Learning Outcomes
- Identify characteristics of an effective cover letter
Cover letters matter. When you have to go through a pile of them, they are probably more important than the résumé itself.
—woodleywonderworks
What Is a Cover Letter?
A cover letter is a letter of introduction, usually three to four paragraphs in length, that you attach to your résumé. It’s a way of introducing yourself to a potential employer and explaining why you are suited for a position. Employers may look for individualized and thoughtfully written cover letters as an initial method of screening out applicants who may lack necessary basic skills, or who may not be sufficiently interested in the position.
Often an employer will request or require that a cover letter be included in the materials an applicant submits. There are also occasions when you might submit a cover letter uninvited: for example, if you are initiating an inquiry about possible work or asking someone to send you information or provide other assistance.
With each résumé you send out, always include a cover letter specifically addressing your purposes.
Characteristics of an Effective Cover Letter
Cover letters should accomplish the following:
- get the attention of the prospective employer
- address the reader by name if possible
- set you apart from any possible competition
- identify the position you are interested in
- specify how you learned about the position or company
- present highlights of your skills and accomplishments
- reflect your genuine interest
- please the eye and ear
Try It
The following video features Aimee Bateman, founder of Careercake.com, who explains how you can create an incredible cover letter.
You can view the transcript for “5 Steps to an Incredible Cover Letter” here (opens in new window).
Cover Letter Resources
| WEBSITE | DESCRIPTION | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Student Cover Letter Samples (from About Careers) | This site contains sample student/recent graduate cover letters (especially for high school students, college students, and graduates seeking employment) as well as cover letter templates, writing tips, formats and templates, email cover letter examples, and examples by type of applicant. |
| 2 | How to Write Cover Letters (from CollegeGrad) | This site contains resources about the reality of cover letters, using a cover letter, the worst use of the cover letter, the testimonial cover letter technique, and a cover letter checklist. |
| 3 | LinkedIn Cover Letter | This site contains articles, experts, jobs, and more: get all the professional insights you need on LinkedIn. |
| 4 | Cover Letter Specifications (from the Yale Office of Career Strategy) | This site includes specifications for the cover letter framework (introductory paragraph, middle paragraph, and concluding paragraph), as well as format and style. |
Your Cover Letter: It’s Like Online Dating
The following is another excerpt from the “It’s Like Online Dating” essay by Jackie Vetrano. Writing a cover letter may feel like a chore, but the payoff will be well worth it if you land the job you want!
It’s Like Online Dating
Sending a Message—The Cover Letter
After searching through dozens of profiles, online daters generally find a handful of people they can picture themselves with. There’s only one way to find out more about the person, and that’s by sending the first message.
The challenging part of the first message I send through online dating sites is determining what to say. I’ve never met these people before, but I do have access to their dating profiles filled with their hobbies, hometowns, and more. This is a perfect starting point for my message, especially if we both root for the same football team or if the other person likes to run as much as I do.
Your cover letter serves as an introduction to your future employer and should complement your résumé to create a shining first impression. It is incredibly challenging to sit in front of a blank screen trying to find a good starting point, which means you should look at the job posting and organization’s Web site for ideas about what to include.
Generally, these job postings provide a set of hard skills (such as proficiency with certain technology) and soft skills (such as public speaking, teamwork, or working in a flexible environment) required and desired for the posted position. This information provides you a list of what should be explained in your cover letter. Demonstrating your hard skills is a simple enough task by using examples or stating certifications, but describing your soft skills may require a little more thought. These soft skills can be exhibited by discussing specific examples of past experiences in previous jobs you’ve held, volunteer work, or work you’ve done in college classes.
After you have crafted your cover letter, you should send it to a few people you trust for their opinion and overall proofreading along with the job posting for their reference. It’s obvious that your cover letter should be free of spelling and grammar errors, but these trustworthy individuals will also be able to provide helpful insight about the examples you’ve used to display your soft skills.
—Jackie Vetrano, Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom
glossary
cover letter: a short letter of introduction that explains to a potential employer why you are well-suited to a position
