Writing a Cover Letter: Tips and Examples

How to write a cover letter

Whether you love writing cover letters or view them as a chore, many hiring managers still rely on them to gauge an applicant’s personality, attention to detail, and communication skills. The key to writing effective cover letters, then, is to follow instructions and communicate succinctly but with a compelling voice.

Writing an effective cover letter that gets you noticed by employers can be done by following a few simple steps:

Start by listing your name and address
Include the date
List the recipient’s name and address
Open with an introduction
Include an opening paragraph about your intent to apply
Write a second paragraph about your background
Focus on another reason why you are qualified in the next paragraph
Conclude with reasons why you are uniquely qualified
End with your signature

Let’s look at each of these steps in more detail as a guide for writing a cover letter for your next job application.

1. Start by listing your name and address

As with many standard business letters, you should include a few pieces of information at the top of your cover letter. Some people might center their name and address at the top of the page, mirroring the way it looks on their resume.

For example:

Ali Lang
ali.lang@email.com | 555 Orchard Ln., Las Vegas, NV | (555) 888-4000

Otherwise, you might decide to simply list each piece of information on a new line oriented to the left-hand side of the page.

For example:

Ali Lang

ali.lang@email.com
555 Orchard Ln
Las Vegas, NV
(555) 888-4000

2. Include the date

Next, include the date of the day you are sending the letter. The dateline should be separated from your address and the recipient’s address.

3. List the recipient’s name and address

After the date, you will list the recipient’s name and information. You can find these details by looking at the company’s website. This information will also likely be listed on the job posting.

The top part of your letter should look like this:

Ali Lang
ali.lang@email.com
555 Orchard Ln
Las Vegas, NV
(555) 888-4000

May 5th, 20XX

Terry Washington
Revolve Inc.
123 Vineyard Dr.
Las Vegas, NV

Please note that if you are sending an email cover letter, you do not need to list the information in steps 1—3.

4. Open with an introduction

Start by introducing your letter with a standard greeting like “Dear,” or “Hello.”

5. Include an opening paragraph about your intent to apply

Write an introductory paragraph that includes the position you’re applying for. You should also include a statement about your enthusiasm in regards to the role and company.

6. Write a second paragraph about your background

Your second or body paragraph should be a brief overview of your background as is relevant to the position. Here, you should include key achievements, skills, and specialties that make you particularly suited to perform well in the position. Focus on one or two and provide specific details about your success including measurable impacts you made.

Pay close attention to keywords listed in the job description and include those that you identify within the body of your cover letter. You should only include information about your most recent one or two professional experiences.

7. Focus on another reason why you are qualified in the next paragraph

Your next paragraph should focus on another key achievement or skills that are relevant to the position. Instead of repeating details from your resume, expand on specific stories or anecdotes that display your fitness for the role.

8. Conclude with reasons why you are uniquely qualified

Your last paragraph should recap the reasons you are applying for the role and why you would be a great fit. Keep the conclusion brief and explain that you look forward to hearing from the employer with the next steps.

9. End with your signature

Finally, sign your name after a closing line like “All the best,” or “Sincerely.”

By using these steps, you will be able to write a simple, impactful cover letter that shows employers why you are uniquely qualified for the position.

Samples to use when writing a cover letter

Here are two examples of cover letters, a traditional version, and a less traditional version. First, read the job description on the left, then read the cover letter. In the first example, you’ll see how the writer uses specific phrases from the job description and includes them in the letter. The second example takes a more creative approach. The author tells a personal story and appeals more abstractly to the attributes called for in the job posting. Both are less than 300 words long.

Example: Brand Copywriter

Job Description
We are looking for an experienced copywriter to join our team. If you have a great eye for balance, a quick wit, and can adapt a brand voice for any medium, then this role is right for you.

Responsibilities:
Write for branded communications including ads, emails, events, landing pages, video, product marketing, and more.
Maintain and develop the voice of our brand in collaboration with others.
Develop copy for internal communications that generate excitement about our company culture
Work independently and manage your time well.
Strong copyediting skills: for your own work and for others.

Requirements:
A portfolio of your work
Minimum 5 years of copywriting, ideally within an agency
Strong attention to detail

Cover Letter

Hello,
There are least two less-than-obvious ways to improve your vocabulary (and by extension, your copywriting skills): studying for the GRE and becoming a crossword puzzle enthusiast. I’ve done both but for the purposes of this job application, I’d like to focus on the latter.
My grandmother was the best writer I’ve ever known. She wasn’t a professional writer, but she had a gift and a love of writing was something we shared. It wasn’t until last year that I also took up her love of crossword puzzles, and immediately saw how the two went hand in hand. Before long, I was solving Monday through Wednesday puzzles in the New York Times, needing to look up words less and less frequently as time passed. Soon, I was able to complete Thursday to Saturday, too. Throughout this process, I could feel my stock of quips, rejoinders, and turns of phrase steadily growing. Eventually, I worked up the courage to attempt the Sunday puzzles.
It was this courage that was the real turning point for me. In my current agency, I was already known as a hard worker and creative spirit; my peer and manager evaluations had made this clear. But while I felt confident in my abilities, I had never seen myself as particularly daring. Considering new challenges and mastering each one along the way had given me a renewed sense of myself and clarity about my chosen profession.
I began a career as a copywriter because I was skilled at finding combinations of words to fit a thought or feeling. I’m continuing down that path because I’ve realized how I can shape and hone that skill to reach new heights. I’d like copywriting at *** to be the next step in my journey.
All the best,

Final cover letter tips

Here are five guidelines to keep in mind when writing a cover letter.
Customize your header based on your application format
If you’re writing your cover letter directly within an online job application, there’s no need to include your address or other contact information, as you’ve probably already typed that into other areas of the application form. If you’re including your cover letter as an attachment, you can use the same heading as your resume.

Use an appropriate greeting
If you know the name of the hiring manager for this job, begin your cover letter by addressing them directly (Example: Dear Jane Smith). If you don’t know the name of the hiring manager, you can begin your letter with a simple “Hello,” or “Dear Hiring Manager,”. Get a feel for the company’s culture when deciding how formal your greeting should be. More formal introductions such as “To Whom It May Concern:” or “Dear Sir or Madame,” can come across as too stuffy for some organizations, while greetings like “Hey!” and “Hi there,” are almost always too casual for a cover letter.

Avoid generic references to your abilities
Whenever possible, tell meaningful anecdotes that tie your skills to concrete problem-solving activities or tangible business results you’ve worked on in your career. Any candidate can say they possess a desirable skill. To make an impact, you need to show hiring managers examples of your skills in action. For example:

Too vague: “My skills would be a great fit for your organization.”
More specific: “In my role as a sales associate, I am frequently required to provide exceptional customer service on short notice. Exceeding customers’ expectations is a point of personal and professional pride for me, and this is a skill I’m eager to continue developing.
Too vague: “I’m a proactive team player.”
More specific: “In my current job, I proactively jumped in to help launch an internal recycling and waste reduction initiative. Together, our team contributed to a 25% reduction in solid waste production within the company.”

Keep it short and to the point
Unless specified in the job description, there is no required length for a cover letter. When determining how long a cover letter should be, focus on the details that are most important for the job. Read the job description closely to identify the best opportunities to illustrate your qualifications. What professional achievements are you the proudest of? Choose one or two and map them directly to the desired experience or qualifications the hiring manager is looking for, using just a few detailed but concise sentences. What attributes is the job description calling for in a candidate? Consider using the cover letter itself as a way of demonstrating those traits.

Don’t reiterate everything that’s on your resume. You want to focus on one or two anecdotes, expanding on how you achieved something specific.

Proofread before you submit
Reread your cover letter several times before submitting and keep an eye out for errors of spelling, grammar, or punctuation. Reading the letter aloud can help you pick out awkward phrasing or too-long sentences. There are certain common errors that we all have a tendency to gloss over, so make sure to do a slow, deliberate reading that examines each word. If your salutation includes the hiring manager’s name, triple-check the spelling.