how to write a cover letter about yourself

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How to write a great cover letter in 2024: tips and structure

A cover letter is a personalized letter that introduces you to a potential employer, highlights your qualifications, and explains why you're a strong fit for a specific job.

Hate or love them, these brief documents allow job seekers to make an impression and stand out from the pile of other applications. Penning a thoughtful cover letter shows the hiring team you care about earning the position.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to write a cover letter — and a great one, at that.

What is a cover letter and why does it matter?

A professional cover letter is a one-page document you submit alongside your CV or resume as part of a job application. Typically, they’re about half a page or around 150–300 words.

An effective cover letter doesn’t just rehash your CV; it’s your chance to highlight your proudest moments, explain why you want the job, and state plainly what you bring to the table.

Show the reviewer you’re likable, talented, and will add to the company’s culture . You can refer to previous jobs and other information from your CV, but only if it helps tell a story about you and your career choices .

What 3 things should you include in a cover letter?

A well-crafted cover letter can help you stand out to potential employers. To make your cover letter shine, here are three key elements to include:

1. Personalization

Address the hiring manager or recruiter by name whenever possible. If the job posting doesn't include a name, research to find out who will be reviewing applications. Personalizing your cover letter shows that you've taken the time to tailor your application to the specific company and role.

2. Highlight relevant achievements and skills

Emphasize your most relevant skills , experiences, and accomplishments that directly relate to the job you're applying for. Provide specific examples of how your skills have benefited previous employers and how they can contribute to the prospective employer's success. Use quantifiable achievements , such as improved efficiency, cost savings, or project success, to demonstrate your impact.

3. Show enthusiasm and fit

Express your enthusiasm for the company and the position you're applying for. Explain why you are interested in this role and believe you are a good fit for the organization. Mention how your values, goals, and skills align with the company's mission and culture. Demonstrating that you've done your research can make a significant impression.

What do hiring managers look for in a cover letter?

Employers look for several key elements in a cover letter. These include:

Employers want to see that your cover letter is specifically tailored to the position you are applying for. It should demonstrate how your skills, experiences, and qualifications align with the job requirements.

Clear and concise writing

A well-written cover letter is concise, easy to read, and error-free. Employers appreciate clear and effective communication skills , so make sure your cover letter showcases your ability to express yourself effectively.

Demonstrated knowledge of the company

Employers want to see that you are genuinely interested in their organization. Mention specific details about the company, such as recent achievements or projects, to show that you are enthusiastic about joining their team.

Achievements and accomplishments

Highlight your relevant achievements and accomplishments that demonstrate your qualifications for the position. Use specific examples to showcase your skills and show how they can benefit the employer.

Enthusiasm and motivation

Employers want to hire candidates who are excited about the opportunity and motivated to contribute to the company's success. Express your enthusiasm and passion for the role and explain why you are interested in working for the company.

Professionalism

A cover letter should be professional in tone and presentation. Use formal language, address the hiring manager appropriately, and follow standard business letter formatting.

How do you structure a cover letter?

A well-structured cover letter follows a specific format that makes it easy for the reader to understand your qualifications and enthusiasm for the position. Here's a typical structure for a cover letter:

Contact information

Include your name, address, phone number, and email address at the top of the letter. Place your contact information at the beginning so that it's easy for the employer to reach you.

Employer's contact information

Opening paragraph, middle paragraph(s), closing paragraph, complimentary close, additional contact information.

Repeat your contact information (name, phone number, and email) at the end of the letter, just in case the employer needs it for quick reference.

Remember to keep your cover letter concise and focused. It should typically be no more than one page in length. Proofread your letter carefully to ensure it is free from spelling and grammatical errors. Tailor each cover letter to the specific job application to make it as relevant and impactful as possible.

How to write a good cover letter (with examples)

The best letters are unique, tailored to the job description, and written in your voice — but that doesn’t mean you can’t use a job cover letter template.

Great cover letters contain the same basic elements and flow a certain way. Take a look at this cover letter structure for ref erence while you construct your own.

1. Add a header and contact information

While reading your cover letter, the recruiter shouldn’t have to look far to find who wrote it. Your document should include a basic heading with the following information:

• Pronouns (optional)
• Location (optional)
• Email address
• Phone number (optional)
• Relevant links, such as your LinkedIn profile , portfolio, or personal website (optional)

You can pull this information directly from your CV. Put it together, and it will look something like this:

Christopher Pike

San Francisco, California

[email protected]

Alternatively, if the posting asks you to submit your cover letter in the body of an email, you can include this information in your signature. For example:

Warm regards,

Catherine Janeway

Bloomington, Indiana

[email protected]

(555) 999 - 2222

2. Include a personal greeting

Always begin your cover letter by addressing the hiring manager — preferably by name. You can use the person’s first and last name. Make sure to include a relevant title, like Dr., Mr., or Ms. For example, “Dear Mr. John Doe.”

Avoid generic openings like “To whom it may concern,” “Dear sir or madam,” or “Dear hiring manager.” These introductions sound impersonal — like you’re copy-pasting cover letters — and can work against you in the hiring process.

Be careful, though. When using someone’s name, you don’t want to use the wrong title or accidentally misgender someone. If in doubt, using only their name is enough. You could also opt for a gender-neutral title, like Mx.

Make sure you’re addressing the right person in your letter — ideally, the person who’s making the final hiring decision. This isn’t always specified in the job posting, so you may have to do some research to learn the name of the hiring manager.

3. Draw them in with an opening story

The opening paragraph of your cover letter should hook the reader. You want it to be memorable, conversational, and extremely relevant to the job you’re pursuing. 

There’s no need for a personal introduction — you’ve already included your name in the heading. But you should make reference to the job you’re applying for. A simple “Thank you for considering my application for the role of [job title] at [company],” will suffice.

Then you can get into the “Why” of your job application. Drive home what makes this specific job and this company so appealing to you. Perhaps you’re a fan of their products, you’re passionate about their mission, or you love their brand voice. Whatever the case, this section is where you share your enthusiasm for the role.

Here’s an example opening paragraph. In this scenario, you’re applying for a digital marketing role at a bicycle company:

“Dear Mr. John Doe,

Thank you for considering my application for the role of Marketing Coordinator at Bits n’ Bikes.

My parents bought my first bike at one of your stores. I’ll never forget the freedom I felt when I learned to ride it. My father removed my training wheels, and my mom sent me barrelling down the street. You provide joy to families across the country — and I want to be part of that.”

4. Emphasize why you’re best for the job

Your next paragraphs should be focused on the role you’re applying to. Highlight your skill set and why you’re a good fit for the needs and expectations associated with the position. Hiring managers want to know what you’ll bring to the job, not just any role.

Start by studying the job description for hints. What problem are they trying to solve with this hire? What skills and qualifications do they mention first or more than once? These are indicators of what’s important to the hiring manager.

Search for details that match your experience and interests. For example, if you’re excited about a fast-paced job in public relations, you might look for these elements in a posting:

• They want someone who can write social media posts and blog content on tight deadlines
• They value collaboration and input from every team member
• They need a planner who can come up with strong PR strategies

Highlight how you fulfill these requirements:

“I’ve always been a strong writer. From blog posts to social media, my content pulls in readers and drives traffic to product pages. For example, when I worked at Bits n’ Bikes, I developed a strategic blog series about bike maintenance that increased our sales of spare parts and tools by 50% — we could see it in our web metrics.

Thanks to the input of all of our team members, including our bike mechanics, my content delivered results.”

5. End with a strong closing paragraph and sign off gracefully

Your closing paragraph is your final chance to hammer home your enthusiasm about the role and your unique ability to fill it. Reiterate the main points you explained in the body paragraphs and remind the reader of what you bring to the table.

You can also use the end of your letter to relay other important details, like whether you’re willing to relocate for the job.

When choosing a sign-off, opt for a phrase that sounds professional and genuine. Reliable options include “Sincerely” and “Kind regards.”

Here’s a strong closing statement for you to consider:

“I believe my enthusiasm, skills, and work experience as a PR professional will serve Bits n’ Bikes very well. I would love to meet to further discuss my value-add as your next Director of Public Relations. Thank you for your consideration. I hope we speak soon.

Tips to write a great cover letter that compliments your resume

When writing your own letter, try not to copy the example excerpts word-for-word. Instead, use this cover letter structure as a baseline to organize your ideas. Then, as you’re writing, use these extra cover letter tips to add your personal touch:

• Keep your cover letter different from your resume : Your cover letter should not duplicate the information on your resume. Instead, it should provide context and explanations for key points in your resume, emphasizing how your qualifications match the specific job you're applying for.
• Customize your cover letter . Tailor your cover letter for each job application. Address the specific needs of the company and the job posting, demonstrating that you've done your homework and understand their requirements.
• Show enthusiasm and fit . Express your enthusiasm for the company and position in the cover letter. Explain why you are interested in working for this company and how your values, goals, and skills align with their mission and culture.
• Use keywords . Incorporate keywords from the job description and industry terms in your cover letter. This can help your application pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) and demonstrate that you're well-versed in the field.
• Keep it concise . Your cover letter should be succinct and to the point, typically no more than one page. Focus on the most compelling qualifications and experiences that directly support your application.
• Be professional . Maintain a professional tone and structure in your cover letter. Proofread it carefully to ensure there are no errors.
• Address any gaps or concerns . If there are gaps or concerns in your resume, such as employment gaps or a change in career direction, briefly address them in your cover letter. Explain any relevant circumstances and how they have shaped your qualifications and determination.
• Provide a call to action . Conclude your cover letter with a call to action, inviting the employer to contact you for further discussion. Mention that you've attached your resume for their reference.
• Follow the correct format . Use a standard cover letter format like the one above, including your contact information, a formal salutation, introductory and closing paragraphs, and your signature. Ensure that it complements your resume without redundancy.
• Pick the right voice and tone . Try to write like yourself, but adapt to the tone and voice of the company. Look at the job listing, company website, and social media posts. Do they sound fun and quirky, stoic and professional, or somewhere in-between? This guides your writing style.
• Tell your story . You’re an individual with unique expertise, motivators, and years of experience. Tie the pieces together with a great story. Introduce how you arrived at this point in your career, where you hope to go , and how this prospective company fits in your journey. You can also explain any career changes in your resume.
• Show, don’t tell . Anyone can say they’re a problem solver. Why should a recruiter take their word for it if they don’t back it up with examples? Instead of naming your skills, show them in action. Describe situations where you rose to the task, and quantify your success when you can.
• Be honest . Avoid highlighting skills you don’t have. This will backfire if they ask you about them in an interview. Instead, shift focus to the ways in which you stand out.
• Avoid clichés and bullet points . These are signs of lazy writing. Do your best to be original from the first paragraph to the final one. This highlights your individuality and demonstrates the care you put into the letter.
• Proofread . Always spellcheck your cover letter. Look for typos, grammatical errors, and proper flow. We suggest reading it out loud. If it sounds natural rolling off the tongue, it will read naturally as well.

Common cover letter writing FAQs

How long should a cover letter be.

A cover letter should generally be concise and to the point. It is recommended to keep it to one page or less, focusing on the most relevant information that highlights your qualifications and fits the job requirements.

Should I include personal information in a cover letter?

While it's important to introduce yourself and provide your contact information, avoid including personal details such as your age, marital status, or unrelated hobbies. Instead, focus on presenting your professional qualifications and aligning them with the job requirements.

Can I use the same cover letter for multiple job applications?

While it may be tempting to reuse a cover letter, it is best to tailor each cover letter to the specific job you are applying for. This allows you to highlight why you are a good fit for that particular role and show genuine interest in the company.

Do I need to address my cover letter to a specific person?

Whenever possible, it is advisable to address your cover letter to a specific person, such as the hiring manager or recruiter. If the job posting does not provide this information, try to research and find the appropriate contact. If all else fails, you can use a generic salutation such as "Dear Hiring Manager."

Should I include references in my cover letter?

It is generally not necessary to include references in your cover letter. Save this information for when the employer explicitly requests it. Instead, focus on showcasing your qualifications and achievements that make you a strong candidate for the position.

It’s time to start writing your stand-out cover letter

The hardest part of writing is getting started. 

Hopefully, our tips gave you some jumping-off points and confidence . But if you’re really stuck, looking at cover letter examples and resume templates will help you decide where to get started. 

There are numerous sample cover letters available online. Just remember that you’re a unique, well-rounded person, and your cover letter should reflect that. Using our structure, you can tell your story while highlighting your passion for the role. 

Doing your research, including strong examples of your skills, and being courteous is how to write a strong cover letter. Take a breath , flex your fingers, and get typing. Before you know it, your job search will lead to a job interview.

If you want more personalized guidance, a specialized career coach can help review, edit, and guide you through creating a great cover letter that sticks.

Ace your job search

Explore effective job search techniques, interview strategies, and ways to overcome job-related challenges. Our coaches specialize in helping you land your dream job.

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

3 cover letter examples to help you catch a hiring manager’s attention

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How to Write a Cover Letter

Advice for tackling one of the toughest parts of the job-hunting process.

Perhaps the most challenging part of the job application process is writing an effective cover letter. And yes, you should send one. Even if only one in two cover letters gets read, that’s still a 50% chance that including one could help you. Before you start writing, find out more about the company and the specific job you want. Next, catch the attention of the hiring manager or recruiter with a strong opening line. If you have a personal connection with the company or someone who works there, mention it in the first sentence or two, and try to address your letter to someone directly. Hiring managers are looking for people who can help them solve problems, so show that you know what the company does and some of the challenges it faces. Then explain how your experience has equipped you to meet those needs. If the online application doesn’t allow you to submit a cover letter, use the format you’re given to demonstrate your ability to do the job and your enthusiasm for the role.

No one likes job hunting. Scouring through online job listings, spiffing up your résumé , prepping for grueling interviews  — none of it is fun. For many, the most challenging part of the process is writing an effective cover letter. There’s so much conflicting advice out there, it’s hard to know where to start. Do you even need one, especially if you’re applying through an online system?

• Amy Gallo is a contributing editor at Harvard Business Review, cohost of the Women at Work podcast , and the author of two books: Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) and the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict . She writes and speaks about workplace dynamics. Watch her TEDx talk on conflict and follow her on LinkedIn . amyegallo

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How To Write A Cover Letter (Definitive Guide + Template)

Mike Simpson 0 Comments

By Mike Simpson

So you want to learn how to write a cover letter…

But let me ask you this:

Have you ever been on a blind date?

It can be overwhelmingly nerve wracking.

There you are, all dressed up in your finest, ready to sit down across the table from someone you know absolutely nothing about, and hopefully survive the meeting without too much trouble.

At the absolute best, you two hit it off.

Things are great and you discover through your first awkward meeting that you’re perfect for each other and destined for years of happy togetherness.

At the worst, you’re forced to sit across from someone you have absolutely nothing in common with.  

You spend the entire date suffering through what can feel like absolute eternity, stumbling through awkward starts and stops in the conversation..

But what if you each had a cheat sheet?

A sort of pre-blind date rundown of who you’re going to meet?

A cheat sheet that includes all sorts of vital information like who you are and what you can bring to the relationship. It would make things so much easier, right?

Now, what if you not only had this cheat sheet, but you got to look at it and decide if you even wanted to go on that date in the first place?  Even better, right?

FREE BONUS PDF CHEAT SHEET : Get our "Perfect Cover Letter" Cheat Sheet that gives you a Step-by-Step Process that will help you produce a perfect cover letter.

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR CHEAT SHEET

In the business world, interviews are a lot like blind dates.

Employers sit down with potential employees and over the course of the meeting, both parties try to learn enough about each other to decide if working together is   good idea or a bad idea…just without the awkward hug/kiss thing at the end…hopefully.

See…not so far off from our blind date scenario from earlier…but there is ONE big difference.  

Did you know that companies do have those little cheat sheets on potential employees and that they do ‘pre-screenings’ before the offer to interview is even considered?

That’s right! They do.

Every single piece of information you send a company you’re applying to is going to be thoroughly looked at to determine your potential for compatibility, starting with your cover letter.

“But wait,” you say, “what’s a cover letter, and more importantly, why do I need to send one along with my resume?”

Don’t worry, we’re going to explain exactly what it is…and so much more.  

In fact, over the course of this article, we’re going to discuss a number of things you’ll need to know in order to make your cover letter not only right for who you are and what you bring to the table…but tailor it so it’s absolutely perfect for your first blind date…er, we mean…the job you’re applying for.

What Is A Cover Letter Anyway?

Before you learn how to write a cover letter, you first need to understand what it is!

A professional cover letter is a short, single page letter you should include with every application and/or resume you send out.  

It’s a quick way for you to introduce yourself to an employer and gives them a taste of you …not just your skills (which they will get by looking at your resume.)  

Not only does it act as an introduction, it will also let whoever is reading it (hiring managers) know exactly why you are sending them your information as well as potentially help open the door to future meetings…and interviews!  

Remember, first impressions count…even when they’re on paper, so let’s make sure yours is as perfect as possible. 

Why Do I Need One?

Okay, so I get what a cover letter is, but why do I have to write one?   Shouldn’t my resume be strong enough on its own?    

Ideally, yes, you want to make sure the resume you are submitting is as strong as possible and perfectly tailored to the job you’re applying for (more on tailoring in a bit) but simply sending it in without including a cover letter can work against you. 

As we outlined in our article “ How to Make a Resume 101 ,” a resume is a document that summarizes your skills, abilities and accomplishments.   A well made one should clearly spell out what you can do …but does little to explain who you are.  

That’s where a cover letter comes in. 

A good cover letter serves a multitude of purposes beyond simply letting the hiring manager know the proper way to spell your name.    

It gives potential employers information about you that they wouldn’t get just from looking at your resume alone. 

To bring it back to our dating analogy from earlier…a well written cover letter is a little bit like a friend meeting with your date and telling them all the best things about you before you even get there.  

It’s an opportunity for you to reach out as an individual, not just as an applicant .  

It should highlight your qualifications as well as demonstrate how you stand out from the rest of the hundreds (or thousands) of other qualified job seekers .  

It should also showcase why you’re the right choice for the position…what makes you the “ Perfect Candidate ”…and all this is accomplished before you’re invited to the date, er…I mean interview…

But what if I’m applying for a job that just asks me to send in my resume…do I still need to send in a cover letter? 

Absolutely!  

Sending in a resume without a cover letter is a missed opportunity you can’t afford to take in this competitive job market.  

Not only does a good cover introduce you and all your best qualities, it’s also an opportunity to help explain away any concerns a prospective employer might have about your ability to do the job they’re hiring for .  

The last thing you want to do is turn in a resume or application for a job you’re perfect for and have it get tossed before you even make it to the interview stage because there was something that made an employer question your abilities. 

Have a gap in employment on your resume?   – Use your cover letter as an opportunity to explain it:  

In the middle of switching careers and finding that your skills , while applicable to the job you’re applying for aren’t traditionally considered to be a match? Use your cover letter to detail why you should be considered anyway.  

These days submitting a cover letter is just good form!  

Many times employers expect cover letters even if they don’t explicitly ask for one.  

A job seeker who sends in a resume without a cover letter is essentially letting an employer know they’re happy doing just the bare minimum…and that’s just not the way we like to do things!

By writing a solid cover letter, even when not asked for one, you’re taking that extra step as a job seeker and reinforcing that you’re not only enthusiastic about the opportunity but that you’re also motivated to do what it takes to get in the door for that face to face meeting.

**A WORD OF WARNING …if a company specifically asks you NOT to send a cover letter…then don’t.   Always follow the instructions as outlined by a potential employer.

How To Format Your Cover Letter

“So I need to write a cover letter for a job application…what makes a good one?”

Because your cover letter is your first opportunity to demonstrate your communication skills to your potential employer, it’s critical that you make sure you’re doing everything you can to make your cover letter layout as flawless and business-appropriate as possible.

(This is why we spent a little extra time expanding on Cover Letter Format in our companion guide, “Best Cover Letter Format Guide.” Click the link to check it out now!)

The next question you might be asking yourself is, “How long should a cover letter be?”

Ideally you want to keep your letter between 3-5 paragraphs in length and definitely no longer than one page.

The eternal struggle regarding what to include in a cover letter continues to rage on.  In our opinion the best cover letter is informative without being overly long or rambling .  

Each paragraph should serve a purpose and shouldn’t be excessively lengthy or confusing.  

Remember, the hiring manager is going to be faced with potentially thousands of cover letters so your goal is to make sure yours is brief enough to still be read but detailed and interesting enough to make them want to learn more about you .

Speaking of standing out, this isn’t the time to get creative with fonts, designs, colored paper, or showcase your artistic talents with doodles on the margins.  

A cover letter, like every other piece of paperwork you submit to a potential employer, is a professional document and should look like one.  

Use fonts that are simple and professional like Arial , Times New Roman , or Verdana and be sure to set your font size between 10 and 12 points .

Let’s take a look at standard cover letter formatting:

• Start by first including your personal contact information.   ( You want to make sure your future boss can contact you for that interview, right? )
• Follow that by the date you are writing the letter and then the company contact information .   Be sure to separate each section with a space…it makes your letter easier to read. 

If you are mailing a hard copy of your letter, make sure when you get to the bottom and your salutation to double space .   It will give you room to sign your letter.   If you are emailing your letter, or submitting it electronically and can’t sign it with your autograph, it’s still important to leave that double space.

Here’s A Good Format Template

Your Address

City, State, Zip

Your Best Contact Phone Number

Your Professional Email

Your Personal Branding Website  

Employer Name

City, State, Zip Code

Dear Mr./Mrs. Last Name:*

PARAGRAPH 1:   Because this is your opening paragraph, you want to make sure it’s strong and draws the reader in.   Explain why you are writing.   Describe the job you are applying for, including the position and job title. 

PARAGRAPH 2:   Now we move into the actual text of the letter.   This is where you get to introduce yourself and tell your potential employer why you are qualified to do the job you are applying for.   This is your chance to let them know what you have to offer and why your skills and knowledge are perfect for the position.   Don’t forget to tailor based off your research! 

PARAGRAPH 3-4:   If needed, these are the paragraphs where you can explain away any concerns an employer might have about your ability to do the job. It’s also where you can share accomplishments , success stories, and any other bits of information that will help convince the hiring manager that they have to bring you in for an interview.

FINAL PARAGRAPH:   This is where you wrap up your letter.   Make sure to thank them for considering you for the job and let them know they should feel comfortable reaching out to you with any questions or concerns not addressed in your letter/resume.   This is also the paragraph where you let them know how you plan on following up with them.  

Finally, be sure to direct the hiring manager to your   Your Personal Branding Website so that they are able to get a feel for who you are as a person.  This simple step can land you way more interviews!

Sincerely (or any other closing comment),

Signature/Typed Signature Your Personal Branding Website

* You want to always try to address your cover letter to someone specific.   Unfortunately that information is not always available.   If you find yourself writing a letter and unsure of who to address it to, use “Dear Hiring Manager,” or “Dear Recruiter.”  

* Don’t use “To Whom it May Concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam” as those are considered outdated and you run the risk of offending someone.   You can also call the company directly to ask to whom you should address your letter.

* In some instances you can completely forgo the opening salutation and just start with a subject line, but we suggest at least making an effort to find out who to address it to.   It makes the letter much more personal and shows your dedication to the position.

NOTE: For more information please read our “how to address a cover letter” article .

“Tailoring” Your Cover Letter

Now that we’ve covered the general format of a cover letter, it’s time to dive into the content!

Let’s pretend for a moment you’re the hiring manager and you’ve just gotten this letter:

     EXAMPLE OF A BAD COVER LETTER

To Whom It May Concern,

I recently came across your job post looking for a Production Office Coordinator for the educational television series, “Wonder Kids.”   I think my skills and experience would be a good match for the position and I am submitting my resume to you in the hopes of obtaining an interview.

For the past eight years I have worked as a Production Office Coordinator on a variety of other shows, providing crucial administrative support as well as maintaining and managing the day to day operations of a busy production office.   I am familiar with all aspects of production including contracts, budgets, proper paperwork distribution, and travel coordination.   I pride myself on my organizational skills as well as my ability to run an efficient staff of over 10 employees.    

I am attaching my resume which outlines all my past work experiences as well as a detailed listing of my qualifications and skills.   I look forward to the possibility of speaking with you about this position.

Blanche D. Oatmeal

Zzzzzz. Oh, sorry. Was I napping? Ugh what a snoozer!

Although professional, this is a generic cover letter and if you ask me, pretty bland.

It reveals little about Blanche beyond the fact that she thinks she’s qualified for the job and that she’s been in the industry for over 8 years. A letter like this is the bare minimum when applying for a job… and you’re not the bare minimum .

Don’t forget, you’re the perfect candidate , and a good cover letter is a great first way to let potential employers know that!

Rather than submitting a snooze-worthy letter that will blend into every other letter the hiring manager is going to read, you’re going to tailor your letter and help make sure it really stands out.

If you’ve spent any amount of time reading our other blog posts or watching our videos, you’re probably familiar with our world-famous “ Tailoring Method “.

Now what you might not know, is that the Tailoring Method can actually apply to other parts of your interview as well, including how to write a great cover letter.

You see, there’s a tremendous amount of power in identifying what the company’s desired strengths and characteristics are for the employee they want to hire .

Because demonstrating that you have these Qualities is going to put you in the drivers seat in terms of getting an offer from your interview.

So you need to identify what those “ Qualities ” are, and infuse them into your cover letter and support them with a real example from your past (and where necessary, a success story ).

This is done by taking the time to do careful research of the company and the position .

Here, let’s spice up Blanche’s letter a bit…starting with paragraph one.

First thing you want to keep in mind is, those poor hiring managers are reading tens of hundreds of cover letters and after a while, they’re all going to start blending together…make your stand out…in a good way!

Dear Mr. Sorensen:

When I saw the job posting looking for a Production Office Coordinator for the educational television series, “Wonder Kids,” I knew I had to submit my resume. I am a hard-working and enthusiastic Production Office Coordinator with over eight years of practical hands on experience and am ready for my next adventure! I am currently looking for an opportunity to continue working within the industry and know my skills and experiences would be a good fit for the position and the “Wonder Kids” team overall.

Much better, right?

This is how you want to start a cover letter!  

Not only is it a break from the cookie cutter style cover letters that regularly flood a hiring manager’s desk, it shows that the applicant is excited to be applying for the job .  

It also lets the hiring manager know the applicant isn’t just looking for a job, but that they’re looking to be a part of a team.

The letter is also properly addressed to who is actually reading it.   Remember, “To Whom It May Concern,” and “Dear Sir or Madam” are too generic and can come across as lazy.  

While we’ve already said it is okay to use “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Recruiter,” going that extra mile can make all the difference with a weary reader.   Don’t forget, you want to stand out!

Let’s keep reading…

As a Production Office Coordinator, my skills include scheduling, contracts, paperwork distribution, and budgeting.   I’m also comfortable dealing with vendors, hiring and managing staff, and ensuring the smooth day to day operations of a busy office.   My experience has included both small and large budget companies, and as a result, I am familiar with the need to be adaptable and find myself excited by the prospect of a challenge.

Again, personal , engaging , and dynamic . This letter helps the hiring manager know that the applicant is ready for any challenge and that they’re adaptable.

Now we get into the meat of the letter and where you can brag a bit about what you bring to the table.  Let’s say that through her research, Blanche discovered that the company she’s interviewing with really values someone who excels in (has the “ Quality “) “attention to detail.”

Well, she better darn make sure she highlights that Quality and supports it with an example or examples from her past .

I am proud of my attention to detail and as a result of my experiences with companies of different sizes and budgets, have been able to develop skills not normally associated with the more traditional Production Office Coordinator role, including graphic design, managing social media and web development.   I enjoy working with a wide variety of people and am a multitasker, diligent self-starter and eager team player. 

Nicely done, Blanche!  

A little bit of subtle bragging while showcasing something the applicant is proud of accomplishing for the company overall without coming across as arrogant or too boastful.

The next paragraph is where you can engage the company on a one on one level and show how much research you’ve done on them and their current projects .

I also wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that my interest in working for you extends beyond my desire to simply be a Production Office Coordinator.   I grew up on the show “Wonder Kids” and consider them to be a huge part of my early education.   I am a strong believer in quality children’s programming and have always felt that “Wonder Kids” provided not only entertainment, but educational value as well.   If hired, I would be proud to be a part of the “Wonder Kid” family and help continue that legacy for future generations.

The applicant is letting the hiring manager know that they’re not just blindly applying to the company but that they genuinely know a bit about them and that they have a passion for what the company does .

Okay, Blanche, time to bring it home.

Thank you for taking the time to review my resume and consider me for this position.   You can contact me with any questions by emailing me at [email protected] or by calling me at 555-555-5555.   I would also love if you could take a look at my website, blancheoatmeal.com.  

I look forward to the possibility of discussing this exciting opportunity with you.

When an applicant wraps up their letter this way, they’re outlining the next steps they hope the company will take (contacting them for an interview) and ensuring that the information they need to do that is right there in front of them.

By making it easy for them and including phone numbers and other contact information, a perfect candidate is empowering the employer to take the action the candidate wants.  

By including their personal branded website , the applicant is also inviting the hiring manager to get to know even more about them and what they bring to the table.

When wrapping up your letter with follow up information, tread lightly but confidently.   Whatever you do, don’t push too hard in this paragraph. You don’t want to appear manipulative or controlling.

Remember, you want a job interview…not a restraining order 😉

Warmest regards,

blanchedoatmeal.com

Now that is a great example of a cover letter that will get a hiring managers attention!

By keeping it short and sweet, you’re not overwhelming them with a ton to read…but at the same time by making it engaging, tailored , and personal, you’re ensuring that it stands out and highlights you in a positive way.

In our opinion this a wonderful example of how to end a cover letter that you should take into consideration when working on yours.

A good cover letter closing will leave a great taste in the hiring manager’s mouth and will go a long way to securing an interview.

If after sending your cover letter and your resume you don’t hear from the company in a couple of days, a quick “wanted to be sure you had received my application” email is an entirely appropriate follow-up, even without telling them that you will be following up first.

If you do end up needing to write a follow-up note, you absolutely should slip in a line like “I really think my (skills and talents that are relevant to the job) would be great for (the company), and want to make sure my application didn’t get lost or submitted incorrectly.”

You can also throw in something again about why you want to work at that company – mention some company values or exciting projects to show that you’ve done your research and are really interested in them specifically.

Sample Cover Letter Used Above

Here is the complete cover letter as written above if you would like to download it...

Top 10 Cover Letter Tips & Hacks

• SHORT AND SWEET:   Your cover letter should never go over a single page.   Keep it clean and concise.   Keep your sentences focused and avoid using flowery words.
• KNOW WHAT YOU WANT AND GO FOR IT:   Make sure you let your potential employer know exactly what you are bringing to the job.   They have a need and you are there to fill it.   Tell them how you are going to accomplish that.
• TAILOR! TAILOR! TAILOR!:   Don’t be vague or generic.   Make sure your letter is clearly targeted to the job you are going for as well as the company you want to be hired by.   Do your research ahead of time.
• COVER LETTERS ARE LIKE SNOWFLAKES – NO TWO ARE ALIKE:   Unless you’re launching a direct mail campaign, make sure you’re fine tuning each and every cover letter you sending out so it focuses on the specifics of the job you are applying for. 
• KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE:   Make sure you are addressing your letter directly to the proper individual.   Do your research and find out who will be reading it…and absolutely make sure you have the proper spelling of their name.   If you can’t get a name, make sure to address it “Dear Hiring Manager,” or “Dear Recruiter.”   Don’t use “To Whom it May Concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam” as those are considered outdated. 
• PROOFREAD!:   The fastest way to end up in the circular file is by submitting a sloppy letter.   Double check to make sure your spelling and grammar are correct.    
• THE KEY TO SUCCESS LIES WITH KEYWORDS:   Pay careful attention to what is said in the job postings.   Look for key words and phrases in the description and make sure to echo those in your letter but don’t overstuff your letter. 
• BE PROFESSIONAL:   Keep the focus of your letter on the job you are applying for.   Introduce yourself but don’t go into too much detail or bring up anything unrelated to the job.   Do not speak badly of past employers or trash talk prior jobs.
• LINK IT UP:   Make sure your letter includes a link to your personal branded website.   A cover letter is a great introduction into who you are and what you can bring, and by including a link to your personal website, you’re allowing a potential employer to really explore everything you potentially can bring to the position.
• FOLLOW UP!:   Demonstrate your dedication to the position by making sure to follow up on all your contacts if possible.   Don’t become annoying, but at the same time, if you don’t reach out, you run the risk of being forgotten.

Common Mistakes

We’ve covered what what should be in a cover letter, but what should you NOT put in your cover letter?

• Rule number one of cover letters is…proofread. Proofread. Proofread. Oh, and then proofread it again. We don’t care if you’re writing the cover letter to end all cover letters. If you’re serious about a job you’re applying for…take the time to read your letter before you send it off. This includes making sure that not only are you spelling things correctly and that your grammar and punctuation is spot on, but that you’re also double checking the basics like the company name and the position you’re applying for.
• Lying about your past experiences or over inflating what you’ve done. Everyone’s allowed to brag a bit in their cover letter…as long as it’s true. Don’t lie to the company or yourself. If a company has nothing that appeals to you, you wouldn’t enjoy working there – and they’d rather not have you – so why bother applying?
• Talking about why you quit your last job. Remember, this is sort of like a blind date. Nobody wants to hear about your ex…and absolutely DO NOT TRASH YOUR PAST EMPLOYERS.
• Salary requirements. Save that for the interview.
• Getting too personal. The letter is a great way to introduce yourself, but remember…keep it about the position and keep it professional. The paragraph where you talk about the company can contain tidbits about you (I grew up watching the “Wonder Kids”) but don’t let it get too personal (After my alcoholic parents divorced and my father left the country to join the Amsterdam Travelling Cat and Flea Circus, the “Wonder Kids” were the only steady and constant positive in my life.) Save that for your therapist.

The Different Types of Cover Letters

As a job seeker, you need to be aware that there are different types of cover letters that align to the different ways jobs are posted and how you’re involved in the application process .  

In most cases, the basic cover letter layout we went over earlier in this article can be used as a solid foundation for whatever you write…but we’re here to help you rise above the competition which means making that extra effort. 

You’re the Perfect Candidate and that means ensuring that your cover letter is exactly right for whatever type of posting you come across.

So let’s take a look at what you might come across in your job-seeking travels.

Job Posting

A job posting is when an employer advertises an opening within their organization that they would like to fill.  

This can be anything from a notice in a newspaper , to a posting on the company website . 

Make sure you read the posting carefully and pay close attention to the description of the job.  

This is when you will begin to start tailoring your cover letter!

Try to figure out exactly what Qualities (skills and abilities) the company values and make sure you highlight these in your cover letter.

As you go through the post, identify the key words and phrases that are used .  

When you write your cover letter, make sure you use these keywords and phrases (but don’t just copy and paste the ad word for word). 

As always, do your research beforehand and use that information to help tailor your letter and showcase how you would be a welcome addition to their team.

Application Cover Letter

For many entry level positions, the application process is fairly simple and straight forward.  

You’ll go into wherever it is you want to work and ask for an application.  

They’ll hand you a pre-printed form and you’ll sit down and fill it out before turning it back in.  

Many job seekers who are applying for these types of positions will simply turn in their application after filling them out. 

Submitting a well written cover letter along with your application will make you stand out to a prospective employer.  

You’re showing them that you are willing to do the work to get the job and that can go a long way towards getting hired.  

It’s also a great idea for individuals who are new to the job market and might not have prior employment history . 

You always want to start out your letter with a personal salutation, so if possible, when picking up an application, ask for a few days to fill it out before returning it as well as the name of the individual who will be reviewing it.  

While most employers are happy to let you take an application and bring it back later, there is always the possibility you will be asked to fill it out on the spot.   For situations like this, always make sure you bring a copy (or two) of a pre-prepared cover letter and resume with you so you can hand them in all together . 

Before heading out to pick up applications, make sure you have a few letters already typed up and pre-tailored to the locations you plan on applying to.  

Yes, it means taking a bit more time at the beginning of your application process, but it will be well worth it and again demonstrates to the employer that you are invested in the position.

Online Application Cover Letter

Many companies these days utilize online job posting websites like Brass Ring and Monster to advertise available positions.  

While this might seem like a convenience for you (hey, you can apply for jobs in your living room while wearing your pajamas all day!) it actually means your odds of getting an invitation to interview is going to be tougher than it would be if you were mailing in your information.

Why?   Three little letters…ATS.

What’s ATS?

ATS , or Applicant Tracking System , is a computer based screening program used to filter applicants.  

The program scans thousands of applications and quickly discards those that don’t fit the specific algorithm it’s been programmed with.  

While that might sound like a great way to streamline the hiring process, it also means that whatever you submit has to be carefully crafted to ensure that it makes it through this robotic filter.  

If not done properly, your submission could be discarded before ever being seen by a living human being…and we definitely don’t want that!

The first thing you want to do is wrap your head around the idea that you are going to first be facing a robot and that it’s been programmed to get rid of you.   Okay, maybe not you specifically (we’ll save the Terminator analogies for another post) but certainly your application.

So how do you beat the bot?   By thinking like one.

Start by reading the job description carefully.  

Because the computer is going to be programmed to select only the candidates that perfectly match what the company is looking for, you need to make sure you are the right fit.  

Re-read the posting until you clearly understand exactly what the company is looking for and that you are absolutely able to fill that spot with the skills , qualities , experience and education you have. 

Tailoring your letter is something you should do for every position you apply for, but when it comes to online applications that are likely to be run through ATS, it’s absolutely vital.  

You want to make sure that your cover letter is specific to the job you are applying for.

Clearly state the title you are applying for and verify that it matches the title in the posting .  

Pay extra attention to the details of the position and the description of the job.   Many of the key words the bot is programmed to respond to will be in there.  

Use those same descriptions and key words in your cover letter and resume, but do it judiciously.  

Try not to repeat them more than two times.   Stuffing your letter with keywords might seem like an easy way to guarantee success, but it’s more likely to result in your application being flagged by the program and rejected . 

Make sure to carefully check your letter for spelling and grammar errors.  

This is a basic rule you should follow no matter what, but in this case, it’s even more crucial that your submission material is flaw free.  

While a human can read a letter and usually figure out what you mean regardless of tiny problems or a misspelled word here or there, a bot is looking for exact matches…not “close enough.”  

Keep this in mind when using acronyms as well.   To avoid the risk of an acronym being rejected by the bot, use both the acronym as well as the spelled out words. 

Ultimately you want your application to make it through ATS and into the hands of an actual human.  

It’s a delicate balancing act between being specific enough to pass ATS and still engaging enough to catch the attention of the hiring manager.   It’s tough, but it can be done!

Cold Call Cover Letter

A cold call cover letter is a letter you send out along with your resume to a company you want to work for that has NOT advertised any openings .  

Generally this is something you do when you find a company that you really want to work for but they don’t have any openings that fit your skills or they’re not soliciting for applicants. 

Applying for a job that doesn’t exist can be a risky venture, but it can also be a smart one.  

If you’re the Perfect Candidate (and you are!) you could potentially gain early consideration for an opening that comes up down the road.   Best case scenario, they think you’re so absolutely amazing that they find a job for you! 

Keep in mind, you’re not the only person on this planet who has submitted a cold call cover letter and resume, and you’re asking a company for a job that doesn’t exist…which means you have to make sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that whatever you send in is absolutely perfect.

Remember, the company is NOT asking for people to submit to them , so you need to figure out what it is that you offer that makes you worth considering.   What can you bring to the table that they don’t already have and why should they take the time to look at your materials?

The first step for cold contacting a company is doing your research.  

Of course, as a student of The Interview Guys , you’re already well versed in the art of researching, but when it comes to a cold contact like this, you have to go above and beyond in your digging.  

You want your cover letter to contain knowledge of specific current situations within the company and how you can help .  

Just writing to a company and telling them how much you love them and want to work for them very rarely results in a job offer.  

You’re more likely to get a thank you note and a package of free corporate bumper stickers than an offer of employment. 

Open your letter with a solid salutation addressed to a specific individual.  

Because this is a cold contact, it’s absolutely imperative that you address your letter to exactly the right person.   You want to make sure that your information ends up with whoever is most likely to hire you.  

Open your letter with a generic salutation and you run the risk of it being either immediately tossed or passed onto someone who can’t do anything with it except send you that package of corporate bumper stickers.  

Make sure during your research that you determine exactly who should receive your information and address it to them.

The body of your letter is going to be critical to your success in this adventure.   You want to make sure that you open with a paragraph so strong, so focused, so dynamic, that whoever is reading it can’t help but keep reading.   You want the first paragraph your intended audience reads to hook their attention and draw them in, and this will come from your research. 

Have you found something in your digging that indicates that the company has a need you can fill?  

Are they preparing for an expansion and you know they’re going to need someone with your skills in the very near future?  

Is there an aspect of their business that is lagging and you know you can help strengthen it? 

** SIDE NOTE :   Make sure you are careful when addressing a failure within a company, even if you are offering them a solution.   You want them to see you as a viable answer to their problem, not an annoying upstart pointing out their flaws.  

It’s a delicate balance, but we have faith in you!

Follow up your opening paragraph by expanding on your key strengths and skills and how you plan on using them to benefit your target company .  

Try to include achievements and examples of how you’ve succeeded in the past and be prepared to back it up with proof should they reach out to you . 

Another great way to help strengthen your chances of securing an interview (and possibly a job) is to mention any connections you have to the company.  

Be sure you let whoever you are name dropping know that you’re doing this…you want to make sure if they get asked about you they have nothing but good things to say about you!   It’s a good idea to put this information early in your letter.   People are much more likely to read your letter if they see that you have a personal connection.

Close your letter out with options on how to move forward to the next step.  

While your ultimate goal with your letter and resume is a job interview, you might not feel comfortable straight out asking for one in a cold call situation.   Of course, if you are…more power to you…but if you feel that a softer approach is called for, try asking instead for information about their hiring practices, job fairs, a tour of the company or even for an informational interview .

What’s an informational interview?

An informational interview is one where you sit down with someone who works in a career or job you want to learn more about.   You’ll learn about what they do, what skills they need to have in order to succeed in their position and what it’s like to work where they work.  

It is NOT an interview for a job…but it could potentially lead to one down the road as whoever you are doing the interview with is now personally acquainted with you.

Remember, the key to success with a cold call cover letter depends on a number of factors including timing and how well you understand the company you are submitting to as well as how thorough your research is. 

Recruiter’s Ad Cover Letter

Many companies these days have turned their entire employee hiring process over to executive search firms staffed by highly trained recruiters.  

These recruiters might work with a number of companies (their clients) and are usually focused on a very specific category of job placement (e.g., engineers, paralegals, etc.).  

The recruiters will often place ads which allows them to pull together large numbers of qualified job candidates.  

Then they’ll go through those candidates and present the best of the best to their clients in the hopes that one of them (or more) will be hired.

To put it bluntly (and in keeping with our blind date analogy) recruiters are the matchmakers of the job world.   The companies tell the recruiters who they are looking for and the recruiters go through the piles of candidates they have on hand and try to find the best fit. 

When you respond to an ad placed by a recruiter and submit your cover letter and resume, you’re not usually submitting it for a specific job…rather you’re providing them with your information and skill set in the hopes that it matches up with a job assignment or opening they get from their corporate clients…and that means you have to take a totally different approach to how you write your cover letter.

Because a recruiter is looking for a specific set of skills to fill open positions , they will almost always start by first looking at your resume before ever looking at your cover letter.

Hang on, if they’re looking at my resume and ignoring my cover letter, then why even include one?

Don’t worry…your cover letter will get looked at…just not right away…which is why the information contained within it needs to be a little different than the information you would normally put into a cover letter.

If after reading your resume a recruiter decides you are a good fit for the position, they’ll turn to your cover letter for more information about you…and what they’re looking for is fairly specific .

A cover letter to a recruiter needs to quickly answer questions they might have about your eligibility and willingness to do the job they are pitching you for .  

You want to use your cover letter to explain what you can do, what you are qualified to do, and what you require in order to accept the job if it’s offered to you.

Start your letter out with a personal salutation.   You are essentially going to be represented by your recruiter so it’s a good idea to know who is passing your information around.

Your first paragraph should be a quick introduction into what you are and what you do.   They need to know what you are currently doing and where you are doing it.   You should also include in this section why you are looking for a new job and what you hope to get out of establishing a relationship with your recruiter.

The second paragraph should outline your skills and accomplishments as well as your background.   This is the paragraph where you lay out exactly why you believe you would be an asset to the recruiter’s clients. 

The third paragraph should cover the jobs and industries you are looking for employment in.   It’s also the paragraph where you discuss your salary history as well as your current salary range requirements. 

** SALARY SIDE NOTE :   Normally with cover letters you do NOT want to include salary information.   We’ll discuss this more in depth later on in this article, but for now, be aware, this is one of the few times when it’s not only acceptable, it’s necessary.

Make sure you also include whether or not you’d be willing to travel or relocate.  

Finally, make sure you include your availability and when you would be able to start a new job if offered.

Recruiter Cold Call Cover Letter

Submitting a cold call cover letter and resume to a recruiter is a lot like submitting a cold call cover letter to a company; you’re reaching out to someone who is not soliciting for applicants in the hopes of being considered for a position that may or may not exist .

When we went over Recruiter Ad cover letters, we told you that the recruiters would look at your resume first and your cover letter second…which in that scenario is true.  

In this scenario, where you are reaching out to them rather than responding to an ad or solicitation they’ve generated, they are absolutely going to look at your cover letter first…if for no reason other than to figure out who you are and why you’re contacting them. 

The best way to ensure that your letter and information gets a serious look is by doing your research on the recruiter you are contacting ahead of time.  

Recruiters are usually very specific about who they’re looking for and what they’re recruiting for, so it’s important that you contact someone who represents the field you are qualified to work in.

The first paragraph is where you introduce yourself.   Let the recruiter know who you are and what you are/what you do.   You also want to let them know what you would like to do and what sort of job you are looking for and why you are looking for a new job.   Make sure you are specific and provide any details you think might help them in matching you with the right company should an opportunity arise.

The second paragraph should outline your skills and accomplishments as well as your background.   This is the paragraph where you lay out exactly why you believe you would be an asset to the recruiter’s clients and should be included in their pile of potential pitches.   It’s also the paragraph where you let the recruiter know clearly what type of work you are interested in, be it full time, part time, permanent or freelance.   Make sure you decide ahead of time and stick with it.   A recruiter needs to know your level of commitment to the jobs they are submitting you for.

The third paragraph is where you discuss your salary history as well as your current salary range requirements. 

** SALARY SIDE NOTE PART DEUX :   As we said above with Recruiter Ad Cover Letters, discussing your salary in a cover letter is normally not done.   We’ll discuss this more in depth later on in this article, but for now, be aware, this is one of the few times when again it’s not only acceptable, it’s necessary.

Finally, make sure you include your availability and when you would be able to start a new job if offered. 

With a recruiter cold call letter, you don’t normally include how you plan to follow up with them.  

Recruiters are incredibly busy and are highly trained in what they do.   Although you might be tempted to reach out to them, hold off.   Bothering them isn’t going to get you anywhere.  

If they see something in you that warrants their attention, they will reach out to you.

Direct Mail Campaign Cover Letter

A Direct Mail Campaign is where a job seeker sends out hundreds of letters and resumes to potential employers in the hopes of securing an interview or position.  

Although similar to the Cold Call Cover Letter in that you are submitting to companies that aren’t currently advertising positions, it’s a much less focused process and involves you sending the same cover letter and resume out to everyone in the hopes that someone responds back.

When you do a Direct Mail Campaign Cover Letter, you want to avoid anything that would specifically apply to one company over another.  

Because you’re sending this same letter out to multiple companies, you want to be general enough for it to apply broadly, but not so general that it works against you.

Your cover letter should start out by introducing the reader to who you are and what you do as well as what job you are seeking. 

The next paragraphs should detail your skills and experience with the job you are seeking and why you are qualified to do it.

Finally, be sure to wrap your letter up with information on how the company can contact you if interested. 

**A WORD OF CAUTION WITH DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGNS:   While it might seem like this method is more efficient than targeting and tailoring your information for specific companies and jobs, it can also work against you.   Most hiring managers can quickly recognize a direct mail letter and will discard it as ‘spam.’

Referral Cover Letter

A Referral Cover Letter is one you send after someone who works with the company or has contacts within the industry refers you .  

It is similar to any other company cover letter with the exception of the opening paragraph.

Make sure to introduce yourself and also mention the individual who referred you to the company or position.  

If possible, include anything specific your contact has told you about the position or the person you are reaching out to .

Once you have finished your introductory paragraph, use the rest of your letter to discuss your skills , education , background , training … anything that will help to show that you are a good fit for the position .

Finally make sure you close your letter with your plans for following up with them and how they might contact you with any questions.

Blind Posting Cover Letter

A blind job posting is one in which a company posts a job opening but decides to remain anonymous.  

A company might decide to blind post for a high profile position they don’t want to call attention to so as not to appear lacking in leadership.  

Other times it’s meant to build excitement and mystery to help increase the number of applicants. 

Submitting to a blind listing means tailoring your letter to the company is going to be difficult…but it doesn’t have to be impossible…and that extra bit of sleuthing can help really elevate your application above the rest of the entries. 

A good place to start is by taking a closer look at the posting.   Is there a fax number or email included?   Sometimes you can get lucky, and with a bit of internet digging, trace those backwards to find out what company those are attached to .   The same goes for a physical address or P.O. Box.

Look for key phrases as well.  

Is the company referencing anything specific like “we have been ranked number one in employee retention and satisfaction for the past five years.”?  

Type that phrase into your favorite search engine and see what pops up. 

Of course, the goal of figuring out who the company is isn’t so you can reveal how smart you are in your letter…rather, it’s to help with your tailoring process.  

Proving you’re a master detective could potentially backfire…especially if you’re wrong.   Instead of bragging about your digging skills, use what you learn to help show why you’re a perfect fit for the job.

How do you address a cover letter for a blind posting?  

Ideally you want to make sure your letter is personal and that means addressing it to a specific individual, but in a situation like this, you have to consider other options.  

In the event you figure out exactly what company is hiring for…and there is absolutely NO DOUBT about their identity, then you could potentially go online, look at their website and see who is overseeing hiring…but we’re going to strongly caution you against this.   Again…you could be wrong…or worse…look creepy and stalkerish.  

This is one instance when using “Dear Hiring Manager” is perfectly acceptable.

Once you get this all done, it’s time to tackle the content of your letter.   Again, because this is a blind posting, it’s going to be tough tailoring your information.  

That means you have to pay extra close attention to exactly what the posting says.  

Go over it carefully and pay attention to exactly what the company is looking for.  

Make sure you highlight exactly how you fit what they’re looking for and include examples demonstrating your skills, knowledge and experience .  

If the posting contains specific instructions, be sure to follow them to the absolute letter.   This is a good thing to do no matter what, but in a blind posting, it can be the make or break.

In a normal job posting where you know who you are applying to, your closing paragraph should always include how you plan on following up with the company.  

Unfortunately with blind job postings, that’s not possible.   Regardless, you want to make sure your final paragraph is strong and lets the hiring manager (whoever they are) know that you are looking forward to the possibility of discussing the position in greater detail at an in person interview.

Internship Cover Letter

An internship is a great way to get your foot in the door and learn more about a company/career you are thinking of pursuing.  

Just because it’s an internship and not an actual job doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat it just as seriously.

Make sure when you’re addressing your letter that you’re sending it to the right individual.   Many times with internships they’re facilitated by the educational institution you’re attending and will provide you with specific contact information.  

If you are securing your own internship and not receiving university assistance with the process, make sure you do your research ahead of time and find out who will be reading your letter. 

Start out your letter by clearly stating your intent to secure an internship so there is no confusion and your letter ends up in the wrong pile…or worse, the trash.

Always include your educational background information ; what you’re studying and where .

As you continue into the body of your letter, don’t allow yourself to be intimidated by your lack of “work” experience.   When applying for an internship, it’s okay to have less experience than someone who is employed in the field you are entering.   In fact, it’s expected!  

An internship is an opportunity to learn.   Including a paragraph about what you hope to take away from this internship and how it will help you achieve your long term goals is a great way to show enthusiasm and set you apart from the crowd .

No Prior Work Experience Cover Letter

If you’re just entering the job market or a recent graduate, it can be intimidating writing cover letters without any experience.  

Not to worry!

It’s still absolutely essential to send out a cover letter…we just have to tailor it a bit differently. 

Writing a cover letter for an entry level position, or to a job you have no experience in is very similar to the letter you would write as an intern.   It’s perfectly fine to highlight your non-employment related experiences… if they are relevant to the job.

For recent graduates, make sure to include where you went to school and how what you’ve studied relates directly to the job you are applying for .

Volunteer experiences ,  internships ,  related classes , projects ,  leadership experiences ,  extracurricular activities  and your skills that pertain to the position you’re applying for all can and should be mentioned in your cover letter .

A lack of experience doesn’t mean you’re allowed to have a lack of knowledge about what you’re applying for and the company you’re applying to.  

That means you still have to do your research!  

Make sure you know everything you can about the company . Visit their website . Read their blog . Get inside their corporate heads and figure out how you and what you bring are the perfect fit !

If the job posting has buzzwords, be sure to include those in your letter and make sure they relate to the skills you’ve got.

Finally, as with any and all cover letters, be honest, be succinct, be professional.

Check out our new blog post that covers 12 great cover letter examples!

 Let’s Talk About Salary, Baby

As promised, we’re going to quickly discuss if and when you should bring up salary requirements in your cover letters.

Generally you DO NOT and SHOULD NOT include this information in your cover letters (with the exception of the two Recruiter specific letters we discussed above).  

If an employer does not require you to include any salary information (including history, requirement or range) then don’t put it in there.  

There is a time and a place for the salary discussion and we cover that in our article “ How To Negotiate Salary During The Interview Process. ” 

If an employer asks you for your salary information but doesn’t require it, hold off on passing that information on until it becomes an actual requirement.

But what do you do if an employer says you must include this information in order to apply?  

One way to tackle this tricky subject is to give a salary range.   Make sure you do your research ahead of time to determine what your job is worth and be sure to make your range realistic.   Also make sure that you are able to be flexible within that range should your employer decide to negotiate. 

Another way to answer this question is to state that your requirements are negotiable and that you are willing to factor in things like benefits and the actual position itself.

No matter what you put down, be sure to state clearly that your salary requirements are flexible and open to discussion. The last thing you want to do is lock yourself into a rate that is so high you lose the job or so low you find yourself being offered far less than what you’re worth .

Keep in mind that although most employers have a salary range for a position already figured out before you even walk through the door, it’s not set in stone.   If you are the Perfect Candidate (and you are!) a good employer will figure out how to pay more for you if they feel that will get you to accept the job…  

This won’t happen, however, if you lock yourself into a number too early in the game.    

So why is it okay to tell a recruiter my salary history and range but not a potential employer?

When you give an employer salary information, you are limiting your ability to negotiate.   Without the ability to negotiate, you run the risk of being offered or accepting a job for less than you deserve.

A recruiter, however, needs to know your salary information so they can use that information when pitching you for jobs to their clients.  

A recruiter is paid only after they fill a position for a client, and that fee is covered by the client themselves.  

Usually that fee amounts to a percentage of whatever the first year’s compensation for the new employee ends up being which means it’s in the recruiter’s best interest to try to get you as high a rate as possible. 

Recruiters also need to know this information so they can avoid pitching you for jobs that are lower than your range .  

It doesn’t do them any good to have an employer offer to hire you and have you turn it down because you aren’t happy with the salary. 

However, to prevent yourself from being locked into a situation where you are again faced with being offered too little or asking for too much, keep your answers in range form and base those numbers off of real world examples and your research.

Cover Letter Samples

Ok, so we’ve basically covered everything you could ever need to know about cover letters.   But I know what you might be thinking…

“Can I get a cover letter sample or two please Mike?   I’m basically an expert now but it would be much easier if I could just start with a cover letter template.”

Look, we covered a ton of stuff in this article so I don’t blame you.   So what we decided to do is enlist the help of our friends over at vault.com who have a treasure trove full of great cover letter samples that you can use as a guideline for your own letter.

But here’s the deal.   Hiring managers are smart AND have access to these websites as well, so you don’t want to simply choose a sample cover letter and then just completely rip it off.   Take the time to make it your own, because it will pay off in the long run.

Copying a cover letter example word for word will only make you sound like someone other than yourself, and that is not what we are trying to do here!

Ok so Vault separates their cover letter templates into four distinct categories, so go ahead and click the link below that applies to your situation the most:

Cold Call Cover Letters

Direct mail cover letters, response to ad cover letters, referral letters.

Those four categories above should give you enough examples of cover letters to get you prepared for writing your own!

If after sending your cover letter and your resume you don’t hear from the company within a couple of days, a quick “wanted to be sure you had received my application” email is an entirely appropriate follow-up, even without telling them that you will be following up first.

If you do end up needing to write a thank you note , you absolutely should slip in a line like “ I really think my (skills and talents that are relevant to the job) would be great for (the company), and want to make sure my application didn’t get lost or submitted incorrectly. ”

You can also throw in something again about why you want to work at that company – mention some company values or exciting projects to show that you’ve done your research and are really interested in them specifically.

And don’t forget to study as many cover letter examples as you can!  Especially the cover letter example that we laid out for you in detail in this article.

So there you have it!   How To Write a Cover Letter 101 .  

By following what we’ve laid out here for you, your cover letter is going to be a single paged professional introduction aimed at getting you in the door and on your way to an interview .  

By using our tailoring method and infusing the body of your letter with keywords and the qualities the employer is looking for, you’ll be positioning yourself for a spot at the top of their list of potential candidates.

Just remember, dating analogies aside, it’s probably a good idea to leave the flowers and chocolates at home.

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Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com.

His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others.

Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

About The Author

Mike simpson.

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com. His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

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Free cover letter templates for 2024 & beyond: Write letters that land jobs

Summary/Overview

What is a cover letter.

A cover letter for a job is a one-page introductory letter that addresses why you are the right choice for a job. This letter allows you to go further than the information available on your resume and really show off why you’re interested in a position, and why you’re the ideal candidate for whatever the position is.

Why include a cover letter?

Writing a cover letter gives you a chance to provide additional context for your background, experience, education, and skillsets that wouldn’t otherwise be automatically evident from your resume. Cover letters personalize your application and allow the employer to get to know you more before they enter the interview portion of the hiring process.

Not all employers will ask you for a cover letter so be sure to carefully read the application requirements for each position you apply for before you start writing.

How to write a good cover letter:

Begin with the appropriate greeting based on who is hiring or who will be reading this letter. If you don’t know their gender or title, write out their full name. If you don’t know who will be receiving your letter, the standard “To whom it may concern” will suffice.

Examples: Dear Ms. Clalock / Dear Kyle Mills / To whom it may concern

Introduce yourself in the opening paragraph in a way that is personable and highlights why you would be a great fit for the role or company.

Example: I recently saw your posting for Social Media Manager on LinkedIn and felt deeply compelled to apply. I feel my skillset, industry experience, and career goals align with your company’s mission, and I would love the opportunity to grow with your company to further visibility for future campaigns.

Provide context for your interest in the middle paragraphs and explore your relevant experience. Stand out as someone passionate about what this role involves or how this company caters to something you care about.

Example: My responsibilities at these organizations have included content production, content strategy, data mapping, product marketing, and social network development. I developed the company-wide market strategy at WineNet and extended that strategy into a multi-year campaign that benefitted the company and their non-profit partners.

In the closing paragraph, solidify your interest in future correspondence and thank the reader for their time and interest.

Example: Thank you for your time and consideration. I appreciate this opportunity to learn more about your company, and I look forward to sharing in the values of your company’s mission.

End the letter with your signature

Example: Sincerely, Joss Chen

Remember: Know your audience. Tailor how you address your reader based on which industry you’d trying to work within. These letters, though made for template customization, should not be one-size-fits-all.

Features of a good cover letter

• Use referrals if you have them. A cover letter is a perfect setting to let an employer know that you already have a relationship with someone they trust, know, or have employed.
• If you are applying to jobs in multiple industries, it can be helpful to explore your own industry cross-over appeal by developing a cover letter than can be applied to multiple jobs. That way, you can plug-and-play the job titles and information for each individual position for which you apply.
• Length is crucial in writing a cover letter! Be clear, direct, and concise. No cover letter needs to be longer than a page; general rule of thumb is that the longest a cover letter should ever be is 500 words, or the same length as a college application essay.

Common types of cover letters

The three most common types of good cover letters are known as applying, networking, and prospecting. They all have a different place and purpose in the working world.

Applying cover letter:

The applying cover letter is the standard mode of cover letter. It introduces you, explains why you’re interested in the position, and what experience you have that is relevant to the position desired. This letter should turn the flatness of a resume into a compelling story about your passions and strengths, and how they would apply to this particular job. Think of this letter as a concise — but warm-blooded — summation of the value you would bring to this workplace and why you are the best candidate for the role available.

Applying cover letter sample template:

Edit this template

Networking cover letter:

The networking cover letter is fueled by a personal or professional connection. The purpose of this letter mode is to reach out, ask for employment advice, or inquire as to open position referrals within a particular company. This letter is commonly directed at contacts you’ve gained through your industry, past positions, social media platforms like LinkedIn, specific networking events or conferences, or any other environment in which referrals can be passed along. Keep it simple but personable, with the knowledge that the person to which you direct this letter would be helping you out with your job search.

Networking cover letter sample template:

Prospecting cover letter:

The prospecting cover letter is used as outreach to a particular company or business in which you’re interested. If they don’t seem to have any open positions, or perhaps you just have a good feeling about them and want to know more, you can use this letter to inquire about opportunities or make new connections within the company for future use. This style of letter can also be sent to recruiters who hire within a specific industry; upon receiving your letter, they can fold you into their bank of prospective employees to pull from for their clients.

Prospecting cover letter sample template:

Free Adobe Express cover letter templates

With Adobe Express, designing a cover letter that grabs attention and showcases your qualifications is no longer a chore. Explore our collection of best cover letter templates today and land that dream interview!

Free Adobe Express resume templates

Are you also looking to overhaul your resume? Adobe Express makes it easy to present your work history and skillsets with style using these free customizable resume templates .

This post was updated on April 11, 2024.

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How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in an Interview (Plus Examples!)

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By Stav Ziv

“Tell me about yourself” might seem like an easy win of an  interview question —after all, you know all about yourself! And good thing, too, because it’s often the very first thing an interviewer will ask you to do—whether you’re having a preliminary phone screen, speaking to your prospective boss, or sitting down with the CEO during the final round.”

Read the full article on The Muse: https://www.themuse.com/advice/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question-answer-examples

Answering ‘How Would You Describe Yourself?’ 5 Tips and Examples.

One of the hardest parts of the job interview process is answering the seemingly simple question: How would you describe yourself? 

This question is vague for a reason, according to Ashley Watkins, a career consultant and former recruiter. Prospective employers are teeing up job candidates to see how well they can show their strengths for a role.

Knowing how to describe yourself is important because there’s a good chance you’ll be asked a variation of this question during a job interview.

Why Interviewers Ask This Question

Interviewers might ask you to describe yourself for a very practical reason: It saves them time from guessing what makes you tick.

“I think the reason this question is so popular is that sometimes the interviewer really hasn’t had the time to read your resume,” Rachel Amos, director of career services and employer relations at Carnegie Mellon University, told Built In. “Maybe they’re interviewing 15 people a day and reading hundreds of resumes. So, you’re doing a little of their job for them.”

Decoding this question further, prospective employers ask this question to see what you can offer their company and whether your work experience, accomplishments, knowledge, skills and personality match the qualities they seek.

The question also tests your communication and listening skills , said Jenny Logullo, communications consultant and career coach.  She added the interviewer is certainly paying attention and evaluating what you say, so it’s important not to get distracted and ramble on.

Some hiring managers, however, don’t ask job candidates to describe themselves.

“I don’t ask that question because it’s not precise enough,” Philippe Clavel, senior director of engineering at Roblox, said. “I don’t think it’s set up for success to know what you want to know as an interviewer.”

Instead, Clavel said he’ll ask job candidates about their careers and what impact they’ve had, as well as their passions both in and outside of work.

More on Career Development How Interpersonal Skills Help You Be a Stronger Tech Player

5 Variations of the ‘How Would You Describe Yourself’ Question

There are a few different ways interviewers might ask this question, but the nuances that employers are seeking in your response differ. In order to get it right, job applicants should be asking themselves what the interviewer is trying to learn .  

Tell Me About Yourself

You may think “ tell me about yourself ” and “how would you describe yourself” are the same question at first glance, but to employers, it might not be, Amos said.

“Tell me about yourself is a different way of saying, ‘tell me about your professional and educational background,’” Amos added. “How would you describe yourself is more of a trait-based question and not a background-based one.”

Traits are based on your personality, such as, you really enjoy challenges and thrive on situations that call for lots of flexibility.

How Would Your Coworkers Describe You?

Employers ask this question to get better insight into your work style , work ethic and what your personality is like in a work situation.

Amos advises pulling the requested skills in the job description and trying to match at least three of those that fit with your own list of skills. 

“If the company wants people who enjoy solving complex problems and you have those skills, I would say, ‘I think my former boss would say I’m a person who enjoys solving complex problems, and here’s a couple of ways I’ve done that,” Amos said. 

This question may also seek to uncover whether you are a team player or how well you work in a team environment. It could be trying to find out if you share the workload equally or if you can build relationships with others, according to Dana McCormick, chief human resources officer at Simeio. 

What Are Three Words That Describe You?

“When they give you a number, that right there should be a cue to keep it concise,” Santina Pitcher, associate director of counseling and programs at the University of California at Berkeley’s Career Center, said. “Don’t just say three adjectives and be done with it. You need to give it a little context but you also don’t want to have a five-minute answer.”

One of the best steps to take to be prepared for a brief but impactful response is to prepare ahead of time for such a question and practice a response.

What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?

Questions about your strengths and weaknesses are designed to help employers get a sense of how much of a learning curve you may face and consider what other types of training and development opportunities may be appropriate for you, McCormick said.

Our egos may take a beating when we list our weaknesses , but avoid wimping out when responding to the interview question about your weaknesses, career experts advise.

“When asked about your greatest weakness, people may say, ‘I work too much,’ or ‘I don’t know when to say ‘no.’ Don’t say what you think they want to hear. They really want to know what makes you, you,” Pitcher said.

When asked about your greatest failure, employers are measuring whether you have ever faced adversity and did you display grit or resiliency after the failure.

What Do You Like to Do Outside of Work?

“Tech companies in particular love what I’m going to call passion projections,” Amos said.

It tells them what areas you’re excited about and gives them a better sense of whether the current job that is available would be a good fit — and, if not, keep you in mind for future jobs that fit your passion.

“If you didn’t plan for that question, you may say, ‘I enjoy reading.’ That’s not super helpful in a job interview,” Amos said. “But if you said I taught myself Java one summer because I really wanted to create this app and I needed to learn Java to do it, so I watched YouTube videos to learn it. That would be a great example.” 

That said, some recruiters like when candidates draw connections between their hobbies and what they enjoy about their work. Think: “I enjoy rock climbing because, similar to coding, I need to solve problems methodically through a series of precise steps.”

Other variations of this question range from “what do you do for fun,” “what makes you tick,” “what are you passionate about,” she added.

Ways to Describe Yourself in an Interview (With Examples)

“i’m a team player” .

Team players give companies a major boost. They are the ones who go the extra mile, taking on extra tasks their managers assign to them while offering to help coworkers with other projects. Managers covet these kinds of employees who leave their egos at the door and are willing to perform responsibilities outside of their job descriptions. 

“I’m a team player who’s willing to do what it takes to help the team succeed. In my last role, I offered to help members of the product team finish designing a specific feature, despite being assigned to the UX team for that particular project. The product team had fallen behind schedule, but I helped them speed up the design process. As a result, I helped the team meet our two-week deadline, even after the product team was three days behind schedule.”  

“I’m Resilient” 

Resilient employees respond to challenges and setbacks, finding ways to rebound and achieve their goals. This trait is crucial for companies operating in volatile markets where external factors can shift quickly. Amid this uncertainty, it’s reassuring to have an employee who leadership can trust to handle adversity without flinching.  

“I’m someone who displays resilience in the face of hardships. At my previous company, our design team faced a setback when we received user feedback where customers complained about our product being too confusing to use. I accepted this feedback with a positive attitude, shifting my priorities to focus on finding a fix for the issue and getting our final product released on time. By reallocating my energies and maintaining a can-do mentality, I helped redesign the product in less than a week, and the new design received stellar reviews from our customers.” 

“I’m Collaborative” 

Collaborative employees do more than just work well with others or act nice to everyone. They’re the ones who aren’t afraid to reach out to other team members and workers in different departments with questions, ideas and feedback. They set aside time to talk with others about projects, figuring out responsibilities, listening to advice from coworkers and being willing to adjust their own schedule and priorities to support the needs of other individuals and teams.

“I’m collaborative by nature and know how to work with others to complete projects on time. In my previous role, I worked on designing a product with members from engineering and quality assurance. I made sure to reach out to the engineers if I had any questions about how they added certain features and constructed the product. And if I had any doubts about my work, I asked QA personnel to take a look and provide insights. Staying in constant communication with these teams allowed me to set aside any uncertainty and perform my job at a high level.” 

“I’m Passionate” 

Being passionate about something suggests an added degree of dedication that separates passionate employees from co-workers who simply show up and do their jobs. Passionate employees love their jobs, and this shines through in how they take additional steps to ensure their work is of the best quality.  

“I’m extremely passionate about software development. In my previous role as a software developer, I took it upon myself to learn some of the newer programming languages my team had adopted, including F#, Swift and Java 17. I also volunteered to take on a side project where I developed coding shortcuts to speed up the software design process. My manager saw my commitment to my work, so they came to me often when they had more complex problems that they only trusted a focused member of the team to solve.” 

“I’m Organized” 

Organized individuals know how to manage their time and structure their days in a way that allows them to complete all their tasks. Managers appreciate having organized employees since they know they don’t need to tell these employees what to do. Organized workers know how to manage themselves, and this trait is especially useful in fast-paced environments. 

“I’m highly organized and have developed a strong work ethic . In my last position as an editor, I often worked on several projects at once while overseeing the work of four writers. I learned how to structure my days effectively, completing short-term assignments quickly and working in sprints on long-term projects. As a result, I fulfilled my duties as an editor and helped writers meet tight deadlines while keeping up with the pace of a fast publishing industry.”

Common Mistakes Made in Describing Yourself

 One of the biggest mistakes is that candidates take the question literally.

“The common mistake is to think that they’re interested in a long, babbling rendition of everything you’ve done and how you got there in front of them,” Robin Ryan, a career counselor and author of 60 Seconds and You’re Hired , said.

Instead, give personal information that’s aligned with the job description or the mission and values of the company you are interviewing with, rather than details about your personal life like your favorite food or hobbies.

When most people begin searching for words to describe themselves, adjectives like hardworking or team-oriented might come to mind. Those chosen words tell a story, and that requires a bit more preparation than an off-the-cuff answer.

Short, boring answers will also limit your chances of getting hired.  

“The common mistake is to think that they’re interested in a long, babbling rendition of everything you’ve done and how you got there in front of them.”

When asked to describe yourself, a vanilla response would go something like this: I am currently working on my master’s degree in information security and interested in an internship at your company because I would be learning a lot and working on challenging projects. 

Instead, Amos said to be as specific as possible in your response and offered up this example: “I really enjoy backend development, especially at the kernel level and getting way deep into the tech stack. I’m looking for opportunities where I can do some backend development at the driver level, storage level or kernel level.”  

And in telling a company about yourself, it’s also extremely important to explain why it’s their company you are particularly interested in.

“Another huge mistake is they don’t directly identify why this company is the one they want to work at and companies hate that,” Amos said. “Google is different from Microsoft and you can’t pretend they’re all the same.”

More on Job Interviews How to Create an Effective Elevator Pitch

How to Describe Yourself on Your Resume

Put a summary at the top of the resume that concisely describes your qualifications and the impact you’ve had at your current or previous jobs. Use strong bullet point statements in the summary that list your skills that match the ones sought in the job description and include the positive outcome from those skills.

“If you’re putting the two together — skill and positive outcome — and focus on the job qualifications, you really have created a nicely tailored resume,” Pitcher said. 

Cover letters are also a place where you can describe yourself, but Amos said don’t send one unless an employer specifically asks for one in the job posting.

The cover letter should tell a story of your skills, which match those listed in the job description, and the impact these skills have had on your current or former employer, project or organization.

But addressing the “how would you describe yourself?” question in the cover letter isn’t necessary, Amos said. The trait-based personality information, such as you like challenges or you thrive in a collaborative environment, should be covered once you get called in for an interview.

“The cover letter is heavily focused on really matching your skills with what they are looking for,” Amos added. “The cover letter’s goal is to get you an interview, then in the interview, you can talk about your traits and personality.” 

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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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How writing a letter to your future self can help you set—and achieve—long-term goals, experts say

Creating and maintaining the kind of habits that will benefit you in the long-term can be a challenge. Just a month into 2024, 41% of Americans who'd made New Year's resolutions had kept just some or none of them at all, according to the Pew Research Center .

But there are practices that can help. Ari Wallach, executive director of Longpath , which helps foster long-term thinking in organizations and individuals, outlined a couple of practices for changing present-day behavior on a recent episode of the "Masters of Scale: Rapid Response" podcast.

One of them is to "write a letter to your future self," he told podcast host Bob Safian. "The research shows that it's not about receiving that letter but it's actually about writing that letter that changes how you think about yourself and your role in future shaping."

Mental health professionals agree that there's a benefit to this practice.

Writing a letter to your future self "helps people concentrate on their goals," says Gail Purvis, clinician in private practice and at Weill Cornell Medicine's department of psychiatry. That's because "putting pen to paper … emphasizes the importance of thinking about your future and what you want," she says.

The research shows that it's not about receiving that letter but it's actually about writing that letter. Ari Wallach Executive director, Longpath

The most effective way of doing this is not to set concrete goals, such as "by now you should have purchased a house and gotten married and had two kids," she says. Rather, Purvis would encourage people to approach their future selves with genuine hopes and compassion for them.

Try writing statements like "I hope the work that you have decided to do is meaningful and pleasurable to you" and "I hope that you have friends who love you" and who you love just as much. These kinds of statements won't make your future self feel guilty if certain goals have not been accomplished.

Wallach doesn't emphasize the importance of receiving the letter as much as crafting it, but Purvis says there's benefit to this as well.

Reading your letter down the line "increases a lot of self-awareness," she says, because it can help you get to know yourself better and see, over time, what you set out to do and what you accomplished. Ultimately, "the more you know yourself and the more you have compassion for yourself, the better decisions you'll make for yourself and for your loved ones."

Write that letter to your future self and keep it safe for as long as you want to wait to open it. You can also ask a family member to hold on to it, set it as an email that will get sent in the future or try using a service like FutureMe , which lets you write a letter and sends it for you.

Want to land your dream job in 2024?   Take CNBC's new online course How to Ace Your Job Interview  to learn what hiring managers are really looking for, body language techniques, what to say and not to say, and the best way to talk about pay. CNBC Make It readers can save 25% with discount code 25OFF.