Cover letters accompany your job application with the purpose of making your application stand out. Cover letters are a chance to tell your story and tell hiring managers how you fit the role, why you’re interested in the position/company, and what about your prior experience and skills fulfills the job description.
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40% of employers say cover letters are the most important part of the job application. Statistically, hiring managers spend about a minute looking at an applicant's resume and cover letter. Often the person reviewing resumes is not a technical person so cover letters give the applicant an opportunity to explain why they are a good fit for the role. Cover letters can be the deciding factor between candidates.
Cover letters give you the ability to be more engaging than allowed within a resume structure. Cover letters should align the company values with an applicant's experience.
Provide a quick explanation of:
- HOW you fit the role?
- WHY you’re interested in the position/company?
- WHAT about your prior experience and skills fulfills the job description?
Think of your resume, cover letter, and job application as your first assignments for the company that you’re interested in joining. Cover letters should engaging, inviting and filled with enough information about the skills that a recruiter or hiring manager would want to know more about you.
The passion for your career should come across in your cover letter, so that they are excited to meet you.
Cover letters should be 250 to 325 words and around four paragraphs.
- Header with your contact information
- Contact information for the employer (if available)
- Best practice to match your header on your cover letter to your resume
- Contact information salutation
- Make every effort to find the contact name of the hiring manager to use on your letter
- If no contact name is available use “To Whom it May Concern”
- Body of cover letter
- First paragraph
- Introduction
- What position you are applying for
- The name of any mutual connection (if applicable)
- Express how your skills will complement the company and position
- Middle paragraph
- This section is the most important!
- What you have to offer the employer
- Strong connection between your abilities and employer’s needs
- Mention specifically how your skills & experience match the job you are applying for
- Try to support each statement you make with a specific piece of evidence
- Final paragraph
- Reiterate your strengths and interest
- Thank the employer for their consideration
- Include information on how you will follow-up and when
- First paragraph
- Complimentary close signature
- Options: Respectfully Yours, Sincerely, Regards, Cordially