The purpose of a cover letter is simple. A cover letter communicates initial information about you and your unique situation that may not be appropriate to address in your resume. And it further connects you to both the job and the company for which you’re applying.

Why Are Cover Letters Important

Almost every hiring manager is looking to hire someone who is a great communicator. Since a cover letter is your first communication to them, it is a great place to showcase that skill. It is also an excellent opportunity to explain things like gaps in employment.

Essential Elements of a Cover Letter

Every cover letter should contain six essential elements:

1. Salutation / Greeting
2. Introduction
3. Message
4. Closing
5. Contact Information

Salutation / Greeting

The initial greeting is the letter equivalent of saying, “Hello.” Since it is the first thing you say, it initiates the tone and transitions the reader into the rest of the letter. Since you’re sending this cover letter to your potential new boss, you want to be formal, but also not sound too stiff. Throw away the “Dear Sir or Madame” and the “To whom it may concern.” Instead, think about how you would greet the hiring manager when you meet them in person. Try “Hello Jane Doe” if you know their name or “Hello Hiring Manager” if not. You can use the word “Dear” instead of “Hello” if you feel the need to be more formal.

Introduction

This is where you’ll introduce yourself. Again, think about what you would say the first time you meet someone in person. 

You are going to want to introduce yourself, so the person knows with whom they’re communicating. A simple “My name is Joe Insider” is always a great place to start.  

You can also let them know the position you’re interested in. A hiring manager may be interviewing candidates for multiple positions, so this focuses their consideration of your resume to the appropriate position.

Message

Most of the other elements are relatively static, so the message is where you’ll spend most of your time customizing things to the specific job and your particular situation. 

Connect your skills and experience to the job you’re applying for. Highlight your strengths and provide additional details you’d like to share with the recruiter or hiring manager. When you look over your resume, ask yourself, “what else would I like them to know” or “where would I like to draw their focus”. Those answers will help guide you while crafting your cover letter’s message. Remember, this is an opportunity to differentiate yourself from a sea of other resumes that may be very similar.

There are a few things to avoid in your cover letter. Don’t make the mistake of simply repeating your resume. And avoid writing unnecessary information. You want the cover letter to make you stand out in a positive way, but messing up this section of your cover letter could have the opposite effect if you aren’t careful.

Closing

Thank the hiring manager for their time and show some confidence that you’ll be speaking again. Ensure the closing matches the tone and formality of your greeting.  

Contact Information

You’ll want to include your full name, phone number, and email address. Nowadays, the need for adding contact information is less than when we were physically mailing these letters, and hiring members were reading in print instead of electronic files. But on the rare occasion where your cover letter and your resume get separated, having this information on the cover letter itself could be the difference between getting an interview or not.

Useful Research

As with most things, performing a little research first can be extremely helpful. First and foremost, you should go to the company’s website and read the home page and the about us page. But don’t stop there. Do a google search. Find out the latest news about the company. See if you can find someone who works at the company and ask them questions.  

You’ll use all of this information when crafting the message of your cover letter. This is the information you’ll want to connect back to your resume. Their goals should be your goals and their passions should be your passions. Ask yourself how your resume connects to their business and the role for which you’ve applied. If you’re able to accomplish that, you should have no problem landing an interview.

Special Situations

Sometimes, based on your situation, the cover letter will need to fulfill a particular purpose. If any of the below example situations apply to you, make sure to address them when you write your cover letter.

• Internships
• Gaps in employment
• Lack of experience
• Resume doesn’t fit the job
• Changing careers

Review and Revision

Review and revision is an essential part of writing a cover letter. Use these questions as a guide when reviewing.

1. Does the cover letter adequately relate my resume to both the job posting and the company?
2. Is the writing free from grammatical and spelling errors?
3. Does my personality come through in the cover letter?

After you’ve done your first round of revisions, get others involved. People are usually more than willing to help, but often don’t know how to help. Ask them to review your cover letter and give you their thoughts. If they need a few prompts, send them the same questions you considered in your review.

You should now be on your way to writing a great cover letter, but leave us a comment if you still have questions