Complete Guide to Cover Letters

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When applying for jobs, most employers will want two things: a resume and a cover letter. A resume is a fairly straightforward list of your education, jobs, skills and other achievements. But you can use your cover letter to further explain or highlight parts of your resume and give examples or your qualifications. In this article, you can learn about cover letters and how to create an effective cover letter to stand out from other candidates.

What is a cover letter?

A cover letter is a one-page personal statement you can use to introduce yourself to an employer. Because it should be only one page, the cover letter should be short and concise. You can explain your relevant work experience and support your accomplishments with details to demonstrate your skills.

The purpose of cover letters

Many hiring managers like to look at a cover letter first. In fact, many employers will run the cover letter and resume through an applicant tracking search tool looking for terms relevant to the job listing to see if the applicant meets the minimum requirements. 

Here are the three types of cover letters and the purpose of each one:

  • Application cover letter. To establish who you are, why you are a good candidate and why you want to work for that employer. 
  • Prospecting cover letter. To establish who you are, what your skills are and why you want to work for that employer. 
  • Networking cover letter. To introduce yourself, state some of your skills and career aspirations and why you want to meet that particular person.

Components of a cover letter

A cover letter can be broken down into several parts:

  • Contact information
  • Introduction 
  • Salutation
  • Relevant skills
  • Previous experience
  • Unique qualifications
  • Call to action
  • Signature

Each of these sections plays an important role in crafting an effective cover letter along with the elements they each should contain. 

How to write a cover letter

You should use each component to write your cover letter. 

The cover letter itself is usually formatted into several sections: 

1. First, include the date and your contact information

The date is the date you will send or submit the letter. The contact information is traditionally formatted as a professional header, with your name, address and contact information. 

2. Next, add a salutation and greeting

The next section, the salutation, is the contact information of the employer or the person you wish to network with. A professional greeting follows below the salutation. If you can find out the name of the hiring manager, use it. However, avoid formal greetings like sir, madame, etc. because it can be hard to know the correct one to use. If the name of the hiring manager is unknown, addressing the letter to ‘Dear hiring manager’ is perfectly acceptable.

3. Then, write an opening paragraph

After the salutation and greeting, the body of your cover letter begins. This is an important paragraph that needs a compelling statement to catch the recipient’s attention. This is also the section to introduce yourself and connect with the reader. This section should be written specifically for each recipient by including references from the job posting or company website, not copy-pasted over and over.

4. Next, write the middle paragraph

The middle paragraph is where you should go into detail about how your skills and experiences are useful. These descriptions can be used over and over but should be tweaked for each reader. Make sure to mention the skills listed in the job posting that align with your own skills and work experience.

5. Then, write a closing paragraph

The last paragraph is to thank the reader for taking the time to read your cover letter. You can summarize by including a call to action where you can remind the company why you are a good fit for the position or next steps for requesting a meeting.

6. Last, include a closing and your signature

The cover letter needs a formal closing and signature. Appropriate closings include ‘Sincerely,’ ‘Respectfully,’ and ‘Best regards.’  After that, for a digital cover letter, writing your name can double as a signature. If you are emailing your cover letter, simply type your name as your signature.

Cover letter template

Here is a template to use when writing any of the three types of cover letters:

Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State and Zip Code
Your Phone Number
Your Email

Date

Recipient’s Name
Recipient’s Title
Company or Organization Name
Address
City, State and Zip Code

Dear Recipient’s First and Last Name,

In the first paragraph of your cover letter, you can introduce yourself to the hiring manager and explain why you are interested in the job.

You can use the second paragraph to give more detail about your qualifications and how your skills match the job description. A cover letter may contain a bulleted list of your achievements.

  • Your leadership experience
  • Your goals and how you worked toward them
  • Your most relevant skills

You can use the third paragraph to explain why you are interested in the job, and offer a call-to-action, such as how you hope to follow up.

Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
Your Typed Full Name