A resume lists what you have done. A cover letter explains why it matters for one particular job at one particular company. Plenty of applicants have experience as good as yours; the letter is where you get to sound like a person rather than a list. It should be short — three or four paragraphs on a single page — and it should be written to one reader about one opening.
Write to a Person, About a Job
Find the name of the person doing the hiring and spell it correctly, along with their title. The company’s website, the job posting itself, and LinkedIn will usually give it to you; if they do not, calling the main number and asking who the role reports to often will. “Dear Sir,” “To Whom It May Concern,” and “Dear Sir or Madam” all announce that you did not look.
In the first two sentences, name the job you are applying for and where you saw it. A hiring manager may have four openings running at once, and a letter that never says which one it is about creates work for the person you are trying to impress.
Say What the Resume Cannot
The middle of the letter is for the qualities the posting asks for that your resume does not obviously show. Match them one to one, with evidence.
- Posting wants “detail oriented”? Point to the work where a missed detail would have cost something, and say what you did to catch it.
- Posting wants “strong customer service”? Any job where you dealt with the public counts — a register, a service desk, a phone queue, a volunteer shift.
- Posting wants someone who can work without supervision? Describe a time you were the only person there and something had to be decided.
Keep the examples short, specific, and honest. Two concrete sentences beat a paragraph of adjectives.
Show That You Know the Company
One or two lines showing you understand what the company actually does — a recent expansion, a product line, the market it serves, a problem the industry is having — separates you from every applicant who mail-merged the same letter to forty employers. You are not writing a research report. You are demonstrating that you took an interest before asking them to take an interest in you.
Handling Your Current Employer
Say nothing negative about where you work now, however deserved. A hiring manager reading criticism of a current employer hears a preview of how you will describe them later. “I am looking for a role where my skills can be better used” covers every situation without complaint. If you do not want to be contacted at work, one sentence saying so is enough.
The Four Kinds of Cover Letter
Not every letter is answering a posting, and the differences matter.
- Response to a posting. The standard case. Name the company, the person, the job title, where you saw it, and address the requirements the posting lists.
- Response to a blind posting (the employer is not named). Use the address or portal given and a neutral salutation such as “Dear Hiring Manager.” If you are employed, remember that a blind posting could be your own company.
- Response to a recruiter or staffing agency. Recruiters need information a normal cover letter leaves out — a salary range rather than a single figure, and whether you would relocate. Keep in mind the recruiter is paid by the employer, not by you.
- Cold-call letter. Sent to a company you want to work for that has not advertised anything. Say why that company specifically, what you would bring, and what you are asking for — usually a short conversation rather than a job. This is closely related to the informational interview, and it reaches openings before they are posted.
Close With a Next Step
End confidently and concretely: “I would welcome the chance to talk about how I could help with the customer-service goals you describe. I am available most afternoons and can be reached at the number above.” Confidence here is not bravado — it is simply naming what should happen next instead of trailing off.
Format and Delivery
- One page, three or four paragraphs. If it runs longer, it is being used as a second resume.
- Plain professional formatting. A standard font, normal margins, no colored ink, no graphics, no enclosures nobody asked for.
- If you are applying by email and no separate attachment is requested, put the letter in the body of the message rather than attaching a file that may not get opened. Use a clear subject line naming the position.
- Proofread it twice. A cover letter is a writing sample whether or not the job involves writing.
Once the letter has done its work, the next thing to prepare for is the conversation itself — see how to prepare for a job interview.