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The 12 Best Cover Letter Examples: What They Got Right
Published: February 16, 2023
Fun is not something typically associated with writing a cover letter. However, with a few tweaks, writing one doesn’t have to be a burden.
The cover letter examples below demonstrate that it is possible to have a little fun with your job search — and maybe even make yourself a better candidate in the process.
![→ Click here to access 5 free cover letter templates [Free Download]](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/53/3f347702-d7e9-4e59-9fe4-be4cd7bad191.png "cover letter best practice")
What is a good cover letter?
A cover letter is used to demonstrate your interest in the role, passion for the company, and the impact you've had in previous positions. Cover letters should include a standout opening, relevant skills and qualifications, and a strong finish with a call-to-action — all within one page and unique to each application.
It may be true that only 35% of recruiters admit that cover letters do not materially influence the hiring process for them , but that doesn't mean yours has to contribute to that statistic. In fact, it might be that cover letters are deemed insignificant because so few of them stand out. Here's an opportunity for you to exercise your creativity at the earliest stage of the recruitment process.
Personalization, after all, goes beyond replacing the title and company name in each letter you send to recruiters.
What’s on a cover letter?
Before you can get started writing your cover letter, there are a few components you must have.
Greeting: A simple, but pleasant greeting to address the recruiter or hiring manager.
Opener: Write a catchy introduction that explains why you’re interested in the role.
Summary of Skills/Qualifications: This is the heart of your cover letter. It outlines your relevant experience and why you’d be a great fit for the role. You can highlight special skills, experiences, professional achievements, or education to help make your case.
Closing: In this paragraph, provide a call-to-action by expressing interest in an interview. Provide your contact information and sign-off.
What does a cover letter look like?
In addition to showing off your skills and qualifications, cover letters give you the opportunity to present a clear, concise, and compelling writing sample that shows off your personality and ability to convey ideas. Check out our fillable examples below to see how you should organize the content of your cover letter.
Customizable Cover Letter Examples
In a hurry for a cover letter example you can download and customize? Check out the ones below from HubSpot’s cover letter template kit .
1. Standard Cover Letter Example
This standard cover letter hits all the right notes: It includes a space to give a brief summary of your experience, as well as a space to delve in-depth into the specific responsibilities at your current role. You also have the chance to describe the challenges you’ve mastered at previous roles, showing that you’re capable of facing any problem that comes your way.
Why We Love It
We love this cover letter because it allows you to describe the high points of your career while still being professional, personalized, and succinct.
2. Data-Driven Cover Letter Sample
Numbers are worth a million words — or that’s how the saying should probably go (if only we could include pictures in cover letters). Citing data and statistics about your achievements at your current company is an assured way to capture a hiring manager’s attention. Most hiring managers don’t read the entire letter, so a bulleted summary of your achievements can be a powerful way to increase the effectiveness and scannability of your message.
We love this cover letter because it’s adaptable to any role. Even if you don’t work in a data-centric role, you can include any enumerable achievement. If you’re in a creative industry, for instance, you can include the number of creative assets you designed for your current company.
3. Entry-Level Cover Letter Example
Download a Customizable Copy of This Cover Letter Example
Applying to your first job can be stress-inducing, to say the least. You can increase your chances of getting that first interview by including a cover letter that explains how your education can help you succeed in the role you applied for.
Look no further than this example from HubSpot. While other cover letter samples give experienced professionals the opportunity to share their experience at length, this one gives you the chance to describe your personal and professional attributes. You can then convey how you can leverage your knowledge to help your target company reach their goals.
We love this cover letter because it’s easy and simple to use for a student who has little experience in their target industry — including those who haven’t yet completed an internship.
Looking for more? Download the entire kit below.
5 Professional Cover Letter Templates
Fill out the form to access your templates., best cover letter examples.
What does a good cover letter look like in practice, and how can you make yours stand out? We found six examples from job seekers who decided to do things a bit differently.
Note: Some of these cover letters contain real company names and NSFW language that we've covered up.
1. The Cover Letter That Explains 'Why,' Not Just 'How'
We’ve already covered the importance of addressing how you’ll best execute a certain role in your cover letter. But there’s another question you might want to answer: Why the heck do you want to work here?
The Muse , a career guidance site, says that it’s often best to lead with the why — especially if it makes a good story. We advise against blathering on and on, but a brief tale that illuminates your desire to work for that particular employer can really make you stand out.
Image Source
Here’s another instance of the power of personalization. The author of this cover letter clearly has a passion for this prospective employer — the Chicago Cubs — and if she’s lying about it, well, that probably would eventually be revealed in an interview.
Make sure your story is nonfiction and relatable according to each job. While we love a good tale of childhood baseball games, an introduction like this one probably wouldn’t be fitting in a cover letter for, say, a software company. But a story of how the hours you spent playing with DOS games as a kid led to your passion for coding? Sure, we’d find that fitting.
If you’re really passionate about a particular job opening, think about where that deep interest is rooted. Then, tell your hiring manager about it in a few sentences.
Why This Is A Great Cover Letter
This example demonstrates how effective personalization can be. The writer is passionate about the employer, drawing from her own childhood experience to communicate her enthusiasm.
2. The 'We're Meant for Each Other' Cover Letter
This cover letter example is a special one because it was submitted to us here at HubSpot. What does the letter do well? It makes a connection with us before we've even met the letter's author.
.png "cover letter best practice")
"Content Marketing Certified" indicates the applicant has taken the content marketing certification course in our HubSpot Academy (you can take the same course here ). Our "records" indicate he/she did indeed give an interview with us before — and was a HubSpot customer.
The cover letter sang references to a relationship we didn't even know we had with the candidate.
The letter ends with a charming pitch for why, despite him/her not getting hired previously, our interests complement each other this time around.
(Yes, the applicant was hired).
This cover letter example does an excellent job of building rapport with the employer. Despite not getting hired for previous roles they applied for at HubSpot, the writer conveys exactly why they are right for this role.
3. The Cover Letter with H.E.A.R.T.
HubSpot has a lot of H.E.A.R.T. — Humble, Empathetic, Adaptable, Remarkable, Transparent. Our Culture Code is the foundation of the company's culture, the driving force behind our mission to help millions grow better , and serves as the scaffolding for our hiring practices. Recruiters at HubSpot look for applicants that demonstrate how they embody the Culture Code and job description, paying extra attention to cover letters that are super custom to HubSpot.
In another HubSpot submission, a HubSpot applicant writes about how she found out about HubSpot, why she likes the company, and how her professional experience aligns with H.E.A.R.T.
HubSpot's recruiting team was impressed with her dedication to the company and how she went beyond what was asked for by linking her portfolio in her closing paragraph.
Featured Resource: 5 Free Cover Letter Templates
Download our collection of 5 professional cover letter templates to help you summarize your professional journey and land your dream job – whether it's at your first or fifth company.
Short Cover Letter Examples
4. the short-and-sweet cover letter.
In 2009, David Silverman penned an article for Harvard Business Review titled, “ The Best Cover Letter I Ever Received. ” That letter contained three complete sentences, as follows:
One might argue that this particular letter is less than outstanding. It’s brief, to say the least, and the author doesn’t go into a ton of detail about what makes him or her qualified for the job in question. But that’s what Silverman likes about it — the fact that the applicant only included the pieces of information that would matter the most to the recipient.
“The writer of this letter took the time to think through what would be relevant to me,” writes Silverman. “Instead of scattering lots of facts in hopes that one was relevant, the candidate offered up an opinion as to which experiences I should focus on.”
When you apply for a job, start by determining two things:
- Who might oversee the role — that’s often included in the description, under “reports to.” Address your letter to that individual.
- Figure out what problems this role is meant to solve for that person. Then, concisely phrase in your cover letter how and why your experience can and will resolve those problems.
The key to this standout cover letter is research — by looking into who you’ll be reporting to and learning more about that person’s leadership style, you’ll be better prepared to tailor your cover letter to focus on how you provide solutions for them.
5. The Short Story
Basha Coleman began her cover letter with a short story. The goal of this short story is two-fold:
- Detail the experience she already has with the organization.
- Stand out to the hiring team.
You'll notice that her short story follows a typical narrative arc: It has a conflict/obstacle, a turning point, and a positive outcome, all created with a goal to emphasize a theme or point. In this case, Coleman is emphasizing her existing affinity with the brand and her triumphs within the program so that she can continue on her career path.
Like the second example in our list, this cover letter does an excellent job of conveying the applicant’s existing affinity for the brand. If you are applying to a company you love, don’t be shy about showing it and explaining why.
6. The Bare Bones Cover Letter
In today's job market, cover letters aren't always necessary. Even though many recruiters won't ask for or even read them, cover letters can still be effective and convey personality to a reader. Writing a strong cover letter can help you better convey your interest in the position and company.
This template from The Balance Careers puts together the essential components of a short cover letter: excitement about the position, your qualifications, and a call-to-action for the recruiter to follow up with you. Combining these central aspects in a well-written, compelling narrative will go a long way in convincing readers to hire you.
This letter is organized and concise. The inclusion of bullet points to highlight key skills and help the recruiter skim the document is a nice touch.
7. The Breezy Follow-Up
In this cover letter, Amanda Edens is following the instructions the hiring manager gave by forwarding an email with resume and writing samples attached.
Not only does Amanda provide links to relevant writing samples that are live on the web, but she also closes with a strong final paragraph that:
- Summarizes the expertise she has relevant to the posting
- Emphasizes that she doesn't want to simply get a job but rather help the organization accomplish their goals
- The reader gets everything they need in an organized and thoughtful manner.
8. The Administrative Assistant Cover Letter
In this cover letter the candidate, Brenda, plays up her prior music industry experience to build a connection with Epic Music Group. If you have specific industry experience for the role you are applying for, be sure to highlight that.
It’s clear that she’s passionate about not only the music industry, but Epic as a whole. She’s done so much research on the company that she knows what software programs they use, and happens to be proficient in it to help convey value to the hiring manager.
This example further illustrates the importance of research. Make sure you understand the culture of the company to which you’re applying before you send a completely unfiltered cover letter — if you don’t, there’s a good chance it’ll completely miss the mark.
In just three short paragraphs, the applicant uses their company research to drive home why they are the perfect fit for the role — emphasizing industry experience as well as software knowledge specific to the company. All of this communicates that she’d be able to start with very few hiccups getting up to speed.
9. The Internship Cover Letter
Maybe you’re just getting started in your career and looking to land the right internship to gain experience in your field. In this case, you’ll need to highlight more of your educational background and transferable skills since you won’t have as much professional experience to highlight.
The cover letter above is a great example of how to emphasize your skills and accomplishments when applying to internships or entry-level positions. A few things the applicant does well:
- Highlights relevant extracurriculars and affinity networks. In this case, the applicant is applying to a business analyst position, so mentioning their involvement in a FinTech group makes sense.
- Previous internships in relevant fields: Our applicant points out that they’ve previously interned as a Business Analyst at another firm. Pointing out that they’ve done the role previously will help make their case for fit.
- Highlight other useful skills: This applicant is fluent in both English and German. If an international company or an organization needs bi-lingual support, knowing multiple languages is an asset.
This cover letter example illustrates how you can leverage your education and background to get the gig even when you don’t have much working experience. Highlighting previous internships or experience in related fields can go a long way in convincing hiring managers you’re the perfect candidate for the role.
Creative Cover Letter Examples
10. the brutally honest cover letter.
Then, there are the occasions when your future boss might appreciate honesty — in its purest form. Livestream CEO Jesse Hertzberg, by his own admission, is one of those people, which might be why he called this example “ the best cover letter ” (which he received while he was with Squarespace):
As Hertzberg says in the blog post elaborating on this excerpt — it’s not appropriate for every job or company. But if you happen to be sure that the corporate culture of this prospective employer gets a kick out of a complete lack of filter, then there’s a chance that the hiring manager might appreciate your candor.
“Remember that I'm reading these all day long,” Hertzberg writes. “You need to quickly convince me I should keep reading. You need to stand out.”
The applicant did their research on the company’s culture and executed this cover letter flawlessly. It’s funny and shows off the applicant’s personality all while demonstrating why they are a good fit for the role.
11. The Pivot Cover Letter
Making a career switch? Your cover letter can be an excellent opportunity for you to explain the reasoning behind your career change and how your transferable skills qualify you for the role.
Since the role she is applying for is more visual, it’s important to both show and tell why you’re a good fit.
This cover letter strikes the perfect balance between creativity and simplicity in design while putting the applicant's career change into context. The copy is clean, with a creative font choice that isn’t distracting from the content, but still demonstrates the applicant’s knack for design.
12. The Graphic Design Cover Letter
When applying for more creative roles, the design of your cover letter can say just as much as the words on the page. Take the graphic designer letter example below.
It’s got so much going for it:
- Pop of color
- Clean layout
- Interesting fonts
In addition to the style elements, this example also doesn’t skimp on the key skills recruiters are looking for. Using metrics, the applicant demonstrates their value and why they would be a great fit.
This cover letter thoroughly conveys the applicant’s skills and qualifications using a variety of visual elements and by emphasizing their greatest achievements.
We’d like to add another stage to the job search: experimentation.
In today’s competitive landscape, it’s so easy to feel defeated, less-than-good-enough, or like giving up your job search. But don’t let the process become so monotonous. Have fun discovering the qualitative data we’ve discussed here — then, have even more by getting creative with your cover letter composition.
We certainly can’t guarantee that every prospective employer will respond positively — or at all — to even the most unique, compelling cover letter. But the one that’s right for you will. That’s why it’s important not to copy these examples . That defeats the purpose of personalization.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in October 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
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Best Cover Letter Tips for 2023
Need some cover letter help? We’ve got the 12 best cover letter tips to help job seekers in 2023 perfect their cover letter and get to the interview stage.
Knowing what to put in a cover letter can be challenging. Plus you may have already asked yourself: do I even need a cover letter when applying for jobs?
If you want to give yourself the best chance of landing work, a cover letter is essential. An effective cover letter increases your chances of getting the hiring manager’s attention and convincing them that you’re an excellent candidate — someone they’d love to hire.
These 12 cover letter tips will help you learn what to include in a cover letter so you’re one step closer to landing your next job.
1. Write a unique cover letter for each application
Each cover letter you send out should address how you align with that specific company’s values. Your letter should also demonstrate how you can help the company overcome the challenges it faces, and ultimately reach its goals.
Don’t just claim you’re the best fit for the job either. Explain how your experience and skills position you to do the job well, and what value you can bring to the team.
Customizing your cover letter to target the job description is much more compelling than sending out a generic overview of your qualifications (and more likely to get you to the interview stage).
While this process might sound daunting, it doesn’t have to be. Using an online cover letter builder makes it easy to generate unique letters in minutes, and you can also create a cover letter template and swap out company-specific details (you still need to do a little research though).
2. Keep your cover letter to one page
Hiring managers don’t want to read a multi-page cover letter. Anything more than one page comes off as rambling or bragging.
In fact, the ability to communicate important information in fewer words is a valuable communication skill for many industries, so take this opportunity to demonstrate that in your cover letter.
Write 250–450 words in 3–4 paragraphs to hit the cover letter length preferred by hiring managers and recruiters.
3. Address the hiring manager by name
When addressing your cover letter , don’t write “ To Whom It May Concern ” or “ Dear Sir/Madam .” Both greetings are old-fashioned and impersonal.
Instead, try to find out the hiring manager’s name, and address your cover letter to them directly. If their name isn’t in the job posting, explore the company’s website or Linkedin to find out who you would report to in this position.
You can even call or email the company’s human resources department to ask for the hiring manager’s name for your cover letter.
4. Quickly establish yourself as a qualified applicant
Many hiring managers won’t read beyond your cover letter’s first couple of sentences unless it’s clear you’re worth their time. So make sure to start your cover letter off with your qualifications.
Prove you’re qualified for the job quickly by highlighting your years of relevant experience and greatest professional skills as you introduce yourself. Then explain how that experience and skill set make you the right fit for the position.
Here’s an example of how to show you’re ready to make an immediate impact at a new company:
5. Expand on your resume, but don’t repeat it
A cover letter that just rephrases the content of your resume misses the purpose of a cover letter . If your cover letter lacks the compelling pitch necessary to make a strong impression, employers might simply overlook your application.
A well-written resume neatly lays out your experience, skills, education, and accomplishments in organized sections and bullet points. Your cover letter, on the other hand, should expand on your resume by explaining how your experience is relevant to the target company and why hiring you is a good idea.
Try expanding on your resume in your cover letter with these strategies:
- Give more details about one (or more) of your job-specific accomplishments
- Explain how your experience can help solve the company’s problems or increase its effectiveness
- Discuss current issues in your industry to demonstrate expertise
For example, the following candidate demonstrates how their experience with the latest software (listed in the skills section of their resume ) will add value to the company:
6. Include hard numbers in your accomplishments whenever possible
Both your resume and cover letter should contain hard evidence of your accomplishments , ideally using numbers.
For example, instead of just saying that you “increased sales,” you could write that you “increased sales by 20%”.
Quantifying your accomplishments with data makes your experience easier for readers to understand. If your achievements are notable, your cover letter (and resume) will ultimately be much more convincing.
You can quantify your achievements with numbers that show:
- how you contributed to company goals (like sales, production, expense saving, or customer satisfaction targets)
- the amount of money you handled
- how many people you’ve managed, trained, or onboarded
- the number of customers handled per day, size of budgets managed, or KPIs achieved
Example with no numbers
As part of my duties, I handled clients’ bids, filed their taxes, and found tenants for their properties.
Example with numbers
My clients appreciate my services. I’ve accomplished the following for them:
- Analyzed bids from contractors, leading to a 2.1% yearly decrease in expenses
- Filed taxes for our biggest clients, ultimately leading to a 47% lower incidence of tax-related penalties
- Converted 65% of potential tenants into actual tenants
7. Demonstrate that you’re a culture fit
If you seem like a good culture fit to a hiring manager, you’re immediately much closer to getting a job offer.
To learn about a company’s culture (and whether it’s a good match for you), check the company’s website and social media profiles. On the company’s:
- website : look for “About” or “Hiring” pages. These pages usually have a mission statement, communicate core values, and explain exactly the types of people it’s hoping to hire.
- blog and social media : gauge its public-facing voice, image, and culture. Is it fun and quirky, serious and business-like, or a mix of both?
Tailor your cover letter’s tone and language to reflect the values, principles, beliefs, and attitudes in the company’s materials. Think about matching visual cues, too — for instance, if the company’s website is minimal, consider using a simple cover letter template .
8. Use strong action verbs to convey your expertise
Fill your cover letter with action verbs that describe your contributions at past companies. The best action verbs effectively convey your leadership, talent, and initiative, and highlight the way you actually performed your duties.
Compare the following examples:
Weak action verb
I met with representatives of other companies to improve relationships.
Strong action verb
I cultivated relationships with representatives of other companies.
In these examples, “cultivated” better illustrates your active role in forming and maintaining business relationships. “Met” simply says that you were present during meetings and makes the reader wonder what you contributed.
9. Use the most appropriate writing tone for the job you want
Your writing tone should reflect the level of job you’re applying for, as well as what’s expected in your industry.
Let’s say you’re writing a cover letter for an entry-level position at a start-up and you lack relevant work experience. Your tone should express your enthusiasm, adaptability, and highlight a bit of your personality.
Here’s a good example taken from a college student’s cover letter :
College student tone (excited)
My name is Clay Atkinson, and I’m excited to be applying for the position of Social Media Strategist at WizKids.io. I was ecstatic to find this opening on Indeed.com earlier this week, and feel that my familiarity with every major social media platform as well as my educational background (BA in Marketing from Illinois State University) make me a perfect fit for this particular role.
And if you’re applying for a senior management position at a Fortune 500 company, your tone should be professional. Your writing should express how you’re distinctly qualified for the role. Your qualifications as an aspiring corporate professional are more critical than your enthusiasm because they prove you can actually do the job.
Here’s how a candidate for a high-powered managerial position might start their cover letter:
Managerial tone (professional)
My name is Theo Tinsworth, the current Director of Finance at Altogen Chemicals in Austin, Texas. Over the past 14 years I’ve worked my way up as a financial expert at three different companies, and I’m now ready to take my final professional step forward and join Capital Industries as its next CFO.
10. Match it to your resume
Your cover letter’s design features, like font and color scheme, should match those of your resume. This helps your application feel consistent and polished. To simplify things, try downloading a cover letter template and pairing it with a matching resume template .
Using a template with an attractive cover letter header also helps your application stand out.
11. Show some personality, but not too much
Your cover letter is where you provide a glimpse of what you’re like in a professional setting.
Avoid unnatural, overly formal language like: “ I would like to express my sincerest interest in this stimulating position .” Remember that you’re writing to another person, so you shouldn’t sound too stiff or robotic.
Instead, explain why you’re personally interested in the job, whether it’s the company culture or the work itself. If you can showcase why you’d be a good fit at the company, you’ll be more likely to get a job offer.
12. Finish with a call to action
As you close your cover letter , don’t be shy about requesting an interview. Give the hiring manager your contact information (email and phone number) as a reminder of the best way to contact you, and say that you look forward to an interview.
You can also mention something specific you’d like to discuss with the hiring manager as a way to get them interested in continuing the conversation. For example, you could say:
I’d welcome a chance to discuss my client retention strategy in further detail in an interview and share how I broke my company’s sales record in my first 3 months.
Then, finish with a polite and friendly sign-off. When in doubt, “sincerely” always works, but “respectfully” and “best” are also good options.
What a cover letter should look like in 2023
This cover letter example shows what a great cover letter should look like:
Note how this applicant uses hard numbers and examples to demonstrate their expertise.
Cover letter tips checklist (updated yearly)
Want to make sure you hit all of the tips for a cover letter we’ve outlined in this article, plus a few extra best practices? Use our cover letter checklist directly on the page, or make a copy of our checklist in Google Docs and use it later.
Cover Letter Tips Checklist
Is your cover letter easy to read?
Is your cover letter one page or less?
Did you write a unique cover letter for the position you’re applying for?
Did you match your cover letter template to your resume?
Did you address the hiring manager by their full name?
Do you establish yourself as qualified in the first paragraph?
Is your writing tone appropriate for the job you want?
Did you explain how you found the position?
Do you expand on the content of your resume without repeating it?
Did you include hard numbers in your cover letter to provide context for your achievements?
Did you show how you’re a culture fit?
Is your writing free of cliches?
Did you use action verbs when describing your relevant experience?
Is your writing free of too much jargon and too many abbreviations?
Did you show some personality (but not too much)?
Does your cover letter end with a call to action?
Did you sign off with “Sincerely” (or an appropriate alternative) and your full name?
Did you proofread your writing?
Did you get a second opinion on your cover letter?
Did you give it an appropriate file name such as “Naomi-Smalls-Cover-Letter.pdf”?
Are you 100% sure your application meets the company’s submission requirements?
Click to rate this article
Written by Emily Crowley
Emily Crowley is a Senior Content Writer and Resume Expert at Resume Genius, where she loves helping job seekers overcome obstacles and advance their careers. She graduated... more
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The Best Professional Cover Letter Samples
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What the Best Cover Letters Do Well
How to use cover letter samples, review cover letter examples, cover letter template, cover letters listed by occupation, cover letters listed by type of letter.
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How to Personalize Your Cover Letter
When applying for a job, it's always a good idea to include a cover letter , unless the employer specifies that they only want an application or a resume. Even if a job listing does not specifically request a cover letter, including one can be a terrific way to summarize your skills and experiences and explain (in more detail than in a resume) why you are an ideal candidate for the job.
What's most important is writing a cover letter that shows the hiring manager what makes you one of the best candidates for the position.
Think of your cover letter as your introductory “sales pitch,” your golden opportunity to make a positive first impression on a company.
Reviewing cover letter samples is a great place to start before writing your own letter. You can then download a template to get started creating your own letter.
Your cover letter should be well-written and provide some sense of your personality and professionalism. It should also be targeted to the position for which you are applying. Don't send a generic letter when you apply for jobs. Most employers get many applications for every open job, and your cover letter and resume need to show that you've taken the time to write compelling application material that shows your interest in working for the company in this role.
Make clear and persuasive connections between your experiences and the skills required to excel in the job, using the skills listed in the job announcement’s “Preferred Qualifications” section as your guide. Taking the time to match your qualifications to the company's job requirements will show the employer you're a strong match for the job.
Your cover letter is one of the first things the hiring manager will see (along with your resume ), so make sure that it grabs the reader’s attention and entices them to give your resume a serious review.
These professionally written samples will help you write and format your cover letter as either a Word document or a text version that you can send as an email message.
Reviewing examples also gives you ideas for the language you might want to use, the information you should include, and how to format the letter so all the required information is included and there is plenty of white space on the page. Then, spend some time customizing your letter:
- Take the details from your resume and use them to personalize the sample that you download.
- Be sure to replace the text in the example with your own experience and qualifications for the job.
- Don't forget to double-check that all your personal information (address, phone, email, etc.) is accurate before you click send or upload the letter.
Be sure to customize your letter to fit your own skills and experience and to target the specific job for which you are applying.
Use these cover letter samples to get ideas for your own cover letters so you can show prospective employers why you should be selected for an interview.
Download the cover letter template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) to get started, or see below for many more examples listed by type of job, candidate, and letter format.
Cover Letter Example (Text Version)
Victoria Hernandez 12 Maple Street Citytown, IL 60416 555-555-5555 victoria.hernandez@email.com
July 20, 2020
James Smith Hiring Manager Citytown Therapy 35 Oak Avenue Citytown, IL 60416
Dear Mr. Smith,
I was thrilled to see your ad for an occupational therapist at Citytown Therapy. I’m a licensed occupational therapist with five years of experience providing excellent care to patients ranging from toddlers to mature adults. I’d love to put my skills to work for your clinic.
In reference to your requirements in the job description, I have:
- Experience assessing patients’ fine motor and sensory skills
- Practical knowledge of creating and implementing care plans
- Effective communication skills, both oral and written
- Excellent organization and multitasking skills
- A proven track record of compassionate, effective care
- CPR certification
I’d appreciate the opportunity to discuss the position and your needs for the role. Please contact me at your convenience and let me know how I can help you.
Victoria Hernandez (signature hard copy letter)
Victoria Hernandez
List of Cover Letter Samples
Have a look at this alphabetical list of great cover letter examples listed by occupation. Use these examples to get ideas for your own cover letters.
- Academic Advisor
- Academic Cover Letter
- Administration/Business
- Administrative Coordinator
- Admissions Counselor
- Athletic Director
- Biomedical Engineer
- Business/Technical
- Camp Counselor
- College Graduate
- College Student
- Communications
- Communications Director
- Construction Management
- Customer Service
- Database Administrator
- Development/Museum Position
- Director of Operations
- Editorial Assistant
- Education/Alternative Education
- Entry Level (analyst)
- Entry Level (finance)
- Entry Level (marketing)
- Event Planner
- Faculty Position
- Finance Internship
- Flight Attendant
- Front End Web Developer
- Hair Stylist
- Higher Education Communications
- Information Security Analyst
- Informational Meeting Request Letter
- Letter of Intent
- Letter of Interest
- Market Research Analyst
- Marketing Assistant
- Media Relations
- Occupational Therapist
- Office Assistant
- Part-Time Job
- Photographer
- Physical Therapist
- Programmer Analyst
- Receptionist
- Recruiting Manager
- Research Technician
- Retail Management
- Sales Associate
- Sales, Marketing and PR
- Scientific Research
- Scrum Master
- Social Media
- Social Worker
- Software Developer
- Software Engineer
- Special Education
- Speech Pathologist
- Store Manager
- Summer Cashier
- Summer Hotel Front Desk/Bellhop
- Teaching Assistant/Tutor
- Technical Support/Help Desk
- Transportation Planning
- Web Content Manager
- Web Content Specialist
- Web Design Specialist
- Writer/Freelance
These different types of cover letters fit a variety of special circumstances, and letter format options.
- Applying for More Than One Job (multiple jobs at the same company)
- Block and Modified Block Format Cover Letters (types of cover letter formats)
- Career Change (when the job is a career shift)
- Career Office Referral (referral from a college career office)
- Cold Contact Cover Letter (applying for jobs that aren't advertised)
- Email Cover Letters (cover letters included in an email message)
- Employee Referral (referral from a company employee)
- Job Promotion Cover Letters (applying for a promotion)
- Job Transfer Request Letter (transferring jobs)
- Job Transfer Request Letter Example (relocation) (requesting a relocation)
- Prospecting Letter (outreach to prospective employers)
- Referral (letter with a referral)
- Referred by a Contact (referral from a mutual contact)
- Request a Meeting (requesting an informational meeting)
- Salary History (includes salary history)
- Salary Range (includes a salary range)
- Salary Requirements (includes salary requirements)
- Targeted Cover Letters (targeted to a specific job)
- Temp to Perm Cover Letter Example (request a permanent position)
- Transferable Skills (includes transferable skills)
- Unadvertised Openings (apply for unadvertised jobs)
- Value Proposition Letter Sample (show how you will add value)
More Cover Letter Samples and Writing Tips
Need more inspiration? Here are more cover letter examples , including templates you can customize to create your own cover letters. You should also explore these top 10 cover letter writing tips , and these 5 steps to cover letter success .
If you are having trouble with a particular section of your cover letter, check out these articles on cover letter salutations , cover letter closings , and parts of a cover letter .
It's acceptable to alter the standard format of a cover letter example:
- For instance, if the example has three paragraphs, and you only want to include two paragraphs, you can do so.
- If you want to include bullet lists instead of paragraphs, it's fine to reformat your letter. This is your opportunity to sell your qualifications to the company, so take the time to make your letter stand out from the crowd of applicants .
- You shouldn't include everything that's on your resume in the letter. Highlight the most relevant accomplishments as they relate to the job for which you're applying. The more focused and personalized your letter is, the better your chances of getting the interview.
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13 Best Practices for Writing a Cover Letter
Writing a cover letter is no easy task. If a hiring manager sees two equally great resumes, it would be the cover letter that ultimately determines who gets the job and who has to continue the arduous application process. We're here to help you create the an amazing profile with our 13 best practices for writing a cover letter.
in this guide we'll teach you:
- Cover letter writing practices for content
- Best practices for formatting and addressing your letter
- How to find keywords and why integrate them in your cover letter
Before we dive into it, have one last look at your resume and make sure it's flawless.
Head over to our resume builder for some expert tips on how to best present your experience and get the job.
A good cover letter is a compilation of great content and skillful formatting. You have to pay attention to the small details and emphasize your relatable strengths.
1. Address your cover letter appropriately
The first thing that the hire manager sees on your cover letter is how you address them, so make sure you do it correctly.
Forget the impersonal "to whom it may concern" and get specific. If possible, use the hiring manager's name. If you can't find it on the job ad or the company website, try social media. LinkedIn is a great source of information.
If you can't find the name anywhere, use "Dear Hiring Manager." For more tips, check out 7 Cover Letter Opening Line Mistakes to Avoid (Examples) .
2. Have a clear message
Your cover letter has to be focused. The hiring manager has no time to read neither an essay version of your resume, nor irrelevant information.
Stick to the main questions:
- What position you're applying to
- How your experience is relevant
- What you want to accomplish in that role
- How you'll be of use to the company
3. Show relatable experiences and interests
One good practice for writing a cover letter is to stick to relevant information. While you may have the coolest hobbies and interests, like rock climbing or tango dancing, not all are relevant to the job you're looking to get.
Choose the hobbies that most closely relate to the position and talk about them. For example, if you're applying to be a web designer for a yoga company, talk about your love for yoga.
If you're applying to a bank that organizes 10K charity runs annually, talk about your passion for running. Make every piece of information on your cover letter relatable to the job.
4. Demonstrate motivation
Writing a cover letter (especially when the application doesn't require it) shows motivation. You should take it a step further and discuss why you're so eager to get the position.
Would this position help you make a difference in the world? Has it been your lifelong dream, or do you just feel very passionately about the daily tasks? Let the hiring manager know all that in the cover letter.
5. Do your research on the company
What do you do when you want to convince someone to do something for you? You find out as much information about them as you can and then use it in your favor. The same applies to job hunting.
Find out everything you possibly can about the company, the team and the work. Then address it in your cover letter.
Use the company name and whatever data you can quote. This will show the hiring manager that you've done your homework which would give you an edge.
6. Use keywords from the cover letter
The job description is a powerful weapon you can use in your cover letter. How? Find out what the key responsibilities of the position are and explain how you're qualified and motivated to perform them.
For example, if the ad says:
Responsibilities of the Sales Assistant: Provide great customer service by travel to retail stores throughout Boston to promote client services and compile a list of leads . Approach consumers during in-store retail campaigns and educate them about our product, making recommendations based on their needs . Run sales presentations during in-store sales campaigns with the goal of increasing brand awarenes s .
Report to the management team monthly.
The keywords here are highlighted in bold. Those are the main tasks that the ideal candidate would be able to execute.
Knowing that, a passage of a good cover letter would read:
cover letter example:
My experience with customer service over the past 3 years has showed me how to educate consumers on products and services, making sure that I cater to their needs. I enjoy collaborating and working in a team, and am always able to run a sales presentation at any given moment.
Promoting brand awareness and generating new leads are tasks that I perform with ease and motivation, and I'd be happy to do this for (Company Name).
Pinpoint the keywords on the ad and use them. This way you will reassure the hiring manager that you are the right candidate for the job.
7. Tailor each cover letter
Do you ever wear a suit that doesn't fit well to a job interview? No, you tailor it. This is how you have to approach each cover letter you send out.
While it's easy to send out a generic cover letter to 20 companies, the chances of you getting a job this way are slim.
Be specific and target your efforts to the company in question. For more tips, read How and Why to Tailor a Cover Letter .
8. Remove anything irrelevant
Recruiters are busy. Don't waste their time by adding irrelevant information or rambling about past experiences that have nothing to do with the position you're applying to. Keep your content short and clear.
9. Mention any personal references
Did someone from the company tell you about the position? Do you have a connection you can mention in the cover letter? If yes, do it.
This should be done in passing and delicately. You can say:
"(Name of Contact) who referred me to apply to the position explained that the job entails..."
A delicate mention of a connection can work in your favor.
10. Don't repeat your resume
Remember that the resume presents the facts of your career. The cover letter shows your motivation for applying.
While the cover letter may mention details from your resume, it should be completely different from your resume.
11. Be confident about your strengths and don't talk about weaknesses
The cover letter is supposed to show you in the best light possible, just like your resume. This is not the time to be shy or talk about your weaknesses.
Focus on what you're good at. The recruiter might ask about your weaknesses during the interview anyway, but don't jump the gun on that one.
12. Always proofread
We can't stress this tip enough. Always proofread your work. You might have the best content the hiring manager has ever seen, but if it's full of typos and grammatical errors, you won't get the job.
13. Format properly
Formatting is very important when it comes to writing a cover letter. You only get one page to work with, so you have to make the best out of it.
Stick to a neat font at a size between 9 - 11. Some of the best fonts for a cover letter are Times New Roman, Verdana, Calibri, Arial, and Tahoma.
For more tips on formatting, see our guide on Cover Letter Formatting Guidelines .
The best practices for writing a cover letter are simple and straightforward. Keep your content strong and to the point. Proofread and format well. Do your research and don't repeat your resume in a story format.
Try to incorporate as many of these 13 tips as you can and confidently send out your applications.
If you need a hand with your resume, head over to our resume builder .
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How to write a cover letter that gets you a job interview.
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The point of a cover letter is to help a recruiter or hiring manager get to know you a bit better. Think of your resume as an outline of your career, and the cover letter as the description. A cover letter offers your future employer a deeper insight into who you are beyond your work history and credentials. It complements your resume and allows you to elaborate on your expertise, skills, and strengths. When you write a strong cover letter, you’re showing your future employer that you’re the person they’re looking for. Let’s take a look at what you need to do to write a strong cover letter.
Don’t reiterate your entire resume.
You want to include highlights from your resume that are the most relevant to the position you’re applying to, not recap your entire work history. The cover letter is the place to showcase your best strengths and elaborate on the work skills you’ve listed on your resume.
Use specific figures to quantify results.
Whenever possible, use specific figures when you’re talking about your accomplishments. Quantifiable results are much more powerful than broad statements. When talking about results you should include a percentage, a timeframe, and an action. For example, ‘Increased sales by 28% in six months by installing and using a new database and client management system.’
Include examples.
Just like adding quantifiers, examples make a much greater impact. Don’t just say that you are great at data management, illustrate it. Elaborate on how you use your data management skills and the results that you’ve achieved by using those skills. The point isn’t to just say that you’re good at something, it’s to show how you’re good at it.
Highlight your soft skills.
Soft skills such as communication, problem solving, and creative thinking are extremely valuable and desirable to employers. These soft skills are harder to highlight in your resume, so the cover letter is the place for you to showcase them. Mention the skills that are your strengths in your cover letter and use examples to back them up.
Explain gaps in your work history.
Your cover letter can provide a deeper insight into your job history. If you have gaps in your work history, you can offer a brief explanation why. If you went back to school, explain that you made that choice to gain deeper knowledge. If you were away from the workforce for an extended period of time, explain the real-world skills you learned in that time that are relevant to the position you’re applying to. Keep this brief, your cover letter shouldn’t be a biography.
Match the tone of your writing to the company culture.
If you’re applying to a corporate job, your cover letter should be more formal than if you’re applying to a startup. Get a feel for the company culture by reading the tone of the job posting and researching the company online. Match the level of formality of the job to the formality of your cover letter. It’s a subtle way to show the person reading it that you’ve done your homework and you understand what they’re looking for.
Personalize it.
Your cover letter should be addressed to the hiring manager by name whenever possible. If it’s not readily available, a few minutes of googling or searching LinkedIn should uncover it. If you can’t find it, then address the cover letter to ‘Hiring Manager at (name of company)’.
Customize it.
There’s nothing worse than a cover letter that’s clearly been copy and pasted without any customization to the job you’re applying to. To save yourself time, create or use a form or template to use as an outline that you can customize. Make sure to include the position your applying for as well as the name of the company. Use bullet points from the job application to highlight your relevant skills or experience.
Use spell check and grammar check.
There’s no excuse to send a cover letter, or any document for that matter, that has spelling and grammatical errors. Running spell check takes 30 seconds, so make it a habit to run it before you send both your cover letter and your resume.
Even if a cover letter isn’t required, it’s worth submitting one anyway. There’s no harm in sending over an extra attachment, and it might even help boost your chances of getting an interview. If nothing else, it’s practice in pitching your strengths, a skill you can use in your job interviews.
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Best Practices For Writing The Most Effective Cover Letter
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An estimated two percent of all job applications result in an interview – meaning that 98 percent of all candidates are eliminated without ever speaking to a hiring manager or recruiter.
While most candidates consider the resume to be the most valuable tool for the job-seeker, an effective cover letter can have an equal impact in connecting to a person with a position. In fact, a recent survey found that 40 percent of hiring managers will pay more attention to an application if a cover letter is included.
Resumes provide a hiring manager with important facts about the job seeker’s skills and experience. However, a cover letter can be used to provide the context for those facts and highlight the ways in which an applicant is a good fit for the available position.
In order to use the cover letter to its best advantage, an applicant should consider these five best practices.
Cover Letter Best Practices
1. customize it.
A standardized cover letter that doesn’t address a specific position or organization can have a substantial negative effect. An uninspired, standardized cover letter can give the impression that you are less interested in the position than other applicants that have made more of an effort.
Customizing your cover letter to speak directly to the available position, as well as the organization, gives the opposite impression – of an enthusiastic applicant that is capable, and willing to conduct research and apply it in a practical manner.
2. Start Strong
A hiring manager or recruiter receives an average of 250 applications for each open position. A weak opening to your cover letter might result in your application being sidelined. The opening line of your cover letter should do one or more of the following:
Convey enthusiasm for the company by demonstrating your unique value proposition to the company, or your unique connection to the company, its products, and/or its mission.
Highlight an impressive accomplishment.
Express passion for the industry, occupation, or work that is available, or express a unique belief that aligns the candidate with the company values.
3. Don’t Recap The Resume
In line with not starting the cover with your name and the position title, the cover letter is not the place to restate the information that is already contained on your resume. Instead, focus on the opportunity to provide context surrounding the resume’s facts.
Also, be sure to accentuate the positive in your cover letter. Don’t address or apologize for any skill or experience that is currently lacking. However, this may be an appropriate time to provide additional information about a gap in employment, adding focus on the way that the break between jobs improved job fit in some way by adding context, independence, or some other skill that can be translated to the job at hand.
Learn More: 5 Tips On How To Write A Resume: Show Don’t Tell
4. Use Keywords, Not Clichés
Avoid the overused phrases that a hiring manager sees too often like “team player” and “people person” come to mind. Instead, review both the job description and other branded materials from the hiring organization for power words that connect candidate and company.
5. Highlight A Cultural Fit (Showcase Your Personality)
A well-written resume can go a long way toward demonstrating whether a candidate is fit for a job. But a well-written cover letter can demonstrate whether a candidate is a good fit for the culture of the department and the organization at large.
The job application process includes a variety of task from resume and cover letter writing to nailing the job interview. By working with a recruiting firm like Sparks Group, job seekers gain a dedicated recruiter to learn best practices and become a stand-out candidate .
For more information about available full-time, contract-to-hire and temporary positions check out our job board and take the next step towards achieving your career goals.
1. https://careers.workopolis.com/advice/only-2-of-applicants-actually-get-interviews-heres-how-to-be-one-of-them/
2. https://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=9 percent2F22 percent2F2016&id=pr967&ed=12 percent2F31 percent2F2016
3. https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/blog/50-hr-recruiting-stats-make-think/
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- Cover Letter Basics
Looking for guidance on the most elemental aspects of cover letter writing? Check out our articles on the most critical cover letter writing tips, plus cover letter best practices and do's and don'ts.
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Writing a cover letter: Advice, best practices and examples
The cover letter is an important aspect of the application process that is often overlooked by job seekers when they apply for a job. Many job seekers believe that cover letters are ultimately useless, and that recruiters don’t read them. In fact, the truth is a little more complicated!
It’s true that many recruiters will merely glance at your cover letter before quickly moving to your CV, and only consider your CV when it’s time to determine the best candidate. That being said, many recruiters take a totally different approach and give the cover letter a lot of importance. For these recruiters, candidates who take the time to submit a cover letter along with their CV are given extra points in the consideration process.
In cases where a cover letter is optional, we still strongly suggest that job seekers submit a cover letter to introduce their CV. The letter is even more important in certain contexts, for example when switching career paths or when sending a spontaneous application.
In this article, we’ll provide some advice on how to craft a professional cover letter to be submitted along with a CV when applying for a job. The resulting letter, along with the advice provided, can also be applied when applying for university, requesting an internship, renting an apartment and other uses.
What to include in your cover letter
When writing your cover letter, be sure to include the following essential information:
- Introduce yourself
- Show your interest in the company and the position offered
- Show your training and experience and demonstrate why you are the ideal candidate for the job.
Your cover letter should be concise, no longer than one page, ideally three or four paragraphs. Remember that this letter will be your first contact with the recruiter and act as your point of entry. This is why it’s important to pay close attention when crafting your letter, to ensure you make a good first impression.
The first paragraph should explain the ‘Why’ in two or three sentences and introduce your CV. For example:
After reading about the position available, I wanted to submit my candidature for the position of [name of position] with [name of company]. I’ve attached my CV with a summary of my training and experience.
In the second paragraph, explain why, thanks to your experience, training and personal qualities, you are the ideal candidate for the position. For example:
As you’ll see from my CV, I have a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a certificate in accounting. Over the course of my career I’ve acquired all the necessary skills to occupy the position of [name of position] with [name of company].
In the third paragraph, let the recruiter know that you are available and very interested in conducting an interview for the position. For example:
Thank you in advance for your consideration. I’m available at your convenience for an interview in person or over the phone to discuss my candidature.
Mistakes to avoid in your cover letter
For more information about each element, check out our article 10 Cover Letter Mistakes You Should Definitely Avoid Making
- Thinking that the cover letter is a simple formality;
- Crafting a cover letter that’s too generic, without any personalization;
- Adopting a too-formal tone;
- Submitting a cover letter that’s too long;
- Being too humble or too boastful;
- Submitting a poorly structured letter;
- Not mentioning your interest in the position and the company;
- Not mentioning the employer at all;
- Trying to be too original;
- Simply repeating the information found in your CV.
Example of a cover letter format
[Your name] [Your email address] [Your phone number] [Your street address] [City, province, postal code]
[Employer name] [Employer street address] [City, province, postal code]
Cover letter
After reading about the position available, I wanted to submit my candidature for the position of digital marketing analyst with [name of company]. I’ve attached my CV with a summary of my training and experience.
As you’ll see from my CV, I have a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a certificate in accounting. Over the course of my career I’ve acquired all the necessary skills to occupy the position of digital marketing analyst with [name of company].
I have strong skills in the fields of digital marketing, as well as relational marketing, sales and accounting. I believe my skills and range of abilities would be a considerable asset for [name of company].
Kind regards,
[Your name]
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Cover Letter Best Practices
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Best Practice Number One: Always, always, always follow the directions provided by the potential employer. If they tell you not to write a cover letter, then don’t waste your time. If an employer tells you they want a specific format (including something uncommon or even a little bit wacky), then make sure you do it that way.
Best Practice Number Two: If you are not going to put any real effort in, don’t bother. Cover letters weed people out, so don’t give the potential employer a reason to say no.
Now for the other best practices:
Searching for more in-depth assistance with cover letters? Contact your installation’s Family Member Employment Assistance or Transition Readiness staff and ask the Marine for Life Network on LinkedIn. For more job search tips, follow Marine for Life on Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn !
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Your Complete Guide to Writing a Cover Letter (Plus Bonus Tips and Examples)
Hot jobs on the muse.
Ah yes, the familiar cycle: You sit down to write a cover letter, open a blank document, check your email, browse cover letter examples , do some chores, watch that cursor blink a few more times, and finally Google something like “how to write a cover letter”—which hopefully brought you here. But you still might be thinking something to the effect of: Does anyone really read cover letters? Why do they even exist?
First off: Yes, we can assure you that cover letters do, in fact, get read . To some hiring managers, they’re the most important part of your job application . And regardless, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to tell prospective employers who you are, showcase why they should hire you, and stand out above all the other candidates.
To ensure your letter is in amazing shape (and crafting it is as painless as possible), we’ve got easy-to-follow steps plus examples, a few bonus tips, and answers to frequently asked questions
What is a cover letter and why is it important?
How to write a cover letter hiring managers will love, what do examples of cover letters look like, bonus cover letter tips to give you an edge over the competition, cover letter faqs (a.k.a., everything else you need to know about cover letters).
A cover letter is a brief (one page or less) note that you write to a hiring manager or recruiter to go along with your resume and other application materials. Done well , a cover letter gives you the chance to speak directly to how your skills and experience line up with the specific job you’re pursuing. It also affords you an opportunity to hint to the reviewer that you’re likable, original, and likely to be a great addition to the team.
Instead of using cover letters to their strategic advantage, most job applicants blabber on and on about what they want, toss out bland, cliché-filled paragraphs that essentially just regurgitate their resume, or go off on some strange tangent in an effort to be unique.
Given this reality, imagine the leg up you’ll have if you learn how to do cover letters right.
OK, you’re sold on how important cover letters are. Here are eight steps to writing one that screams, “I’m a great hire!”
Step 1: Write a fresh cover letter for each job (but yes, you can use a template).
Yes, it’s way faster and easier to take the cover letter you wrote for your last application, change the name of the company, and send it off. But most employers want to see that you’re truly excited about the specific position and organization—which means creating a custom letter for each position.
While it’s OK to recycle a few strong sentences and phrases from one cover letter to the next, don’t even think about sending out a 100% generic letter. “Dear Hiring Manager, I am excited to apply to the open position at your company ” is an immediate signal to recruiters and hiring managers that you’re mass-applying to every job listing that pops up on LinkedIn.
At the same time, there’s nothing that says you can’t get a little help: Try out one of our free cover letter templates to make the process a bit easier.
Step 2: Add your contact info.
At the top of your cover letter, you should list out your basic info. You can even copy the same heading from your resume if you’d like. Some contact info you might include (and the order you might include it in) is:
- Your pronouns (optional)
- Your location (optional)
- Your email address
- Your phone number (optional)
- Your Linkedin, portfolio, or personal website URL (optional)
Note that only name and email are mandatory, and you don’t need to put a full address on a cover letter or resume anymore. A city and state (or metro area) are more than enough.
So your header might look like this:
Inigo Montoya he/him Florin Metropolitan Area [email protected] 555-999-2222
If the job posting tells you to submit your cover letter in the body of an email, you can add your contact info at the end, after your name (and if you’d like to forgo the email address here, you can—they have it already).
So your sign off could look like this:
Violet Baudelaire she/her [email protected] 123-123-1234 https://www.linkedin.com/in/violet-baudelaire/
Step 3: Address your cover letter to the hiring manager—preferably by name.
The most traditional way to address a cover letter is to use the person’s first and last name, including “Mr.” or “Ms.” (for example, “Dear Ms. Jane Smith” or just “Dear Ms. Smith”). But to avoid accidentally using the wrong title, or worse, inadvertently misgendering someone—first and last name also work just fine. And if “Dear” feels a bit too stiff, try “Hello.” But never use generic salutations like “ To Whom it May Concern ” or “Dear Sir or Madam.”
For more help, read these rules for addressing your cover letter and a few tips for how to find the hiring manager .
Step 4: Craft an opening paragraph that’ll hook your reader.
Your opening sets the stage for the whole cover letter. So you want it to be memorable, friendly, conversational, and hyper-relevant to the job you’re pursuing.
No need to lead with your name—the hiring manager can see it already. But it’s good to mention the job you’re applying for (the hiring manager may be combing through candidates for half a dozen different jobs), and yes, you could go with something simple like, “I am excited to apply for [job] with [Company].” But consider introducing yourself with a snappy first paragraph that highlights your excitement about the company you’re applying to, your passion for the work you do, and/or your past accomplishments.
This is a prime spot to include the “why” for your application. Make it very clear why you want this job at this company . Are you a longtime user of their products? Do you have experience solving a problem they’re working on? Do you love their brand voice or approach to product development? Do your research on the company (and check out their Muse profile if they have one) to find out.
For instance, say you’re applying for a marketing job with a company known for its incredible pies and baked goods. You might want to use your opening to mention how you love pie so much that when you were in the 4th grade, you took the blue ribbon in the National Cherry Festival pie-eating contest. Or take a look at this cover letter hook by a client of career coach and Muse writer Jenny Foss , who was working to land a leadership role at a nonprofit specializing in fire prevention:
“I have a personal interest in fire prevention that dates back to my youth. As the daughter of a nurse who worked in a hospital burns unit for many years, I grew up with significant exposure to those impacted by fire. I’d spend hours thinking about my mom’s patients, wishing there were some way to better protect people from fire.”
Read More: 30 Genius Cover Letter Openers Recruiters Will LOVE
Step 5: Convey why you’d be a great hire for this job.
A common cover letter mistake is only talking about how great the position would be for you . Frankly, hiring managers are aware of that—what they really want to know is what you’re going to bring to the position and company.
So once you’ve got the opening under wraps, you should pull out a few key ideas that will make up the backbone of your cover letter. They should show that you understand what the organization is looking for and spell out how your background lines up with the position. Study the job description for hints . What problems is the company looking to solve with this hire? What skills or experiences are mentioned high up, or more than once? These will likely be the most important qualifications.
Select the three to five important qualifications that you feel you exemplify best. For instance, maybe you’re looking for an account executive role and come across a posting that excites you. You might pull out these details that match you well:
- The job description mentions meeting and exceeding quotas several times.
- The company has a very collaborative, cross-departmental approach to solving problems.
- The sales department requires a fast learner so the account executive can get up to speed quickly on leads and tailor pitches to their needs.
If you tend to have a hard time singing your own praises and can’t nail down your strengths, here’s a quick trick : What would your favorite boss, your best friend, or your mentor say about you? How would they sing your praises? Use the answers to inform how you write about yourself. You can even weave in feedback you’ve received to strengthen your case (occasionally, don’t overuse this!). For example:
“When I oversaw our last office move, my color-coded spreadsheets covering every minute detail of the logistics were legendary; my manager said I was so organized, she’d trust me to plan an expedition to Mars.”
Step 6: Back up your qualifications with examples and numbers.
Look at your list of qualifications from the previous step, and think of examples from your past that prove you have them. And go beyond your resume . Don’t just regurgitate what the hiring manager can read elsewhere. Simply put, you want to paint a fuller picture of what experiences and accomplishments make you a great hire and show off what you can sashay through their doors with and deliver once you land the job.
For example, what tells a hiring manager more about your ability to win back former clients? This: “I was in charge of identifying and re-engaging former clients.” Or this: “By analyzing past client surveys, NPS scores, and KPIs, as well as simply picking up the phone, I was able to bring both a data-driven approach and a human touch to the task of re-engaging former clients.”
Having trouble figuring out how to do this? Try asking yourself these questions and finding answers that line up with the qualifications you’ve chosen to focus on:
- What approach did you take to tackling one of the responsibilities you’ve mentioned on your resume?
- What details would you include if you were telling someone a (very short!) story about how you accomplished one of your resume bullet points?
- What about your personality, passion, or work ethic made you especially good at getting the job done?
Come up with your examples, then throw in a few numbers. Hiring managers love to see stats—they show you’ve had a measurable impact on an organization you’ve worked for. Did you bring in more clients than any of your peers? Put together an impressive number of events? Make a process at work 30% more efficient? Work it into your cover letter!
Going back to the example from the last step. How could you prove that you’ll meet and exceed sales quotas if they hire you? Try something like:
“ I’ve always been very goal-oriented—whether that goal was hitting a new personal best on the swim team in college or smashing my quotas as a sales development rep for ZZZ Inc. As an SDR, I break my quarterly sales goals down month-by-month and then week-by-week—so that I always know whether I’m ahead, behind, or on-track. I also take an hour every Friday to reflect on what I could’ve done better in the previous week—so that I’m always improving. With these strategies, I’ve met my goals for meetings set 10 out of the last 10 quarters and actually averaged 114% to goal for finding leads that eventually turned into sales over every quarter last year. As an account executive for your company, I’d bring that same drive and systematic approach for meeting longer-term targets to my sales quotas. ”
Do this for each of the qualifications you want to focus on, and feel free to connect your accomplishments directly to the company. Pro tip: Use your space wisely. For more important qualifications, you might dedicate an entire paragraph, while others may only need a sentence or two.
Step 7: Finish with a strong conclusion.
It’s tempting to treat the final lines of your cover letter as a throwaway: “I look forward to hearing from you.” But your closing paragraph is your last chance to emphasize your enthusiasm for the company or how you’d be a great fit for the position. You can also use the end of your letter to add important details—like, say, the fact that you’re willing to relocate for the job.
Some advice might tell you to go with a hard close: Boldly insist that you’re the one, and that you’re going to call them within a week to set up a meeting. But with over 10 years of experience as a recruiter, Foss finds this annoying. It’s one thing to be proactive and confident but, to her, this approach feels like a cheesy tactic stripped out of an old school “How to sell yourself” textbook.
Instead, try something like this:
“I believe my energy, desire to innovate, and experience as a sales leader will serve OrangePurple Co. very well. I would love to meet to discuss the value I could add as your next West Coast Sales Director. I appreciate your consideration and hope to meet with you soon.”
Then be sure to sign off professionally , with an appropriate closing and your first and last name.
Read More: 3 Cover Letter Closing Lines That Make Hiring Managers Grimace (Plus: Better Options )
Step 8: Reread and revise.
We shouldn’t have to tell you to run your cover letter through spell-check, but remember that having your computer scan for typos isn’t the same as editing . Set your letter aside for a day or even just a few hours, and then read through it again with fresh eyes—you’ll probably notice some changes you want to make.
You might even want to ask a friend or family member to give it a look. In addition to asking them if they spot any errors, you should ask them two questions:
- Does this sell me as the best person for the job?
- Does it get you excited?
If the answer to either is “no,” or even slight hesitation, go back for another pass.
Here’s an example cover letter that follows this advice:
Alia Farhat San Francisco Bay Area [email protected] 444-000-1111
Hello Danny Tanaka,
If I’m being honest, I still haven’t fully gotten over the death of my first Tamagotchi pet when I was six years old. (His name was Tommy, and I’ve gotten far more creative since then, I promise.) When I was older, I discovered NeoPets and I was hooked for years—not just on the site, but on the community that surrounded it. So when I heard about FantasyPets last year, I immediately started following news about your development process, and that’s how I saw your post looking for a marketing strategist. Not only do I have eight years of experience in digital marketing, but as a lifelong gamer with a passion for pet-focused titles who’s spent years in online communities with like-minded people, I also know exactly what kind of messaging resonates with your target audience.
You’re looking for someone to help you craft a social media marketing campaign to go along with your game launch, and I’ve been a part of three launch-day marketing campaigns for mobile and web-based games. In my current role as social media manager at Phun Inc., I proposed a campaign across Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok based on competitor research and analysis of our social campaigns for similar games to go along with the launch of the mobile game FarmWorld. Using my strategy of featuring both kids and adults in ads, we ended up driving over one million impressions and 80k downloads in the first three months.
I’ve always believed that the best way to find the right messaging for a game is to understand the audience and immerse myself in it as much as possible. I spend some of my research time on gaming forums and watching Twitch streams and Let’s Plays to see what really matters to the audience and how they talk about it. Of course, I always back my strategies up with data—I’m even responsible for training new members of the marketing team at Phun Inc. in Google AdWords and data visualization.
I believe that my passion for games exactly like yours, my digital marketing and market research experience, and my flair for turning data into actionable insights will help put FantasyPets on the map. I see so much promise in this game, and as a future player, I want to see its user base grow as much as you do. I appreciate your consideration for the marketing strategist role and hope to speak with you soon.
Alia Farhat
Looking for more cover letter examples? Check out these from across our site:
- 4 best cover letter examples for different types of job seekers
- Pain point cover letter example
- Internship cover letter example
- Recent graduate cover letter example
- Career changer cover letter example
- Stay-at-home parent returning to work cover letter example
- Sales cover letter example
- Email marketing manager cover letter example
- No job description or position cover letter example (a.k.a., a letter of intent or interest)
- Buzzfeed-style cover letter example
- Creative cover letter example (from the point-of-view of a dog)
As you write your cover letter, here are a few more tips to consider to help you stand out from the stack of applicants:
- Keep it short and sweet: There are always exceptions to the rule, but in general, for resumes and cover letters alike, don’t go over a page. Need help? Check out these tips for cutting down your cover letter .
- Never apologize for your missing experience: When you don’t meet all of the job requirements, it’s tempting to use lines like, “Despite my limited experience as a manager…” or “While I may not have direct experience in marketing…” But why apologize ? Instead of drawing attention to your weaknesses, emphasize the strengths and transferable skills you do have.
- Strike the right tone: You want to find a balance between being excessively formal in your writing—which can make you come off as stiff or insincere—and being too conversational. Let your personality shine through, for sure, but also keep in mind that a cover letter shouldn’t sound like a text to an old friend.
- Consider writing in the company’s “voice”: Cover letters are a great way to show that you understand the environment and culture of the company and industry. Spending some time reading over the company website or stalking their social media before you get started can be a great way to get in the right mindset—you’ll get a sense for the company’s tone, language, and culture, which are all things you’ll want to mirror—especially if writing skills are a core part of the job.
- Go easy on the enthusiasm: We can’t tell you how many cover letters we’ve seen from people who are “absolutely thrilled for the opportunity” or “very excitedly applying!” Yes, you want to show personality, creativity , and excitement. But downplay the adverbs a bit, and keep the level of enthusiasm for the opportunity genuine and believable.
The bottom line with cover letters is this: They matter, much more than the naysayers will have you believe. If you nail yours, you could easily go from the “maybe” pile straight to “Oh, hell yes.”
- Are cover letters still necessary?
- Do I have to write a cover letter if it’s optional?
- Can I skip the cover letter for a tech job?
- What does it mean to write a cover letter for a resume?
- How can I write a simple cover letter in 30 minutes?
- How can I show personality in my cover letter?
- What should I name my cover letter file?
- Is a letter of intent different from a cover letter?
- Is a letter of interest different from a cover letter?
Regina Borsellino and Jenny Foss contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article.
The employees have spoken. See the Best Places to Work 2023!
Resume & Cover Letter
How to write a cover letter in 2022 (6 tips and 3 templates).
Posted by Dominique Fluker
Content Marketing Manager, Editorial
Last Updated June 9, 2022
Guide Overview
A guide to writing a cover letter that impresses your reader.
The cover letter is a tool to help introduce yourself in a memorable, personal way during a job application. A well-crafted cover letter goes over information on your resume and expands this information for the reader, taking them on a guided journey of some of your greatest career and life achievements . Its purpose is to elaborate on the information contained in your resume while infusing your personality. Unlike a resume, a cover letter lets you introduce yourself to the hiring manager, provide context for your achievements and qualifications, and explain your motivation for joining the company. So how do you pique the interest of your future employer and hiring manager all while highlighting your truest self?
When starting to write any cover letter, it is always best to plan the content of your letter based on the requirements of the job you’re applying for.
We’re here to help you! This guide will cover:
- The essential elements of a successful cover letter
- How to write a unique cover letter,
- What to include in a cover letter
- What not to include and how you should submit your cover letter
What is a Cover Letter?
Your resume is intended to lay out the facts, but your cover letter is meant to convey more personality. The cover letter is your first introduction to the person who may hire you, and its goal should be to make you as memorable as possible , in a good way.
That means writing a unique cover letter for every job you apply to. No templates. No pre-written nonsense. The format of your cover letter should also match the company and the industry you’re applying to.
There is no “official format” for your cover letter or the information you include in it, but your cover letter should be visually organized , and orderly in its presentation of information.
Successful cover letters go something like this:
- Memorable introduction
- Specific, organized examples of relevant work done and problems solved
- Concise conclusion with a call to action
The rest is up to you. As we’ll go over in the next section, “What to Include in Your Cover Letter,” successful cover letters prove that you are qualified for the job by telling stories that demonstrate your skills and experience .
What to Include in Your Cover Letter?
You shouldn’t try to fit your whole career and life into the space of a cover letter.
Your cover letter should be a carefully curated selection of stories f rom your career that gives the reader a clear idea of who you are and how you can add value to their company.
The Society for Human Resources surveyed organizations on resumes , cover letters , and interviews and found the top three things that must be included in a cover letter are:
- How a candidate’s work experience meets job requirements.
- How a candidate’s skills meet job requirements.
- Why a candidate wants to work at the organization.
Your cover letter needs to provide this information and leave the reader convinced that you are the right person for the job .
To accomplish this, you should be using the requirements of the job to dictate the content of your cover letter and following these best practices.
Show how you can solve specific problems
Saying you’re a ‘problem-solver’ is about as helpful as explaining your preference for chocolate croissants over regular croissants. Don’t tell them about your amazing problem-solving skills . Explain the details of a particular problem you were key in solving and how exactly you employed your skills to solve it. Better yet, if you know the company has a particular problem you could help solve, outline how you can help solve it.
Pick an appropriate voice and tone
You should write like yourself, but you should also pick the appropriate voice and tone for the company you’re applying to.
Researching the company will help dictate the tone you want to use, which may differ greatly, depending on where you apply. For example, the tone of your letter for a legal consulting firm will likely differ from a tech startup .
Tell your story
Telling stories from your career is a great way to demonstrate your skills and give hiring managers some insight into your personality and work style .
When looking for the right stories to tell, always look to the requirements for the position in the job description .
It is also helpful to research the company further online to get a sense for the company’s culture. Before drafting your cover letter, compare your skills with the requirements for the position.
It can be helpful to use Venn diagrams to brainstorm and find what competencies you want to highlight and what specific experiences you want to share. After you create this diagram and identify what falls into both circles, overlapping subjects will direct and inspire the content of your cover letter.
Let’s say you’re applying for a marketing director position. Among other aspects in the description, the job requires several years of marketing experience, a deep knowledge of lead generation, and strong communication skills . Describe how, in your previous role as a marketing manager, you ran several campaigns for your clients and exceeded their expectations of lead generation (with specific numbers, if possible), and how you also trained and mentored new associates on how to manage their own accounts, which improved client retention rates.
Your anecdote is accomplishing a lot at once—it’s demonstrating one of your top hard skills, lead nurturing, and showcasing how you can collaborate with trainees, communicate effectively , and educate new employees on processes and client relations. You’re proving that you can meet the communication standards and marketing knowledge they’re seeking.
Honesty is the only policy
Dishonesty on your cover letter isn’t in your best interest.
Implying or stating that you have a skill that you don’t actually have will come back to bite you upon being asked to use that skill in the interview or on the job.
Don’t sound like everyone else
“Hi, I’m ___. I’m a detail-oriented, multi-tasking, natural-born leader and I am perfect for your company.”
Hiring managers are going to read the same basic cover letter repeatedly, and you don’t want to be the last template email the hiring manager discounts before lunch. Adding a little word variation helps you stand out against other applicants .
Instead of describing yourself as creative, try imaginative. You’re inventive, not innovative. You’re not determined, you’re tenacious. These word variations at least show that you can think beyond what the average applicant is willing to do.
End with a call to action
End your letter with a reason for them to contact you . But don’t add remarks like, “I’ll call to schedule an interview.” This doesn’t make you a go-getter, it crosses a boundary.
Instead, let the call to action be polite and open ended, suggesting that you are excited to offer more information and that you’re looking forward to talking with them.
Proof your cover letter
Always proofread your cover letter for errors and have friends and family read through the cover letter.
How to Make Your Cover Letter Unique?
When thinking about how to make your cover letter unique , keep the following statements in mind:
- You should make your cover letter unique and show the reader who you are as an individual.
- You should include experience and skills that relate directly to the job posting.
These might sound like opposing statements, but they’re equally important for writing a successful cover letter.
Your cover letter needs to be highly related to the job you’re applying to, but the way that you prove your qualifications should show who you are as an individual.
Tell a compelling story
Everyone loves a good story, and recruiters and hiring managers are no exception. Telling compelling stories from your career will make your cover letter unique and memorable for whoever reads it.
Just be sure that the stories you choose demonstrate proficiency with the skills, tools and concepts that are required by the job you’re applying for.
What makes this company your go-to choice? Why is this company special to you? Perhaps you’re attracted to the workplace culture , or perhaps you’ve always admired the business philosophy that the company lives by.
Address the recruiter or hiring manager by name
Now it’s fine to just use “Dear Sir/Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern” when addressing the recruiter. In fact, I can tell you from experience that most people use precisely these words. However, I can also tell you that most people don’t get the job. If you want to make a strong impression, take time to research who you’re addressing .
You may have to make a few phone calls or try several searches before you find the right name, but, the harder they are to find, the less likely other applicants are to do it and the more impressed they will be with you.
Give your cover letter a unique visual format
A unique visual format for your cover letter can help you stand out from other candidates in a positive way. Just be sure that the unique format you use is appropriate for the company you’re applying to and their industry.
Here’s a good example of an eye-catching cover letter format :
What to Leave Off a Cover Letter?
Recruiters and hiring managers read thousands of cover letters and resumes, so make sure that you avoid these cover letter errors :
Avoid overused phrases
The average cover letter is going to be extremely generic and contain overused expressions such as “Thank you for taking the time to look at my resume” or “I believe that my set of skills make me a great fit for the job.” While none of these lines hurt your chance of getting the job, they certainly don’t help either.
Career coach Angela Copeland says, “stay away from phrases that are known to annoy hiring managers, such as ‘heavy lifting’ or ‘think outside the box’ or ‘game-changer.’”
Here are some more phrases that make recruiters and hiring managers groan :
- “To Whom It May Concern”
- “I’m not sure if you know”
- “Please feel free”
- “Significant”
- “Self-Starter,” “Detail-Oriented,” and “Forward-Thinker”
- “Really, truly, deeply”
Recruiters and hiring managers go through hundreds of cover letters and get tired of these clichés . They’re waiting for something new and refreshing to come along and it’s in your best interest to do so.
Never include irrelevant information
Never include irrelevant information in your cover letter. Irrelevant information can confuse or bore the reader, causing them to miss important points in your cover letter.
How to Submit a Cover Letter?
The longer you “sit on” a cover letter to edit and re-write it , the longer you prolong the opportunity for someone else to get the attention of the hiring manager you want to impress.
You should submit your cover letter as soon as you are certain that:
- Your cover letter, resume and portfolio work are free from errors.
- Your cover letter is written in a way that balances professionalism with personality.
- Your cover letter catches the reader’s interest from the first sentence and maintains it throughout.
- Your cover letter uses the requirements for the job and information on the company as a guide for its content.
- Your cover letter tells stories that are filled with examples that satisfy job requirements and make you stand out positively as an individual and a potential employee.
Submitting your cover letter
Always follow the submission instructions laid out in the job description when submitting your cover letter.
If you are submitting the letter though a website with fillable fields, be sure that no formatting or content errors have occurred.
Be Very Specific
Do not send a generic cover letter. Repeat: DO NOT send a generic cover letter. They can be spotted a mile away and are as fun to read as they are to write. Try your very best to find a name you can address your letter to. A name is one of the most effective ways to make the letter feel more personal.
Visually Match Your Resumé
The heading of your letter should correlate with your resumé, the font should be the same and the paper (if you’re printing it) should also be the same. Along with your resume, your cover letter is part of a pair, and this pair should be visually consistent.
Consider Using a Template
This is an especially good idea if you’re already using a template for your resume. In fact, if your resume is templated, your cover letter absolutely should be too. A template is a great way to get some structure going. It can help make a big, blank, white page a little less intimidating.
Learn More!
If you have any more questions about how to write a successful cover letter, here are some related articles we’ve written on crafting cover letters that make you stand out from other applicants.
- Get Noticed: Write A Cover Letter That Makes You Stand Out
- How To Write An Entry Level Cover Letter
- 9 Attention-Grabbing Cover Letter Examples
- 4 Cover Letter Blunders and How To Fix Them
- How To Write a Cover Letter & Resume That’ll Guarantee a Job Offer
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Nurses' Advice on How to Write a Nursing Cover Letter
Keith Carlson
Contributing Writer
Learn about our editorial process .
Published March 3, 2023
Reviewed by
Shrilekha Deshaies MSN
Contributing Reviewer
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Are you ready to earn your online nursing degree?
A nursing cover letter is still crucial in the job application process. It’s often the first impression a potential employer will have of you. A cover letter is a chance to tell your story and call attention to aspects of your resume you want a reviewer to notice.
It’s also a chance to explain to an employer why you want to work for them, what you know about them, and why you’re an ideal candidate. A strong cover letter can tip the balance in your favor, helping you stand out from the competition and land an interview.
In the following guide, we walk you through writing a strong nursing cover letter, mistakes to avoid, and real-world tips that will keep you focused. Check out our downloadable nursing cover letter template and a sample letter to get started. Once you master the process, you’ll be writing winning cover letters in no time.
4 Steps to Write Your Nursing Cover Letter
Writing a cover letter can feel overwhelming for many nurses, especially because it’s difficult to know what to say, how much to reiterate what’s on your resume , and what information to include or not. A cover letter is an opportunity to explain aspects of your professional or personal history that a resume can’t always get across. Your passion and interests come through, along with your ability to communicate clearly. Review the following steps to write a stand-out cover letter. Feel free to use our sample letter and downloadable template. The cover letter is a significant part of convincing employers that they absolutely need to meet you!
Create a Header with Your Contact Information
Introduce yourself and note the position you’re applying for in the opening paragraph, highlight your skills and the reasons you want to work for this employer, write a closing paragraph and restate your interest, 7 mistakes to avoid in your nursing cover letter.
- Submitting Spelling and Grammar Errors: Nursing requires excellent documentation and attention to detail. Grammatical errors are unprofessional, and they can paint a picture of someone who doesn’t value attention to detail. Many resume reviewers will likely pass on a candidate whose resume and/or cover letter contain errors.
- Copying Your Resume: Your nursing cover letter can highlight aspects of your resume , but it shouldn’t be a verbatim copy. Find creative ways to underscore your key characteristics, skills, or experiences without repetition.
- Using Incorrect or Inconsistent Format: It’s best practice for your cover letter and resume to match in terms of design, font, and format. This creates a branded, visually cohesive application package.
- Forgetting to Tie Your Qualifications to the Position: Your cover letter should be targeted and specific, addressing the position you’re applying for and its qualifications, skills, and responsibilities. If you don't tie your qualifications to the job in question, that makes a weak case for you getting an interview.
- Failing to Address the Letter to a Specific Person or Department: Many postings fail to provide the name of an individual or a department to address in your letter. If they provide this information, use it. If they don’t, you can use the generic “Hiring Manager” or “Hiring Committee”.
- Starting Every Paragraph with “I”: Be creative in finding different ways to begin each paragraph (see our sample letter for examples). If two paragraphs begin with “I”, that’s OK, but no more than that.
Tips from Nurses on Writing Your Nursing Cover Letter
Research potential employers, explain relevant skills that meet the position's qualifications, include your soft skills, highlight your best qualities, demonstrate your passion, showcase your ability and willingness to learn, check for errors, frequently asked questions about nursing cover letters, what should a nurse cover letter include.
A nurse cover letter should include a header with your name, credentials, and contact information, plus the receiver's contact information. The body of the letter should specifically address the position you’re applying for, and how you can fulfill the characteristics, credentials, skills, knowledge, and expertise required.
What should a nurse cover letter not include?
Your cover letter does not need to include phrases like, “My references are available upon request”; “Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns”; or “I can be contacted via email at _____________or via phone at _____________.” These are all givens, and if your contact information is in your header, there’s no need to say it again.
What's the difference between a new grad nurse cover letter and an experienced nurse cover letter?
A new grad nurse cover letter can't demonstrate the level of skill, expertise, and knowledge as a seasoned nurse. New grads haven’t accumulated years of nursing experience, but they have their academic and clinical performance, enthusiasm, passion, and related healthcare experience to share, whether paid or volunteer. When employers advertise new grad positions, they understand that new grad resumes and letters can't reflect the resumes of experienced nurses.
Are nursing cover letters necessary?
In these days of online applications, a cover letter may be optional, meaning that applicants can upload a cover letter if they choose to. For some applications, a cover letter will be required. Consider this: if a cover letter is optional, why not go the extra mile and write a strong one? If your resume and experience are comparable to another candidate’s, your cover letter could give you the edge. After all, a resume can’t by nature express much personality, but a cover letter can. So, make a strong impression with a well-crafted letter, whether it’s required or not.
Nursing Cover Letter Template
Name and Credentials
Town, State | Phone | Email
Personalized LinkedIn profile URL (optional)
Dept and/or contact person Facility or organization Street Town, State, Zip
Dear ________________:
Paragraph 1: Begin by stating the position for which you are applying. Say something about the organization to demonstrate that you’ve done your homework and understand what they’re all about, and that this letter is not at all “cookie-cutter” in nature.
Paragraph 2: Share select highlights of your career, expertise, experience, skills, or personal characteristics that are directly applicable to this position and/or this employer. You can emphasize something from your resume that you want them to make note of, as long as you don’t use exactly the same language as your resume, which is redundant.
Paragraph 3: This is a good place to highlight some of your “soft skills” (e.g., communication, emotional intelligence, relational intelligence, patient education, compassion, empathy, etc).
Paragraph 4: Here you can call attention to your computer skills, EMR experience, etc., as well as any other tech skills worth mentioning.
Closing paragraph: Tie the letter together, reiterate your interest, and express your enthusiastic desire to have the opportunity to meet to discuss your experience and the position further.
Sincerely, Your name and credentials
Sample Nursing Cover Letter
Miguel Schwartzkoffnian, BSN, RN
Annabelle, HA | 000-000-1000 | [email protected]
LinkedIn.com/in/MichaelSchwartzfoffianbsnrn
April 3, 2023
Department of Nursing Recruitment University of Tabula Rasa Medical Center 301 Rasa Drive Glen Tabularea, MOO 22222
Dear Nursing Recruitment Department:
As a caring and dedicated summa cum laude graduate of Adelphi University’s BSN program, please accept my enthusiastic interest in the Registered Nurse - Respiratory/Intermediate Care position posted on your website. I am both personally and professionally aligned with the values that are a very clear aspect of your organization’s mission. From your “Power of Caring” funding of your expanded Outpatient Care Center to your “Next Generation” initiative, I can clearly see the forward-thinking philosophy underlying UTRMC and its reputation as an innovative facility and community member.
During my education, I thrived in clinical practice where I received positive preceptor feedback following each rotation. I am highly coachable, and as you can see from my resume, I bring more than six years’ related healthcare experience as both an EMT and CNA. I am already well-versed in code blue response, Foley catheter insertion and care, venipuncture, ECG interpretation, and non-complex wound care. Comfortable in new settings, I am not afraid to ask questions to enhance my learning and improve the quality of care I deliver to patients and their families. I thrive in multidisciplinary environments, and I use my highly-developed communication skills and emotional and relational intelligence to foster a sense of camaraderie and collaboration among my colleagues, and nurse-patient relationships built on trust.
As a digital native and quick learner, I am highly competent using the Epic and Cerner EMRs and Microsoft Office Suite, and I have full confidence in my natural curiosity and powers of critical thinking in relation to learning new technologies and digital interfaces.
I have a great deal to contribute as a member of the UTRMC community of clinicians. I look forward to discussing the intersection of my skills and experience with the needs of your inspiring organization that embraces its role beyond the actual facility and into the surrounding community it serves.
Sincerely, Miguel Schwartzkoffnian, BSN, RN
Page last reviewed on February 24, 2023
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10 Tips for the Perfect Cover Letter
If you’re applying for internships or entry-level jobs, you may be wondering how and when to write a cover letter. While many jobs no longer require cover letters (especially those on WayUp), in cases where a cover letter is required, writing a well-crafted letter can be a key part of landing an interview.
These 10 tips will help you write the perfect cover letter:
1. Start strong.
In addition to informing your reader what position you’re applying for, your first one or two sentences should identify the qualities and experience that make you a strong candidate for the position. If you don’t have relevant prior work experience, briefly describe how your coursework or extracurricular activities have provided you with the foundation you need to establish your career.
Say something like: “Please accept my application for the editorial assistant position. As an English major at and a fiction editor for the literary journal there, my knowledge of contemporary literature combined with the administrative experience I gained during a previous internship has prepared me to contribute to all aspects of the publishing process.”
Pro Tip: Find out the name of the hiring manager and address the letter directly to them. If you’re not able to find a direct contact then address the letter to the department you’re applying to.
2. Keep it short.
Take the space you need to specify what you have to offer an organization, but don’t go overboard. There’s no need to go beyond a page , and your letter should consist of three or four brief paragraphs at most. A concise — and compelling — cover letter is your first chance to demonstrate that you can communicate effectively.
3. Language matters.
While your cover letter shouldn’t read as though you cut and pasted the job description, it should mirror the language used to describe the skills and qualities required for the position. Hiring managers and the algorithms that are increasingly being used to parse job applications are looking for particular keywords, so make sure to use them.
For example, if the job description outlines skills x, y and z as being required for the position, make sure you use the same language when you’re highlighting your skill set and experience.
4. Know your audience.
Remember that you are writing for a prospective employer, not your best friend or a family member. The language you use when you fire off a quick email or text is not appropriate for a cover letter. It’s ok to be conversational in tone, but you don’t want to be too casual. You also don’t want to be overly formal. Try and strike the right balance between personable and professional.
5. Customize the content.
You may be wondering if you need to write a different cover letter for each job you apply for. The answer is yes. While there’s a general formula for how your cover letter should look — introductory paragraph, one or two paragraphs explaining what you have to offer the organization, and the conclusion — each company has its own culture, which should be reflected in your content. You wouldn’t send the same cover letter for a job at a startup providing services for millennials as you would to an established investment firm serving retirees.
Pro Tip: Customizing your cover letter is actually not as hard as it sounds. Once you have one or two templates you’re comfortable with, you’ll be able to customize each letter fairly easily by swapping out certain key phrases and company-specific information.
6. Make it new.
Don’t simply restate what’s already listed on your resume. The cover letter is your opportunity to meaningfully expand on that information and give your potential manager insight into the kind of employee you will be. Relate specific anecdotes or statistics that highlight your qualifications and strengths.
7. Avoid clichés.
If you describe yourself as an “out-of-the-box” thinker, the hiring manager likely won’t believe it. That’s because the phrase itself has become so overused that it no longer suggests creativity or originality. Instead of relying on hackneyed language to describe yourself, take the time to relate an instance where you posed a creative solution to a problem you faced. Just make sure it’s relevant to the position you’re applying for, or that it reveals qualities that position you as a good fit for the company. In other words, at the risk of sounding clichéd, “Show, don’t tell.”
8. Make it about them.
Don’t make the mistake of expressing what a particular company can offer you instead of what you can offer the company. Would-be employers aren’t so interested in how much you’ll learn on the job, or that the position is the stepping stone you need to make it in a particular industry (even if that may very well be true). They want to know how you’ll contribute to the organization, so make sure the focus of your letter remains on how great you are, not the company.
9. Follow instructions.
Before you send off your materials, reread the job ad. Does it require additional materials, such as a link to a portfolio, writing samples, or recommendations on your LinkedIn profile ? If you don’t follow the application instructions, hiring managers may be left with the impression that you are unable to do what is asked of you. Missing materials, late deadlines or cover letters that exceed one page are easy ways for potential employers to eliminate applicants. Make sure you aren’t one of them by following instructions.
10. Sweat the small stuff.
There’s no room for error when it comes to your job application materials. After you’ve finished a draft of your letter, give yourself some time away from it and come back with fresh eyes to revise and edit. Read it out loud to yourself to catch missing words and awkward phrasing, and have someone else proofread it.
As daunting as they may be to write, cover letters are an opportunity for you to let your potential employer get to know you. These tips will ensure you leave a lasting and favorable impression as you begin applying for positions. And once you land that first internship or entry-level job, you’ll have more material to work with for future cover letters.
Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as 6 Things to Do in Your First Week at a New Job and find answers to common interview questions such as Are You Willing to Travel?
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Why bother with a cover letter? The importance of a well-crafted cover letter can give your overall application more weight by communicating your interest and initiative, which influences your chances of securing an interview. Applying online is no exception; upload your cover letter, if feasible. Why? Because your application may get more visibility and rank higher among the results.
You should be using your cover letter to demonstrate your interest, essential qualifications, refute potential candidate concerns or red flags, provide examples of your work, and showcase your personality a little. Let’s take a deeper dive into some cover letter best practices.
Make It Memorable and Unique
Hiring managers are not interested in reading run-of-the-mill cover letters that reiterate your resume. Take the time to customize your cover letter for the particular position and company. Use your cover letter to give insight on who you are, why you’re relevant and unique, why you’re excited about the role, a few differentiators or candidate selling points, and some of your personality traits. Customizing your cover letter for each position also helps with tailoring and practicing your response to interview questions, such as “Tell me about yourself?”
Include Quality Content and Structure Effectively
Cover letters should be written to correlate to the job description. Make sure your dialogue represents the skills and objectives for that position. Consider organizing your cover letter into the following segments:
- Indicate Purpose
Identify the position that you are applying to and provide a quick introduction. Share why you’re interested and excited about pursuing that role. Set yourself apart, showing that you’ve researched the company. Include information on what you know about them and how your values align with their mission and work. Doing this shows that you’re applying because you are genuinely interested in working for the company.
- Communicate the Value You’d Provide
Most managers are attempting to determine the value you’d provide their team and organization. Discuss and tie your contributions to why you are their ideal candidate. Share your accomplishments, describe experiences, and cite examples of work you’ve done relevant to the position.
- Engage in Candidate Risk Management
Put yourself in the hiring manager’s shoes by asking yourself the following questions. Why might I not get selected for an interview? Am I missing essential skills or qualifications? Do I have a lot of short-term contracts? Do I have a large employment gap? Mitigate any potential concerns they might have. For example, if you’re missing a skill, explain your action plan to increase knowledge in that area. This approach addresses the concerns and shows your interest, commitment, initiative, and motivation.
- Demonstrate Credibility
Provide information that could demonstrate your credibility. These could be examples of your work, links to online profiles or portfolios, test scores, etc. Do you have recommendations on your LinkedIn profile or samples of work on personal sites? Do you have articles you’ve written for online publications or videos you’ve created on YouTube?
- Call-to-Action
Close your cover letter with a call-to-action. Facilitate a reply to your application by suggesting the next steps, such as an interview request. Be sure to include contact information at which you can be reached.
Impress with Your Writing Skills
A growing trend in hiring candidates is that managers want quality business acumen and communication skills. View your cover letter as a sample writing piece, and make sure you spellcheck and review it twice. Read it out loud to minimize errors. Do a quality check on all the written products you’re submitting.
Keep It Short and Sweet
Be as concise as possible while providing the reviewer a picture of who you are and why you are a strong fit for the position. Don’t be afraid to use bullet points where applicable, such as highlighting your relevant experience. We recommend a half-page or less.
Now, to get started, focus on the content you want to include first, then structure. Linked example cover letters are provided for guidance. You can explore additional samples and templates at LiveCareer .
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Cover letter writing can be challenging. Our collection of cover letter articles walks you through all the writing and formatting basics. Also find info on how to write a selection of other business-type letters, including recommendation letters.
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Research is the critical first step when writing the body of a cover letter.
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Though most of our advice addresses how to write a cover letter, grasping why to write a cover letter is just as important.
Bullet points regularly appear in resumes. But can they be used in cover letters too? Read on for the answer.
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A cover letter is an important part of the preparation process of applying for any job. The cover letter acts as a formal outlay to your detailed resume.
Every individual whether a fresher or an experienced need to prepare a cover letter when applying for a job along with their resume.
Though it is necessary for any candidate looking for a job, the format of cover letter will differ accordingly. But most candidates make few common mistakes while preparing cover letters which hinders their employment chances. So it is very important to have good knowledge about it and fix them.As for a basic cover letter, it should introduce you, your qualifications, the job you are applying for, etc.
But when coming to an experienced cover letter, the format would be a little different with information in a more detailed way.
It doesn’t mean to write a long cover letter of pages. Your cover letter should be one page with clear cut information . The details mentioned in it should give a basic idea about you to the employer or recruiter.
Cover Letter For Experienced:
The following mentioned are few best cover letter formats for experienced candidates who can make use of these and prepare an impressive cover letter.
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Accountant job cover letter:.
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Registered nurse cover letter template:
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Sales assistant cover letter template:
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Financial analyst cover letter template:
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Here's the best cover letter template you can use to write your own. Either download it as a free Word file or copy and paste the text version, and fill in the blanks (marked with brackets) with your information: Replace the templated information with your own to make an impressive cover letter. Download Best Cover Letter Template (MS Word)
A cover letter is used to demonstrate your interest in the role, passion for the company, and the impact you've had in previous positions. Cover letters should include a standout opening, relevant skills and qualifications, and a strong finish with a call-to-action — all within one page and unique to each application.
These 12 cover letter tips will help you learn what to include in a cover letter so you're one step closer to landing your next job. 1. Write a unique cover letter for each application Each cover letter you send out should address how you align with that specific company's values.
What's most important is writing a cover letter that shows the hiring manager what makes you one of the best candidates for the position. Note Think of your cover letter as your introductory "sales pitch," your golden opportunity to make a positive first impression on a company.
The best practices for writing a cover letter are simple and straightforward. Keep your content strong and to the point. Proofread and format well. Do your research and don't repeat your resume in a story format. Try to incorporate as many of these 13 tips as you can and confidently send out your applications.
The cover letter is the place to showcase your best strengths and elaborate on the work skills you've listed on your resume. Use specific figures to quantify results. Whenever possible, use...
Cover letters should be around three paragraphs long and include specific examples from your past experience that make you qualified for the position. A cover letter should include the following parts: Header Salutation Introduction Body paragraph Closing paragraph Letter ending and signature
Cover Letter Best Practices 1. Customize It A standardized cover letter that doesn't address a specific position or organization can have a substantial negative effect. An uninspired, standardized cover letter can give the impression that you are less interested in the position than other applicants that have made more of an effort.
Cover Letter Best Practices 4 Ways A Cover Letter Can Launch Your Career Cover Letter Best Practices 8 Ways To Incorporate Volunteer Work Into Your Cover Letter Cover Letter Best Practices 5 Qualities That Are Part of Every Successful Cover Letter View More Cover Letter Best Practices Articles Cover Letter Do's & Don'ts Cover Letter Do's & Don'ts
When writing your cover letter, be sure to include the following essential information: Introduce yourself Show your interest in the company and the position offered Show your training and experience and demonstrate why you are the ideal candidate for the job.
Best Practice Number One: Always, always, always follow the directions provided by the potential employer. If they tell you not to write a cover letter, then don't waste your time. If an employer tells you they want a specific format (including something uncommon or even a little bit wacky), then make sure you do it that way.
Step 1: Write a fresh cover letter for each job (but yes, you can use a template). Yes, it's way faster and easier to take the cover letter you wrote for your last application, change the name of the company, and send it off.
The cover letter is your first introduction to the person who may hire you, and its goal should be to make you as memorable as possible, in a good way. That means writing a unique cover letter for every job you apply to. No templates. No pre-written nonsense.
Unless you have a burning third reason, stick with two -- always keep your content to the shortest amount of space for the best possible content if you want to leave people feeling excited. Step...
A nurse cover letter should include a header with your name, credentials, and contact information, plus the receiver's contact information. The body of the letter should specifically address the position you're applying for, and how you can fulfill the characteristics, credentials, skills, knowledge, and expertise required.
These 10 tips will help you write the perfect cover letter: 1. Start strong. In addition to informing your reader what position you're applying for, your first one or two sentences should identify the qualities and experience that make you a strong candidate for the position.
CV example 1. James Wainwright. Phone: 01112222333. Email: [email protected] Personal summary. A dedicated and detail-oriented laboratory technician with considerable experience in hospital accident and emergency departments. Possessed of strong communication, analytical and problem-solving skills. Key skills.
15 Best Practices for Cover Letters - Infographic 1. Authenticity Show genuine interest in the company and the job that you are applying for. 2. Customization Your cover letter should be customized or tailored for a specific job. 3. Bulleted Use bullet points to highlight your best qualities. 4. Brevity Be brief, no more than three paragraphs. 5.
Let's take a deeper dive into some cover letter best practices. Make It Memorable and Unique. Hiring managers are not interested in reading run-of-the-mill cover letters that reiterate your resume. Take the time to customize your cover letter for the particular position and company. Use your cover letter to give insight on who you are, why ...
Learn how to write a cover letter with Resume-Now's resources from industry experts. Research is the critical first step when writing the body of a cover letter. While your cover letter opening gives hiring managers their first impression of you as a job candidate, your closing paragraph is just as important. Though most of our advice addresses ...
Use basic formatting. Submit the right type of file. Update your information online. Include referrals in your application. 1. Only apply for jobs you qualify for. The easiest way to make it through the applicant tracking system is to apply for jobs you qualify for as the ATS might otherwise reject your application.
Krishna Reddy. 62699. A cover letter is an important part of the preparation process of applying for any job. The cover letter acts as a formal outlay to your detailed resume. Every individual whether a fresher or an experienced need to prepare a cover letter when applying for a job along with their resume.
A professional cover letter follows a logical structure and will include key information such as: Contact section: This includes your name, phone number, and email address at the top. Follow this by including the hiring manager's name and company contact information. Greeting: Greet the hiring manager by name.