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The Ultimate Cover Letter Writing Guide

The complete guide to writing an effective cover letter.

Any of these sound familiar? The simple answer is yes, having an effective cover letter is completely necessary and highly recommended and we’ll tell you  why you need a cover letter as well as a resume!

When you’re applying for a job, whether it be for an  entry-level  position after graduating or for a high-level executive vacancy with a  professional resume , a  cover letter is essential to make your application stand out .

Without this extra introductory letter, a resume alone could easily be discarded by a hiring manager. CareerBuilder  estimates you’re  10% more likely to miss out on an opening  if you don’t include a cover letter.

Writing a good cover letter  it’s not a skill many many people master, but that doesn’t mean it’s an impossible feat!

With our complete  cover letter guide , you’ll learn  how to write a cover letter  that will attract the hiring manager and convince them to read your winning resume.

What is a cover letter?

A cover letter is an extension to your job application.  It is not obligatory but including a well-written cover letter is  strongly advised by all human resource experts . By definition, a cover letter is an accompanying, explanatory letter.

All  jobseekers need a sales pitch  of sorts, they need to hook the reader and demonstrate to the hiring manager why they are the right person for the vacancy on offer. This style of  self-marketing for a job application  must come in the form of a  winning resume and cover letter combination  that complement one another.

A simple cover letter is an introduction to the candidate  behind the qualifications and experience. The aim is to show a prospective employer how you can take on the role and  what you can offer the company  in question.

Cover letters generally  follow a basic structure  and can be in either hard or digital format, that is to say, either printed and sent via regular mail or as a document scanned and attached to send digitally, or written directly in an  email cover letter .

Why include a cover letter on a job application?

If you want to stand any chance at all of  catching the eye of a potential employer , it is  imperative to include a cover letter  with your job application.

Simple – even if you  create an effective, outstanding resume , using all the right keywords and qualifications etc. it’s possible there are candidates more qualified than you or with more experience so it’s necessary to  add a cover letter to back up your resume  and allow the hiring manager to see more of your personal side that is relevant to the vacancy.

• The cover letter demonstrates your communication skills.
• The cover letter serves as an introduction to the resume.
• The cover letter can be used to emphasize certain skills, or mention skills that you couldn’t fit on the resume (it serves as an addendum).
• The cover letter is what you customize for each position, to show why you are the right person for “That” role, as opposed to the resume which stays pretty much the same for all applications.

A cover letter is the added value  that you need in a job application to ensure the call-back you’ve been waiting for.

To  create a unique, tailor-made job application , each candidate should use a cover letter to highlight their strengths and  elaborate on relevant achievements  that demonstrate their ability to take on the new responsibilities.

Is it practically always sensible and  appropriate to write a cover letter to accompany a resume for a job application  that should be customized for the role you’re applying to including any explanations of information that might be missing from the resume, such as employment gaps, traveling, periods of study etc.

The only time it is acceptable to not include a cover letter in your job application is if the job listing specifically requests that you do not.

Advantages of Writing a Cover Letter

A cover letter directly adds to the likelihood that you are called in for an interview and  gives you a better chance of being hired .

If you’re successful in  writing an effective cover letter , it will offer you the following advantages:

• Hiring managers will see your added effort
• Demonstrates you put in the time to learn about the company
• It will add a personal touch to your application
• It shows your enthusiasm for the opening
• Hiring managers will become acquainted with your best qualities

Knowing exactly what is in a cover letter will ensure that it gives you a  major advantage  over the other applicants.

What are the 3 Types of Cover Letters?

Adding a cover letter is almost always essential, but  choosing the appropriate letter  will also be key. Depending on the job post you are applying for, you will need to select the best type of letter to send along with your resume.

There are  3 types of cover letters  that you can send to a hiring manager. The 3 types are:

• Application cover letters
• Letters of Interest
• Email Cover letters

The letter you write is influenced by  whether you are going to apply for a job directly , citing a referral, or asking about vacancies that are not advertised.

Whatever the case may be, ensure that the cover letter is  specific to the job vacancy . It’s always important to avoid making a generic cover letter for every single job you apply for.

So, what are the 3 types of cover letters you should consider sending to a job recruiter?

Application Cover Letter

This is your  classic cover letter  that you send to a hiring manager when you spot a company advertising a job opening. When you want to directly apply for a position, it is mandatory to send this, unless you are specifically asked not to.

Using this letter, you can mention why you want to work for a specific company and why you are the perfect candidate for the position.

Letter of Interest

Say you notice a company that you would really like to work for. It fits your sector, and you know it offers great benefits and good pay. However, you  can’t find any openings  that match your skill set.

If that’s the case, you don’t need to sit around and wait for the company to have a job vacancy. You can take action with a letter of interest. This type of cover letter  states your interest in being employed  by a company that isn’t currently advertising any vacancies.

This type of letter goes by a couple of other names, such as:

• Letter of intent
• Statement of interest

Of course, since there is no vacancy there is no role you can specifically mention, which is the major difference between a letter of intent and a traditional cover letter. Your objective will be to  advertise yourself well enough  that an employer will just have to interview you.

Email Cover Letters

Over the years, the job application process has shifted to a nearly  100% online hiring process . Due to this, it may be necessary to send your cover letter  in an email  as part of your job application.

While applying, there may not be an option to upload your cover letter. Or maybe you would just like to send it in the  body of your email along with your resume . You can send it in one of two ways, in the body of your email or as an attachment (in PDF).

How to write a cover letter

A cover letter, although  short in length  generally, can take time to elaborate as it is important to get it right. Sometimes, due to the scarce space for writing, candidates find it difficult to know  what to include in a cover letter  and  what to leave out .

However, knowing  how to do a cover letter  can make all the difference to your job application and be the just the thing to capture the attention of a hiring manager.

A  professional cover letter  should be well-formatted, following a structure with a header, an opening paragraph, a second main paragraph, a final closing paragraph and a closing with signature/electronic signature.

To  begin writing a cover letter for a job application , candidates should analyze their skills, qualifications, accomplishments and experience to  decide which are the most fundamental aspects to include  in their personalized cover letter.

Next, each jobseeker will have to  select the most job-relevant  of these elements to include by  comparing them with the required or desired qualifications and experience  in the job description.

Finally, the applicant should choose some  memorable examples which demonstrate evidence  of each element included in their cover letter, aiming to  tell a story  which shows their aptitude concerning each skill or qualification.

Jobseekers should also ensure to explore  how to make a cover letter  for their specific role or industry because, similarly to resumes, each cover letter should be  tailored for the vacancy  and company to which it will be sent.

It is vital for candidates to  consider several factors when it comes to writing their professional cover letter . A jobseeker must review their  resume work history section  as well as any skills and honors included to find the  most pertinent experiences  that can be explored further. Detailing examples of when a candidate demonstrated certain abilities or expertise is how a candidate can convince a hiring.

One way to create a winning cover letter is to use an  online cover letter creator  or take advantage of cover letter templates as a stepping stone as well as checking out cover letter examples that can serve as a great source of inspiration for you to make your own  unique cover letter .

Our  cover letter builder  forms part of our resume builder and allows jobseekers to create a more complete job application. Users can write their cover letter with pro tips and design help thanks to our pre-designed templates. Read our  cover letter writing guide  to get to grips with  cover letter writing techniques  and tips before using our online cover letter builder!

How to Structure a Cover Letter

The  structure and layout of a cover letter  is essential to make sure the letter displays each point that you wish to get across  clearly and concisely . This means it’s necessary, in general, to follow a commonly-accepted format for an effective cover letter.

Similarly to a  resume format , designing and  writing a cover letter has certain rules  which should be adhered to in order to convey the necessary information in a brief and to the point introductory letter.

Check out some of the  cover letter best practices  as advised by human resources experts below:

• It’s imperative to  begin a cover letter with a header , including the candidate’s name and contact information as well as the date. This  primary cover letter section  can also include the job title, website and other relevant personal information.

Following this, the  letter should include the details of the company  and person to whom you are writing, with the full name, job title or team, company name and address.

• The main body of a cover letter should be divided into  three sections : an introduction, a bullet list of accomplishments followed by a paragraph highlighting skills, and a closing paragraph inviting the hiring manager to contact you. By using bullet points when detailing your achievements and capabilities, you can make sure that recruiters will be able to quickly pick out key information. This is especially important as studies have found that recruiters spend very little time reading each individual application.
• Finally, the letter should be electronically or physically signed with your full name in a formal manner.

The universally-accepted  cover letter length  is no longer than one letter page, which in total has about  250-300 words  for the main body of text.

Don’t  repeat information  or be too detailed because hiring managers simply do not have the time to read it all and will simply skip to the next one.  Resumes that run over 600 words  get rejected 43% faster and cover letters can easily fall into this trap too.

Keep your cover letter short and sweet and to the point!

Get more  cover letter formatting advice  in our guide on  how to format a cover letter  with tips and information about all aspects of a good cover letter structure.

Cover letter advice

The  importance of including a cover letter  with your job application is often overlooked by jobseekers of all categories, however this can seriously reduce your possibilities of getting an interview with a prospective employer.

Therefore you need not ask yourself  when to write a cover letter  because the answer is just that simple – it is  always appropriate to include a cover letter in your job application , unless the listing explicitly requests that you do not.

Check out the following  expert cover letter tips  to create a winning cover letter that will convince the hiring manager to give you a call:

• We may be quite repetitive with this one but the sheer quantity of resumes and cover letters that are disregarded simply for forgetting this  vital and basic rule  is incredible:  USE A PROFESSIONAL EMAIL ADDRESS  for your contact details and that does not include your current work email but a personal, suitable email address.
• It is essential to remember to  maintain your focus on the needs of the company  you’re applying to and the requirements and desired abilities of the ideal candidate for the role.  Do not focus on how you can benefit  by becoming a member of their team, but on how the team can make the most of your experience and knowledge.
• Remember to  highlight your transferable skills , especially in cases where you may not meet all the required qualities in the job description such as in student resumes and cover letters.
• Each  cover letter for a job application, cover letters for internships , for further study or even volunteer experience should be  tailored to their specific organization  and position with the pertinent keywords.
• Use specific examples to demonstrate the candidate’s individual capacity to take on the role and  tell a story with your cover letter  to convey more of your personality and passion towards the sector or profession.
• Towards the  end of a cover letter , each candidate should write a convincing finish to entice the hiring manager and in sales terminology “ seal the deal ”.
• Finally when you have completed your polished cover letter, potentially  one of the most important steps  in the process is to  PROOFREAD . Candidates should request that a friend, mentor, teacher or peer takes a look at their cover letter for not only  grammatical and spelling errors  but also any  unwanted repetition or unrelated information .

Some jobseekers doubt  whether a cover letter is necessary or not , but as most human resource professionals agree without a well-written cover letter, candidates lose the  possibility to demonstrate different aspects of their profile  from those included in their resumes which could easily be the deciding factor in your application!

An easy and fast way to write an effective cover letter for a job application is to employ an  online cover letter creator  that will offer advice on  how to complete a cover letter with examples  and HR-approved templates.

Cover Letter FAQs

What do employers look for in a cover letter, can a cover letter be two pages, what is the difference between a cover letter and a resume, should you put a photo on a cover letter.

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