Human Resources Cover Letter Examples

A human resources cover letter is the perfect vehicle to mention a transition into HR.

• Keep it simple and relevant to the role you’re applying for. For example: “During my time as an assistant manager at ABC Store, I helped my coworkers deal with a toxic situation. With my assistance, we came up with a plan favorable to my coworkers and the employer. This experience, alongside other administrative and managerial tasks, made me realize my human resources interest.”
• Emphasize your transferable skills. Your soft and interpersonal skills can be used across industries. Match those from the job description, include examples of how you’ve used these skills and let the employer know how you foresee these skills being useful.
• Use examples to show what you bring to the table. In the body paragraphs, use storytelling to present achievements that demonstrate your skills. For example, time management, team building or other skills useful to the role.

A human resources cover letter looks like a business letter. Both use the same cover letter format, which includes: 

• A header with your contact information. Use the same as your resume header.
• 1-inch margins and the same professional font as your resume or CV.
• A salutation using the name of the hiring manager. 
• A simple sign-off, like “Best regards,” “Regards,” “Respectfully,” or “Sincerely,” would be appropriate.

Whether you have a decade of experience or are a recent graduate, a human resources cover letter follows the same format.

• Open with a compelling introduction, including your interest in the role and your strongest skill. 
• Use storytelling in the body paragraphs to present your qualifications through an example or two. 
• If you are a recent graduate, use your internships as experience. Explain what you have learned and how you could apply it to the role. 
• Close the letter by thanking the reader and presenting a call to action

Throughout your HR cover letter, use action verbs to empower your qualifications and keywords from the description to catch the reader’s attention. 

Simplify the process with our Cover Letter Generator, which automatically formats your HR cover letter and provides editable content suggestions according to your industry and career stage.

Human resources skills are a combination of hard skills, which are job-specific abilities; soft skills, which speak to how you work, and interpersonal skills, which say how you work with others. 

Hard skills:

• Data analysis
• HRIS (Human Resources Information Systems) management
• Compliance
• Training and development
•  Project management

Soft skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Time management
• Problem-solving
• Adaptability
• Ethical decision-making

Interpersonal skills:

• Team management
• Relationship building
• Empathy
• Conflict resolution
• Influence and persuasion

The minimum education requirement to work in human resources is a bachelor’s degree. For managerial positions, you could be required a master’s degree or MBA plus years of experience.

Stand out from other applicants through certifications. These are a few examples of certifications widely accepted in the HR field. 

• PHR (Professional in Human Resources)
• SHRM-CP (Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional)
• SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources)
• SHRM-SCP (Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional)
• GPHR (Global Professional in Human Resources)

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the median salaries for occupations in human resources: 

• Administrative Services and Facilities Managers: $104,900 per year
• Compensation and Benefits Managers: $136,380 per year
• Human Resources Specialists $67,650 per year
• Human Resources Managers: $136,350 per year
• Training and Development Managers: $125,040 per year

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 6% growth for human resources specialists and 5% for human resources managers from 2022-2032. With 78,700 and 10,00 expected job openings each year respectively. This is on par with the nationwide all occupation average of 4%.