how to write cover letter for psw

Best Online Resource for Personal Support Workers

• On February 1, 2022

How to Write a Cover Letter for Personal Support Workers

Most PSW jobs require the submission of a carefully crafted PSW cover letter and résumé for consideration.

While that might sound easy enough, producing a PSW cover letter appropriate for the specific position that you are applying for can be difficult and confusing.

You see, when you write a cover letter, you’re supposed to write sentences that hang together in several paragraphs in a meaningful sequence. 

And to write sentences and paragraphs is to enter a minefield of all the potential errors and stylistic weaknesses. 

Having such errors on your cover letter can ruin your chances for an interview. 

Cover letter is an essential component of your job hunt. It is a hook and a means for getting the reader to read your résumé.

WHY PSW COVER LETTER NEED TO BE PROFESSIONALLY WRITTEN

One mistake we all tend to make is assuming that “one cover letter style fits all.”

In reality, your past experiences and next job target should determine the type, design, and content of each resume and its related cover letter. 

You must only include the information that will best represent you for the job being sought. 

As you can see, shaping and improving your job search documents is part art and part science. 

You can create your résumé and PSW cover letter yourself, or I can help you put these documents together for you. 

MYTHS ABOUT PSW COVER LETTER

Résumés and cover letters are two separate documents

Both these documents are “hand in glove” and work together in presenting you effectively.

The cover letter should draw attention to the most critical information in the résumé, the information you want the reader to see.

PSW COVER LETTER SERVES NO PURPOSE

Your résumé will show that you can do the work required.

PSW cover letter is used to convince your would-be employer that you are the right person for the job.

The primary purpose of cover letters is to express that you want to do the work required.

The bulk of it is about your past work experiences, especially those that pertain to the position you are currently applying.

By going in-depth about your career interests, personal strengths, and past experiences, you reveal your passion and eagerness for the job while showing that you are qualified.

In addition to being a piece about how you would add unique value to the organization, the cover letter also shows off your written communication abilities –skills that are essential for success as a PSW and come in handy during paper and computer documentation. 

YOU CAN USE THE SAME COVER LETTER FOR ALL THE JOBS

It is always prudent to modify your cover letter such that it relates to the job you’re planning to apply.  

It should sound and mean for one employer rather than sound canned. 

YOU SHOULD MENTION YOUR CAREER SHORTFALLS 

As a Personal Support Worker, you should use the cover letter to mitigate any challenges associated with your career. 

Such as lack of experience, gaps in employment or transition from another career. 

You must still present anything that can be a drawback, in a positive way, perhaps by articulating and relating your other experiences to the PSW work. 

A RESUME IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE COVER LETTER

PSW résumé is very important; however, in a way, the PSW cover letter is equally important.

A cover letter is usually the first document a prospective employer sees. 

The first impression is often the most important. 

If your cover letter sounds generic and does not portray you in the best possible manner, the chances are good that your résumé will not be read or looked into with less interest. 

IT DOES NOT TAKE LONG TO WRITE A COVER LETTER

In order for a cover letter to makes, it’s impact in the most positive way possible, it must be written after a thorough research and using carefully chosen vocabulary. 

PSW cover letter writing is 90% research and 10% execution. 

Here are some quality pointers for how to create an effective cover letter for Personal Support Worker position.

HOW TO WRITE A PERSONAL SUPPORT WORKER COVER LETTER

While every cover letter will vary according to personal style, there is somewhat of a consensus on how they should be formatted and which significant pieces of information need to be included.

As far as cover letters for Personal Support Workers go, they need to include the following essential elements:

• Applicant name and contact info,
• Employer contact info,
• Three body paragraphs, and
• Your signature (by hand or digital) at the end.

Your info and the employer’s info should be in blocks at the top left of the cover letter. Include your full name, address, email, and phone number.

Keep the header of your résumé and the cover letter the same. 

ADDRESSING TO A SPECIFIC PERSON

For the first paragraph, start off with “Dear  Employer’s Name ” if you know it.

Avoid using the following terms while addressing your cover letter:

• Dear Sir or Madam, 
• To Whom It May Concern
• Dear Administrator
• Dear Prospective Employer

Note that it is not always possible to know the name of the hiring manager at the nursing home , hospital or the agency where you’re applying. 

In this kind of situation, at least do everything possible to find out the name of the person who will read your cover letter and résumé and then address the letter to that person. 

For example, if you’re applying for a PSW position on a palliative floor at a Hospital, go to that hospital floor and try to find out the name of the manager from someone working there. 

Same goes for a nursing home and long-term care homes. 

If there is absolutely no way of finding out the person’s name responsible for hiring, consider omitting the salutation and varying the subject line. 

For example , use the term “Letter of Introduction” and completely omit the organization’s details. 

OPENING PARAGRAPH

Then go into your intro paragraph stating your objective and your belief that you are a great candidate for the job.

Don’t give the reader a chance to think “No” and stop right there!

“I’m hoping that you’re looking for a Personal Support Worker.”

The reader can take this statement as “I’m not looking for anyone” and stop reading. 

The correct way of writing:

“The position of Personal Support Worker posted in the careers section of the City of Toronto website drew my attention. With more than a decade-long combined PSW experience, I’m seeking to leverage my experience as a Personal Support Worker with the City of Toronto.”

Beginning of your cover letter must incite interest and draw in the reader. 

Ensure that you answer a very important question that your employer is asking:

“Why should we hire you instead of other PSWs?”

Convince the reader that you understand what the employer is looking for and can deliver.

RESEARCH YOUR FUTURE EMPLOYER

Who doesn’t like to hear good things about oneself?

Everyone does!

Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They’re absolutely free and worth a fortune …Sam Walton

It is always a good idea to do some research on your prospective employer and showing in the cover letter that you know the vital information about the organization.

The second paragraph should cover all of your related work experiences, and for a PSW cover letter, all of your patient care experiences whether paid or volunteer.

The third paragraph is commonly used to talk about your personal strengths and job-related skills.

Here you should mention your friendliness, compassion, kindness, patience and more.

You can also use this area to mitigate any challenges related to the PSW job you’re applying.

If you lack direct PSW experience, you can mention how your real-world experience in an unrelated field has helped you qualify for this job. 

Include valuable information in your Personal Support Worker Cover Letter for which there is no room in the resume.  

Finally, finish off with a statement about how you would look forward to meeting the recruiter in person and how you can be most easily contacted.

Your name in print and accompanying signature will close off the cover letter.

IDEAL STYLE OF THE PSW COVER LETTER

Try not to sound desperate.

Not even a little bit!

Avoid using such statements:

“I’ll take anything you have to offer.”

“When’s the first paycheck.” [Yes I’ve seen this statement on cover letters]

Also, ensure that your cover letter is not only informative but also persuasive. 

FONT AND TEXT

Try using the same header as you used in your résumé. 

It maintains a good visual connection between your résumé and the cover letter. 

Also, consider using bullets such that they are similar in style to your résumé. 

SAVING FORMAT

Save copies of your cover letter as .doc and pdf files. 

WHAT NOT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PSW COVER LETTER?

Always be direct and concise.

Don’t brag, flaunt, or go into too much detail.

Never speak about past experiences that are entirely unrelated to the position in question.

Try not to be too generic as you should strive to show off your personality through your writing.

Also take care not to conflict with your résumé.

Your PSW cover letter should be written using your best language and grammar skills.

Technical errors will be immediately off-putting to the recruiter and may ruin your chances of getting hired.

Here is a sample cover letter that you can use.

Click here to download a copy.

August 29, 2018

Director of Care

The Best Long-Term Care

1234 Seniors Road

Sometown, Ontario, A1B 2C3

Dear Mrs. May,

The recent news about the Best Long-Term Care opening a new unit captivated me. With more than three years of professional experience as a Personal Support Worker and a Volunteer, I am seeking to leverage my experience in an organization where my skills can best be utilized. Enclosed is my resume outlining my extensive experience.

While working as a personal support worker at Grant Retirement Centre and with Daily Care Health Services, I have consistently demonstrated the ability to work independently and as a contributing member of the healthcare team. I have rendered important contributions including but not exclusive to working with fellow personal support worker’s, nurses and physicians, all while providing the highest possible level of patient care. I have worked in a reporting environment and am familiar with paper and computer record keeping.

During my Volunteer work at The Divine Caregiving Centre and The Ultimate Retirement Centre, I have monitored and recorded behavioral changes to assist the healthcare team in determining appropriate treatment and medication. In collaboration with other volunteers and staff, I have created programs for individual and group activities.

I would appreciate the opportunity to be part of such a remarkable organization and would welcome the opportunity to participate in a personal interview to answer any of your questions and better present my qualifications. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to speaking with you soon.

The Awesome PSW

Enclosure – Resume

If you need help in writing a cover letter, contact me at [email protected] . 

You can also visit Pursuit Desk Career Solutions to see how I (Avtar) can help curate a professional résumé and cover letter for you. 

Image credit: Used under a Creative Commons Attribution from niXerKG  on Flickr

Avlin is passionate about helping aspirants become better personal support workers. He is an entrepreneur and runs a clinic in Toronto.

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Personal Support Worker Cover Letter Examples & Writing Tips

Use these Personal Support Worker cover letter examples and writing tips to help you write a powerful cover letter that will separate you from the competition.

Table Of Contents

• Personal Support Worker Example 1
• Personal Support Worker Example 2
• Personal Support Worker Example 3
• Cover Letter Writing Tips

Personal support workers (PSWs) provide care and assistance to people who are unable to care for themselves. They may help seniors, people with disabilities, or those who are recovering from an illness or injury.

To be a successful PSW, you need to be compassionate, patient, and organized. In addition, you must be able to work independently and be comfortable with physical labor.

Use these examples and tips to write a cover letter that will help you stand out from the competition.

Personal Support Worker Cover Letter Example 1

I am excited to be applying for the Personal Support Worker position at Sunrise Senior Living. I have worked as a PSW for the past four years in a long-term care setting, and I firmly believe that my skills and experience would be an excellent fit for Sunrise Senior Living.

I am passionate about providing high-quality care to seniors and helping them to live their lives to the fullest. I am attentive to the needs of my patients and always go the extra mile to ensure that they are comfortable and happy. I have a strong belief in the importance of the PSW role in the overall care of seniors, and I am motivated to continue to grow and learn in this field.

In my previous role at Sunrise Senior Living, I was responsible for providing personal care to residents, assisting with meals and nutrition, providing social and recreational activities, and maintaining a safe and comfortable environment. I was highly praised by my supervisor for my dedication to my patients and my ability to go above and beyond in my work. I was also commended for my strong teamwork ethic and my positive attitude.

I am confident that I have the skills and experience to be a valuable member of the Sunrise Senior Living team. I look forward to meeting with you to discuss this opportunity further. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Personal Support Worker Cover Letter Example 2

I am writing in regards to the Personal Support Worker opening that I found on your website. I am confident that I have the skills and experience that would make me the perfect candidate for the job.

I have been working as a Personal Support Worker for the past three years and during that time I have gained a great deal of experience in the field. I have worked with a wide range of clients, from those who are healthy and independent to those who require more intensive care. I am comfortable working with all types of people and I have a strong commitment to providing quality care.

I am also an effective team player and I have a proven track record of being able to meet deadlines. I am confident that I have the skills and experience that you are looking for, and I would be grateful for the opportunity to discuss this further with you.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Personal Support Worker Cover Letter Example 3

I am writing to express my interest in the Personal Support Worker position that you have posted. I believe that I would be a great fit for this position as I have extensive experience working with seniors and people with disabilities.

I have worked in the healthcare industry for over 10 years, most recently as a Personal Support Worker at the New York City Nursing Home. My duties included assisting residents with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating and using the bathroom. I also helped them with their medications and light housekeeping. I was responsible for keeping accurate records of all of my residents’ needs and reporting any changes to their caretakers.

I am very comfortable working with people of all ages and backgrounds. I enjoy helping others feel more comfortable in their surroundings and providing them with companionship during their recovery process. I am also very good at following instructions and prioritizing tasks based on what is needed at the time.

I would love the opportunity to meet with you in person to discuss how my skills could benefit your organization. Please feel free to contact me by phone or email if you have any questions about my resume or qualifications. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Personal Support Worker Cover Letter Writing Tips

1. show your passion for helping others.

One of the best ways to show hiring managers that you’re the perfect candidate for the personal support worker role is to demonstrate your passion for helping others. This can be done by highlighting your previous experiences in the health care industry, as well as any awards or recognition you’ve received for your work.

2. Customize your cover letter

Since personal support worker roles vary from one company to another, it’s important to customize your cover letter to match the specific requirements of the job you’re applying for. For example, if the job listing asks for experience in caring for elderly patients, be sure to mention any relevant experience you have in this area.

3. Highlight your skills and strengths

In your cover letter, be sure to list the skills and strengths that make you the perfect candidate for the job. This can include things such as your ability to stay calm under pressure, your attention to detail, or your compassionate nature.

4. Proofread your cover letter

One of the best ways to make sure your cover letter is error-free is to proofread it thoroughly. This will help give hiring managers a good impression of your writing skills, and show that you’re serious about the job you’re applying for.

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• Cover Letters
• Employment Resources
• The Profession
• Certifications
• Outside Ontario

PSW Cover Letter #4

The fourth in our series of Personal Support Worker Cover Letters. This cover letter is geared towards a PSW with a decent amount of experience in the field, highlighting work experience, type of clients worked with, accreditations ions obtained and the workers overall positive outlook towards the industry.

Janice Smith

1234 Rainbow Dr.

Toronto, Ontario L1L 1L1

(905) 123-4567/ [email protected]

October 12, 2014

EMPLOYER NAME.

To Whom It May Concern,

I am interested in applying for the Personal Support Worker position with your facility. My extensive experience with the position and similar hospitals as well as my communication skills make me an excellent candidate for the position.

I am currently employed as a Personal Support Worker with Angels with Wings Group Home. I have been with this facility for fourteen years, and am fluent with the day-to-day care taking duties of a PSW. Some of the highlights of my experience here include creating HCP's for clients, implementing physiotherapy exercises for a client while working with an OT and creating a case conference package.

I pride myself on my communication skills and making sure that reporting between myself, the nurses, doctors, OT's and BT's is seamless and up-to-date. I thrive off my strong work ethic and keeping busy and I strive to ensure a quality experience for each individual client.

My passion is to provide excellent service and to demonstrate compassion in every duty and with every client I care for.

I would love the opportunity to discuss how my skills, experiences and interests make me an ideal fit for the position. I can be contacted by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (905) 123-4567.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

For additional cover letters please visit one of the following links found below:

• Personal Support Worker Cover Letter #1
• Personal Support Worker Cover #2
• Personal Support Worker Cover #3
• NEW - Personal Support Worker Cover #4
• PSW Job Introduction Email
• Personal Support Worker Cover Letter Tips

PSW Resumes:

• Personal Support Worker Sample Resume
• Recent Graduate Resume
• PSW Resume Keywords
• About / Contact

Copyright 2016: PersonalSupportWorker.com

Personal Support Worker Cover Letter Example

A Personal Support Worker is responsible for providing support and assistance to individuals in their homes. These workers complete several tasks including helping with personal hygiene, administering medication, and providing companionship. To be successful in this profession, the individual needs to have a strong passion for helping others, and demonstrate proof of home care services experience.

Improve your chances of getting noticed by using our Personal Support Worker Cover Letter Samples. The primary responsibility of a Personal Support Worker is to look after the physical, mental, and emotional well-being and stability of patients who are not able to take care of themselves, such as the elderly or senior populations. The job description entails ensuring the patient is healthy and gets nutritious meals, and helping them with daily tasks.

• Cover Letters
• Healthcare & Wellbeing

What to Include in a Personal Support Worker Cover Letter?

Roles and responsibilities.

• Working with elderly patients, and rendering one-on-one care such as meal preparation, personal care, and light housekeeping tasks.
• Ensuring the fulfillment of individual goals and needs as per the client’s support plans.
• Assisting clients with leisure activities.
• Ensuring the health, safety, welfare , and independence of clients.
• Assisting and satisfying the social and emotional needs of patients.
• Documenting and recording day-to-day care reports including resident incident reports, restraint monitoring, and medication administration.
• Adhering to the Occupational health and safety regulations set by the province or territory .

Education & Skills

Personal support worker skills:.

• Strong organizational skills to maintain high standards even under pressure.
• Excellent communication skills.
• The ability to adapt to change and remain flexible.
• Flexible to work with and gain an understanding of the needs of various types of patients.
• The ability to work well both in a team setting and independently.
• The ability to adhere to standard policies and procedures.

Personal Support Worker Education Requirements:

• High school diploma or GED.
• Bachelor’s degree in nursing or social work.
• Prior work experience.
• Personal support worker certificate (preferable).

Personal Support Worker Cover Letter Example (Text Version)

Dear Mr./Ms.

In response to your job ad advertised in the *** for the post of a new Personal Support Worker, I am writing this letter. As per my knowledge, **** has been a pioneer in providing support services and is a leader in aiding people with needs, and this is one quality I have always admired in the firm and this has indeed made me want to work for your organization. I believe that my experience and ability to serve selflessly will make me the ideal fit for this role.

Over the years, I have worked at *** developing my communication and interpersonal skills. In various roles, I was accountable for providing personal care support and coordinating services, etc. Throughout my career, I have always given priority to working with empathy and a non-judgmental approach.

Having said this, I would like to present below some of the highlights of my qualifications:

• Worked at *** for 8 years, and provided comprehensive patient care and support.
• Providing compassionate service to end-of-life patients and ensuring coverage of routine health and life duties.
• Adept at coordinating multiple routine activities and services and ensuring the highest level of quality care.
• Experience in providing support services to hospice patients, including personal hygiene assistance, medication administration, and general companionship.
• Demonstrable communication skills including interpersonal and outstanding administrative skills.
• Earned BLS and CPR certification, and completed a professional caregiver training program in *** from ***

I am confident that my passion for serving critical patients, along with my compassion, and empathy abilities will be fruitful in providing general and specific support mainly to those who are in their end stage of life. And I also assure you that my additional strengths and talent will translate into your environment as I take up charge as your next Personal Support Worker. Looking forward to speaking with you soon. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

Personal Support Worker Cover Letter Example with No Experience(Text Version)

I was delighted to come across your job posting for a Personal Support Worker and I feel that my background and profile complement well with your requirements stated by you. With my academic background in Social Service and my skills to provide personal support, I strongly believe that I can contribute to the benefit of ***’s mission.

While my enclosed resume gives an elaborate look into my skills and experience, I would like to highlight some of the major aspects I am skillful and proficient at. I am skilled and comfortable in assessing the patient’s needs and can organize and plan their day-to-day activities, and prepare and serve prescribed meals. I am patient enough to provide personal care and am compassionate to patients of all ages. Apart from routine job-related duties, I can efficiently perform housekeeping and cleaning duties as well. My physical stamina and endurance help me in assisting patients as they involve in physical therapy or exercise sessions.

I am ready to offer my knowledge of palliative care, infection control, senile dementia, Alzheimer’s management, and infection control skills. I am also well-versed in cooking special meals, and personal hygiene tasks, while maintaining patients’ dignity and privacy at all times. I love helping people in need and understand the value of companionship.

Having said this, I am more than confident that I can very easily meet the standards set by your organization and render my support to your esteemed team. If given an opportunity to meet you in person, I can explain how I can be of use to ***. Hoping to hear from you soon.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

In your Personal Support Worker Cover Letter, talk about your most recent role, and the environment in that you have worked. Also, mention some of your core responsibilities, and biggest accomplishments, and also state how you will add value to the hiring company’s business. Need some tips for writing your resume, refer to our Personal Support Worker Resume Samples !

Customize Personal Support Worker Cover Letter

Get hired faster with our free cover letter template designed to land you the perfect position.

Related Healthcare & Wellbeing Cover Letters

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.

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