your resume. If you wrote your resume six months ago, it might not yet reflect a current volunteer position or the fact that you have completed high school or college.
Stand Out Quickly (For Good Reasons)
Hiring managers might be tasked with reading nearly a hundred or even more cover letters. They are unlikely to give yours much time to make a positive impression before they toss it into the “reject” pile.
To minimize the chances of your letter being disregarded, check its visual organization. Is there plenty of white space? Is your contact information clear and easy to find? The paragraphs shouldn’t be huge, impenetrable blocks of text, nor should the font be tiny or cutesy/unprofessional such as Comic Sans.
The font should not be huge either. Don’t work too hard to fill up space. It is better to have a little extra white space than 18-point regular font. Aim for 12-point font.
Also, don’t be too enthusiastic. Shy away from !!!! and smiley faces. Don't go overboard on flattery, either. Keep your letter authentic.
Get to the Point
To make your letter stand out for good reasons, get to the point in your first paragraph and stick to that formula for the rest of the letter. Avoid being coy and mysterious. Skip openings such as, “Are you looking for an energetic, detail-oriented person to join your team?” You already know the employer is. Pass.
If you have a personal connection to the company, that could catch a hiring manager’s attention. For instance, if marketing manager Jane Doe told you about the position, mention that in the first paragraph. Do not embellish or lie on this point. If you vaguely know someone who works at the company but don’t really have contact with the person, avoid writing, “Marketing manager Jane Doe said I would be a great fit.”
Metrics can go a long way toward illustrating your accomplishments and what you are capable of. You may not have a lot if you are new to the work world, but you could have more up your sleeve than you thought.
That’s where brainstorming pre-cover letter and resume comes in handy. Include one or two metrics if possible, to reinforce statements such as, “I managed the Facebook and Twitter accounts during my volunteer experience.” You could follow that with a metric such as, “Our follower base increased by 25% in the three months I was there.”
Ask Knowledgeable People to Read Your Cover Letter for Feedback
Ask people you trust such as mentors and former teachers to read your cover letter and resume and give feedback. Parents, other relatives, and friends could be options, especially if they have experience in the industry or a strong English background. However, they could be biased, overly critical, or reluctant to criticize.
You could write an excellent cover letter on your first try. If you don’t, that is OK. Remain mindful of job application deadlines and the fact that no one expects perfection. Rather, people like authenticity. Try to address the hiring manager or recruiter by name, illustrate why you are the person for the job, and keep your resumes and cover letters consistent.