DISCOVER THE PURPOSE

Look at the purpose of a cover letter this way: you have written your resume to represent WHO YOU ARE and a hiring manager creates a job posting to display the NEEDS OF A COMPANY. A cover letter TIES THE TWO TOGETHER and affords you the opportunity to highlight how you can apply your past experience, skills and abilities to the position for which you’re applying. 

TIPS TO EMBRACE

  • Communicate why you want to work for that SPECIFIC company. Hiring managers don’t want to see a generic cover letter that can just be sent to every company within your field.
  • Address your Cover Letter to a person. Don’t have a name? Use LinkedIn to conduct company research and find someone with the title “Hiring Manager.” They’ll notice the effort.
  • Tell a story that’s not on your resume. What brings you to that company and how does it incorporate your passion and what you’d like to do with your life?
  • Focus on the positive and what you can do to address the company’s needs. Make sure you avoid boastfulness, exaggeration, and inconsistency.

FORMATTING BASICS

  • Follow the format of a standard professional letter.
  • Type the letter and keep it to 1 page.
  • Use the same font and header as your resume.
  • Proofread to avoid typos and look at your sentence openings to ensure they vary and don’t all start with the word “I.”
  • If you’re emailing your documents, incorporate the job title in the email’s subject line.

Want more advice?

View a CareerSpots video