Include A Clear Call To Action
Consider what you want to happen as a result of your letter and include a request that makes sense for the intended audience. Depending on which type of cover letter you are writing, you might encourage the reader to review your resume, schedule a call or agree to meet with you in person or virtually. You can also communicate that youll follow up with them in a specified amount of time so they have an incentive to respond to your letter.
How To Make A Cover Letter With No Experience
A cover letter template can seem hard to fill with useful information when your resume itself is quite light on job experience and hard skills. But it is in those cases that your cover letter is even more important. Entry-level candidates can’t rely on experience, and must therefore make the most of their soft skills, projects and original ideas. To start with, we encourage you to make a resume with no experience, and then write an entry-level cover letter that will complement it.
Do You Have Cover Letter Examples For My Template
Our cover letter templates can be filled online using pre-written content. You’ll only have to input your job title and generate content quickly and conveniently. Adapt what matters, and copy the rest to save time and speed up your job hunt. To help you adapt your cover letter and make it perfectly targeted, we have written hundreds of cover letter examples that you can find here.
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Is A Cover Letter Necessary
If the job ad calls for a cover letter, yes, it is necessary to include one. Failure to have a cover letter for a job can immediately disqualified you from consideration if its explicitly stated that one is required. As a job seeker, you need to demonstrate that youre able to follow directions. An employer might interpret your missing cover letter to mean that you didnt pay attention to what was asked of you. Not a good look.
If a job ad doesnt say a cover letter is required, then you do not need to include one with your application. That said, if the job application has a section for any additional information you would like to share with an employer, its highly recommended that you copy and paste the text of your cover letter into this area. The same is true if youre required to email your application copy and paste your cover letter into the body of the email.
As good a source of candidate information as a resume is, it doesnt really give you the same kind of opportunity to share your personality with an employer. Culture fit is very high on the list of determining factors that can cause you to be hired, and a good cover letter can mean the difference between you getting called in for an interview or not.
Cover Letter Examples And Writing Tips
Do you need to write a cover letter? A cover letter should be sent or posted with your resume or curriculum vitae when applying for a job, so it’s essential to write a good one. Your cover letter is an opportunity to show the employer how you’re an excellent match for a position.
Learn about writing a cover letter, including what to include, how to send it, review examples, and get free templates to download for many different types of occupations and applications. There are also guidelines and samples for writing email cover letters, inquiry letters, referral letters, prospecting letters, and networking letters.
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Use This Template To Easily Write Your Own Cover Letter
Your Contact Information :
Email Address
Date:
Write the date when you will submit your cover letter, with the month written out. For example: March 15, 2021.
Target Company Contact Information :
Recipients Full Name
Dear Mr./Ms./Mx. ,
Opening Paragraph:
State your name, the title of the job youre applying for, and how you found it. Follow up with a sentence or two explaining why you want the job, and why youd be a good fit at the company.
Second Paragraph:
In your second paragraph, include details about your relevant work experience, skills, certifications, and other information that show you have the necessary knowledge and abilities to excel in your target role. Dont include everything only mention the information you believe would be most valuable to the company youre applying to.
Third Paragraph:
Your third paragraph should focus on achievements. Include one or two examples of how you used key skills or knowledge to accomplish something impressive at a previous company. Be sure to pick examples that you believe are relevant to and would also greatly benefit your target company.
Closing Paragraph:
In your first sentence restate some of the details that prove youre a strong candidate for the job. Follow up with your contact information , and details about when you can be contacted. Finish by thanking the hiring manager or recruiter for taking the time to read your cover letter.
Sign-off:
Your Name
Enclosure :
Free Modern Cover Letter Templates For Word
Modern office cover letters cant just be stylish. Theyve got a job to do.
Consider
The average resume gets 7 seconds of eye-time. Thats just enough to throw yours in the trash.
Your cover letter can stretch that time to 7 minutesand get you in the interview.
Thats why our gallery of free cover letter templates for Word has been designed for easy reading.
Each guide listed above shows steps to turn a blank template into a job-getting cover letter.
Expert Hint: How can you format a cover letter? What about margins and fonts? What should you say in each paragraph? See our cover letter format guide.
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The Dos And Don’ts Of Cover Letter Writing
- Customize your letter for each company and job description
- Choose a template thats appropriate for the role and industry
- Address the hiring manager by name if at all possible
- Create intrigue and excitement in your introduction paragraph
- Use a professional tone appropriate for your experience level
- Discuss the personality traits and soft skills that make you unique
- Use short anecdotes to illustrate your competence
- Include concrete facts and figures to back up your achievements
- Explain the contributions you could make to this new employer
- End by respectfully inviting the hiring manager to contact you
- Use a copy-paste or generic form letter for each application
- Waste space with a mailing address unless sending a physical letter
- Write about unrelated or unprofessional hobbies and activities
- Be afraid to show off your personality in your writing style
- Take a presumptive or overly confident tone
- Include confidential information about former employers or clients
- Create a letter that is longer than one page
- Use font sizes outside of the 10-12 pt range
- Discuss negative experiences or talk badly about a previous employer
- Overdo the use of color or text flourishe
Template : Digital Creative Cover Letter
Get it here.
This sixth template is perfect for the applicant who wants to emphasize the many different digital channels he or she is on. The header bar also allows this template to go well with a resume of the same format.
As you personalize this letter with your own experience, make note of the social networks and industry software included in this template. You’ll see along the top that LinkedIn, email, and personal website are all available for you to fill with your own information.
The bullet points in the above template also allow you to highlight your most important skills or accomplishments for the hiring manager.
Also Check: How To Write 1 Year Experience In Resume
What Should A Great Cover Letter Say
Not sure what a cover letter is or what it should include? A killer cover letter is made of the following four parts:
The cover letter template below describes how to write each of these key sections:
Salutation
Your Name
Professional Cover Letter Templates
If youre in a professional industry, then you know just how important presentation can be. Theres no point in creating a high-quality professional resume if your cover letter formatting doesnt have the polished look to match. Our professional cover letter templates make it easy for you to focus on conveying your expertise the visuals are taken care of.
These free templates feature neutral color palettes with soft leading lines to create an attractive layout without overpowering the essence of your letter. Our professional cover letter templates are especially effective for formal industries like education, administration, medicine, legal and finance.
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Creative Cover Letter Templates
There are certain positions in which creativity is not just recommended, its expected. For those situations, we’ve developed a line of creative cover letter templates perfect for expressing your passion and eye for good design. These templates offer just the right balance of text and visual elements to make your cover letter stand out from the crowd.
Ideal for applicants in fields like fashion, media, photography, film, art and design, these templates are for those unafraid of bold colors and page elements that make a statement. With our free creative cover letter templates, you can rest assured that your cover letter is just as unique as you are.
General Knowledge Of The Business
Grammatical errors could mean your application is thrown in the trash, but that’s not the only thing that could get your letter tossed aside. Using a generic “one-size-fits-all” cover letter — especially if you forget to change the name of the company — will also hurt your chances of landing an interview.
So, if you take the time to write a cover letter, take the time to comment on the business itself. Why are you applying to this company? What about their business stuck out to you as a professional?
Now, let’s take a look at an example cover letter, what makes it effective, along with 11 templates you can download or draw inspiration from.
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Tips For Using Cover Letter Templates
1. Customize your cover letter for each job. In the examples below, youll see the advantage of having a dedicated space to engage with an employer, but don’t rely on a generic cover letter to get noticed. Create a different cover letter for each job to which you’re applying. Companies want to feel special, like you’re applying to their job, not just any old job. Tell a brief story or two that demonstrates how your skills and experience can benefit the companys particular needs.
2. Don’t simply reiterate your resume. In a cover letter, you dont just list facts about your work historyyou use emotion and storytelling to add some life to the page. For example, if you see on a companys website that theyre in the process of rolling out new products to the international market, you can talk about how youve been involved in a number of successful global product launches and really loved developing marketing campaigns for different countries and customs, which strengthened your dedication to connecting with customers all over the world.
3. Put your personality into it. Whatever you do, do not simply copy and paste these cover letter examples and pass them off as your own. The whole point of a cover letter is to convince an employer of your one-of-a-kind value.
Why This Is A Great Cover Letter
Right from the start, this applicant showcases the managerial skills they developed while working in the service industry. They then highlight how theyll apply those skills to make an immediate impact on the company.
Additionally, the applicant mentions the company by name three times. Its clear that theyre familiar with the business, have an interest in joining this specific team, and understand how theyd fit on the team if hired.
Lastly, our applicants cover letter includes their address to highlight how close they live to the restaurant. Pointing out where you live can be helpful if youre applying for a non-remote job because it shows the employer that you wont need to move or even commute very far if hired.
However, note that listing your address on a cover letter is optional in 2022 because most applications are submitted online.
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Our Cover Letter Templates Are Ats
Many companies use applicant tracking systems to filter out unqualified cover letters or resumes before they land at the recruiters desk. These systems use software trained to scan your cover letter and resume for keywords listed in the job description. All of our templates can only be formatted with ATS-friendly fonts, line height and so on.
Template 1: Director Cover Letter
Get it here.
If you’re applying for a Director position, you’ll want to start by explaining how you’ve either successfully handled a similar role in the past, or why you believe you’re qualified and ready to handle new responsibilities for the first time.
In the cover letter above, the candidate does a good job outlining how she succeeded in a leadership role previously: “For the past five years, I have successfully developed and maintained all data systems, including schedules and records for a business employing more than 100 people.”
You’ll want to demonstrate how your skills align with a Director position â both through organization and leadership â and, when possible, where you received recognition for your hard work .
Writing a cover letter is easier said than done. Don’t hesitate to spend a lot of time writing and editing it. Or, ask a friend or family member to read it over and give you feedback. If the recruiter does end up reading it, you’ll be thankful you did.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in November 2014 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
Originally published Nov 9, 2020 1:00:00 PM, updated September 03 2021
Topics:
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Proof And Edit Your Cover Letter
A CareerBuilder survey reports that typos and grammatical errors can cost you an interview, as can not including a cover letter.
Be sure to thoroughly proofread each cover letter before sending it, looking for grammar and spelling errors. Consider asking a friend or family member, or even a career counselor, to read over your cover letter. It can be helpful to print a copy of your cover letter and edit it with a pen in hand. Reading it out loud is another good way to catch mistakes.
Template : Photo Letterhead Cover Letter
Get it here.
The cover letter template above was designed by Microsoft Office, and as comprehensive as it looks, it’s completely free to download and modify.
As it looks right now, this cover letter contains about half photo, half text. Feel free to shrink the image to give yourself more room to tell your story. Of course, a nice washed-out image that expresses who you are can be part of that story …
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Career Change Cover Letter Example
Writing a cover letter for a job in your current industry is pretty straightforward. But writing a career change cover letter requires a slightly different approach.
The sample cover letter below includes the three elements you need to persuade a hiring manager youre ready to transfer industries, such as:
Newsflash: A Cover Letter Is Not A Repeat Of A Resume These Examples Show You How It’s Done
A great cover letter will show that you’re the right candidate.
If you’re wondering how to write a cover letter, you’re in the right place! Monster’s library of cover letter examples can help you do exactly that.
It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in or level you’re at in your careerto get noticed by potential employers, your professional cover letter needs to knock their socks off. Writing a good cover letter is about much more than friendly greeting it’s a tool that lets hiring managers know that you’re the candidate they’ve been hoping for.
Because recruiters and hiring managers have seen every type of cover letter format imaginable, for maximum wow-factor, you must build a cover letter that highlights your industry-specific experience, accomplishments, and credentials.
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What To Include In Your Cover Letter
Every good cover letter has the following sections:
Header – On top of the cover letter, you write down your own contact information, as well as the recruiters .
Greeting – A formal greeting for the recruiter. E.g. Dear Sir or Madam, To learn how to address your cover letter better, check out our article.
Opening paragraph – The introduction of your resume. Here, you summarize your background info , state your intent , and summarize your 1-2 achievements to get the recruiter hooked.
Second paragraph – In the second paragraph, you explain how youre qualified for the position and why the recruiter should pick YOU.
Third paragraph – You talk about why youre a good match for the company. Do you share common values? Is the company working on projects youre interested in? Etc
Formal closing – Finally, you end the cover letter with a quick summary and a call to action .