purpose of a cover letter or letter of application

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How and Why to Write a Great Cover Letter

A cover letter is a one-page business letter that you submit when applying to a job, along with your resume. As a piece of persuasive writing, your cover letter will aim to convey to the employer why you’re a great candidate for the role.

What is the purpose of a cover letter?

Your cover letter complements your resume by making it easy for the employer to see how your experience and interest connect to the position. Your goal is to convince the employer to interview you.

With your cover letter, you’ll aim to:

• Highlight your qualifications:  You’ll show how your skills and experience relate to the employer’s needs for a specific position.
• Showcase your motivation: You’ll demonstrate your enthusiasm for the specific position and the organization.
• Reflect your voice and written communication skills: You’ll give the employer a sense of your personality and writing style.

When should I write a cover letter?

Not all jobs require cover letters. So, how do you decide whether to submit one?

Submit a Cover Letter when…

• The posting explicitly requests that you do so
• You’re applying to an opportunity at a mission-driven organization
• You think that doing so could provide important information to the employer that they wouldn’t get from your resume

Consider Submitting a Cover Letter when…

• It’s marked “optional” in an application, and you have the bandwidth to do so
• You have content that you can easily recycle or repurpose into a tailored cover letter

No Need to Submit a Cover Letter when…

• A posting specifically tells you not to submit one
• There’s no way to submit one in an application portal, and doing so would require a serious workaround

If you’re applying to several similar opportunities, creating a draft cover letter in advance, geared toward that type of opportunity, can be a helpful way to save time in your actual application process.

How do I write a cover letter?

Your cover letter should articulate your qualifications and motivation for the position. Read the job description closely and research the organization. As you craft your cover letter, use examples that demonstrate your relevant skills, knowledge, and interests. The cover letter should be concise, clear, and well-organized.

Before Writing

Research the employer.

Learn enough about the organization to articulate why you are a strong fit for that firm. 

• Review the firm’s website and LinkedIn page.
• Speak with current or previous employees.
• Read articles and social media for current news.

Analyze the job description

Look for skills, duties, and qualifications of the job so you can design your letter to match these as much as possible.

Reflect on your experience and motivation

Identify skills and personal qualities you have developed which will be useful in this role. Ask yourself:

• What attracts you about this role/company/industry?
• What have you have done in your work experiences, classes, internships, activities, projects, volunteer work, travel, etc., that is similar to the duties required of the job? 

Cover Letter Structure

As a business letter, the cover letter should include:

• Heading: Include your name and contact information in the same format as your resume
• Salutation: Address your letter to the specific individual who can hire you, if this is known. If the name is not included in the job description, address the letter to the Hiring Manager or title mentioned in the job description.
• Body Paragraphs:  Discuss your experiences, interests, and skills to show the employer how you can add value to their team. See the section below for more guidance.
• Signature Line: Include a closing and your name.

The cover letter should be one page, about three or four paragraphs, and single spaced. Use 10-12 point font and one inch margins. 

When applying online, upload your cover letter as a PDF file, unless another format is specified. When sending your resume and cover letter by email, you may write a short note or paste your cover letter in the body of your email (without the address header) and also attach the PDF file.

Cover Letter Content

Your cover letter should answer who, what, when, where and why you are applying for the opportunity. 

Introduction

State the position for which you are applying. If you have a referral or spoke with someone from the company, you can mention it in the introduction. Provide some basic information about yourself; this can include your class year and what you’re studying at Columbia. Briefly outline why you’re interested in the organization and what you bring in terms of relevant experience and skills. 

Body Paragraphs

These paragraphs will highlight your qualifications and strengths that are most relevant to the organization and position. Use the job posting and your research as clues to determine what the employer is seeking in a candidate. Have your resume beside you and reflect on what you want the employer to know about you. Are there experiences you want to expand upon that demonstrate your understanding of the role and ability to do the job requirements?

Structure the paragraphs based on relevance, not chronology. Lead with your most relevant skill or strongest experience.

Start each body paragraph with a clear topic sentence.  This can highlight a key skill set, a transferable experience, or a core area of knowledge you’ve built through your studies. Walk the reader through a project or experience, integrating the relevant skills you used and qualities you demonstrated. Provide details about your accomplishments and impact. Connect how these experiences have prepared you for this role and why you are motivated to do this job. There is no need to apologize if you feel you lack experience; focus on the accomplishments that you have.

Recap what you would bring to the organization and your interest in the position. Thank the employer for their consideration. Keep your tone positive and enthusiastic. 

Check out our example of how to structure your cover letter content . 

Editing Tips

Use our  Cover Letter Checklist to make sure your format and content is in line with best practices. 

• Ensure that the content reflects the requirements in the job description
• Keep the cover letter concise, at one page or less
• Correct any errors in grammar, sentence structure, and spelling
• Use the active voice
• Avoid beginning too many sentences with “I”

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What Is The Purpose Of A Cover Letter In An Application

In This Guide:

What's the purpose of a cover letter?

How cover letters can help explain employment gaps

What are the basic parts of a cover letter, what to leave off your cover letter.

Quick Answer: A cover letter is an extension of your resume. It provides a more personalized introduction to show the company why you're the best candidate for the job, and gives you the opportunity to explain any employment gaps. A cover letter should include your personal information, relevant qualifications, values and goals, and a call to action. Make it personal, engaging, and professional.

Everyone says you don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. And all of those unnamed people are completely right. First impressions are essential, especially when you’re looking for a job.

So you made a great resume, with a unique template, one that covers all the important past experiences and how you’re the best employee that would grace us with its presence on this planet.

But how can you make this even better?

This is when cover letters step in.

Even if you’re not required to write one when you apply for a certain position, it can only help.

In this article, we will show you all the benefits of sending a cover letter, the basic outline that you can follow, some common mistakes, and many other cover letter tips.

Let’s dive in.

What's the purpose of a cover letter?

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Cover letters are an extension to your CV or resume that will dive even deeper into your professional and personal qualifications, showing the company why you are the best candidate for the job.

It’s something that a lot of candidates skip when they apply for a certain position, so if you have a cover letter, you are already a couple of steps ahead of the competition!

These letters are a great way to properly introduce yourself in a more personalized way by addressing the points they care about the most.

Take it as something that would add a personal touch to all the facts and data you’ve already included in your resume, enticing them to read further and really get to know you.

It will show that you have put the time into researching the job you’re applying for. You know what they need and you will give it to them.

Before you start writing, take a look at some effective cover letters  so that you can see how the candidates tailored the content to fit the company and how they expressed themselves.

Employment gaps can easily turn off an employer and give a bad impression of your consistency and work ethics. And the bad thing is, there is no space on the resume where you can explain them.

This happens most often when you use the chronological type of resume. If you’re still wondering which type of resume will suit your needs best, take a look at our resume guide .

So, if you’ve decided to use the reverse chronological resume , all your gaps will shine bright like the sun, and there is no space left where you can clarify the circumstances that surround them.

Cover letters give you the freedom to do just that. Use it to tackle any controversial topics head-on and don’t leave anything to the imagination of your potential employer.

Don’t try to hide those gaps or other pieces of information such as only working in a company for 2 months. The best tactic is to be upfront about everything so you can win their trust even before the interview.

Of course, you can always find employers that would be hesitant to hire someone with long employment gaps, regardless of the explanation. However, those are companies you don’t want to have anything in common with.

And remember, the goal of a cover letter is to get you an interview. Don’t over-explain yourself, 1 or 2 sentences per gap would be enough. If the recruiters need more information, they can just ask you during the interview.

Then you will have the chance to go in-depth and make the best impression since you can look at their reactions, analyze their behavior, and see how they react to certain pieces of information.

Introduction

It’s best you start with an opening section that includes your personal information such as full name, address, email, phone number, etc. You can also insert a link to your professional profile, for example, LinkedIn.

Pay special attention to the email. It needs to look professional. No matter how long you’ve used your high-school email, “ [email protected] ” will not impress your future employers, unless you’re applying for a band.

Next is the greeting. Usually, the job offer includes the name of the hiring manager and if it doesn’t, take your time to research them. It will make a great impression if they see you made the effort to learn the contact names.

Still, it needs to be respectful. Say the name of the hiring manager is Josh. Don’t start with “Hey Josh” or “What’s up Josh?”. A simple “Dear Josh” would be great. Or, if you have a full name, use it – “Dear Mr.Smith”.

Representation of your qualifications

Now that you’ve finished with the presentations, it’s time to start advertising yourself.

Start with how you found out about the position and the things that motivated you to apply for it. Briefly explain how your qualifications and skills are related to the job, making sure you’re using the ones they specified in the ad.

If they are looking for someone who can manage multiple projects at a time, include it. See what they need the most in their candidates and if it’s something you’re confident in, don’t forget to put it in.

This part needs to be very engaging, it will determine whether they will continue reading or stop in the middle, throwing your resume and letter away for good.

Be specific about your achievements and responsibilities. “I was proofreading documents” is not as nearly as effective as “I was the main proofreader for all the legal documentation for the Accounting department”.

Be confident when you talk about what you’ve done but be careful not to appear cocky and arrogant. Simply highlight your accomplishments and let them speak for you, instead of saying how great and unique you are.

Values and Goals

The next section should include arguments about why you’re such a unique fit for the company, how they can benefit from someone with your personality, and how enthusiastic you are about applying for this position.

Take some time to explain about your hobbies, about you as a person. Show that you’re not a mindless robot, but a unique human being with their own passions and desires.

Share with them your dreams and what you expect to accomplish both as an employee of their company and in life in general.

If you’ve spent time volunteering, this is the perfect place to mention it and what it gave to you as a person and a professional.

End your cover letter with call to action

Now that you’ve listed all your amazing achievements, experience in the field, and personal qualifications, it’s time to finish off and entice the recruiting manager to contact you for an interview.

Remind them about the resume you’ve attached along with the cover letter and let them know the best way to contact you.

Thank them for the time they spent on your application and how you’ll be waiting in anticipation for the reply.

The recruiters shouldn’t doubt how much you want this job so make sure to remind them again. A simple “Eagerly waiting for your positive reply”, should do you just right.

Still not sure what to include? Take a look at some  cover letter examples  that have secured impressive job positions in no time!

Just as there are important things that would attract your future employers, there are some phrases that are a definite turn-off and should be avoided.

Let’s go through the main ones.

“Thank you for reading my resume.”

You can’t assume they’ve already read your resume. Chances are they haven’t and the cover letter is the first thing they go through.

“I will be an excellent fit for your position.”

Let your achievements and qualifications speak for you. And by saying “I will be”, you already assume they hired you, which is quite arrogant.

Instead, rephrase it to – “I believe I can be a great asset to your team/department/company.”

 “Dear sir, or madman”

Since cover letters include more written content than resumes, any punctuation and grammar errors will be easily noticed.

An inconsistent and incorrect writing style will make a really bad impression and everything else you’ve put as accomplishments and experience will be of no importance.

Proofread a few times. We recommend that you use an online tool like Grammarly or Enhancv’s Content Analyzer .

Be careful when you choose the font, make sure it’s professional. A cover letter entirely written in Comic Sans will throw off any sane, intellectual human being on this planet.

Cover letters are an extremely useful addition to your resume. They bring character and soul to the factual CV or work resume.

Most companies look for people that would add value to their business and a cover letter should be used to show them just that.

How you can give them exactly what they need and much more.

Still, cover letters can be quite difficult to pull off. Do your research, both for the company itself and for all the things a cover letter should include, as well as the recommended writing style, and much more.

Don’t use the same cover letter template for each company. Make it personal, show them you care.

For your convenience, we have gathered our years of expertise in a number of useful articles that will help you with your  cover letter .

• Cover Letter Guides

We Analyzed 114,000 Resume Examples and Job Offers but Couldn't Find the Skills Gap

How, when, and why you can use a two-page resume, 12 of the most popular dream jobs, “what are your strengths”: easy answers for this tough question (with 6 bonus examples), how to list projects on a resume: a concise approach, do cover letters need an address.

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Resume VS Cover Letter in 2024 [Detailed Guide & Examples!]

Navigating the job market in 2024 can be tricky, with every detail in your job application making a huge difference. 

In such a situation, you might find yourself wondering about the roles of resumes and cover letters and how each can help your job hunt. 

While a resume showcases your skills and experiences, a cover letter adds a personal touch, explaining why you're the perfect fit. But blending these two effectively isn't always straightforward.

But worry not! 

This guide will show you how to create a spotless application by telling you all about resumes vs cover letters, including:

• Resume Vs Cover Letter: 3 Key Differences 

Resume Vs Cover Letter: 3 Key Similarities

• What to Include in Your Resume and Cover Letter
• Resume and Cover Letter Examples

Let’s dive in!  

Resume Vs Cover Letter: 3 Key Differences

When you're on the hunt for a new job, understanding the difference between a resume and a cover letter is crucial. 

They might seem like they serve the same purpose at first glance, but they're actually quite different in terms of format, tone, and purpose. 

Let's break down these key differences to help you leverage each one effectively in your job application: 

#1. Format 

The main difference between a resume and a cover letter is how they’re formatted. A resume’s format is structured, almost like a database of your professional life. It's a concise, bullet-pointed list showcasing your work experience, skills, and educational background. 

The idea is to make it easy for the employer to scan through your qualifications quickly. Think of it as a highlight reel of your career, with each point clear and to the point.

On the other hand, a cover letter has a more narrative style. It's your chance to tell a story about your professional journey. Here, you're not just listing your achievements and skills; you're explaining them. 

You can dive into details about key experiences, how you tackled challenges, and why you're a great fit for the role. While your resume is factual and to the point, your cover letter allows your personality and enthusiasm to shine through.

What you include in a cover letter is also different from a resume. In your cover letter , you're linking your skills and experiences directly to what the job requires, using examples and anecdotes. Meanwhile, your resume serves as a straightforward record of your professional path and competencies.

The tone is where you see the difference between a resume and a cover letter. 

A resume is all about being professional and straightforward. You're sticking to the facts: your past job titles , the skills you've mastered, and your educational background. It's like a formal report about you, so there's not much room for personal flair or storytelling.

In contrast, your cover letter is where you can be a bit more relaxed and personal. 

This doesn't mean you should be overly casual, but it's definitely the place to add a bit of your personality. You can write in the first person, share your enthusiasm for the job, and talk about why you're excited about the opportunity. It's like having a conversation with the hiring manager, telling them why you'd be a great fit for the job.

So, while your resume is the straight-to-the-point , no-nonsense part of your application, your cover letter is where you get to be more expressive. 

#3. Purpose

When it comes to the purpose of a resume and a cover letter, it's all about showing different sides of your professional story. 

Your resume is the backbone of your job application; it's essential. It gives a clear, concise rundown of your professional journey. Basically, it's your way of saying, "Here's what I've done and what I'm good at." You can apply for a job with just a resume, but it's just a part of the whole picture.

The cover letter is what fills that picture. It complements your resume by filling in the gaps and adding context to your experiences. This is your space to explain why you're interested in the job and how your background makes you a great fit. It's like adding color to a black-and-white photo. 

By writing a cover letter , you're showing hiring managers that you're not just tossing your resume into every job opening you see. You're taking the time to present a complete, well-thought-out application.

So, while your resume is key, including a cover letter can be a game-changer. It shows you're a dedicated job seeker who understands the value of presenting a full picture. Hiring managers often look for this effort as it demonstrates you’re serious about the role. In a stack of many resumes, a well-crafted cover letter can be the thing that makes you stand out .

If navigating the world of job applications can be tricky, it helps to know that both resumes and cover letters also share some common ground.

While they have their differences, they also have key similarities like length, the need to be tailored to the job, and using matching templates. 

Understanding these similarities can help you create a cohesive and compelling job application package:

#1. Length 

First up, let's talk about length. Both your resume and cover letter should be pretty brief . 

The recommended resume length is usually one page long . You can have a two-page resume , but that's only if you have tons of experience and are applying for an executive position. 

As a rule of thumb, though, your resume should be all about being concise and to the point. You want to make sure every word counts, especially since hiring managers don't spend a lot of time on each resume.

Your cover letter should also be short and sweet. Aim for about three to four paragraphs , and don’t go over one page. You're not writing your autobiography here; you're giving a snapshot of why you're the right fit for the job. It's your chance to highlight the most important parts of your resume and add a bit of personality, but remember, brevity is key.

So, whether it's your resume or cover letter, keep it tight. You want to give just enough to spark interest and make them say, "Let's call this person for an interview."

#2. Tailoring it to the Job

Now, let's talk about tailoring these documents to the job. 

This is super important for both your resume and cover letter. You can't just send the same version to every job opening; it needs to feel like it was made just for that specific role. For your resume, this means highlighting the experience and skills that are most relevant to the job you're applying for. You've got to show them that what you've done lines up with what they need.

Your cover letter needs this custom touch, too. It's your chance to draw a clear line between your skills and experiences and the job's requirements. Here, you're telling them, "Hey, see these things on my resume? This is how they make me a great fit for your job." It's about making the connection between you and the role crystal clear.

So, whether it's tweaking your resume to highlight certain experiences or writing a cover letter that speaks directly to the job ad, tailoring each document is key. It shows that you're not just looking for any job; you're interested in this job.

Looking for a new job? Be sure to read the ultimate guide to the job hunt for help along the way!

#3. Matching Templates 

Lastly, there's the visual aspect – using matching templates for your resume and cover letter. When these two pieces of your application match, it gives everything a cohesive and professional look. 

Think of it like wearing a matching outfit to an interview; it just looks more put together. Using the same design, colors, and font style in both documents creates a strong, unified brand for you as a professional. It's a subtle touch, but it can make your application stand out.

Having a matching set also shows attention to detail. It tells the hiring manager that you've put thought and effort into your application. It's not just about the content; it's also about presenting it in a way that's pleasing to the eye and easy to read.

If you're not a design whiz, don't worry. There are tools out there that can help.

For example, Novorésumé offers matching templates for resumes and cover letters. This makes it super easy to create a professional and stylish-looking application package. 

With a few clicks, you can have a resume and cover letter that look like they were made to go together, because, well, they were!

What to Include in Your Resume

Your resume is your professional story on a page. It's crucial to include the right information to showcase your skills and experiences effectively. Here's a breakdown of what to include:

• Contact Information : Start with the basics - your name, phone number, email, and LinkedIn profile. Make sure your email sounds professional and not like something you came up with in high school (e.g.: [email protected]). 
• Resume Summary or Objective : This is a brief statement at the top of your resume. It should highlight your career achievements and aspirations. Tailor it to reflect how you're a great fit for the specific job you're applying for.
• Professional Experience: List your past jobs in reverse chronological order. Include your title, the company name, dates of employment, and a brief description of your responsibilities and achievements in each role.
• Skills (Hard and Soft): Highlight both your technical skills (like programming languages or marketing tools) and soft skills (like communication or problem-solving ). Tailor these to match the job description.
• Education : Include your most recent and relevant educational experiences. List the degree, the institution, and the year of graduation. You can also mention academic honors or extracurricular activities if they're relevant (I.e.: if you’re a recent graduate or entry-level professional).
• Optional Sections : If you have leftover space on your resume, you can include optional sections such as any languages you speak, any volunteer work you’ve done, your certifications or personal projects, as well as your hobbies and interests .

Are you wondering if you should write a CV or resume ? Read our article to find out what the differences are!

What to Include in Your Cover Letter

A cover letter is your chance to make a personal connection with the employer. It complements your resume by bringing your experiences to life. Here’s what you should include:

• Contact Information: Just like your resume, start with your name, phone number, and email. No need for your address, but including your LinkedIn profile could be a nice touch.
• Addressing the Hiring Manager: It's important to address your cover letter to the right person. If you can, find out the name of the hiring manager and address them directly (like "Dear Ms. Smith"). This personal touch shows you've put in the extra effort and makes your letter feel more tailored and respectful.
• Introduction: Grab their attention. Start with a concise introduction about who you are and why you're interested in the role. A compelling opener can make a big difference.
• Why You’re Interested in the Role: Explain what drew you to the job. Be specific about why the company or the role excites you. This shows you've done your homework.
• Your Relevant Experience and Skills: Here's where you match your skills to the job description. Use specific examples from your past to show how you've used these skills effectively to show the hiring manager why they should hire you.
• Conclusion and Call to Action : Wrap it up by reiterating your interest and thank the reader for their time. A proactive closing, like mentioning your eagerness to discuss your application in an interview, leaves a strong final impression.

13 Resume Examples

Are you wondering what a great resume looks like? Here are 13 resumes for different professions to inspire you:

#1. Business Analyst Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a business analyst resume here.

#2. Digital Marketing Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a digital marketing resume here.

#3. Software Engineer Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a software engineer resume here.

#4. Construction Project Manager Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a construction project manager resume here.

#5. Customer Service Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a customer service resume here.

#6. High School Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a high school resume here.

#7. Student Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a student resume here.

#8. Server Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a server resume here.

#9. Actor Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing an actor resume here.

#10. Web Developer Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a web developer resume here.

#11. Engineering Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing an engineering resume here.

#12. Computer Science Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a computer science resume here.

#13. Architect Resume Example 

Check out our full guide to writing an architect resume here.

13 Cover Letter Examples

And here are some cover letter examples to take your application from great to perfect:

#1. Customer Service Cover Letter

Check out our full guide to writing a customer service cover letter here.

#2. Marketing Executive Cover Letter

Check out our full guide to writing a marketing executive cover letter here.

#3. Medical Assistant Cover Letter

Check out our full guide to writing a medical assistant cover letter here.

#4. Consultant Cover Letter

Check out our full guide to writing a consultant cover letter here.

#5. College Student Cover Letter

Check out our full guide to writing a college student cover letter here.

#6. Retail Cover Letter

Check out our full guide to writing a retail cover letter here.

#7. Team Leader Cover Letter

Check out our full guide to writing a team leader cover letter here.

#8. Actor Cover Letter

Check out our full guide to writing an actor cover letter here.

#9. Digital Marketing Cover Letter

#10. Executive Assistant Cover Letter

Check out our full guide to writing an executive assistant cover letter here.

#11. Finance Cover Letter

Check out our full guide to writing a finance cover letter here.

#12. Graphic Designer Cover Letter

Check out our full guide to writing a graphic designer cover letter here.

#13. IT Cover Letter

Check out our full guide to writing an IT cover letter here.

Key Takeaways 

And that’s a wrap on everything you need to know about cover letters and resumes. 

Before you go and perfect your application based on what you just read, here’s a rundown of the main points we covered in this article:

• Resumes and cover letters differ in the way you format them, the tone you use when writing them, and the purpose they serve. 
• On the other hand, they also have similarities. For example, they’re typically the same length and need to be tailored to the job you’re applying for. 
• On your resume, make sure to include your contact information, resume summary, work experience, education, skills, and other optional sections. 
• Meanwhile, in your cover letter, you should first include a header with both your and the hiring manager’s contact information. Then you should address the hiring manager, write a captivating introduction, talk about your achievements and skills, and wrap up with a call to action and a professional signature line. 

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Writing a Cover Letter

Cover letters are a versatile means of communication that reinforces the qualifications presented in your resume and highlights how your skills and personality would be a good fit for the company. Crafting a cover letter allows for expressing your personal qualities and interests that compliment your resume.

An Effective Cover Letter:

• Has a specific purpose stated in the first paragraph
• Uses short narrative examples to demonstrate how you would be a good fit for the company
• Illustrates your personality, specific interests in the company, and positive attitude
• Features your refined skills in writing and communicating ideas

When to Write a Cover Letter

Every job seeker should always send a cover letter, even if it is not asked for. A cover letter gives you an additional opportunity—an added edge over the competition—to make a positive and lasting first impression. It demonstrates your communication skills, allows you to provide evidence of why you are a good match for the position, and it shows a more human glimpse of you, the job seeker, than your resume allows.

Five Tips for Creating an Excellent Cover Letter

• Find the person’s name you are sending the letter to. This can be as easy as researching the company directory online, or calling the company receptionist and asking for the spelling of the hiring manager’s name. If you  cannot find a name,use “Dear Hiring Manager:” or “Dear Hiring Team:” to address the letter.
• Research the organization ahead of time. You’ll come across as intelligent and polite if you write a few sentences about your knowledge of the company’s products, mission, services, reputation, impressive accomplishments, trends in the industry, or what you have in common.
• Provide evidence through real-life examples. This shows the readers that you have some of the skills and qualities they seek in their candidate. One or two sentences for each quality they state they are seeking should paint enough of a picture to prove you possess the qualification.
• Ask for an interview in the closing. Make it easy for them. If you are applying on a position out of state, tell them you will be visiting their city during winter/spring break, or would be happy to look into video conferencing.
• Proofread, proofread, proofread. Even accomplished writers need editors to assist with proofreading. Your career advisor is happy to work with you on proofreading your letter.

Considerations for Sending Cover Letters:

• Email : You may use the message area of an e-mail for your cover letter. If the application specifically asks for a cover letter, also include a draft as an attachment to the email.
• Mail or drop off in person : The most attractive way is in hard copy on nice resume paper. If you send it this way, make certain to sign each letter with your signature.
• Attachment : If you attach your cover letter, try saving it as a pdf so that the formatting stays exactly the way you intended. Some people connect their cover letter and resume into one pdf so that the employer only has to open one document.

Eight Easy Reminders:

• Try to find the name of the person you are sending the letter to.
• Keep it to one page and three/four paragraphs.
• Tell them why you want to work for them by mentioning something that is appealing to you about their company, mission, products, or clients.
• Tailor each letter to the particular position and to the specific company.
• Make it what you can do for them, not what you hope to gain.
• Provide proof that you have used some of the skills they seek by giving real life examples.
• Have someone proofread for spelling, tense, grammar, flow, and persuasiveness.
• Follow through if you’ve stated you will to demonstrate your motivation and interest.

Top 10 Skills Most Sought After By Employers:

• Communications Skills
• Analytical/Research Skills
• Computer Literacy
• Flexibility/Adaptability
• Interpersonal Abilities
• Leadership/Management
• Multicultural Awareness
• Planning/Organizing
• Problem-Solving/ Creativity

Adapted from this great resource ; R.S.Hansen et al, 2010

With practice, you’ll become skilled at writing cover letters that inspire the reader to want to meet you. In the meantime, feel free to contact your career advisor for help. Happy writing!

How to Write a Cover Letter That Will Get You a Job

I ’ve read thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of cover letters in my career. If you’re thinking that sounds like really boring reading, you’re right. What I can tell you from enduring that experience is that most cover letters are terrible — and not only that, but squandered opportunities. When a cover letter is done well, it can significantly increase your chances of getting an interview, but the vast majority fail that test.

So let’s talk about how to do cover letters right.

First, understand the point of a cover letter.

The whole idea of a cover letter is that it can help the employer see you as more than just your résumé. Managers generally aren’t hiring based solely on your work history; your experience is crucial, yes, but they’re also looking for someone who will be easy to work with, shows good judgment, communicates well, possesses strong critical thinking skills and a drive to get things done, complements their current team, and all the other things you yourself probably want from your co-workers. It’s tough to learn much about those things from job history alone, and that’s where your cover letter comes in.

Because of that …

Whatever you do, don’t just summarize your résumé.

The No. 1 mistake people make with cover letters is that they simply use them to summarize their résumé. This makes no sense — hiring managers don’t need a summary of your résumé! It’s on the very next page! They’re about to see it as soon as they scroll down. And if you think about it, your entire application is only a few pages (in most cases, a one- or two-page résumé and a one-page cover letter) — why would you squander one of those pages by repeating the content of the others? And yet, probably 95 percent of the cover letters I see don’t add anything new beyond the résumé itself (and that’s a conservative estimate).

Instead, your cover letter should go beyond your work history to talk about things that make you especially well-suited for the job. For example, if you’re applying for an assistant job that requires being highly organized and you neurotically track your household finances in a detailed, color-coded spreadsheet, most hiring managers would love to know that because it says something about the kind of attention to detail you’d bring to the job. That’s not something you could put on your résumé, but it can go in your cover letter.

Or maybe your last boss told you that you were the most accurate data processor she’d ever seen, or came to rely on you as her go-to person whenever a lightning-fast rewrite was needed. Maybe your co-workers called you “the client whisperer” because of your skill in calming upset clients. Maybe you’re regularly sought out by more senior staff to help problem-solve, or you find immense satisfaction in bringing order to chaos. Those sorts of details illustrate what you bring to the job in a different way than your résumé does, and they belong in your cover letter.

If you’re still stumped, pretend you’re writing an email to a friend about why you’d be great at the job. You probably wouldn’t do that by stiffly reciting your work history, right? You’d talk about what you’re good at and how you’d approach the work. That’s what you want here.

You don’t need a creative opening line.

If you think you need to open the letter with something creative or catchy, I am here to tell you that you don’t. Just be simple and straightforward:

• “I’m writing to apply for your X position.”

• “I’d love to be considered for your X position.”

• “I’m interested in your X position because …”

• “I’m excited to apply for your X position.”

That’s it! Straightforward is fine — better, even, if the alternative is sounding like an aggressive salesperson.

Show, don’t tell.

A lot of cover letters assert that the person who wrote it would excel at the job or announce that the applicant is a skillful engineer or a great communicator or all sorts of other subjective superlatives. That’s wasted space — the hiring manager has no reason to believe it, and so many candidates claim those things about themselves that most managers ignore that sort of self-assessment entirely. So instead of simply declaring that you’re great at X (whatever X is), your letter should demonstrate that. And the way you do that is by describing accomplishments and experiences that illustrate it.

Here’s a concrete example taken from one extraordinarily effective cover-letter makeover that I saw. The candidate had originally written, “I offer exceptional attention to detail, highly developed communication skills, and a talent for managing complex projects with a demonstrated ability to prioritize and multitask.” That’s pretty boring and not especially convincing, right? (This is also exactly how most people’s cover letters read.)

In her revised version, she wrote this instead:

“In addition to being flexible and responsive, I’m also a fanatic for details — particularly when it comes to presentation. One of my recent projects involved coordinating a 200-page grant proposal: I proofed and edited the narratives provided by the division head, formatted spreadsheets, and generally made sure that every line was letter-perfect and that the entire finished product conformed to the specific guidelines of the RFP. (The result? A five-year, $1.5 million grant award.) I believe in applying this same level of attention to detail to tasks as visible as prepping the materials for a top-level meeting and as mundane as making sure the copier never runs out of paper.”

That second version is so much more compelling and interesting — and makes me believe that she really is great with details.

If there’s anything unusual or confusing about your candidacy, address it in the letter.

Your cover letter is your chance to provide context for things that otherwise might seem confusing or less than ideal to a hiring manager. For example, if you’re overqualified for the position but are excited about it anyway, or if you’re a bit underqualified but have reason to think you could excel at the job, address that up front. Or if your background is in a different field but you’re actively working to move into this one, say so, talk about why, and explain how your experience will translate. Or if you’re applying for a job across the country from where you live because you’re hoping to relocate to be closer to your family, let them know that.

If you don’t provide that kind of context, it’s too easy for a hiring manager to decide you’re the wrong fit or applying to everything you see or don’t understand the job description and put you in the “no” pile. A cover letter gives you a chance to say, “No, wait — here’s why this could be a good match.”

Keep the tone warm and conversational.

While there are some industries that prize formal-sounding cover letters — like law — in most fields, yours will stand out if it’s warm and conversational. Aim for the tone you’d use if you were writing to a co-worker whom you liked a lot but didn’t know especially well. It’s okay to show some personality or even use humor; as long as you don’t go overboard, your letter will be stronger for it.

Don’t use a form letter.

You don’t need to write every cover letter completely from scratch, but if you’re not customizing it to each job, you’re doing it wrong. Form letters tend to read like form letters, and they waste the chance to speak to the specifics of what this employer is looking for and what it will take to thrive in this particular job.

If you’re applying for a lot of similar jobs, of course you’ll end up reusing language from one letter to the next. But you shouldn’t have a single cover letter that you wrote once and then use every time you apply; whatever you send should sound like you wrote it with the nuances of this one job in mind.

A good litmus test is this: Could you imagine other applicants for this job sending in the same letter? If so, that’s a sign that you haven’t made it individualized enough to you and are probably leaning too heavily on reciting your work history.

No, you don’t need to hunt down the hiring manager’s name.

If you read much job-search advice, at some point you’ll come across the idea that you need to do Woodward and Bernstein–level research to hunt down the hiring manager’s name in order to open your letter with “Dear Matilda Jones.” You don’t need to do this; no reasonable hiring manager will care. If the name is easily available, by all means, feel free to use it, but otherwise “Dear Hiring Manager” is absolutely fine. Take the hour you just freed up and do something more enjoyable with it.

Keep it under one page.

If your cover letters are longer than a page, you’re writing too much, and you risk annoying hiring managers who are likely sifting through hundreds of applications and don’t have time to read lengthy tomes. On the other hand, if you only write one paragraph, it’s unlikely that you’re making a compelling case for yourself as a candidate — not impossible, but unlikely. For most people, something close to a page is about right.

Don’t agonize over the small details.

What matters most about your cover letter is its content. You should of course ensure that it’s well-written and thoroughly proofread, but many job seekers agonize over elements of the letter that really don’t matter. I get tons of  questions from job seekers  about whether they should attach their cover letter or put it in the body of the email (answer: No one cares, but attaching it makes it easier to share and will preserve your formatting), or what to name the file (again, no one really cares as long as it’s reasonably professional, but when people are dealing with hundreds of files named “resume,” it’s courteous to name it with your full name).

Approaching your cover letter like this can make a huge difference in your job search. It can be the thing that moves your application from the “maybe” pile (or even the “no” pile) to the “yes” pile. Of course, writing cover letters like this will take more time than sending out the same templated letter summarizing your résumé — but 10 personalized, compelling cover letters are likely to get you more  interview invitations  than 50 generic ones will.

• ‘I Had a Great Job Interview — Why Haven’t I Heard Back?’
• How to Answer ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ in a Job Interview

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Chapter Objectives

The purpose of this chapter is to:

• Apply research techniques for job searching in your field of study
• Design a resume for a job application
• Create a cover letter for a job application
• Describe the process of interviewing for jobs
• Apply networking skills by using various social media

Introduction

The job search process can be very intimidating. Many people struggle to find listings they are interested in, while others may be intimidated or overwhelmed by the application process. The diagram below explains the steps that occur during a job search. Many people think it starts with finding a job post, applying with your application, cover letter letter and resume, and then going into the interview. However, there are many more steps involved in order to be successful in your job search.

Job seeking is a multi-step process, which should be completed in order to increase your likelihood of obtaining the desired position. Often, it looks like the following:

Job Research

The first step is to figure out what type of job you are looking for. Are you just coming out of college and looking for an entry-level position? Are you an experienced technician in your field and you are looking for another job? Once you have determined what type of job you are looking for, you need to do some research on positions available in your field. There are many places you can look to find a job in your field of study. There are job search websites like Monster, Indeed, LinkedIn, etc... You can also look at company websites in their "career opportunities" section. It is also good to tell friends, family, and colleagues that you are looking for a job. They might know of opportunities that are available at their employer.

Once you find the jobs you want to apply for, you will need to decipher the job description .

Deciphering the Job Description

Most job descriptions can be found on the employer’s website. Generally, a job description will contain important information about what the job entails, along with any technical or educational requirements the employer expects qualified applicants to hold. To start planning planning your application materials, identify each skill and qualification listed on the job posting. You can highlight on a physical printout of the posting, or copy down details into a notebook or on a spreadsheet.

List each skill and qualification on a separate line.

Group like with like. If communication skills are listed as important, in addition to giving presentations to potential clients, list one after the other.

Once you have completely decoded the job description, you can start matching up your own experiences and qualifications to what the employer is looking for. This will be very helpful to have on hand as you start working on the next step of the process: creating your resume .

A resume is a selective record of your background—your educational, military, work experience, your certifications, abilities, and so on. You send it, sometimes accompanied by an application and a cover letter, to potential employers when you are seeking job interviews.

A resume should be easily readable, effectively designed, and adapted to audience expectations. If you're just starting your college education and have little work experience, try using the techniques and suggestions here to create a resume that represents your current skills, abilities, and background. 

Figure 2 below presents the seven benefits that a well-written resume can do for you and your job search:

Figure 2: The benefits of a well-written resume . (CC BY 2017; Amber Kinonen)

Résumé Design: An Overview

Before personal computers, people used one resume for varied kinds of employment searches. However, with less expensive desktop publishing and high-quality printing, people sometimes rewrite their resume for every new job they go after. For example, a person who seeks employment both with a community college and with a software-development company would use two different resumes . The contents of the two might be roughly the same, but the organization, format, and emphasis would be quite different.

You are probably aware of resume -writing software: you feed your data into them and they churn out a prefab resume . You probably also know about resume -writing services that will create your resume for you for a hundred dollars or so. If you are in a time bind or if you are extremely insecure about your writing or resume -designing skills, these services might help. Often, though, they take your information and put it into a computer database that then forces it into a prefab structure. They often use the same resume -writing software just mentioned; they charge you about what the software costs. The problem is that these agencies simply cannot be that sensitive or perceptive about your background or your employment search. Nor are you likely to want to pay for their services every month or so when you are in the thick of a job search. Why not learn the skills and techniques of writing your own resume here, save the money, and write better resumes anyway?

There is no one right way to write a resume . Every person's background, employment needs, and career objectives are different, thus necessitating unique resume designs. Every aspect of your resume must start with who you are, what your background is, what the potential employer is looking for, and what your employment goals are—not with a prefab design. 

Sections in Resumes

Resumes  can be divided into three sections: the heading, the body, and the conclusion. Each of these sections has fairly common contents.

Heading. The top third of the resume is the heading . It contains your name, phone number, address, and other details such as your occupation, titles, and so on. Some resume writers include the name of their profession, occupation, or field. In some examples, you'll see writers putting things like "CERTIFIED PHYSICAL THERAPIST" very prominently in the heading. Headings can also contain a professional summary or highlights. These two special subsections are described later.

Body. In a one-page resume , the body is the middle portion, taking up a half or more of the total space of the resume . In this section, you present the details of your work, education, and military experience. This information is arranged in reverse chronological order , where you start with your most recent experience and work backwards in time. In the body section, you also include your accomplishments, like publications, certifications, equipment you are familiar with, and so on. There are many ways to present this information:

You can divide it functionally —into separate sections for work experience and education.

You can divide it thematically —into separate sections for the different areas of your experience and education.

Conclusion. In the final third or quarter of the resume , you can present other related information on your background. For example, you can list activities, professional associations, memberships, hobbies, and interests. At first, you might think that listing non-work and personal information would be totally irrelevant and inappropriate. Actually, it can come in handy—it personalizes you to potential employers and gives you something to chat about while you're waiting for the coffee machine or the elevator. For example, if you mention in your resume that you raise goats, that gives the interviewer something to chat with you about during those moments of otherwise uncomfortable silence.

Resume Types and Design

To begin planning your resume , decide which type of resume you need. This decision is in part based on requirements that prospective employers may have, and in part based on what your background and employment needs are.

Type of organization . R esumes can be defined according to how information on work and educational experience is handled. There are several basic, commonly used plans or designs you can consider using.

Functional design: Illustrated schematically below in Figure 3, the functional design starts with a heading. Then it presents either education or work experience, whichever is stronger or more relevant, followed by the other of these two sections. Finally, it ends with a section on skills and certifications and one on personal information. Students who have not yet begun their careers often find this design the best for their purposes. People with military experience either work that detail into the education and work-experience sections as appropriate, or they create separate sections specifically for military experience at the same level as education and work experience.

Thematic design: Another approach to resume is the thematic design, also illustrated schematically in Figure 3. It divides your experience and education into categories such as project management, budgetary planning, financial tracking, personnel management, customer sales, technical support, publications—whichever areas describe your experience. Often, these categories are based directly on typical or specific employment advertisements. If the job advertisement says that Company ABC wants a person with experience in training, customer service, and sales, then it might be a smart move to design thematic headings around those three requirements. If you want to use the thematic approach in your resume , take a look at your employment and educational experience—what are the common threads? Project management, program development, troubleshooting, supervision, maintenance, inventory control? Take a look at the job announcement you're responding to—what are the three, four, or five key requirements it mentions? Use these themes to design the body section of your resume . These themes become the headings in the body of the resume . Under these headings you list the employment or educational experience that applies. For example, under a heading like "FINANCIAL RECORDS," you might list the accounting and bookkeeping courses you took in college, the company-sponsored seminars on Excel you took, and the jobs where you actually used these skills.

Type of information . Types of resume can be defined according to the amount and kind of information they present:

Objective resumes : This type just gives dates, names, and titles, but no qualitative salesmanship information. These are very lean, terse resumes . In business writing courses, you are typically asked not to write this type. The objective- resume style is useful when you want to use a thematic approach or emphasize the summary/highlights section. By its very nature, you can see that the thematic approach is unclear about the actual history of employment. It's harder to tell where the person was, what she was doing, year by year.

Detailed resumes: This type provides not only dates, titles, and names, but also details about your responsibilities and statements about the quality and effectiveness of your work. This is the type most people write, and the type that is the focus of most business writing courses. The rest of the details in this section of this chapter focus on writing the detailed resume .

Layout and Detail Format in Resumes

At some point in your resume  planning, you'll want to think schematically about the layout and design of the thing. General layout has to do with the design and location of the heading, the headings for the individual sections, and the orientation of the detailed text in relation to those headings. Detail formats are the way you choose to arrange and present the details of your education and work experience.

Layout. Some resumes have the headings centered; others are on the left margin. The actual text—the paragraphs—of resumes typically does not extend to the far left and the far right margins. Full-length lines are not considered as readable or scannable as the shorter ones you see illustrated in the examples in this book.

Many resumes use a "hanging-head" format . In this case, the heading starts on the far left margin while the text is indented another inch or so. This format makes the heading stand out more and the text more scannable. Notice also that in some of the text paragraphs of resume s, special typography is used to highlight the name of the organization or the job title.

Detail formats. You have to make a fundamental decision about how you present the details of your work and education experience. Several examples of typical presentational techniques are shown below. The elements you work with include:

Occupation, position, or job title

Company or organization name

Time period you were there (including the month and year for both the beginning and end of your employment)

Key details about your accomplishments and responsibilities while there.

There are many different ways to format this information. It all depends on what you want to emphasize and how much or how little information you have (whether you are struggling to fit it all on one page or struggling to make it fill one page). Several different detail formats are shown throughout this chapter, but the most important thing is to be consistent with whatever format you choose. For example, if you list your job title on one line and then the name of the company you worked for on the line below it, that should be the format you use for every entry you create.

Special Sections in Resumes

Here are some ideas for special resume sections that emphasize your particular skills or qualifications.

Highlights . In some resume s, you may notice a "Highlights" section that occurs just below the heading and just above the main experience and education sections. This is an increasingly popular section in resume s since resume specialists believe that the eye makes first contact with a page somewhere one-fourth to one-third of the way down the page—not at the very top. If that is the case, then it makes sense to put your very "best stuff" at that point. Therefore, some people list their most important qualifications, their key skills, their key work experience in that space on the page. Actually, this section is useful more for people who have been in their careers for a while. It's a good way to create one common spot on the resume to list those key qualifications about yourself that may be spread throughout the resume . Otherwise, these key details about yourself are scattered across your various employment and educational experience—in fact, they may be buried by them.

Professional profile . Also called a career summary , a professional profile is a section that can be found on some resume s just under the heading and briefly describes key qualifications, experiences, and goals as they relate to the specific job for which you're applying. Think about this section as your professional "headline": what is it about you as an individual that makes you uniquely qualified for this position? Try to answer that question in brief phrases that connect to the key responsibilities from the job description, written in the imperative voice (avoiding "I" statements as much as possible.) A professional profile section is similar to a highlights section, but shorter (usually between two and four sentences) and in paragraph rather than list form.

Early-Career Resumes

If you are at the beginning of your career, all the advice and examples to this point may seem fine and good, but what if you have very little experience? Careers must start somewhere—and so must resume s. You can use several strategies to fill out your resume so that you appear to be the promising entry-level candidate that we all know you are.

Cite relevant projects that you've worked on, both in academia and in your community, even if they are not exactly related to the career that you pursue.

Spend extra time describing college courses and programs you have been involved in. Think about successful team projects, research projects, or reports you have completed while working on your degree.

Include volunteer work that has required you to use any skills related to your industry. (If you've not done any volunteer work, get to volunteering!)

List any organizations you have been a member of and describe any of their activities that have any trace of technical in them. (If you've not belonged to any business or professional organizations, get to belonging!)

Use formatting to spread what information you have to fill out the resume page.

Resumes can include co-op and part-time work. Bulleted-lists extends the length of a the resume  so that it fills up the page. At the bottom of the resume , a writer can list awards and organizations. These too can be amplified if necessary. Details as to what the award is about, why this writer received it, and what those organizations are—these are examples of good information that could be added, if necessary.

Subtle changes in format can also help make your resume  fill a page. Top, bottom, left, and right margins can all be pushed down, up, and in from the standard 1.0 inch to 1.25 inches if needed. You can add an extra space between sections. To do so, don't just press Enter. Instead, use the paragraph-formatting feature of your software to put 6 or 9 points, for example, below the final element of each section. Line spacing is another subtle way to extend a resume . If your software by default uses 13.6 points of line spacing for Times New Roman 12 point text, experiment with changing the line spacing to exactly 15.0 points.

Résumé Checklist

As you plan, write, and review your resume , keep these points in mind:

Readability: are there any dense paragraphs over 6 lines? Imagine your prospective employer sitting down to a two-inch stack of resume s. Do you think they are going to slow down to read through big thick paragraphs? Probably not. Try to keep paragraphs under 6 lines long. The "hanging-head" design helps here.

White space. Picture a resume crammed with detail, using only half-inch margins all the way around, a small type size, and only a small amount of space between parts of the resume . Our prospective employer might be less inclined to work through that also. "Air it out!" Find ways to incorporate more white space in the margins and between sections of the resume . Again, the "hanging-head" design is also useful.

Special format. Make sure that you use a special format consistently throughout the resume . For example, if you use a hanging-head style for the work-experience section, use it in the education section as well.

Consistent margins. Most resume s have several margins: the outermost, left margin and at least one internal left margin. Typically, paragraphs in a resume use an internal margin, not the far-left margin. Make sure to align all appropriate text to these margins as well. Avoid unnecessary multiple margins: they give your resume a ragged messy look.

Terse writing style. It's okay to use a rather clipped, terse writing style in resume s—up to a point. The challenge in most resume s is to get it all on one page (or two if you have a lot of information to present). Instead of writing "I supervised a team of five technicians..." you write, "Supervised a team of five technicians..." However, you don't leave out normal words such as articles.

Bold, italics, different type size, caps, other typographical special effects. Use special typography, but keep it under control. R esume s are great places to use all of your fancy word-processing features such as bold, italics, different fonts, and different type sizes. Don't go crazy with it! Too much fancy typography can be distracting (plus make people think you are hyperactive). Also, whatever special typography you use, be consistent with it throughout the resume . If some job titles are italics, make them all italics. Avoid all-caps text—it's less readable.

Page fill. Do everything you can to make your resume fill out one full page and to keep it from spilling over by four or five lines to a second page. At the beginning of your career, it's tough filling up a full page of a resume . As you move into your career, it gets hard keeping it to one page. If you need a two-page resume , see that the second page is full or nearly full.

Clarity of boundary lines between major sections. Design and format your resume so that whatever the main sections are, they are very noticeable. Use well-defined headings and white space to achieve this. Similarly, design your resume so that the individual segments of work experience or education are distinct and separate from each other.

Reverse chronological order. Remember to list your education and work-experience items starting with the current or most recent and working backwards in time.

Consistency of phrasing. Use the same style of phrasing for similar information in a resume —for example, past tense verbs for all descriptions of past work experience.

Consistency of punctuation style. For similar sections of information use the same kind of punctuation—for example, periods, commas, colons, or nothing.

Translations for "inside" information. Don't assume readers will know what certain abbreviations, acronyms, or symbols mean—yes, even to the extent of "GPA" or the construction "3.2/4.00." Take time to describe special organizations you may be a member of.

Grammar, spelling, usage. Watch out for these problems on a resume —they stand out like a sore thumb! Watch out particularly for the incorrect use of its and it's.

Cover Letters

In many job applications, you attach an application or cover letter to your resume . In actuality, the letter should come before the resume .

The role of the cover letter is to draw a clear connection between the job you are seeking and your qualifications listed in the resume . To put it another way, the letter matches the requirements of the job with your qualifications, emphasizing how you are right for that job. The cover letter is not a lengthy summary of the resume . Instead, it selectively mentions information in the resume , elaborating on it as appropriate.

Cover Letters: Their Purpose

When writing a cover letter, remember that you probably have competition. Your audience is a professional who screens and hires job applicants—someone who may look through dozens or even hundreds of other applications on the day they receive yours. The immediate objective of your application/cover letter and accompanying  resume is to attract this person’s attention. Your ultimate goal is to obtain an interview.

As you write your cover letter, be sure you complete three tasks: catch the reader’s attention favorably, convince the reader that you are a qualified candidate for the job, and request an interview. A cover letter should accomplish the following five things:

Identify the job by title and let the recipient know how you heard about it.

Summarize your qualifications for the job, specifically your work experience, activities that show your leadership skills, and your educational background.

Refer the reader to your enclosed resume .

Ask for an interview, stating where you can be reached and when you will be available. If your prospective employer is located in another city and you plan to visit the area, mention the dates for your trip.

If you are applying for a specific job, include any information pertinent to the position that is not included in your resume .

Types of Cover Letters

To begin planning your letter, decide which type of cover letter you need. This decision is based both on employers' requirements and on what your background and employment needs are. In many ways, types of cover letters are like the types of resume s. The types of cover letters can be defined according to amount and kind of information:

Objective letters —One type of letter says very little: it identifies the position being sought, indicates an interest in having an interview, and calls attention to the fact that the  resume is attached. It also mentions any other special matters that are not included on the resume , such as dates and times when you are available to come in for an interview. This letter does no salesmanship and is very brief. (It represents the true meaning of "cover" letter.)

Highlight letters —Another type of letter, the type you do for most business writing courses, tries to summarize the key information from the resume , the key information that will emphasize that you are a good candidate for the job. In other words, it selects the best information from the  resume  and summarizes it in the letter—this type of letter is especially designed to make the connection with the specific job.

Preparation and practice are critical to every step of the job search process, and the cover letter is no different. Five actions can help make your cover letter compelling:

Make a list of your top ten strengths.

Make a list of your top five weaknesses (also known as areas you would like to strengthen).

Decipher the job description to identify each separate skill and qualification.

Compare the two lists to see if they are in alignment. Also identify the gaps: does the job description list something you haven’t done?

Highlight your top three skills that align with the job description, as you will use them in your cover letter.

Your cover letter should be engaging, informative, and show your command of the written word. It should flow easily from a reader’s perspective, making the connection between the opportunity and your ability to succeed if given the chance. The tone should be compelling. You should be excited about the opportunity and you should be confident of your ability to succeed (even if you truly lack the confidence).

Cover Letter Template

The application/cover letter template includes three main sections:

The introductory paragraph

The magic middle

The last paragraph, which reiterates your interest

The Introductory Paragraph. In the introductory paragraph, you introduce yourself to the hiring manager or recruiter. That first paragraph of the application letter is the most important; it sets everything up—the tone , focus , as well as your most important qualification . A typical problem in the introductory paragraph involves diving directly into work and educational experience. The paragraph should include three general items:

State the purpose of the letter—to inquire about an employment opportunity.

Indicate the source of your information about the job—newspaper advertisement, a personal contact, or other.

State one eye-catching, attention-getting thing about yourself in relation to the job or to the employer that will cause the reader to want to continue.

These three items should be covered very quickly, the space of very short paragraph—no more than 3 to 4 lines of the standard business letter.

Main Body Paragraphs. In the main parts of the application letter, you present your work experience, education, and training—whatever makes that connection between you and the job you are seeking. Remember that this is the most important job you have to do in this letter—to enable the reader see the match between your qualifications and the requirements for the job.

There are two common ways to present this information:

Functional approach —This one presents education in one section, and work experience in the other. If there were military experience, that might go in another section. Whichever of these sections contains your "best stuff" should come first, after the introduction.

Thematic approach —This one divides experience and education into groups such as "management," "technical," "financial," and so on and then discusses your work and education related to them in separate paragraphs.

Another section worth considering for the main body of the application/cover letter is one in which you discuss your goals, objectives (the focus of your career), what you are doing, or want to do professionally. A paragraph like this is particularly good for people just starting their careers, when there is not much to put in the letter. Of course, be careful about loading a paragraph like this with "sweet nothings." For example, "I am seeking a challenging, rewarding career with a dynamic upscale company where I will have ample room for professional and personal growth"—come on, give us a break! You might as well say, "I want to be happy, well-paid, and well-fed."

One of the best ways to make a cover letter stand out is to work in details, examples, specifics about related aspects of your educational and employment background. Yes, if the resume is attached, readers can see all that details there. However, a letter that is overly general and vague might generate so little interest that the reader might not even care to turn to the  resume .

In the cover letter, you work in selective detail that makes your letter stand out, makes it memorable, and substantiates the claims you make about your skills and experience. Take a look at this example, which is rather lacking in specifics:

As for my experience working with persons with developmental disabilities, I have worked and volunteered at various rehabilitation hospitals and agencies in Austin and Houston [ which ones? Be specific to inject more detail into this letter ]. I have received training [ where? certificates? ] in supervising patients and assisting with physical and social therapy [ which specific therapies? ]. Currently, I am volunteering at St. David's Hospital [ doing what? ] to continue my education in aiding persons with developmental disabilities [ which specific disabilities? ].

Now take a look at the revision:

I am passionate about working with persons with developmental disabilities, and have worked and volunteered at Cypress Creek Hospital in Houston and Capital Area Easter Seals/ Rehabilitation Center and Health South Rehabilitation Hospital in Austin . I have received CPR, First Aid, and Crisis Intervention certificates from Cypress Creek Hospital . Currently, I am volunteering at St. David's Hospital assisting with physical therapy to persons with developmental disabilities in the aquatics department .

These edits take general information and make it more specific, developing a narrative around something that might just get a bullet point on the resume . This makes the information much more engaging and memorable for the reader, which will help make you more memorable to the hiring manager.

Closing Paragraph. In the last paragraph of the cover letter, you can indicate how the prospective employer can get in touch with you and when are the best times for an interview . This is the place to urge that prospective employer to contact you to arrange an interview.

Remember that this is still a business letter, so make sure to have a professional salutation and closing. Put extra effort into identifying the name of the hiring manager, so that your letter can be appropriately addressed to the specific person who will be reviewing resumes . Employers do not make this an easy step for you, and you have to do your research. Helpful exercises include researching the company website, reading news releases, and even calling the company to ask. Laziness will hurt your job search effort if this special effort is not made. If, after doing all the preceding, you still do not know the name of the person to whom you are sending your information, by all means, address it using Dear Hiring Manager or Dear Recruiter.

Early-Career Cover Letters

In the preceding, you've seen some impressive cover letters. But what if you don't have all that experience—how do you construct a respectable application/cover letter?

Cite relevant projects (both in academia and community) you've worked on, even if they are not exactly related to the career that you pursue.

Spend extra time describing college courses and programs you have been involved in. What about team projects, research projects, or reports?

Include volunteer work that has had any trace of technical in it. (If you've not done any volunteer work, get to volunteering!)

List any organizations you have been a member of and describe any of their activities that have any trace of technical in them. (If you've not belonged to any technically oriented organizations, get to belonging!)

As with the resume , you can use formatting to spread what information you have to fill out the resume page.

Checklist for Application Cover Letters

Readability and white space —Are there any dense paragraphs over 8 lines? Are there comfortable 1-inch to 1.5-inch margins all the way around the letter? Is there adequate spacing between paragraphs and between the components of the letter?

Page fill —Is the letter placed on the page nicely: not crammed at the top one-half of the page; not spilling over to a second page by only three or four lines?

General neatness, professional-looking quality —Is the letter on good quality paper, and is the copy clean and free of smudges and erasures?

Proper use of the business-letter format —Have you set up the letter in one of the standard business-letter formats? (See the references earlier in this chapter.)

Overt, direct indication of the connection between your background and the requirements of the job —Do you emphasize this connection?

A good upbeat, positive tone —Is the tone of your letter bright and positive? Does it avoid sounding overly aggressive, brash, over-confident (unless that is really the tone you want)? Does your letter avoid the opposite problem of sounding stiff, overly reserved, stand-offish, blasé, indifferent?

A good introduction —Does your introduction establish the purpose of the letter? Does it avoid diving directly into the details of your work and educational experience? Do you present one little compelling detail about yourself that will cause the reader to want to keep reading?

A good balance between brevity and details —Does your letter avoid becoming too detailed (making readers less inclined to read thoroughly)? Does your letter avoid the opposite extreme of being so general that it could refer to practically anybody?

Lots of specifics (dates, numbers, names, etc.) —Does your letter present plenty of specific detail but without making the letter too densely detailed? Do you present hard factual details (numbers, dates, proper names) that make you stand out as an individual?

A minimum of information that is simply your opinion of yourself —Do you avoid over-reliance on information that is simply your opinions about yourself? For example, instead of saying that you "work well with others," do you cite work experience that proves that fact but without actually stating it?

Grammar, spelling, usage —And of course, does your letter use correct grammar, usage, and spelling?

A great way to meet people and market yourself is through networking . A long time ago, people would network at events in person. This was a great way to talk to someone give your "elevator speech" and get to know them. People would exchange business cards which could ultimately lead to job opportunities. Now in the digital age, people network a bit differently. There are still events you can attend; however, you can do most of your networking through social media. Many employers now have links to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. These are platforms that allow you to connect with people and post job opportunities.

One important piece of advice: be careful of what you put on social media as employers may look at your social media to determine if you are a good fit for their organization. There is much debate if employers should be allowed to use these platforms to make employment decisions. Whether you agree with this practice or not, if your social media presence is available to an employer, it is something that can influence whether or not you get called in to an interview or get offered a job. Because of this, make sure to keep your public social media as neutral as possible, and avoid potentially damaging posts or pictures on your feed. On professional sites like LinkedIn, make sure your information current and up-to-date. If you have been hesitant to use social media for your personal life, exploring the opportunities that exist on professional platforms like LinkedIn might be a good place to start.

The job search process can feel overwhelming. Remember to start with researching what type of job you are looking for to start your career or move into a different journey. Once you have found some jobs that fit where you are in your career, take a look at the job description and note how your experiences fit what the employer is looking for in their position. You want to make sure your cover/application letter covers those points highlighted in the job description. Your resume  will either be functional or chronological. You will gear your resume towards the job in which you are applying. You might have multiple versions of your resume based on the types of jobs you are applying. Be creative and make your resume  and cover letter stand out. Employers have many job applications packages to review, so you want to make sure they look at it and pick you for an interview.

All links live as of June 2021.

This work "Job Application Materials" is a derivative of "Job Applications" by Lise-Pauline Barnett, “ English 145 Technical & Report Writing ” by Amber Kinonen, and " Business Correspondence and Resumes " by David McMurrey, and used under a CC BY license. "Job Application Materials" is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by Heather Katzoff .