A cover letter is a concise document submitted as part of a job application, typically alongside a CV. It serves as a brief introduction to the hiring manager, giving them a sense of your personality and suitability for the role before you even greet them on the phone or in person.
Not sure how to write one that highlights your key strengths while still sounding like you? Keep reading!
In this article, we’ll walk you through the process of writing an impressive cover letter that sounds authentic and presents you in the best possible light.
Let’s begin!
Key Takeaways
You need a cover letter because it helps you stand out and present yourself as an interview-worthy candidate, increasing the chances of your job hunting success.
Before writing a cover letter, research the company and identify what they look for in the perfect candidate.
A winning cover letter must include a professional header with contact details, start with a personalised greeting and a catchy opening, have compelling body paragraphs, and end with a call to action followed by a professional sign-off.
Some common cover letter mistakes include restating your CV verbatim, using generic phrases, and focusing too much on yourself.
To write a standout cover letter, experts advise aligning its tone to the company’s brand voice and subtly showcasing your personality.
Why Do You Need a Cover Letter?
You need a cover letter because it significantly increases your chances of winning an interview and, if all goes well, landing a job.
Consider this: most applicants don’t attach a cover letter to their job application, believing they’ve become outdated.
So, submitting a cover letter can help you stand out among other candidates. Given that recruiters receive hundreds of applications for each position, you want to take every opportunity to set yourself apart.
Writing a cover letter allows you to introduce yourself to the recruiter, show off your personality, and tell the story behind your qualifications. It’s also meant to provide additional details on your professional background that you’ve left off your CV.
Plus, most companies today approach hiring as cultural matching; they look for candidates who are not only competent but also share similar values and will blend into their company culture. A well-written cover letter can help you present yourself as a good cultural fit by demonstrating your alignment with the company’s vision and values.
Essential Step Before Writing: Do Your Research
Doing your research before writing a cover letter is essential, as you want to tailor it to each job you’re applying for, just like your CV. This shows that you aren’t sending job applications left and right—you’re genuinely interested in working with them.
While analysing the job description is enough to craft a CV, the key to writing a good cover letter is to investigate the position and the company you’re looking to join before getting started.
Research the Organisation’s Values and Culture
To research the organisation’s values and culture, first, visit their website. They’ll likely have an “About Us” page describing their history, vision, mission, and values, among other pages that can give you insight into their work culture.
From there, look at their social media. What they post on LinkedIn or Instagram reflects what matters to them. Their brand voice can also help you learn more about their values and preferred communication style. Additionally, you can also look at any interviews the company has done to learn more about them.
Understand the Role Requirements
Understanding the role requirements is crucial for writing a job-winning cover letter; you want to show that you’re the perfect fit for the company and the position. As such, you should carefully read the job description, paying special attention to the skills and qualifications the company expects you to have.
To make out what you should mention in your cover letter, make a list of the following:
Cover Letter Role Requirements
The hard skills the company seeks (like languages, software proficiency, etc.)
The soft skills mentioned in the job description, such as adaptability or collaboration
Preferred and required qualifications like years of experience, education level, certifications, etc.
If a phrase or a skill is repeated twice or more in the job description (e.g., “Excellent project management skills,” “Proven ability to manage several projects simultaneously,” “Familiarity with Asana or other project management tools”), it’s a definite must-have. Make sure to emphasise it in your cover letter.
Next, let’s discuss the recommended cover letter structure.
4 Essential Elements of a Winning Cover Letter
The four essential elements of a winning cover letter are a professional header with contact information, a proper greeting, powerful body paragraphs, and a strong closing paragraph followed by a sign-off.
Let’s examine what to include in a cover letter in greater detail:
Cover Letter Essential Elements
Professional header and contact information. List your full name, job title, location, phone number, email address (make sure it sounds professional!), and application date. You can also add links to relevant social media profiles like LinkedIn or GitHub. Then, add the hiring manager’s full name, job title, company name, and address.
Proper greeting and introduction. Greet the hiring manager directly to show that you’ve done your research. If you can’t find their name, “Dear Hiring Manager” works better than the overused “Dear Sir/Madam.” Then, use the opening paragraph to introduce yourself, express your interest in the position, and capture their attention with a relevant achievement.
Compelling body paragraphs. The body of your cover letter is your chance to demonstrate what makes you the perfect fit for the role. Here, you should give additional details on your professional background and achievements, add any relevant information that didn’t make it onto your CV, and express your motivation for joining their organisation.
Strong closing paragraph and sign-off. Express your gratitude and add a call to action to increase your chances of being invited for an interview. And finally, use a formal closing to sign off (e.g., “Best regards,” “Sincerely,” or “Thank you,” followed by your full name).
Now that we’ve discussed the standard cover letter format, it’s time to learn how to write it.
Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Cover Letter
There are four key steps to writing an effective cover letter: crafting a compelling opening, demonstrating your value proposition, connecting your experience to the company’s needs, and ending with a call to action.
Let’s go over each of them in more detail:
#1. Craft a Compelling Opening
Starting a cover letter the right way is key to grabbing the hiring manager’s attention and ensuring they’ll read it all the way through.
While the purpose of this paragraph is to introduce yourself professionally, the last thing you want is to write a generic opening that presents you as yet another “X professional with Y years of industry experience.”
Here are some tried-and-tested tips that will help you craft an impactful opening paragraph:
Opening Paragraph Tips
Express genuine interest to show you’re enthusiastic about this job opportunity.
Mention what you love about the company (their values or a product, for instance) to demonstrate you’ve done your research.
Include an impressive achievement to hook the hiring manager in and give them a taste of what you can offer their organisation.
#2. Demonstrate Your Value Proposition
The second paragraph of your cover letter should showcase your value as a candidate. Here, you want to be intentional—don’t repeat your entire work history or copy-paste skills from your CV.
Instead, review the job description and see which of your skills, qualifications, and work experiences align with their requirements and expectations. Then, describe them in greater detail to demonstrate that you’re exactly who they’re looking for.
Highlight your responsibilities and accomplishments by including plenty of examples, numbers, metrics, etc. This way, you can present your professional background to the hiring manager while showing them what makes you a valuable addition to their organisation.
#3. Connect Your Experience to Their Needs
By now, you’ve proven you have what it takes to perform your duties well, which means it’s time to show that you’re also an excellent match for the company.
To do this, demonstrate that you’ve done your homework by explaining how your previous experience has prepared you to meet their needs, solve their problems, or help them achieve their goals.
You can also explain your motivation to work for this particular company by highlighting how something they do (products, services, community involvement, business strategy, you name it) or stand for (values, mission, etc.) resonates with you. And, of course, detail how you’d like to contribute to its success.
Pro Tip
Mirror the language used in the job description throughout your cover letter. This shows your communication style aligns with theirs and increases ATS compatibility.
#4. End With a Clear Call to Action
Finally, it’s time to write the final paragraph of your cover letter. However, a weak, generic, or overly demanding closing paragraph can undermine all the effort you put in thus far.
So, how do you close a cover letter in a memorable way?
First, if there’s anything valuable you haven’t mentioned yet, include it in the closing paragraph. You can also emphasise your most noteworthy skills or achievements.
Then, express your gratitude to the hiring manager and add a strong call to action to demonstrate a proactive attitude, reaffirm your interest in the role, and entice them to contact you. But don’t be too pushy; “I’d appreciate the chance to discuss how my experience can contribute to your company’s success” is much more appealing than “I expect a call by Friday.”
Lastly, wrap it up with a professional sign-off, and you’re done!
7 Common Cover Letter Mistakes to Avoid
If you want to ensure your cover letter is nothing short of perfect, avoid these common mistakes:
#1. Being Too Generic
Attaching a generic cover letter that can be applied to any position is a sure-fire way to get your application tossed in the bin. Sure, writing a unique cover letter for each position takes time, but it’s essential to getting the hiring manager to read it fully.
You can show that you are intentional about landing that specific job by mentioning the company's name and referencing something specific about them, such as a recent project.
#2. Repeating Your CV Word-for-Word
A cover letter is meant to complement your CV, not repeat it word-for-word. Instead of restating your work history, use your cover letter as an opportunity to add context and explain how your experience and skills make you the perfect fit for the role.
Furthermore, you can also mention or clarify anything of value that you couldn’t detail on your CV. If you have an employment gap or are changing your career path, for example, you can address it in your cover letter.
#3. Focusing Too Much on Yourself
Although your cover letter is meant to present you as a candidate, it shouldn’t revolve only around you. If it’s packed with “I” and only contains a couple of “you,” you’re doing it wrong.
Here’s the deal: recruiters want to know how you’ll contribute to their company’s success. While it’s generally fine to mention your career goals and similar, your cover letter should show what you bring to the table, not what you hope to take from it.
#4. Including Irrelevant Information
Your cover letter should only include information relevant to the job; otherwise, the hiring manager won’t bother reading it. And if they do, irrelevant information, such as odd part-time jobs you held in high school, can distract them from the information that actually matters.
Hence, tailor your cover letter to the job you’re applying for, i.e., only mention skills, experiences, and achievements that align with the job description and company culture.
#5. Making Grammar and Spelling Errors
There’s hardly anything more off-putting for hiring managers than cover letters with grammar and spelling errors. Even a single typo can hurt your chances of landing a job!
Luckily, creating a flawless cover letter is easier than ever. If grammar isn’t your strong suit, run it through a writing assistant tool like Grammarly. Or, if you prefer to do it the old-school way, ask a friend to proofread it for you.
#6. Writing Too Much or Too Little
If you write too much in your cover letter, the hiring manager won’t read it, as they have dozens of other applications to go through. Meanwhile, if you write just a few sentences, it may not have enough substance to impress them.
So, how long should a cover letter be?
Up to one page, or between 250 and 400 words, is perfect. Write concisely and split your cover letter into three or four paragraphs for readability; no one likes massive walls of text, including recruiters.
#7. Using Clichés and Generic Phrases
“Show, don’t tell” is the best strategy to write an effective cover letter.
Instead of using clichés and generic phrases like “I’m a hard worker/fast learner/self-starter,” substantiate your claims with examples and measurable results. Be specific: “In my previous role, I proposed an upgrade plan that reduced server downtime by 80%” sounds more impressive than “I have excellent problem-solving skills.”
And don’t just say “I’m the best candidate for this role”; prove it by highlighting your value, such as relevant skills, achievements, etc. This way, you will appear competent rather than arrogant.
3 Successful Cover Letter Examples
Here are three cover letter examples for different experience levels to get you inspired:
Entry-Level Position Cover Letter Example
Career Change Cover Letter Example
Senior Position Cover Letter Example
3 Pro Cover Letter Writing Tips From Hiring Managers and Recruiters
Here are three pro tips from recruitment experts that will help you perfect your cover letter:
Cover Letter Writing Exert Tips
Match the tone. Subtly match the company’s brand voice to take your cover letter to the next level and show you’ll fit right in. If their communication is laid-back, playful, and conversational, your cover letter doesn’t have to be overly formal, but it should still sound professional.
Avoid desperation. Avoid overeagerness, begging, and apologising (e.g., “I know I don’t meet all your requirements, but I’ve been dreaming about this job my whole life, and I’ll do anything it takes to live up to your expectations!”). There’s a fine line between sounding enthusiastic and sounding desperate.
Add some personality. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through in a cover letter; you don’t want to sound robotic. However, don’t take it too far; a short, relevant anecdote can set you apart from other candidates, but gimmicks (e.g., writing your cover letter as a poem) can make you stand out in a bad way.
Industry-Specific Cover Letter Advice
To write a stellar cover letter, you must ensure its tone and design suit the industry in which you want to land a job.
Use a standard cover letter format for corporate roles in finance, law, etc., and maintain a formal tone. In some cases, like if you’re applying for a job at a tech startup, your writing can be more casual, but only if it matches the brand.
Still, you should incorporate industry-specific terminology and focus on measurable achievements to demonstrate your expertise. It’s best to keep corporate cover letters simple, professional, and free of flashy visual elements.
Meanwhile, candidates looking to get hired in creative industries (arts, digital marketing, graphic design, etc.) can benefit from showcasing their uniqueness rather than sticking to a rigid format.
Feel free to use a visually striking template and incorporate subtle colours to align your cover letter with the brand’s aesthetic. And don’t forget to include links to your professional website or portfolio!
Create Your Professional Cover Letter in Minutes
With CV.co’s cover letter builder, you can craft a professional, ATS-friendly document that will get you noticed within minutes.
Our dedicated AI can automatically generate a job-specific, customisable cover letter from your CV. Starting from scratch? Simply fill in your details, tweak the design to your liking, and you’re ready to land your dream job.
Final Thoughts
Although not all companies explicitly ask for a cover letter, attaching one to your application is always a good idea. At the very least, it shows you’re genuinely interested in the position and are willing to go the extra mile to secure it.
Plus, it allows you to elaborate on your key strengths and establish yourself as the right match for the company, not just the role. And this, in particular, is something a CV alone can rarely convey.
