How to Write the Perfect Cover Letter After Maternity Leave

1. Choose an Overall Theme

Before writing your cover letter, decide what theme you want to highlight. Ideally, you should align with the job description and create a coherent narrative that continues throughout your letter and resume.

2. Research the Company's Values and Culture

The perfect cover letter will always have a professional tone, but you should make small modifications based on the company itself. For example, if the company advertises a healthy work-life balance, you can indicate your enthusiasm to work with an organization that values family time.

3. Focus on the First Sentence

Your opening sentence should immediately engage the reader. Create a strong, dynamic sentence that indicates your enthusiasm for the position and highlights why you are the ideal candidate.

4. Create a Personal Connection

It's important to have a personal connection with your reader. Do some online research so you can address the recruiter by name and write your letter to him or her rather than addressing a faceless organization. Explore answers to, "Are cover letters necessary?" for additional tips on crafting a compelling cover letter. 

5. Highlight Your Value in a Specific Area

You should tailor your experience and skills to match the job requirements as closely as possible. Choose a particular part of the job description you feel most confident about and summarize your experience with that specific area.

6. Be Honest About Your Time Away

Your maternity leave most likely creates a time gap in your work history. It's important to address this in the cover letter so the recruiter doesn't assume other reasons.

7. Use Your Maternity Leave to Your Advantage

Strong writing not only explains your family-related absence from the workforce but actually turns it into an advantage. Talk about how raising your family improved certain marketable skills or how you used your time away to further your education.

8. Be Enthusiastic Without Sounding Desperate

It's important to highlight your excitement about returning to the workforce, but make sure you don't appear desperate for a job.

9. Keep it Short and Professional

Your cover letter should be no longer than two or three short paragraphs. Keep your writing to the point and use specific words without adding a lot adverbs. See our basic cover letter guide for additional tips and tricks. See the ideal cover letter length for guidance on keeping your letter concise and impactful. 

10. Close Strongly

Use the closing of your letter to thank the recruiter for considering you and reiterate your passion for the industry or position.

11. Take it a Step Further

If you have a little extra time and want to refine your cover letter to make it even better, there are a few more things you can do. Read it over as objectively as you can and ask yourself how you would respond to such a letter. Would you be inclined to read this person's resume or schedule an interview? If you have a friend who could read your letter and provide helpful, honest feedback that would be even better. The perfect cover letter draws the reader in and creates interest in your background and qualifications, and using a storytelling tone can help create that engaging feel. Choose one accomplishment that particularly relates to the job description and talk about it in a concise story form. You'll showcase your professional success in an interesting and memorable way.