How to Write a Cover Letter and Why You Should Have One

Have you ever asked yourself, “what is a cover letter?” or “why you should have one?” If so, you’re in luck because those are exactly the questions that I’ll be answering in this article as well as going over how to write a cover letter.

Searching and applying for jobs is an exhausting process. Not only are you required to provide extensive information about your work history and educational background, you also typically need to provide your resume, recommendation letters, and a cover letter. 

Providing work history and educational history is just time consuming and creating a quality resume is a topic for another article. Today let’s focus on the cover letter. 

How to Write a Cover Letter: Table of Contents

1. 1. Basic elements
   2. Why you should have one
   3. What makes a good cover letter
   4. Example cover letter template

What is a cover letter?

A cover letter at first glance may seem like just an opportunity to expand on your resume. This is true to a very limited extent but really isn’t the purpose of a cover letter and taking this approach can lead to a cover letter that misses the mark. 

Instead, a cover letter is intended to provide more specific information tailored to the position and company that you are applying to work for. Touching on work experience and projects that you have been a part of that specifically highlight your qualifications and why you would be a great fit is what you should be doing with your cover letter. 

Basic elements

The basic elements of a cover letter should each accomplish a goal. A good approach is to think of a cover letter as an elevator pitch to your potential future employers. You want to introduce yourself, explain your intentions, highlight your value, and thank them for taking the time to listen to you, all in a way that leaves them feeling like you’re the one they need to consider. 

Introduction

The company and position that you are applying to already knows your name, your work history, and your education. What they don’t know yet is who you really are, the person behind the facts. This is what you should be aiming to accomplish with your introduction. 

When writing your introduction, be sure to include why you want to work for the company, the position that you are applying for, and a brief summary of who you are that is relevant to the company and position that you are applying to. 

For example, if you are applying for a non profit organization that has deep roots in the area where you grew up, make sure to include this in your introduction. Explain how giving back to the community that has done so much for you is important to you. You want to convey a genuine connection that will resonate with the hiring team as well as express your interest in the position. 

Highlight relevant experience

Once you’ve introduced yourself and created a connection, you will want to highlight your relevant experience. 

Everything that you talk about in this section should be directly applicable to the position that you are applying for. To continue my non profit example, let’s assume that this non profit helped maintain and expand the local tree population in your place of residence. Describing your work experience at an arboretum would be a good direction to take. You would also want to explain what you learned from this experience and how you can implement what you learned in your new role. 

Explain your intentions and goals

Your potential future employers will be interested to understand why you want to work with them. What are your intentions and what are your professional goals? Successfully answering these questions will show that you are enthusiastic and committed, and will go a long way to convince them that you are the person that they want to interview. 

Professional goals may include professional growth or perhaps the opportunity to challenge yourself in a new role. The point here is to show genuine interest and enthusiasm while also showing that you plan on staying around. Many employers will be reluctant to hire someone that they feel isn’t planning on staying long term. 

Include a call to action and thank them for their time

Mentioning that you look forward to discussing your qualifications and how they can benefit their company is a good way to show confidence and enthusiasm. Also, don’t forget to thank them for taking the time to consider your application. 

Why you should have one

Some employers may list a cover letter as an optional document and some may not mention a cover letter at all. When applying for jobs, it is a good idea to take every opportunity to set yourself apart from other applicants. Submitting a well written and well thought out cover letter is a great way to do just that. 

Not all applicants will submit one

If a cover letter isn’t required when applying for a position, it’s safe to say that many applicants will not submit one. This is an easy way to instantly set you apart by showing that you took the extra time and effort to provide something that wasn’t required. 

The hiring process is an employer’s first glimpse into how you approach work. Will you provide only the bare minimum? It also showcases your ability to communicate in writing which is a very important skill in the job market. Use this opportunity to its fullest. 

A cover letter gives depth and context to your resume

As mentioned earlier, a cover letter gives you the opportunity to expand on your resume and really highlight what you feel are the relevant experiences that set you apart. This is your first chance to “speak” to your potential future employers and explain why you should be considered as a candidate. It is essentially your first impression, which means you want to make it count. 

Imagine what you would want to be reading on a cover letter if you were hiring someone. What would the ideal candidate say? What would make you excited to interview them? Really consider these questions when writing your cover letter. 

What makes a good cover letter?

I’ve covered a lot of what makes a good cover letter but there are some specifics that I would like to go over that I think will help you make yours the absolute best that it can be. 

No spelling or grammatical errors

This is probably the most important thing to remember when writing your cover letter. You are showing your future employers your level of professionalism and the care that you take when writing something important. You don’t want this representation of your abilities to be riddled with misspelled words and grammatical errors. 

I really cannot stress this enough. How do you ensure that you don’t make this mistake? The first thing to do is proofread your cover letter. After that, do it again. This will also help you fine tune your voice and the overall flow of what you are trying to say. 

Next, use a high quality typing assistant such as Grammarly to check for errors. Grammarly does much more than just check for spelling mistakes and simple grammatical errors like you may be used to with Google Docs or Word. Grammarly uses artificial intelligence to look at conciseness and tone, which can tell you if your tone is formal, friendly, etc. 

Using Grammarly is completely free as well so there is really no reason to risk the quality of your cover letter by not using it. If you really struggle with writing, there are other plans with Grammarly that offer full sentence rewrites, tone recommendations, and a lot of other very useful features to help your writing be its best. However, don’t think that you need to pay for a plan to have a good cover letter. The most important thing is that there are no mistakes. 

Make your cover letter specific to the company and position

This is really important, as well. Your cover letter needs to be written specifically for the company and position that you are applying to. This means a couple of things.

First, you need to have a good understanding of what the company does. You also need to have an equally good understanding of what the role is of the position you are applying for because you will be attempting to create a strong connection between your experience and how that experience is going to apply in your new role. 

Second, you want to ensure that your cover letter feels like you wrote it for the job you are applying for. Don’t use a generic cover letter or reuse the same one written for another similar application. I know this may seem like something that wouldn’t be obvious to the people reading it, but a smart employer will be able to tell the difference. 

Also, avoid using generic language to address the reader such as “to whom it may concern.” Whenever possible, address your letter to the person or department that you are sending your cover letter to. This will make it more personal and show, again, that you’ve put forth the extra effort to find out who will be reading your cover letter. 

Be genuine

Because this is your first impression and because you really should be yourself, you want to be genuine when writing your cover letter. 

This means more than just stating facts and not embellishing your accomplishments. Being genuine means letting your personality and genuine interest show through in your writing. This is difficult to objectively quantify but you will know it when you read it, and so will your future employers. 

Be yourself and let your writing express your enthusiasm. If you are not truly enthusiastic about the position that you are applying for, perhaps you should reconsider applying. 

Be concise

Especially in the professional world, being concise is an asset. You want to be able to say what you need to say while maintaining the interest of your readers. 

Your cover letter shouldn’t exceed one page, including contact information and all formatting. This can be difficult but it is absolutely doable. This is another skill that you want to showcase with your cover letter. 

Proper formatting

Proper formatting will ensure that your cover letter comes across as professional. When formatting your cover letter, your guiding principles should be to keep it as conservative as possible. 

Avoid exotic fonts, colors, sizing, and unusual margin spacing. Unless you are a graphic designer applying for a design position, it is best to keep things simple and traditional. 

Font Sizing

I would recommend an 11 or 12 point font. Any larger will look strange and much smaller will be difficult to read. 

Font Style

Keeping with the well known conservative fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, and Verdona will never be a bad idea. Comic Sans, on the other hand, can send the wrong message. WIth this one, If it looks unprofessional, it is. 

Paragraph spacing

Make sure to leave a “double space” between each paragraph and component of your cover letter. In the example template below you will see the spacing that I am talking about. 

Margins

The default margins in Word and Google Docs will do fine for your cover letter. If you find that you are having trouble fitting your cover letter on one page and are considering narrowing your margins to accommodate the extra length, I would recommend reviewing and editing your letter to be more concise. 

Example cover letter template

Below I’ve outlined a basic template that shows a general layout for a cover letter. This template represents a more traditional formatting. Keep in mind that this is a general guide only and can (and should) be tailored to your specific situation. 

You may not always have the hiring manager’s name, for example. If that’s the case, you can use the department that is hiring instead. Your contact information should include your phone number and email address and a website (for a portfolio) if appropriate. The company’s contact information should include their physical address including city, state, and zip code.

Template:

Your Name
Your phone number
Your email

Date

Hiring Manager’s Name
Company’s Name
Company’s Street
Company’s City, State and Zip

Dear [Hiring Manager’s Full Name],

Introduction paragraph. Focus on briefly explaining why you want to work for the company, the position that you are applying for, and a brief summary of who you are that is relevant to the company and position that you are applying to. 

Middle paragraph(s).Focus on highlighting specific relevant experiences that will translate to your new role. What have you done that is similar? What did you learn? How can you implement this experience in your new position?

Closing paragraph.Focus on capping off what you’ve covered in the previous paragraph or two. Explain your goals working within your role in a way that shows commitment and passion for the work that you will be doing. Finally, thank them for their time and consideration.  

Sincerely, 

Your Name

Summary

Writing a cover letter can be difficult but I hope this has been helpful. The big takeaway here is to be yourself and be professional. Your cover letter is showing the employer the quality of your work and also your personality. This is a great opportunity for you to set yourself apart. 

Now that you’ve written yourself an amazing cover letter, the next step is to prepare for your interview. Good luck!

DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS AND/OR PAYED PLACEMENT. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.