cover letter for pilot resume

Professional Commercial Pilot Cover Letter Examples for 2024

Your commercial pilot cover letter must immediately capture the attention of the hiring manager. It should clearly state your certifications and flight hours, accentuating your qualifications. Demonstrate how your experience aligns with the specific requirements of the role you are applying for. Let your passion for aviation and your commitment to safety shine through every word.

Cover Letter Guide

Commercial Pilot Cover Letter Sample

Cover Letter Format

Cover Letter Salutation

Cover Letter Introduction

Cover Letter Body

Cover Letter Closing

No Experience Commercial Pilot Cover Letter

Key Takeaways

Embarking on the job-hunting journey, you’ve probably discovered that a stellar commercial pilot cover letter is your boarding pass to catch an employer's attention. Unlike a resume that lists your skills, your cover letter should soar with a personal tale of your proudest professional feat, avoiding recycled phrases that might ground your first impression. Keep it concise, no more than a page, and tailor it to exhibit your unique flight path towards success. Let’s navigate the skies of cover letter writing together.

• Introduce your profile to catch recruiters' attention;
• Use professional templates and examples to make sure your commercial pilot cover letter follows the best industry standards;
• Settle on your most story-worthy achievement to shine a light on what makes your application unique;
• Write a commercial pilot cover letter, even when you lack professional experience.

Ready to start with the basics: upload your resume to Enhancv's AI, below, to see the commercial pilot cover letter it would write for you.

If the commercial pilot isn't exactly the one you're looking for we have a plethora of cover letter examples for jobs like this one:

• Commercial Pilot resume guide and example
• Airport Manager cover letter example
• Transportation Dispatcher cover letter example
• Traffic Manager cover letter example
• Pizza Delivery Driver cover letter example
• Delivery Driver cover letter example
• Drone Pilot cover letter example
• Pilot cover letter example
• Corporate Flight Attendant cover letter example
• Travel Manager cover letter example
• Transport Manager cover letter example

Commercial Pilot cover letter example

Isabella Adams

San Jose, California

+1-(234)-555-1234

[email protected]

• Demonstrates quantifiable achievements: The cover letter mentions specific accomplishments, such as reducing training duration by 20%, displaying an ability to create measurable results.
• Highlights relevant experience: By indicating an overhaul of an NVG training program, the candidate shows expertise in a specialized area that is directly relevant to the role they are applying for.
• Shows leadership and management skills: The candidate points out their experience in managing complex training environments and optimizing resource allocation, which are key for a senior position.
• Indicates readiness to discuss qualifications: The cover letter ends with an invitation to discuss the role further, which demonstrates the candidate's enthusiasm and assertiveness for the position.

What should your commercial pilot cover letter look like - formatting and organizing your information

Have you ever wondered what are the must-have sections you need to include in your commercial pilot cover letter? Our builder sets those up for you with:

• Header - dedicated to your contact information, the role you're applying for, and the date (don't forget to include your name);
• Greeting and opening paragraph - to create a personalized and memorable experience for recruiters;
• Body paragraph - emphasizing your skill set and knowledge that aligns with the role and helps you to stand out;
• Closing paragraph - leaving a great impression and ending with an optional signature.

Use a cover letter template to discover the best formatting for your commercial pilot cover letter: that is single-spaced paragraphs and wrapping your content in a one-inch margin.

Ensure that both your resume and commercial pilot cover letter are in the same font . Stand apart from the crowd by using modern, yet simple fonts, like Chivo and Rubik, instead of the overused Arial and Times New Roman.

Did you know that the Applicant Tracker System (or ATS) won't be assessing your commercial pilot cover letter? Instead, submit your profile in PDF to recruiters to keep the same formatting and the design intact.

The top sections on a commercial pilot cover letter

• Header: Include your name, address, phone number, and email, along with the date and the employer's contact information to ensure the letter is professional and easy to navigate.
• Greeting: Address the hiring manager or recruitment team directly (e.g., "Dear Chief Pilot Smith,") to personalize the cover letter and show that you have taken the time to research the company.
• Introduction: Briefly state your current role, your total flight hours, and the type(s) of aircraft you are certified to fly, as these are key qualifications for a commercial pilot position.
• Professional Experience and Achievements: Highlight specific experiences that showcase your skills in aviation safety, flight operations, and crew resource management, which are crucial in the commercial aviation industry.
• Closing: Express your enthusiasm for the opportunity to contribute to the company's success, mention your readiness for an interview, and include a professional sign-off with your name and any pertinent pilot license numbers or certifications.

Key qualities recruiters search for in a candidate’s cover letter

Extensive flight hours and experience in various aircraft models: Demonstrates competency, skill diversity, and adaptability to different flight operations.

Strong safety record and understanding of aviation regulations: Highlights a commitment to safety and regulatory compliance, which is paramount in aviation.

Effective communication and team coordination skills: Essential for working with co-pilots, crew, air traffic control, and ground staff to ensure smooth operations.

Ability to remain calm and make quick decisions under pressure: Critical for handling emergencies or unexpected situations safely.

Current pilot licenses and medical certificates as required by regulatory authorities: Validates the legal and health qualifications necessary to operate commercial flights.

Experience with advanced navigation and flight planning software: Shows technical proficiency and a capability to manage modern avionic systems.

What matters most when tailoring your commercial pilot cover letter salutation

Your commercial pilot cover letter greeting should feel welcoming to recruiters.

Use their first name (e.g. "Dear Marshall" or "Dear Sara"), if you've previously been in touch with the hiring manager and are on a more friendly basis.

If this is the first time you're contacting the recruiters, start your commercial pilot cover letter with:

• their last name (e.g. "Dear Ms. Ali" or "Dear Mr. Stevens") - look up who's the hiring manager for the role on social media or the company website;
• generalized greeting (e.g. "Dear HR Team") - just don't use "To whom it may concern" or "Dear Sir/Madam".

List of salutations you can use

• Dear Hiring Manager,
• Dear [Airline] Recruitment Team,
• Dear Chief Pilot,
• Dear Captain [Last Name],
• Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name],
• Dear Director of Flight Operations,

Using your commercial pilot cover letter intro to show your dedication

We know just how difficult it is to start writing your commercial pilot cover letter introduction .

There are so many great qualities you have as a professional, which one should you choose?

How about writing up to two sentences about your passion and commitment to the work you do or are set to do?

Try to describe exactly what you enjoy about the potential role.

A positive attitude from the get-go will help you stand out as a motivated commercial pilot professional.

What comes next: your commercial pilot cover letter middle paragraphs

In the next three to six paragraphs (or the body of your commercial pilot cover letter) you have to prove your unique value .

Most candidates tend to mess up at this stage. They tend to just copy-paste information from their resume.

That's one big no-no.

Remember that when writing your commercial pilot cover letter, it has to be personalized. And, your ultimate aim is to catch the recruiter's eye.

So, look back on key job requirements and write down a list that includes the ones you cover.

Next, select just one key achievement from your professional (or personal) history that meets those advert keywords.

Narrate a story around how you've grown your skill set and knowledge. Also, aim to show the unique understanding or soft skills you bring about, thanks to your past success.

Finishing off your commercial pilot cover letter with what matters most

So far, you've done a fantastic job in tailoring your commercial pilot cover letter for the role and recruiter.

Your final opportunity to make a good impression is your closing paragraph.

And, no, a "Sincerely yours" just won't do, as it sounds too vague and impersonal.

End your commercial pilot cover letter with the future in mind.

So, if you get this opportunity, what do you plan to achieve? Be as specific, as possible, of what value you'd bring to the organization.

You could also thank recruiters for their interest in your profile and prompt for follow-up actions (and organizing your first interview).

Lacking experience: here's how to write your commercial pilot cover letter

As a candidate with no experience, it's important to be honest from the get-go of your application .

Use your commercial pilot cover letter to sell your unique talents. Choose an accomplishment from your academic background or your volunteer work to show the skills that are relevant to the role.

Focus on your career objectives and how you see the job to align with them. Be specific and, at the same time, realistic about where you picture yourself in five years.

Key takeaways

We hope this commercial pilot cover letter writing guide has shown you how to:

• Format your commercial pilot cover letter with the mandatory sections (e.g. header, greeting, intro, body, and closing) and select the right font (P.S. It should be the same as the one you've used for your resume);
• Substitute your lack of professional experience with your most noteworthy achievement, outside of work, or your dreams and passions;
• Ensure recruiters have a more personalized experience by tailoring your cover letter not just to the role, but to them (e.g. writing their first/last name in the salutation, etc.);
• Introducing your biggest achievement and the skills it has taught you in your commercial pilot cover letter body;
• Write no more than two sentences in your commercial pilot cover letter introduction to set the right tone from the get-go.

Cover letter examples by industry

AI cover letter writer, powered by ChatGPT

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• Content tailored to the job posting you're applying for
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How to Let A Recruiter Down Easy When You've Got Another Job Offer

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How to Write an Aviation Cover Letter

It probably won’t apply to all jobs in the industry, but a cover letter a good way to distinguish yourself from the pack..

[File photo: Adobe Stock]

So far in this series, we have covered how to write an aviation resume and how to apply for a pilot job online . There is a third career media skill that is important to know, though it won’t apply to all positions, and that is how to write a cover letter. 

The cover letter may seem like a bit of an anachronism, and in some ways it is. Few large airlines ask for one anymore; you may have noticed that the AirlineApps base application doesn’t even allow you to attach a cover letter (or a resume, for that matter). At large airlines doing a great deal of hiring, the process is quite data-driven, and the computer that spits out your name to be interviewed by a human will have zero appreciation of a well-crafted cover letter. Still, even at these companies you will bring your resume to the interview, and this should be accompanied by a cover letter—even if it seems destined to languish, unread, in the interviewer’s file folder. 

The cover letter assumes much greater importance for corporate jobs, at smaller companies, whenever mailing or emailing your resume unbidden, when pounding the street and “cold-calling” potential employers, and when meeting recruiters at job fairs. Your cover letter accompanies and enhances your resume by fleshing out a potential employer’s idea of you. It’s more important in the early stages of your career, when your credentials alone aren’t so impressive. By presenting a neat, well-organized, well-written cover letter, you are introducing yourself as a neat, well-organized, and intelligent candidate—a future employee more valuable than your certificates and hours alone might indicate. 

Not a Writer?

The challenge here is that there are plenty of people who are neat, well-organized, and intelligent who are not naturally good writers. If this describes you, I highly suggest that you enlist the help of more literate friends or family members, even to the point of having someone ghost write your basic cover letter. If you don’t know such a person, hire one online (starving writers are a dime a dozen), and get them to proof your resume while you’re at it. Readability is everything; an overly wordy, confusing, or typo-riddled cover letter will quickly be cast aside. 

What Goes in a Cover Letter?

Your cover letter should take the form of a one-page business letter; an example is above with a key for reference. The letter need not be long, and in many cases might fill half the page. It should be left-justified in block format, with a single space between most elements before the signature block. It should be semi-formal in tone, use active voice, and be personalized for each job that you are interested in. Most will be similar enough that it’s useful to create a baseline stock copy, and then modify as needed. 

The first element is your home or permanent address, without your name or title (1). After a single space, put today’s date, in written rather than digital format (2). Next, write the name and address of the company you are targeting (3). Ideally you will know the name and title of the person who does the hiring, and this should precede the address. Do some digging if necessary; this will demonstrate knowledge of the target company. 

The salutation (4) should be personalized if you know the recipient’s name, and should take the form of “Dear Ms. Lastname,” “Dear Mr. Lastname,” or “Dear Firstname Lastname.” If you don’t know the recipient’s name, the salutation should be gender-neutral. “To Whom It May Concern:” is rather impersonal; “Dear Sir or Madam,” or “Dear Sir/Madam,” is better. 

The body of the letter should be three or four paragraphs. In the first paragraph (5), state your purpose for writing, i.e. your interest in the job. This is a good place to demonstrate knowledge of the company, to appropriate their buzzwords or slogans, and to drop the names of any internal recommendations. This is a place for active verbs and vivid adjectives. You are capturing the reader’s interest. 

In the middle paragraph or paragraphs (6), you are summarizing your background and experience as it relates to this particular job. You don’t want this to just be a redundant reiteration of your resumé; you want to better flesh out who you are, why you want the job, and why you’d be the ideal candidate, making your case in ways that you canno t within the rigid confines of a resumé. It’s OK to get a little personal here, sharing the influences that made you who you are, and explaining (in a positive manner) why you’re ready to move on to this job (7). This is a good spot to humblebrag how you’ve been a positive force at your current and previous employers (8), and to bring up subtle factors that set you apart from the competition (9). 

The closing paragraph (10) is the place to make your call to action. You’re asking for an interview here; don’t be shy about it. Make reference to enclosures, include your contact information, and close on a gracious note. 

The signature block (11) should include a valediction (“Sincerely,” is a safe bet; “Sincerely yours,” “Respectfully yours,” or “Cordially,” are also good options), and then four spaces, followed by your name, formatted as it appears on the header of your resume. Within the four spaces you can insert a graphic of your signature, or leave blank to be physically signed if printed on paper, or just leave blank altogether. After your name and an additional space, type the word “Enclosures:” and the number of physical or email attachments included.

If this cover letter is intended to be taken with you while you pound the pavement or attend job fairs, print it on high-quality paper similar (but not necessarily identical) to that of your resume. 

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5 Pilot Resume Examples Ready for Takeoff in 2024

Pilot Resume

• Pilot Resume by Experience
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• Write Your Pilot Resume

Adam smiled as he looked at his old resume that still had his last job—thinking about how it would feel once it became his second most recent job! It was time to switch jobs so he could continue to develop his professional trajectory. But his resume would need a few updates first!

With hefty names like Allegiant Air and Southwest Airlines to bolster his skills and relevant certifications, Adam was confident that he could take his next steps in the workforce—but where should he begin? What measures could he take to ensure his resume layout and personal info sections looked current?

Fortunately, he did some digging and soon found our pilot resume examples, which gave him a push in just the right direction. Check out our library of templates to blaze the trail to your next dream job like Adam!

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• Showcase flight hours, types of aircraft flown, and any notable missions or flights to demonstrate your experience in a tangible way.
• Don’t forget to include your certifications, especially your pilot’s license. That’s kind of a big deal!

Student Pilot Resume

• Including hobbies is a powerful way to demonstrate your potential at a personal and professional level. For instance, traveling and travel vlogging demonstrate your enthusiasm for the industry.

Flight Instructor  Resume

• Even much better, look for instances in your career where you avoided departure delays due to bad weather or improved team efficiency. All these play to your advantage of getting noticed.

Airline Pilot Resume

• Talk about your flight hours, especially those on commercial aircraft, to exhibit your proficiency.
• You can also highlight experiences managing emergencies or unexpected events to show your problem-solving skills under pressure. Or, offer metrics that show you’ve mitigated problems successfully.

Drone Pilot  Resume

• When putting together your drone pilot resume, document specific drone operations you’ve undertaken, particularly in difficult conditions or requiring precise maneuvers.
• And be sure to mention how your drone work was used, whether for data analysis, photography, monitoring radar, or something else.

Related resume examples

• Flight Attendant
• Maintenance Worker
• Mechanical Engineer

Tailor Your Pilot Resume to Match the Job Description

You’re an expert in aerodynamics, a keen troubleshooter, and the perfect route planner. Regardless of your niche, be it piloting massive commercial aircraft or a small surveillance drone, you have a unique skill set that takes thousands of hours to develop to perfection.

Your resume needs to accurately reflect the breadth of your expertise without dipping into generic territory. Let your imagination soar and think of job-specific terms. Throw out “teamwork” and the like—you’ve got limited space, but a lot of ground to cover in terms of your technical skills .

Dive into your knowledge of specific aircraft, the ability to analyze weather reports, and—very importantly—proficiency in various aviation software in order to make an impression.

Need some ideas?

15 best pilot skills

• Emergency Procedures
• FAA Regulations
• Route Planning
• Garmin Pilot
• Crisis Management
• System Troubleshooting
• Fuel Efficiency
• Aerodynamics
• Flight Reports
• Aircraft Maintenance
• Instrument Navigation

Your pilot work experience bullet points

When you’re a pilot, nearly every single one of your achievements sounds impressive to most people. You’ve spent over 2,000 hours in the air? Amazing! You know how to conduct thorough pre-flight inspections and catch errors before anything ever goes wrong? That’s such an essential skill !

With such a long list of accomplishments that really jump out at the reader, you’ll have an easy time filling out this section of your resume. Simply focus on the things you’re proud of, like being able to navigate through congested airspace or executing safe landings during bad weather conditions.

Don’t forget to add some numbers to make these bullet points seem more tangible—that’s a surefire way to stand out. 

Here are some examples of how to use metrics in your resume:

• Talk about the number of hours you’ve spent in the air, be it in small aircraft, piloting for commercial airlines, or operating a drone. 
• Highlight the fact that you know all about safety regulations. This includes reductions in unscheduled maintenance or reducing mid-air collision incidents.
• Efficiency is crucial in your line of work, so talk about times when superb route planning or decreasing fuel burn helped you improve operational costs and cut down on flight time.
• Show that you’re a pro at weather analysis by talking about achieving a reduction in weather-related flight cancellations or delays.

See what we mean?

• Collaborated with air traffic control to obtain optimal flight paths, resulting in a 23% reduction in delays
• Improved flight efficiency by 17% by effectively utilizing FlyQ EFB to streamline flight-related tasks
• Used APDB (Automatic Performance Database) to decrease fuel burn and improve operational costs by 19%
• Leveraged expertise in DJI GO 4, Pix4Dmapper, and Mission Planner to capture aerial imagery that resulted in a 21% reduction in project timelines

9 active verbs to start your pilot work experience bullet points

3 tips for writing a pilot resume if you’re new to aviation.

• Depending on your exact role in the aviation industry, you may have many boxes to tick before you’re ready to be hired. Show that you’re good to go by including the legal necessities in your resume, such as a commercial pilot’s license, an ATP certificate, a current First-Class Medical Certificate, or a Part 107 certification from the FAA.
• Nothing is quite as important as a safe landing when it comes to aviation, so make safety an important part of your resume. Discuss your knowledge of regulations and local laws and your proactive approach to pre-flight checks and regular equipment maintenance.
• The list of tools you need to feel comfortable with is seemingly never-ending, so make sure to namedrop some to express your training. Include software like FMS, ADS-B, Avidyne IFD, Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck, DJI GO 4, Airmap, or DroneDeploy.

3 Tips for Writing a Pilot Resume if You’re a Seasoned Aircraft Operator

• If you’ve served as a captain or acted as a senior pilot, talk about the specialized experience it gave you. Use your work experience bullet points to describe instances of putting your leadership skills to good use, such as by training new pilots, coordinating flight plans, or making emergency calls.
• Have you flown different types of aircraft or drones? Or maybe you’ve worked in different sectors of aviation, such as commercial, military, or corporate? Mention this and highlight the impact of your work.
• As a seasoned pilot, you’ve accumulated thousands of flight hours—add this to your resume in your career summary at the very top. This is especially important if you’ve exceeded the number of hours that are required. Include the type of aircraft you’ve flown when you talk about this in your pilot cover letter .

Yes, you absolutely can—especially if you’re a new pilot. If you fly planes or helicopters, mention hobbyist flights and the hours you spent in the air as part of your training. If you operate drones, talk about your experience of doing this outside of work.

Discuss the difficulties of your job and how you overcame various challenges to show that you’re a pro at adapting. This includes rapidly changing weather conditions or adjusting flight routes to navigate air traffic.

We highly recommend it. You can use a cover letter builder to elaborate on your experience as a pilot. Make sure that it’s tailored to the job—for example, if you’re applying to a commercial airline, mention your experience in flying an Airbus.

Land your next job with our AI-powered, user-friendly tool.

Gut the guesswork in your job hunt. Upload your existing resume to check your score and make improvements. Build a resume with one of our eye-catching, recruiter-friendly templates.

• Work in real-time with immediate feedback and tips from our AI-powered experience. • Leverage thousands of pre-written, job-specific bullet points. • Edit your resume in-line like a Google Doc or let us walk you through each section at a time. • Enjoy peace of mind with our money-back guarantee and 5-star customer support.

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Airline Pilot Cover Letter Example

Write a most appreciated cover letter with our free Airline Pilot Cover Letter and expert writing tips. Need something super quick? Make use of our easy-to-use builder to do the work for you.

Airline Pilot is the captain of the plane. Responsibilities of an Airline Pilot include creating a flight plan while taking into thought the various factors, like altitude, weather conditions, etc. This also includes managing the details of the engine, radar, navigation systems, etc.

• Cover Letters

What to Include in a Airline Pilot Cover Letter?

Roles and responsibilities.

• Monitoring weather conditions and communicating with air traffic control during flights.
• Liaising with co-pilots and flight crew throughout the flight.
• Updating and reassuring passengers and crew during emergencies.
• Determining the safest routes and analyzing flight plans prior to takeoff.
• Getting enough rest between flights.
• Anticipating issues and maintaining professionalism during emergencies.

Education & Skills

Successful Airline Pilot Cover Letter often mention the following qualifications and skills:

• Unlike other professions, to be an airline pilot, one needs to have full-fledged education that is complete with license, training, and government approval.
• Pilots should be above 23 years of age with good physical fitness and strong analytical and interpersonal skills.
• In addition to it, an Airline Pilot should be a team player with strong leadership skills, excellent disaster mitigation and management skills, and good physical and mental health.
• He/she should also be adaptable to different terrains and be good in task management naturally.

Airline Pilot Cover Letter Example (Text Version)

Dear Mr./Ms.,

I came across a job opening in your reputed airline, and I am quite eager to submit my resume for the same. As a talented, passionate, and newly licensed Airline Pilot who has been trained for years now across various terrains and countries, I would like to apply for the role at RoseJet Airlines. With my interest, commitment, and courageous attitude, I am looking forward to bringing about a positive impact and more happy trips to your organization.

The most crucial feature about being an Airline Pilot is to keep up with the nuances of handling an airplane and also to be an expert since the role is responsible for hundreds of lives. I am completely mesmerized by how RoseJet Airlines has consistently exceeded the expectations of both domestic and international travel.

My 5+ years of education and training in this sector will allow me to keep up with the standards of your esteemed organization. In my training academy, I have been constantly appreciated and complimented for my inclusive and motivating leadership style with fellow crew members, dedication and passion towards my work, and my go-getter attitude. I hope to bring in all my positives to this role and constantly learn and upgrade myself to become a more cherished and successful Airline Pilot.

It would be an amazing opportunity if I could be able to discuss this job role with you so that you will also have a chance to have a clear opinion on how well of a match I would be for the role you are offering.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

Compared to other professions and due to the amount of specialist training, there are fewer people who apply for this role, but this doesn’t imply that your Airline Pilot Cover Letter is less valued. You still are obliged to grab the attention of your employer and sell yourself well. Use our sample cover letter, and Airline Pilot Resume Sample to impress the Airline.

Customize Airline Pilot Cover Letter

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

Related Logistics Cover Letters

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

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

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

First, understand the point of a cover letter.

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

Because of that …

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

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

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

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

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

You don’t need a creative opening line.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Show, don’t tell.

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

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

In her revised version, she wrote this instead:

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

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

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

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

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

Keep the tone warm and conversational.

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

Don’t use a form letter.

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

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

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

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

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

Keep it under one page.

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

Don’t agonize over the small details.

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

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

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

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Career Advice: Resumes and Cover Letters

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Trump hush money trial moves into second day of jury deliberations: recap

NEW YORK − Former President Donald Trump’s fate rests in the hands of  12 Manhattan jurors in his historic  hush money trial , with the verdict carrying the potential to alter the 2024 presidential campaign.

The jury sent a note shortly before 3 p.m. EDT requesting to review four sections of testimony from the trial, three from media executive David Pecker , and one from former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen . Almost an hour later, the jurors sent a second note asking to re-hear the jury instructions.

Jurors were sent home for the day at 4:07 p.m. EDT. They will resume deliberations Thursday.

Jurors began deliberating Wednesday after hearing  six weeks of testimony from a parade of  22 witnesses , including a felon convicted of perjury, a porn actress, and the former head of the parent company for the National Enquirer tabloid.

Any verdict requires a unanimous vote. The outcome – a conviction on all or some of 34 counts of falsifying business records, an acquittal or a deadlocked jury – could have a major impact on Trump’s campaign against President Joe Biden .

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Trump is polling ahead of Biden despite the criminal charges in this and three other cases, but a felony conviction could sway some voters against him. An acquittal could bolster his claims that he was the victim of a politically motivated prosecutor.

These were Wednesday's developments inside and outside the Manhattan courtroom:

Trump complains key witnesses weren’t called to testify – by prosecution or defense

Former President Donald Trump complained to reporters Wednesday that prosecutors didn’t call potential witnesses in his New York hush money trial, but didn’t explain why his team didn’t ask them to testify instead.

“There are a lot people that they could have called that they didn’t call,” Trump said. “They didn’t call them obviously because they would have been very bad witnesses for them. Take a look at the list. You have a lot of big players that would have solved their problem or given us the win.”

Trump declined to name them because a gag order prohibits him from commenting on potential witnesses. But he seemed to suggest Allen Weisselberg , the Trump Organization’s former chief financial official, is one of the possible witnesses. Weisselberg is serving time on Rikers Island after being convicted of perjury in an early Trump trial.

“In particular, one witness is now suffering bravely because of the viciousness of these thugs,” Trump said. “You know who I’m talking about. They didn’t call him as a witness.”

Prosecutors had said they wanted to call Weisselberg but couldn’t because he was jailed. Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, testified that Weisselberg helped arrange his reimbursement from Trump for paying $130,000 to porn actress Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual episode with Trump before the 2016 election.

– Bart Jansen

Wednesday proceedings end

Judge Juan Merchan asked the prosecution and defense to send court reporters tonight a neat outline of the decisions on the pages and lines of the trial transcript to be read back to jurors on Thursday.

Merchan then dismissed the parties at about 5:26 p.m. EDT. "I'll see you tomorrow morning at 9:30," he said.

– Aysha Bagchi

Trump has eyes closed as lawyers and judge discuss jury transcript review

Former President Donald Trump again has his eyes closed for extended periods, this time as the lawyers and Judge Juan Merchan discuss which portions of the trial transcript should be read back to jurors on Thursday.

At one point, I counted to 37 with a "Mississippi" in between each number before he opened his eyes. Trump peered out only briefly before closing them again.

Not long after, I counted to 49 at the same pace before he opened his eyes. This time, he looked as if he might be falling asleep . His head was drooped down in front of him.

Lawyers disagree about one of four jury transcript requests

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said the two sides have agreed on the portions of the trial transcript to be read back to jurors in response to three of their four transcript requests. The request that has sparked multiple disagreements is former tabloid publisher David Pecker's testimony about a Trump Tower meeting he said he had with Trump and Michael Cohen in August of 2015.

Pecker testified that he agreed at that meeting to be "eyes and ears" when it came to catching potential stories in the media market that could hurt Trump's first presidential campaign.

Judge Merchan resolved one of the disputes in the courtroom after reviewing the transcript himself. He said he was largely – though not entirely – accepting the proposal from the defense.

On two other disputes, Merchan said he will review the transcript portions later and let the parties know what he thinks.

Judge returns to address transcript read-back for jurors

Judge Merchan returned to the courtroom and addressed the lawyers.

"Okay, where do we stand?" Judge Merchan asked.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said he thinks the two sides have made "a lot of progress," but there are a couple issues they may need him to resolve.

Trump returns to courtroom

Trump re-entered the courtroom at about 4:55 p.m. EDT. However, the lawyers are still talking to each other and Judge Merchan hasn't returned to the courtroom.

Read the instructions jurors have asked to re-hear

The legal instructions jurors have asked to re-hear are complicated. For example, they say Trump is only guilty of a felony count of falsifying business records if he falsified a record in order to interfere in the 2016 presidential election through at least one of three unlawful methods spelled out in the instructions.

You can read the instructions for yourself here:

Trump permitted to leave courtroom while staying in waiting area

The judge just approved a request from Trump lawyer Todd Blanche for his client to leave the main courtroom simply to go to a nearby courtroom that is a typical waiting area for him. The lawyers have remained in the courtroom to resolve the question of what trial transcript portions the jury will have read back on Thursday.

Trump defense team, prosecutors remain to work on transcript

After excusing the jurors for the rest of the day, Judge Merchan told the prosecution and defense to stay until the court has settled on the precise transcript read-back the jurors are slated to hear on Thursday.

Trump has eyes closed as judge instructs jurors on not discussing case

Former President Donald Trump had his eyes closed for extended periods as Judge Merchan gave the jurors standard instructions on not discussing the case upon leaving for the day.

I counted to 25 with a "Mississippi" in between each number at one point before Trump opened his eyes, and to 28 at that same pacing a little later.

There's an air of activity and suspense in the courtroom after hearing the first updates during jury deliberations. It's hard to reconcile that with the notion that Trump is actually falling asleep right now, as opposed to choosing to sit with his eyes closed.

Jurors return to courtroom and are sent home for day

The jurors were brought back into the courtroom. Judge Merchan read aloud the two notes he received from them. He told them reading back the portions of the transcript they requested will probably take at least half an hour. He asked whether they want to hear all the jury instructions again or only a portion of them, and said they can let him know later.

Merchan then excused them for the day .

Jurors send second note to judge, want to re-hear instructions

As lawyers and the court were working on putting together the portions of the trial transcript that will be read aloud to the jurors, Judge Merchan entered the courtroom and announced he had received a second note from the jurors at 3:51 p.m. EDT. They requested to re-hear the jury instructions.

Merchan recommended to the two sides bringing the jurors back into the courtroom. He proposed telling them the court is working on getting the transcript portions together, and asking them if they want to hear all the instructions again or only a portion of them.

Jurors ask to review testimony from trial

The jurors sent a note at 2:56 p.m. EDT asking to review four sections of testimony from the trial, Judge Merchan just announced.

Reporters were sitting in the main courtroom when the prosecution entered at about 3:06 p.m. EDT, followed quickly by Trump and his lawyers. We weren't told in advance the reason for their arrival.

Merchan then entered the courtroom and said the jurors want to review these four sections of trial testimony:

• David Pecker's testimony about a phone conversation with Trump while Pecker was in an investor meeting;
• Pecker's testimony regarding the decision not to finalize and fund the assignment of former Playboy model Karen McDougal's life rights;
• Pecker's testimony regarding a Trump Tower meeting he said he had with Trump and Michael Cohen in August of 2015; and
• Cohen's testimony regarding that same Trump Tower meeting.

Pecker used to run the parent company for the National Enquirer, which was involved in two hush money deals related to Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election. One of those deals involved buying the life rights to McDougal's story of a months-long affair with Trump, which he denies.

Pecker and Cohen met with Trump in August of 2015 at Trump Tower to discuss helping catch stories that might hurt Trump's presidential campaign and then prevent those stories from getting out, according to their testimony.

Jurors will be brought in to have those portions of the trial transcript read aloud, Merchan indicated.

Prosecution cites 'jaw-dropping' evidence against Trump that defense says 'cannot be trusted'

The six-week trial featured dramatic clashes between lawyers and witnesses, the judge and Trump.

The testimony included tense moments such as defense lawyer Todd Blanche accusing Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen , of lying on the standand former Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks breaking into tears .

Meanwhile, Judge Juan Merchan threatened to jail Trump if he continued to violate a gag order against talking about witnesses participating in the case. Merchan also scolded Blanche for an “outrageous” statement in closing arguments that the jury shouldn’t “send someone to prison” based on Cohen’s testimony.

A flock of Republican surrogates showed up to support Trump, and one conspiracy theorist set himself on fire outside the courthouse.

Cohen was a key witness testifying that he submitted invoices for “legal expenses” that Trump knew were to reimburse him for paying $130,000 to silence porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. But Trump lawyer Todd Blanche accused Cohen of lying on the stand when he testified he notified Trump about the payment to Daniels. In closing arguments, Blanche called Cohenthe “MVP of liars” and “the embodiment of reasonable doubt.”

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, described the alleged sexual encounter in enough detail that Merchan questioned why defense lawyers didn’t object more to block her testimony. She testified that she noticed gold nail clippers in Trump’s hotel room and he didn’t wear a condom during the encounter. Trump has repeatedly denied he had sex with Daniels and Blanche argued the payment “started out as an extortion” whether the allegation was true or not.

David Pecker, the former CEO of American Media Inc., which owned the National Enquirer, said he agreed in a meeting with Trump and Cohen in August 2015 to be the “eyes and ears” of Trump’s presidential campaign to buy negative stories about the candidate and never publish them.

Pecker acknowledged paying former Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 for her story and then refusing to pay for Daniels because Trump hadn’t reimbursed him. Cohen provided a recording , which prosecutor Joshua Steinglass called “jaw-dropping,” of Trump mentioning the $150,000 figure.

But Blanche raised questions about the credibility of the recording because it cuts off suddenly – Cohen said he got another call – and argued that a meeting to influence the campaign “made no sense.”

Trump paid Cohen for a retainer through invoices marked "legal expenses," so he committed no crime of falsifying business records, according to Blanche. "This is not a referendum on your views of President Trump," Blanche told jurors.

Donald Trump: ‘Mother Teresa couldn’t beat these charges’

After the jury began deliberating in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial, Trump braced his supporters for a guilty verdict by claiming nobody could be acquitted because of the way Judge Juan Merchan instructed jurors to consider the charges and the evidence.

“Mother Teresa could not beat these charges,” Trump said. “These charges are rigged. The whole thing is rigged.”

Trump went on to say that he would win the Nov. 5 election against President Joe Biden because of border security, inflation and other issues.

“We’re going to win this election,” Trump said. “We’re going to take back this country from these fascists and these thugs that are destroying us.”

Jury deliberations begin

At about 11:35 a.m. EDT, all jurors had exited the courtroom and Judge Merchan instructed the parties to remain in the courthouse in case they are needed as the jury begins deliberating.

Laptop-responsible jurors leave courtroom

The two jurors who volunteered to handle the laptop with evidence appeared to be given some instructions at the prosecution's table, and then left. Judge Merchan just confirmed with Trump lawyer Todd Blanche that Trump has consented to the jurors' use of the laptop to access trial exhibits.

Alternate jurors excused from courtroom, two main jurors coming for laptop instructions

Judge Merchan excused the alternate jurors from the courtroom but is having two of the main jurors brought back in. He said they have volunteered to handle the laptop containing evidence from the trial, and will be given some instructions on that.

12 jurors excused from courtroom, alternate jurors remain

Judge Merchan had the 12 jurors who will begin deliberating leave the courtroom, but kept the six alternate jurors in the courtroom. He has now praised their attentiveness during the trial and explained they are not done – they are still on duty in case any of the 12 can't continue through deliberations and alternates are needed to step in.

Judge makes clarification on juror signature

After conversing with the lawyers privately, Judge Merchan clarified to jurors that one instruction about a signature tied to juror notes was about the jury foreperson denoting he signed the document, not having a juror sign a personal name.Merchan also explained jurors will be given a laptop containing evidence from the trial during their deliberations.

'That concludes my instructions on the law'

"That concludes my instructions on the law," Judge Juan Merchan just told jurors. He invited the parties to approach, and several lawyers are now having a private conversation with the judge at his bench.

Judge says plan is to work today until 4:30 p.m. EDT

Judge Merchan just told jurors the plan today is to work until 4:30 p.m. EDT. He said the plan for other days will be figured out if that is needed. He also said it's unlikely, if jurors do work late, that their work will extend beyond 6 p.m. EDT.

Judge instructs jurors on the law of falsifying business records

Judge Merchan just reached the 34th and final count in his jury instructions. Along the way, he has explained to jurors that Trump is guilty of falsifying business records in the first degree under New York law if he made or caused a false entry in a business enterprise with the intent to defraud – including the intent to commit or conceal another crime.

That means prosecutors must have proven during this trial not just that Trump is responsible for false records, but also that there was a further criminal or cover-up purpose. That's where alleged 2016 election fraud and alleged plans to violate New York tax and election laws come into play in this case .

Merchan told jurors that intent doesn't require premeditation, but instead can be formed at the time the defendant engages in prohibited conduct.

"You must decide if the required intent can be inferred beyond a reasonable doubt," Merchan said.

One juror looking at trial teams as Trump leans back with eyes closed

The jurors have largely been taking notes and looking at Judge Merchan as he gives them instructions on the law in the case. But one juror who is among the first 12 who are slated to decide the case – not an alternate juror who is here to step in if one of the 12 becomes unavailable – has been looking over at the trial teams for several seconds. There, Trump can be seen slouching back in his chair with his eyes close, in stark contrast to the open-eyed, attentive jurors.

Big rally near the Trump courthouse – for elderly services

Music. Dancing. Cheering.

No, not at the demonstrations in front of the Trump courthouse – it’s a rally for New York elderly services one block over in Foley Square.

While the relatively few pro-Trump and anti-Trump forces argue – in one instance requiring police intervention – hundreds of other New Yorkers are boogying to immortal classics like “Get Down Tonight” and “Disco Inferno.”

Sample lyrics from the latter: “Folks are screaming, out of control/It was so entertaining when the boogie started to explode/I heard somebody say disco inferno/(Burn baby burn)/burn that mother down.”

The occasion, a sign said, is the 31st anniversary of Older Adult Health and Fitness Day.

Trial? What trial?

– David Jackson

Trump eyes closed for more than 100 seconds

Former President Donald Trump isn't fully asleep, but it appears he may be dozing off . I just counted to 100 with a "Mississippi" in between each number while his eyes remained closed. I stopped counting at that point. For the first approximately 30 seconds, Trump was slouched forward in his chair, with his head slightly hanging in front of his shoulders. He then slouched back without opening his eyes. I saw him shake his head slightly once, but apart from that he doesn't seem to be showing a facial reaction to the judge's instructions to jurors.

Several jurors taking notes

Several jurors appear to be taking notes as Judge Merchan instructs them on the law. The remaining are looking straight at Merchan. The jurors in this case have been very attentive throughout the trial, even through a long day of closing arguments on Tuesday that didn't wrap until about 8 p.m. EDT.

Judge begins instructions on criminal charges

Judge Juan Merchan has been instructing jurors on what they may and may not consider in their deliberations. He just said he will now begin instructing them on the law related to the actual records charges Trump faces. These instructions are potentially pivotal: even small words can make a big difference when a jury determines whether actions by a defendant were criminal.

Trump's eyes closed for extended periods during instructions

As he has done many times throughout this trial , Trump is sitting at the defense table with his eyes closed for extended periods. I just counted to 20 with a "Mississippi" between each number before Trump peaked out. I watched Trump again a couple minutes later and reached the number 20 a second time before Trump opened his eyes.

Electronic audio of Trump audience member goes off

Audio began playing from the section of spectators seated in one of the first two rows behind the defense table, where Trump's entourage sits . I couldn't see if the audio came from a phone. Judge Merchan looked over in that section's direction before the audio was cut off.

Jurors told they must not consider Michael Cohen's election-related convictions

Judge Merchan has just instructed jurors they must not consider Michael Cohen's guilty pleas to federal campaign finance violations when it comes to assessing Trump's guilt in this case. It's an instruction Merchan also gave jurors during testimony in the trial.

Prosecutors have alleged Trump falsified records to cover up unlawfully interfering in the 2016 presidential election through a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels that violated federal campaign finance laws.

Judge begins giving jury instructions

Jurors entered the courtroom at 10:10 a.m. EDT and Judge Juan Merchan has begun delivering instructions to them. He told them to remember they promised to be fair jurors. He told them they must not allow any bias or stereotype to affect their verdict.

Low key (and anxious) morning on the protest front

No more than 20 demonstrators gathered in front of the courthouse as the jury prepared to deliberate the Trump case – anxious demonstrators.

“I know he’s not going to be acquitted – I’m praying for a hung jury,” said Joe Palau, 57, a pro-Trump construction worker from Brooklyn.

Nadine Seiler, 59, - who carried a large sign that said “Convict Trump Already!” – was anxious the other way.“I am very  concerned about a hung jury,” said Seiler, a home organizer who took the bus to New York from her home in Waldorf, Md.

Judge enters courtroom

Judge Juan Merchan entered the courtroom at 10:06 a.m. EDT.

Donald Trump, Don Jr. arrive in courtroom

Former President Donald Trump entered the courtroom at 9:56 a.m. EDT. His oldest child, Donald Trump Jr. , joined him today and took a seat in the first bench behind the defense table.

Prosecution arrives in courtroom

The prosecution trial team arrived in the courtroom at 9:51 a.m. EDT. We are still waiting for the defense team, the judge, and the jury. Proceedings are starting 30 minutes later than usual, at 10 a.m. EDT.

What is the Trump trial about?

Trump's New York criminal trial centers on a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels , business records kept at the Trump Organization, and the 2016 presidential election.

Prosecutors have alleged that Trump falsified business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to Daniels less than two weeks before the election. They say the payment violated federal campaign finance laws, and as a result constituted unlawful election interference.

Former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen made the payment and later became a star witness for the prosecution in Trump's case.

Trump defense lawyer Todd Blanche suggested to jurors in his Tuesday closing argument that Cohen acted alone and lied about Trump authorizing the payment. Blanche also said Trump didn't falsify any records in 2017 because he was paying Cohen that year for ongoing legal services, as the checks, invoices, and vouchers in the case reflect. He denied Cohen's story that Trump was actually reimbursing the hush money.

Trump chose not to testify – a decision the jury will be prohibited from holding against him.

Who is Judge Juan Merchan?

Judge Juan Merchan is a former prosecutor who has served as a judge since 2009. Merchan previously presided over a criminal trial in which two Trump businesses – the Trump Corporation and the Trump Payroll Corporation – were found guilty of several crimes , including tax fraud. The two companies were sentenced to pay more than $1.6 million following the verdict.

Merchan has frequently drawn the ire of former President Donald Trump, who just this morning posted in all caps on Truth Social that Merchan is "A CORRUPT AND CONFLICTED JUDGE" presiding over a "KANGAROO COURT!"

The judge imposed a gag order on the former president that prohibits public comments on jurors or on the participation of witnesses in the case. The order also provides some protection from Trump's ire for prosecutors and their family members, as well as for family members of the judge. Merchan imposed the order after concluding that Trump's past "inflammatory" statements instilled fear in people involved in his legal cases and heightened security needs.

Merchan expanded the order to cover his own family members and those of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg after Trump attacked the judge's daughter for her work at a marketing agency that assists Democrats.

Trump responds to actor Robert De Niro as ‘small’ and ‘Wacko’

Former President Donald Trump responded early Wednesday on social media to actor Robert De Niro ’s criticism, calling him a victim of “Trump derangement syndrome.”

“I never knew how small, both mentally and physically, Wacko Former Actor Robert De Niro was,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

A movie star for more than 50 years, De Niro won Oscars for his performances in The Godfather Part II and Raging Bull. But Trump said his participation in politics diminished his value.

“Robert, whose movies, artistry, and brand have gone WAY DOWN IN VALUE since he entered the political arena at the request of Crooked Joe Biden, looked so pathetic and sad out there,” Trump wrote.

Where is Melania Trump?

Melania Trump has so far stayed away from her husband's criminal proceedings. The former president wished her a "happy birthday" from the courthouse hallway when he attended proceedings on her birthday, April 26. He said he would join her in Florida later that Friday.

Actor Robert De Niro, surrogate for President Biden, blasts Trump as ‘clown’ outside courthouse

Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro called former President Donald Trump a "clown" and a “buffoon” bent on destroying American democracy from outside the courthouse on Tuesday.

De Niro was flanked by two former Capitol Police officers, Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone, who defended the Capitol during the attack Jan. 6, 2021, by Trump supporters.

"We've forgotten the lessons of history that showed us other clowns who weren't taken seriously until they became vicious dictators," De Niro said. "With Trump we have a second chance and no one is laughing now. This is the time to stop him by voting him out once and for all."

De Niro’s appearance served as a Democratic response to Republican lawmakers and vice presidential contenders who criticized the trial for Trump because he was gagged from commenting on witnesses or jurors. Trump’s sons Don Jr. and Eric, and daughter-in-law Lara, who is co-chair of the Republican National Committee, spoke for the former president Tuesday.

Will Tiffany Trump, other Trump children, be at the trial Wednesday?

Trump's youngest daughter, Tiffany , attended the Manhattan criminal trial for the first time Tuesday. Trump sons Eric and Don Jr., who have attended some earlier days, were also there. It's not yet known which Trump children, if any, will come today.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner haven't attended any of the criminal trial. Barron Trump , who just graduated from high school, also hasn't attended proceedings. His parents went to his high school graduation on May 17, a day Judge Juan Merchan allowed Donald Trump to have off in the trial so he could be with his youngest child.

How long will the jury take to deliberate?

No one, not even the jury, knows that yet.

First, jurors all meet in the jury room to discuss their views. They have an opportunity to send requests for clarifications or further instruction to the judge. They must come to a unanimous decision to convict or acquit, or else the trial will end in a " hung jury ," forcing a mistrial.

There is no limit to how long the jury can deliberate, but experts say three days would be considered a long time. 

– Kinsey Crowley

Why are jury instructions important?

Judge Juan Merchan said Tuesday that he will deliver jury instructions in the morning, estimating it will take him about an hour.

Jury instructions are critical because they inform the jurors about the law to apply in the case. Small words in jury instructions can sometimes make a big difference as jurors are tasked with deciding not just what the defendant did in a given case, but also whether it's a crime.

What did the defense say about Cohen on Tuesday?

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche was full of invectives for Michael Cohen as he urged jurors on Tuesday not to credit the former Trump fixer's testimony. Cohen testified that Trump authorized him to make a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election, and approved a plan to cover it up even as he reimbursed Cohen in 2017.

"He's literally like an MVP of liars," Blanche argued.

"In fact, he's also a thief," Blanche said. Cohen himself admitted on the witness stand to stealing by claiming a larger reimbursement from the Trump Organization than Cohen actually paid for polling-related help for Trump.

Blanche also accused Cohen of committing a crime at the trial by lying on the witness stand . The defense lawyer pointed to text messages indicating Cohen called Trump's bodyguard on Oct. 24, 2016 about harassing calls he was getting. Confronted with the messages, Cohen largely stuck to his previous testimony, saying he believed he also spoke to Trump about hush money to Stormy Daniels during that call.

"It was a lie!" Blanche exclaimed Tuesday. "That is per-jur-y," he also said, putting emphasis on each syllable of the crime.

"He got caught red-handed," Blanche told jurors.

What is Trump on trial for?

Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to commit or conceal another crime. Prosecutors have said Trump was falsifying records to hide the violation of federal campaign finance laws and to hide plans to violate New York tax and election laws.

Trump wanted to hide a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in particular, according to prosecutors. They say the payment violated federal campaign finance laws and amounted to election fraud.