Cover Letter Do’s & Don’ts
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Writing a cover letter doesn’t have to be daunting. With clear direction and purpose —plus these cover letter tips, you can simplify the process and leave a positive impression.
These tips for writing a cover letter will help you get the hiring manager’s attention and showcase your career beyond metrics. Employers seek well-rounded candidates who align with their vision, and a compelling cover letter can be your ticket to the interview.
Why a Strong Cover Letter Matters
A cover letter is often the first interaction you have with an employer. It shows them your human side and why you’d want to work for them. It also allows you to take control of your career narrative. Are you returning to the workforce after caring for a loved one? Do you have any employment gaps? A cover letter helps you explain how this time made you a better professional.
Plus, if the job description asks you to write a cover letter, it will be required for your application. Not including it could result in your application being discarded.
How to Start Your Cover Letter
The first step to a great cover letter opening — and to build a great application— is research. Learn about the employer through their official channels and the news to answer an important question: why do you want to work for this employer? This will be the foundation of your introduction.
Beyond “I’m writing to express my interest in ‘x’ role,” choose one of the following options for a compelling cover letter opening:
- Write two or three sentences with a quick anecdote about your interest in the employer's role.
For example:
Growing up helping my parents run a small business, I learned the value of customer service and adaptability in a fast-paced environment. This experience aligns perfectly with your company’s focus on building strong relationships and delivering quality results. I'm excited to contribute to a team that shares my commitment to excellence as an operations manager.
- Mention recent news about the company that caught your eye.
For example:
I was impressed to see your company recognized for its innovative approach to sustainability. Your commitment to making a positive impact aligns perfectly with my values, and I am eager to be part of such a forward-thinking organization as a sales manager.
- If you have a referral, include their name, role, and how you know each other. In this example, the candidate and referral met through a networking event.
My commitment to education led me to the National Education Association (NEA) annual convention, where I learned about innovation and community engagement. There, I met your school administrator, Jane Smith, and learned about the current Special Ed Teacher position available at your school.
There is a reason why you’re applying to a particular employer over others. Let them know the reason in your cover letter opening.
Tailoring Your Cover Letter for Each Job
These cover letter writing tips show easy ways to customize your letter to the employer:
- Add keywords from the job description. It’ll catch the hiring manager’s attention.
- Include quantifiable achievements to show you have what the employer is looking for.
- If you’re not applying for a specific role, create a generic cover letter that still resonates with the industry or employer. This type of cover letter works great for talent pool applications.
Highlighting Key Skills and Achievements
This is one of the most important resume and cover letter tips: highlight your skills. These abilities help show what you bring to the table. Back them up with your quantifiable achievements. Cover letters are a great tool to highlight your soft skills. You can choose an achievement to showcase how you’ve used your teamwork, leadership and emotional intelligence to accomplish an important task. For example:
As the team lead for our sales department, I spearheaded a collaborative initiative to improve our customer relationship management strategy. By facilitating weekly brainstorming sessions, I encouraged team members to share insights and experiences, which led to developing a tailored approach for our diverse clientele. This effort boosted our quarterly sales by 25% and fostered a sense of camaraderie and ownership within the team.
Career changers should highlight their transferable skills. These skills show how your previous career can positively impact an employer.Don’t forget to include hard skills and reiterate a certification or license.
Not sure what skills to include? Check out our AI skills generator for examples of skills that are needed for your desired role.
How to Close Your Cover Letter Professionally
Keep it simple and professional. Thank the reader for reading and opening the door to further interaction. You can wrap up by adding how you help this employer with your qualifications. For example:
Thank you for considering my application. I’m excited about the prospect of contributing to your sales team and supporting sales growth through proven strategies and a customer-centric approach. I look forward to discussing how I can help you achieve your goals.
If this is too long for your taste, consider a shorter approach. For example:
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to discussing how I can help achieve your sales growth goals.
Include your signature, and you’re done!
How to Keep Your Cover Letter Concise
A short cover letter makes it easier for hiring managers to quickly identify what makes you a great candidate. To keep your cover letter concise:
- Give each paragraph a purpose.
- Keep the introduction to no more than four sentences
- Use bullet points instead of paragraphs to highlight key achievements. Choose different achievements from your resume
- Close the letter with two sentences. Keep it professional and include a call to action, i.e., inviting the reader to email or call you to discuss further what you can do for them.
- Use action verbs, which take less space and empower your achievements.
- Avoid going over one page. One page is the maximum expected by the employer.
Avoiding Common Cover Letter Mistakes
- Don’t use a generic introduction. Write a compelling first paragraph for the role. If you use a generic cover letter, write it for the industry.
- Don’t forget to proofread your letter. Use spellcheck, tools like Grammarly or ChatGPT, and ask a trusted pair of eyes for feedback. Remember, human eyes can catch mistakes that technology misses.
- Avoid using passive verbs. These take up space and downplay your achievements. For example, “I was working on a project with great success collecting data using API to help the team improve our inventory.” Instead, use “Collected data through API for a project aimed at streamlining inventory management.”
- Do not present issues as negative. Always give a positive spin to anything you want to address. For example, “I used this period as an opportunity to work on my coding skills and developed a simple communication app for my teacher's sister's school.”
- Don’t fail to mention what you can do for the employer. Frame everything in the context of what the employer is seeking. Why are you a great candidate for them? How has your experience prepared you for this role?
For even more cover letter tips and examples, check our comprehensive guide on How to Write a Cover Letter.
Cover Letter Formatting Tips
Some tips on writing a cover letter include the format of the business letter. To follow it:
- Use a business letter format with one-inch margins on all sides, 12-point font, single-spaced paragraphs and left-justified alignment.
- Use the file format specified by the employer. Otherwise, use a PDF
- Use a professional file name: YourNameCoverLetter or YourNameCL
- Match your resume header and font for a cohesive look.
- Address a human being—It’ll show you went above and beyond to reach the right person. Can’t find anyone? Address the department.
- Keep it short. Only use three to four paragraphs and give each one a purpose.
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Key Takeaways
- A strong cover letter helps you control the narrative of your career while.
- Each cover letter must be tailored to the application to showcase the most relevant skills.
- A captivating introduction tells an employer why you want to work for them.
- The body of your cover letter will highlight what you offer.
- A simple and professional cover letter closing goes a long way.
- Keep your cover letter concise by using bullet points.
- A business letter format highlights give a good first professional impression.
FAQ
What are tips on how to write a cover letter?
Tips for writing an effective cover letter include:
- Always customize your cover letter to the application.
- Use a standard business letter format.
- Open with a compelling introduction, answering why you want to work for this company.
- Use the second paragraph to express what you bring to the company
- Close with a call to action.
- Ask a trusted person to proofread your letter. They should check grammar and spelling, plus let you know if your letter is saying what you want it to say.
What tips should you remember when creating a successful cover letter?
You should remember these tips for writing a good cover letter:
- Follow the instructions from the job description.
- Use a business letter layout.
- Keep it professional, but show some personality.
- Show you’ve done your company research throughout the cover letter.
- Your introduction should hook the reader immediately.
- Choose an achievement relevant to the position you are applying for.
- Proofread using tools and another pair of eyes.
We can’t guarantee that your perfect cover letter will get you to the next step, but a bad cover letter will hurt your chances.
What is the rule of 3 in a cover letter?
The rule of 3 is a concept to guide your cover letter writing process. It highlights three key points about your career in your letter’s body paragraphs or bullet points. These key points are:
- An achievement to highlight what you bring to the table.
- Including hard skills relevant to the job
- Soft skills the employer seeks.
You can follow a 3-by-3 rule to use this concept.
- Write a compelling introduction.
- Include three key points from your career in a paragraph or using bullet points.
- Use a professional sign-off with a call to action
How to write a perfect cover letter?
Follow the above tips for a good cover letter. A good cover letter shows your qualifications, personality, and knowledge about the company.
- Follow the employer’s instructions from the job application. If they seek specific information, include the answer in your cover letter.
- Research the company and see how your qualifications can help them.
- Open with a compelling introduction expressing your interest.
- Write a paragraph or a few bullet points about your qualifications. Use your research to include those qualifications the employer seeks.
- Close with a professional call to action.
- Use a professional business format: one-inch margins, 12-point font size, aligned to the left, single-spaced between sentences and double-spaced between paragraphs.
How to stand out in a cover letter?
The best way to stand out in a cover letter is to show that you researched the company. This will allow you to clearly express why you want to work for them and give you an idea of what the company would need from you.
What three main points should be included in your cover letter?
The three main points your cover letter must include are the answers to these questions:
- Why this company?
- What do you bring to the company?
- Why should the company interview you?
You can use a paragraph to answer each one.
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Cover Letter Tips: Best Practices & Examples
Nilda Melissa is a Certified Professional Resume Writer who has written for The Washington Post and Latina Style Magazine. She has a master's in Journalism from Columbia University and is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
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