How To Write A Good Cover Letter For My Resume

What To Put In Your Cover Letter

1. Contact details

Start with your contact details. For example:

Lizzie Long

Then the date you send the cover letter. For example:

10 January 2019

Then the advertiser’s name, organisation, address and email. For example:

Reginald Farnham

2. Opening

Under the greeting put the position details. For example:

I am writing to apply for the Sales Assistant vacancy at ABC Sales, as advertised on Trade Me.

3. Explain your interest in the job

In the next paragraph, explain your interest in the job and how you will fit into the organisation. Be enthusiastic and use positive language.

I have been a customer of ABC Sales for several years and have always been impressed by the quality of service I have received. I am enthusiastic and professional, and I believe I would fit well into the company’s team culture and contribute to the ongoing success of the sales department.

4. Link your skills and experience to the job

In one paragraph link your experience, skills and qualifications to the job. Use two or three key examples.

Research the employer online and show how your skills can be useful to the employer.

5. Ask the employer to contact you

Finally, ask the employer to contact you to talk more about your application.

For example:

I would enjoy having the opportunity to discuss my application with you and how I could use my skills to benefit ABC Sales.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Advice For Writing A Top Notch Cover Letter For A Job

Maddy Price / The Balance

Are you working on a cover letter to send with your resume? It’s important that your cover letter makes the best impression, because it’s what can help you secure a job interview.

When you need to write a cover letter to apply for a job, it’s sometimes the small things that can make a big difference. The closer to perfect your letter is, the better your chances are of impressing the hiring manager.

Follow these tips and techniques for sending a top-notch cover letter, and you will increase your chances of getting an interview.

Write A Strong Resume Introduction

This section highlights aspects of your background that make you ideal for the dentist’s position for which you’re applying. Although this section is the first on your resume, a good tip is to leave writing it until last, when the contents of the other sections can guide you. A dentist typically summarizes their professional experience, specialties, and unique skills that set them apart from the other candidates in this section. If you have any data that illustrate your specific skills, include it here, as quantifiable accomplishments strengthen your application.

The purpose of the introduction is to gain the employer’s attention and encourage them to focus on the more specific sections that follow. The style you adopt when writing this section usually depends on whether you’re a newly qualified dentist or one that’s been working in the profession for some time. Here are two ways you can approach your resume’s introduction section:

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What Is The Purpose Of A Cover Letter

A cover letter introduces you to an employer through a personalized explanation of your qualifications and interest in a position. While a resume shares the technical details of your skills and work experience, a cover letter gives insight into your soft skills, attitude and motivations. Employers use cover letters to get a sense of how well each candidate would fit in with their company culture and use their experience to accomplish the requirements of a position. Strong cover letters provide a clear connection between your goals and a company’s values.

Do Your Research First

Before you start writing, find out more about the company and the specific job you want. Of course, you should carefully read the job description, but also peruse the companys website, its executives Twitter feeds, and employee profiles on LinkedIn. This research will help you customize your cover letter, since you shouldnt send a generic one. Itll also help you decide on the right tone. Think about the culture of the organization youre applying to, advises Glickman. If its a creative agency, like a design shop, you might take more risks but if its a more conservative organization, like a bank, you may hold back.

If at all possible, reach out to the hiring manager or someone else you know at the company before writing your cover letter, advises Lees. You can send an email or a LinkedIn message asking a smart question about the job. That way you can start your letter by referencing the interaction. You might say, Thanks for the helpful conversation last week or I recently spoke to so-and-so at your company. Of course, its not always possible to contact someone or you may not get a response. Thats OK. Its still worth a try.

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How To Format An Email Cover Letter

Wondering how to format your email cover letter? Youre not alone. Once youve written your incredible cover letter providing more information on your expertise and how it relates to the job youre applying for, its vital to format it correctly before sending it to any recruiters. If it isnt formatted correctly, you could be missing out on the job opportunity.

Regardless of the cover letter template youve chosen, make sure to include these key components when formatting your email cover letter:

• Write a subject line that includes the position youre applying for
• Address the company contacts name in the salutation
• Clearly state what youre hoping to accomplish in the first few sentences
• Summarize your strengths, skills and experience by connecting them to the job opportunity
• Use a font thats easy to read
• Avoid typos in your message by proofreading
• Include a signature with your contact information
• Always send a .pdf file rather than a word doc or other format

Use Relevant Details Instead Of Buzzwords

Buzzwords and clichés like hard-working,go-getter, and think outside the box are overly used, provide limited information, and dont make your cover letter stand out.

Instead, we recommend writing a cover letter that provides details and varied phrases. Try doing the following:

• name specific projects and contributions from your previous roles
• use hard numbers to demonstrate years of experience, percentages, and relevant data
• list a variety of resume adjectives and verbs throughout your cover letter

Expanding upon your cover letter with concrete proof of your accomplishments and skill set will impress employers compared to simply making a generic statement.

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Example : Administrative Assistant

Job Description

In this role, you will be supporting managers and other senior-level personnel by managing their calendars, arranging travel, filing expense reports, and performing other administrative tasks.

Strong interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills will be critical to success.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience providing high-level admin support to diverse teams in a fast-paced environment

• High school diploma or equivalent work experience

• Excellent Microsoft Office Skills with an emphasis on Outlook and Excel

• Self-motivated and highly organized

• Team players who work well with minimal supervision

Cover Letter

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am writing to express my interest in the opening for an administrative assistant at {name of company].

I am also attracted to this role because of the growth opportunities that provides. The research that Ive done on your company culture has shown me that there are ample opportunities for self-motivated individuals like me. A high level of organization and attention to detail are second nature to me, and Im eager to apply these skills in new and challenging environments.

I look forward to sharing more details of my experience and motivations with you. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Writing A Perfect Cover Letter

Your potential employers will take around six seconds to look at your CV or resume. That means in order to attract them, you need something extra to serve as the opening act.

This is where a cover letter comes in. A cover letter is an introductory letter that should be to the point and precise about what exactly you are looking for in your job. A good cover letter can help the employers pick out the most suitable candidate for the job.

These cover letters samples can help you write that perfect cover letter and get the employer’s attention.

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Example # : If Youve Been At Your Current Position For Less Than One Year

Subject Line: Experienced Legal Secretary Seeking Long-term Opportunity with Stable Litigation Firm

Dear Sir/Madam:

Please allow this introduction. My name is Jane Smith, and I have 12 years of legal secretarial experience working with managing partners of small, mid- and large-sized law firms. My current typing speed is 105 wpm from written form and 120 wpm from live dictation with the utmost accuracy. I am interested in the Litigation Secretary position advertised on your firms website.

I am currently working for a small civil litigation firm. However, after only 11 months in this position, the financial stability of the firm has significantly changed. Therefore I am seeking long-term tenure with a stable civil litigation firm.

Attached please find my resume and list of references. If you are interested in the professional skills and positive attributes I can contribute to your firm, please contact me at at your convenience to schedule an interview.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

How To Write A Cover Letter In 2021

After weeks of heavy job search, youre almost there!

Youve perfected your resume.

Youve short-listed the coolest jobs you want to apply for.

Youve even had a friend train you for every single interview question out there.

But then, before you can send your application and call it a day, you remember that the job ad requires a cover letter.

Now youre stuck wondering how to write a cover letter…

Dont panic! Weve got you covered. Writing a cover letter is a lot simpler than you might think.

In this guide, were going to teach you how to write a cover letter that gets you the job you deserve.

We’ll cover:

So, lets get started with the basics!

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Be Enthusiastic About The Role

You may have the qualifications and the experience to do the job, but employers also want to know that you feel passionate about the role and their organization. Describe why the company or department appeals to you. For example, you could explain that you share its values . This signals that you’ll be engaged, committed, and likely to stick around.

Email Cover Letter Samples

Including an email cover letter is imperative, so we thought it would be helpful to our job-seeking readers to have sample letters to use as a starting point.

The examples below come from real-life job seeker emails, although weve altered the details and contact information. Whether you prefer a salesy approach or youre more of a direct and to the point kind of person, choose the template that suits your style. Just be sure to include these key elements in your email cover letter.

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Highlight Your Academic Goals And Interests

You can now discuss your academic goals and careers. Scholarship awards typically focus on providing educational funds for students with academic desires and aspirations. You may use this paragraph to expand on the reasons you selected your major or how your institution can help advance your academic plans. When submitting your college acceptance application, you can include a scholarship application requesting additional funding from the institution. You may alternatively choose to apply to an external sponsor. You can consider including opportunities you missed due to lack of funding and highlight how this grant might positively influence your education.

Case Study #: Catch Their Attention

Over the past four years, Emily Sernaker applied for multiple positions at the International Rescue Committee . She never gave up. With each application, she sent a personalized cover letter. I wanted my cover letter to highlight my qualifications, creative thinking, and genuine respect for the organization, she says.

Sarah Vania, the organizations regional HR director, says that Emilys letters caught her attention, especially because they included several video links that showed the results of Emilys advocacy and fundraising work at other organizations. Emily explains, I had prior experience advocating for former child soldiers, human trafficking survivors, vulnerable women, and displaced persons. Its one thing to make statements in a cover letter, like I can make a pitch, I am a creative person, I am thoughtful, but showing these qualities seemed like a better way of convincing the recruiter that the statements were true.

This is what Emily wrote to Sarah about the video:

Here is a short video about my story with activism. The nonprofit organization Invisible Children made it for a youth conference I spoke at this year. It is about four minutes.

As youll see from the video, Ive had a lot of success as a student fundraiser, raising over $200,000 for Invisible Children. Ive since gone on to work as a consultant for Wellspring International and have recently concluded my studies as a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar.

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Formatting Your Cover Letter

Format your cover letter as though you were going to send it in the mail, even if you’re sending it by email. This will make it look more professional.

Here’s a point-by-point guide for laying out your cover letter:

• Write your name and address at the top of the page. Align it to the right.
• Write the name and address of the prospective employer. Align it to the left.
• Add the date of your letter under the employer’s address, and align it to the left. Leave a line space between the address and the date.
• Begin your letter with “Dear” and the name of the hiring manager. Avoid “To whom it may concern.” If you don’t know who to address the letter to, send the HR department an email asking for the appropriate recipient.
• Use a font that’s clear and easy to read, such as Arial or Helvetica, with a type size of 10 or 12 points.
• Space your paragraphs, keep wide margins, and don’t crowd the page.
• Leave a line space under the final paragraph, and sign off with “Yours sincerely” or “Best regards.” Leave a couple of line spaces under the signoff, and then sign your name, typing it in full beneath your signature. If you are sending the letter digitally, it’s not necessary to actually sign it just type your name instead.

Tip:

Consider sending your cover letter as a PDF file. PDFs are compatible with most computers and devices, so it should look the same on the recipient’s screen as it does on your own.

Beware Of These Pitfalls

Here are a few mistakes to avoid when writing a cover letter:

• Making jokes. Avoid doing this, because humor is highly subjective, and can be easily misunderstood.
• Mentioning your current salary, or salary expectation. Don’t do this unless the job advertisement asks for it. This type of information is best left until you are able to negotiate a job offer .
• Using generic cover letters or templates downloaded from the web. Recruiters read numerous applications, and it won’t reflect well on you if they’ve seen your letter before.

Key Points

Your cover letter needs to show the recruiting manager that you’re the right person for the job, and that you will be a good fit for the team. Research the role carefully, and pay attention to the tone and language that you use.

Your letter should fit on one page, and be presented in a way that’s easy to read. It should follow this structure:

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Highlight The Right Experiences

Not sure what skills and experiences you should be featuring? Typically the most important requirements for the position will be listed first in the job description, or mentioned more than once. Youll want to make sure you describe how you can deliver on those key priorities.

Another trick: Drop the text of the job description into a word cloud tool like WordClouds, and see what stands out. Thats what the hiring manager is looking for most.

Emphasize Your Personal Value

Hiring managers are looking for people who can help them solve problems. Drawing on the research you did earlier, show that you know what the company does and some of the challenges it faces. These dont need to be specific but you might mention how the industry has been affected by the pandemic. For example, you might write, A lot of healthcare companies are overwhelmed with the need to provide high quality care while protecting the health and safety of their staff. Then talk about how your experience has equipped you to meet those needs perhaps explain how you solved a similar problem in the past or share a relevant accomplishment. You want to provide evidence of the things that set you apart.

Lees points out that there are two skills that are relevant to almost any job right now: adaptability and the ability to learn quickly. If you have brief examples that demonstrate these skills include those. For example, if you supported your team in the shift to remote work, describe how you did that and what capabilities you drew on.

Further Reading

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