Oh, the dreaded cover letter. Job seekers hate writing it and nobody knows if anybody even reads cover letters anymore. And yet, not attaching one to your application would be a terrible mistake. This cover letter guide will tell you not only why to write one, but also how to write a really good one.
But first, why does everyone hate writing cover letters so much? After all, a cover letter gives you a unique opportunity to distinguish yourself from others.
In comparison with a resume, the cover letter allows you to provide details that didn’t fit in on your resume and demonstrate your passion.
All the negativity that surrounds the cover letter probably comes down to the fact that good cover letters require a bit of alchemy. They also take time to write.
This guide will help you avoid any mistakes and write a strong cover letter that will catch the recruiter’s attention. We also include cover letter examples.
Generally speaking, you want to make your cover letter:
Click on a section to skip
Table of ContentsSo, how exactly is the cover letter important for your job application?
Some may argue that the cover letter in 2024 isn't really relevant anymore. In fact, one study stated that only 18 percent of hiring managers think cover letters are a key part of an application.
However, don’t get fooled by these statistics. While your resume may be considered more important during the hiring process, including a well-written cover letter can increase your chances of landing a job.
For instance, 83% of hiring managers would be convinced by a really good cover letter — even if the resume wasn’t good enough, according to this study.
And there's more to it.
Some of the key advantages of the cover letter are:
In other words, the cover letter is a perfect chance to bridge the distance between you and a recruiter even before the actual job interview.
First, they read them to decide if you’re the right fit for a position. For this reason, avoid generic write-ups at all costs. What recruiters love to see is a short persuasive argument of why you fit the role and the company. Something like this:
“I was happy to hear about this job opening from my former manager, Jane Anne. She and I have worked together on many projects throughout the years and she thought that I would be the perfect match for this position.“
Second, recruiters are looking for inconsistencies. For instance, if your resume shows attention to detail but your cover letter is addressed to the wrong person, wrong company, and is filled with typos, it's inconsistent. You want to ensure the number of inconsistencies is kept to a minimum.
Third, they're trying to get a hint of your personality. Cultural fit is important to many companies.
So, throughout the process of cover letter writing, it's essential to keep in mind the recruiter who's going to be the recipient of your letter.
Because at the end of a day, a good cover letter shouldn't be solely about you — it's supposed to be written with the hiring manager in mind.
So ask yourself:
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, our cover letter guide is exactly for you.
Placed at the very beginning of your cover letter, the header is the place where you should include your contact information and the contact information of the company.
A cover letter is still a letter, after all.
At the left side of the page include the information based on which you can be reached by the recruiter.
Here, make sure to include:
Optionally, you can also add:
The top right side of the page is reserved for company-related information. Here, you should put:
Our AI writer will write the first draft of your cover letter for you.
When you’re browsing the web, what articles usually catch your attention? Those with great headlines, of course!
The same applies to cover letter headlines.
Start by paying attention to the headlines around you — especially in tabloids and websites like Buzzfeed (Is Buzzfeed still a thing? How very 2010s of me). These are usually designed to stir up your interest and make it impossible to not click through.
Notice how they use numbers, questions, and interesting adjectives to promise the reader to learn something valuable.
And you can do the same in your cover letter.
When in doubt, try to use this formula: Number or Trigger word + Adjective + Keyword + Promise.
The result can look something like this:
Finally, don’t forget to adjust your header to the company’s level of formality and put your headline in the subject of the email.
In this time and age, there’s no excuse for using “To Whom It May Concern.”
If the name of the hiring manager isn't written in the job posting, you’re expected to research their name and contact information online. For example, look at the company's page or LinkedIn.
Once you have their name, feel free to go for a personalized greeting:
“Dear [first name]” or “Dear Mr./Mrs. [last name]”
Honorifics (e.g. Mr., Mrs., Ms.) are more appropriate if the company’s culture is formal.
And if you cannot find the recruiter’s name, it's okay to go for a generic:
“Dear Hiring Manager”, or “Dear Recruitment Officer”
Alternatively, you can address the letter to the whole company team or the HR department. In this case, your greeting should look like this:
“Dear [name of the company/department] Team” or “Dear Human Resources”
The best way to start a cover letter is to open strong. The first impression matters the most and busy recruiters often have a chance to properly dive into only a few selected cover letters.
So if you make your first paragraph captivating, chances are that your letter will be one of the lucky ones that actually end up being read.
In fact, the first paragraph is the perfect place to shortly explain why the job seems exciting to you and why you’re the right person for it.
While most people begin their letters with “I’m applying for the position X I saw in Y place,” it's a waste of space.
Instead, open with a sentence like this:
“I’m a content marketing professional with more than 5 years of experience and I’d love to bring my ability and passion to your team.”
In the first paragraph, you can also:
However, limit the introduction to 1-3 sentences. This isn’t the place to go into detail about what makes you ideal for the role — save that for the second and third paragraphs.
The second paragraph is the place where you should sell yourself and your experience.
Here, write a short summary of your career, skills and accomplishments, tailored to fit what the company is looking for.
You already did your research, so now it's time to ask yourself these questions and try to address them in your cover letter:
After you’ve picked the most relevant accomplishments, put them at the start of your letter.
However, when talking about them, avoid sounding like you’re bragging. The best way of doing this is to focus on your experiences rather than yourself. Ideally, support your claims with concrete examples.
Also, mention any other additional relevant hard skills or knowledge areas they’re looking for, as well as any qualifications.
Finally, the second paragraph is the perfect place for showing that you’ve done your research. Demonstrate that you’re familiar with some of the challenges that the company faces and present how you can help them.
In this paragraph, you want to show that you’re serious about developing your career at this new company. And good companies want to know why they appeal to you and how will your professional relationship be mutually beneficial.
Consider addressing the following questions:
For example, you can say something like this: “I've seen on your website that you heavily focus on cryptocurrency projects. As a cryptocurrency enthusiast, I would love to join your team”.
However, don’t go overboard with flattery and stay professional.
Also, don’t say anything that isn't true or you don’t mean it, as it will probably come up again in the later stages of the application process.
Now that you’ve nailed the main part of your cover letter, you also want to finish strong. This way, the recruiter will remember you in a good light. But how do you achieve that?
I can’t stress this enough — unless it's specifically required to attach the cover letter to the body of the email, consider not sending your cover letter as a document attached to your email.
Instead, put it inside the body of the email. The email itself is now your cover letter! This way the recruiter won't ignore it.
However, remember that hiring managers receive hundreds of emails a day. So if you want your email to get read, it's the subject line that's likely to play the most important part.
As we've advised before, if you have a good resume headline, simply put it in the email subject.
However, if you’re unhappy with the result, you have other options, too.
For instance, if you have a reference, include it already in your email subject line:
Referral from Jose Nachos: Pedro Tacos, candidate for a senior software analyst position
If you don't have a reference or a catchy headline, check out more tips on how to write the best subject line for your email.
Make it stand out with an eye-catching design.
Today, many companies are using online application systems that discourage applicants from attaching a cover letter.
Instead, they have their own application systems where in different sections you're required to fill in the information you would normally place in your cover letter.
If this is the case, just work with the format they gave you.
In other words, include the same information that you'd normally have in your cover letter but place it in the correct sections.
And don’t forget to follow the cover letter principles:
Because no matter the format, you're still expected to present your skills and convey enthusiasm about the job.
Alternatively, you can also try to find a relevant manager or a recruiter online (either on the company pages or LinkedIn) to whom you can send a brief follow-up email with an attached cover letter.
Now that we've covered the basics, there are several other tips that you should keep in mind to elevate your cover letter to the next level:
Now, if you have no experience yet because you're just starting out or you're changing careers, writing a cover letter can be scary. However, a well-written letter can actually be your best friend.
In the end, there are many different ways to write a great cover letter. And even if you follow the cover letter guide above, you’ll end up with a cover letter that's invariably your own.
It all depends on your own personality, the position you’re applying for, and the hiring manager’s preferences.
And that's good, actually!
Still, there's a lot to learn from cover letters written by other people. That's why we've selected five cover letter samples that deserve your attention.
Each of these helped real job seekers find real jobs in real companies. They'll teach you valuable lessons you can use in your own cover letter.
This cover letter sample was provided by a real person who got hired with Kickresume’s help.
This cover letter sample was provided by a real person who got hired with Kickresume’s help.
This cover letter sample was provided by a real person who got hired with Kickresume’s help.
This cover letter sample was provided by a real person who got hired with Kickresume’s help.
This cover letter sample was provided by a real person who got hired with Kickresume’s help.
Do you still need some more inspiration? You can find more examples in our cover letter library
250 to 400 words is the standard cover letter length range. A cover letter should never exceed one page.
Yes! Show that you can go that extra mile and stand out from the crowd of applicants.Ideally, use a pre-formatted cover letter template. Then use a simple and professional font, such as Times New Roman. The font size should be between 10-12.
If you have the name of the hiring manager, try to find their contact on the company page or LinkedIn. If you still can't find the right person, you can address it to the whole team or HR.
This article was recently updated. The original article was written by Martin Poduska in 2017.
