How to write a cover letter that gets the job (2023)

OK, you are convinced of the importance of cover letters. Here are eight steps to writing one that screams, "I have a great attitude!"

Step 1 – Write a new cover letter for each job (but yes, you can use a template).

Yes, it's much faster and easier to take your most recent application cover letter, change the company name, and submit it. But most employers want to see that you are passionate about the position and the organization, which means creating a personalized letter for each position.

While it's okay to use a few strong sentences and phrases from one cover letter to the next, don't even think about sending a 100% generic cover letter. "Dear Human Resources Manager,I would be happy to apply for the vacancy in your company.' is an instant signal to recruiters and hiring managers that you're applying en masse to every job posting that appears on LinkedIn.

At the same time, there's nothing wrong with not being able to get a little help - try one of ours.free cover letter templatesto make the process a bit easier.

Step 2: Add your contact information.

You should include your key details at the top of your cover letter. You can even copy the sameheadline of your resumeIf you like. Some of the contact information you can provide (and the order in which you provide it) is:

• Your name
• Your pronouns (optional)
• Your location (optional)
• Your email address
• Your phone number (optional)
• The URL of your personal, LinkedIn, or portfolio website (optional)

Please note that only name and email are required and you do not need to enter anyfull address on a cover letter or resumefurther. One city and one state (or metropolitan area) is more than enough.

So your header could look like this:

Inigo Montoya
he the
metropolitan area of ​​florin
íñigo@minombreisinigomontoya.com
555-999-2222

If the job posting asks you to send your cover letter in the body of an email, you can add your contact information at the end, after your name (and if you want to omit the email address here, you can; they have It is done).

Your deregistration might look like this:

carefully,

Violetter Baudelaire
She she
vbaudelaire@vfd.org
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 woman." (for example, "Dear Mrs. Jane Smith" or just "Dear Mrs. Smith"). But to avoid accidentally using the wrong title, or worse, accidentally using someone incorrectly, the first and last name is also work well. And if "Dear" feels a little stiff, try "Hello". ButNeverUse general salutations like "To whom It May Concern' or 'Estimado señor o señora'.

Read this for more helpRules for addressing your cover letterand some tips forHow to find the hiring manager.

Step 4: Create an introductory paragraph that captivates your reader.

Your opening sets the stage for the entire cover letter. So you want it to be memorable, friendly, talkative, and extremely relevant to the job you're doing.

You don't have to start with your name – the hiring manager can already see it. But it's good to mention the job you're applying for (the hiring manager might be reviewing candidates for half a dozen different jobs), and yes, you could say something simple like, "I'm looking forward to applying for [job] to apply with companies] ". But consider introducing yourself with a strong first paragraph that highlights your enthusiasm for the company you're applying to, your passion for the work you do, and/or your past accomplishments.

This is a prime place to state the "why" of your app. Make it clear why you want thisthis workinthis signature. Are you a long time user of their products? Do you have experience solving a problem they are working on? Do you love the voice of your brand or your approach to product development? Do some research on the company (and check theirmuse profileif they have one) to find out.

Let's say you're applying for a marketing job at a company known for its amazing cakes and baked goods. You might want to use your opening to mention how much you love cake, for winning the blue ribbon in the fourth grade National Cherry Festival cake eating contest. Or take a look at this hook from a client cover letter from the professional consultant and author of MuseJenny foß, who was working to take a leadership role in a non-profit organization specializing in fire safety:

“I have a personal interest in fire safety that dates back to my youth. As the daughter of a nurse who worked in a hospital burn unit for many years, I grew up having significant contact with fire victims. I spent hours thinking about my mother's patients and wished there was a way to better protect people from fire."

Keep reading:30 Cool Cover Letter Openers Recruiters Will Love

Step 5: Communicate why you would be a great hireHeWork.

A common mistake in cover letters is to simply talk about how great the position would be.Of. Honestly, hiring managers are well aware: what they really want to know is what you will bring to the role and to the company.

So once you've sealed the opening, you need to extract a few key ideas that will form the backbone of your cover letter. You need to show that you understand what the organization is looking for and how your background matches the position.Study the job description for clues.. EraThe company tries to solve the problems.with this rental? What skills or experiences are mentioned at the top or more than once? These will probably be the most important qualifications.

Select the three to five key qualifications that you feel you best embody. For example, maybe you are looking for a job as an account manager and come across a position that interests you. You could take out these details that look good on you:

• The job description mentions meeting and exceeding quotas multiple times.
• The company has a very collaborative and interdepartmental approach to solving problems.
• The sales department needs a quick learner so the account executive can quickly familiarize himself with potential customers and tailor sales pitches to their needs.

If you have a hard time singing your own praises and can't pinpoint your strengths, here's one.quick trick: What would your boss, best friend or favorite mentor say about you? how couldEllaDo you sing your praises? Use the answers to learn how to write about yourself. You can even incorporate feedback you've received to support your case (don't overuse this once in a while!). For example:

“When I was overseeing our recent office move, my color-coded spreadsheets covering every logistical detail were legendary; My manager said that I was so organized that he would trust me to plan an expedition to Mars.”

Step 6: Support your qualifications with examples and figures.

Look at your list of qualifications from the previous step and think of examples from your past that show you have them. ANDGo beyond your resume. Don't just repeat what the hiring manager may read elsewhere. Simply put, he wants to paint a bigger picture of the experiences and accomplishments that make him a great employee, and show what he can walk through your doors and deliver once he's landed the job.

For example, what tells a hiring manager the most about your ability to win back old clients? This: "I was responsible for identifying and re-engaging former clients." Or something like this: "By analyzing previous customer surveys, NPS and KPI results, and just picking up the phone, I was able to get data - a motivated and humane approach." Contribute degree to the task of recovering old clients. ”

Having trouble figuring out how to do this? Try asking yourself these questions and find answers that match the skills you want to focus on:

• What approach did you take to tackle one of the tasks you mentioned on your CV?
• If you were to tell someone a (very short!) story about how you came up with one of the bullet points on your resume, what details would you include?
• What about your personality, passion, or work ethic made you particularly good at doing the job?

Make up your examples and then add some numbers. Hiring managers love to see statistics – they show that you have made a measurable impact on a company you have worked for. Have you won more clients than your colleagues? Organizing an impressive number of events? Make a workflow 30% more efficient? Include it in your cover letter!

Let's go back to the example from the last step. How could you demonstrate that you meet and exceed sales quotas when you are hired? Try something like:

„I've always been very goal-oriented, whether it's setting a new personal best on the swim team in college or exceeding my quotas as a sales development executive for ZZZ Inc. As an SDR, I break down my quarterly sales goals on a monthly basis, by month and then week by week, to always know if I'm ahead, behind or on the right track. I also take an hour every Friday to reflect on what I could have done better over the past week so that I can continue to improve. Using these strategies, I've met my fulfillment goals in 10 of the last 10 quarters and hit an average of 114% of goal for finding leads that converted to sales every quarter for the past year. As your company's account manager, I would bring the same drive and systematic approach to achieving long-term goals in my sales quotas.”

Do this for each of the qualifications you want to focus on and tie your achievements directly to the company. Pro Tip: Use your space wisely. For more important qualifications, you might dedicate an entire paragraph, while others only need a sentence or two.

Step 7: End with a strong conclusion.

It's tempting to treat the last few lines of your cover letter as throwaway: "I look forward to hearing from you." would be appropriate. You can also use the end of your letter to add important details, such as the fact that you are willing to relocate for work.

A few tips may prompt you to make a tough deal: boldly insist that you are the one and that you will call them within a week to set up a meeting. But with more than 10 years of experience as a recruiter, Foss finds this annoying. It's one thing to be proactive and confident, but to her, that approach feels like a corny tactic ripped from an old-school How to Sell Yourself textbook.

Instead, try the following:

“I believe my energy, desire to innovate and experience as a Sales Manager will serve OrangePurple Co. very well. I would love to meet with you to discuss the value I could bring as your next West Coast Sales Director. I appreciate your consideration and hope to see you soon."

then absolutelyunsubscribe professionally, with relevant degree and your name and surname.

Keep reading:3 Cover Letter Closing Lines Hiring managers are forgiving (plus: better choices)

Step 8: Read again and review.

We shouldn't have to tell you to spell check your cover letter, but remember that scanning your computer for typos is not the same.edition. Put your letter aside for a day, or even for a few hours, and then read it again with fresh eyes; you will probably notice some changes that you will want to make.

You can even ask a friend or family member to take a look. In addition to asking if they found any bugs, you should ask them two questions:

• Does that sell me as the best person for the job?
• It excites you?

If the answer to either answer is no, or even a slight hesitation, come back for another pass.