Speech Language Pathologist Cover Letter Example & Templates
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When you find a job you want, submitting a well-written resume is a good start. You’ll also need to send a persuasive cover letter that fills in the gaps and illustrates your fit for the role.
This guide to writing an impressive cover letter for a speech language pathologist position will help you highlight your exemplary communication, compassion and interpersonal skills to improve your chances of getting an interview.
Speech language pathologist cover letter (text version)
Payton Hunter
Buffalo, NY 14215
(555) 555-5555
example@example.com
June 9, 2023
James Snyder, Principal
Gardner High School
Buffalo, NY 14218
Phone: 555-555-5555
E-Mail: example@example.com
Dear James Snyder,
Upon learning about the speech-language pathologist posting with Gardner High School, I was eager to contact you with my interest. When reviewing the job description, I was excited to see how well my experience aligns with your company’s needs and position requirements, in particular my current role at Bowers Elementary School. From reading your company’s website, I feel your core mission and culture suit what I offer as a professional.
With more than seven years of experience as a speech-language pathologist, I am adept in screenings, therapy and total patient care. Moreover, while my on-the-job experience has afforded me a well-rounded skill set, including first-rate case management and leadership abilities, I excel at:
- Performing exams, determining diagnoses and outlining treatment plans.
- Conducting IEP meetings to address speech therapy concerns.
- Working with over 200 patients diagnosed with autism and Down syndrome.
- Maintaining documentation to meet procedural and regulatory requirements.
In addition to my experience and personal qualities, I have a solid educational foundation and a passion for improving student educational performance. I am eager to help students deal with issues such as stutters as well as physical or emotional problems that affect communication. In addition, I am extremely enthusiastic about Garder High School’s focus on total student wellness and would welcome the opportunity to contribute to your performance improvement goals.
Please review my attached resume for additional details regarding my expertise and career achievements. I will follow up to request an appointment to discuss how my experience and background meet your needs.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Payton Hunter
How to format your cover letter
A cover letter is your opportunity to introduce yourself to a potential employer. It allows you to expand on your resume skills, connect with the hiring manager and show them why you’re the one for the job.
Your cover letter should highlight your patient experience, analysis, and communication skills. Speech language pathologists must demonstrate these skills in their cover letters to show they fit the role.
Include specific examples of how you’ve worked with patients in previous positions, how you’ve used evaluation tools to create care plans and how you organize information. That’s a lot for one page, but we’re here to help! It all starts with the correct cover letter format.
Use the business letter format
A cover letter is a business letter, so use the layout of a standard business letter to guide the format of your document.
As our example of a speech language pathologist cover letter shows, your cover letter must include:
- A header with your name, city, state, ZIP code and telephone number.
- The recipient’s address and contact information.
- A greeting like “Dear Samuel Hill,” “Dear Hiring Manager,” or “Dear HR Department.”
- A simple closing, like “Kind regards” or “Sincerely.”
Use 1-inch margins on all sides, 1.15 to 1.5 spacing and left alignment on your one-page letter.
Using a speech language pathologist cover letter template is the best way to ensure your cover letter is formatted correctly and will pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS).
Plug your letter into our Cover Letter Builder, and we’ll give you expert advice and job-specific phrases to use. You’ll have a professional cover letter for a speech language pathologist role in no time.
Discussing relevant skills in your cover letter shows hiring managers that you are a great fit for the role. We’ll offer ready-made content ideas for your cover letter that target essential skills such as research and evaluation, documentation and case management.
How to write your cover letter
Start with a compelling introduction
A hiring manager will spend seconds scanning job applications, so you must immediately grab their attention with your speech language pathologist cover letter.
Think of your cover letter introduction as an elevator pitch. Be as clear and convincing as possible. Mention why you’re interested in the job and highlight why you’re an excellent fit.
Showcase your top skills like evaluation, case management and communication.
Use accomplishments to explain why you’re a great fit for the role
Reviewing our cover letter examples, you’ll see that the body paragraphs paint an in-depth picture of the applicant’s career history and offer insight into their interests and values.
In one or two paragraphs, give potential employers a sense of who you are and your capabilities.
Use strong action verbs and numbers to describe your previous work accomplishments. For example, “At Lincoln High School, I conducted evaluations, developed care plans and kept open lines of communication with all stakeholders to successfully deliver treatment plans to students.”
Remember to highlight both hard skills and soft skills relevant to the role throughout your cover letter.
Close with an invitation
As our sample speech language pathologist cover letter shows, the final paragraph should thank the hiring manager for their time and reiterate both your love of patient care and your eagerness to be considered. Close the cover letter by inviting them to contact you to learn more about your qualifications.
Pair your speech language pathologist cover letter with a matching resume
FAQ
How do you write a cover letter for a speech language pathologist?
The short answer is yes. A cover letter is an essential piece of a job application. While a resume provides a snapshot of your professional career, a cover letter fills in the blanks.
Cover letters tell the hiring manager who you are and why you want the job. They also help explain career gaps or provide details about your motivation to change careers.
See our library of cover letter examples for expertly crafted samples to help you write a compelling cover letter.
How do you write a successful speech language pathologist cover letter?
As mentioned, your cover letter should follow the standard business letter format, with a header outlining your contact information, a formal greeting and a professional sign-off. It should also highlight specific relevant qualifications you have for the role.
In the body of your cover letter, emphasize the skills and experiences that make you a strong candidate for the position. Focus on your evaluation performance, IEP meetings with stakeholders and attention to detail.
Support your claims with specific examples from your previous work or academic experience. For instance, mention a time when your communication and relationship-building skills helped you work through a challenging IEP meeting and still had a successful outcome.
How do you write a speech language pathologist cover letter with no experience?
Even if you’ve never held a formal paid job, you can still write a compelling cover letter to pair with your resume for a speech language pathologist position.
Focus on transferable skills acquired through academic, volunteer or extracurricular experience to showcase your willingness to learn on the job.
For instance, you could highlight communication, research, case management and time management skills acquired through past roles or internships.
Remember to include resume keywords from the job description in your cover letter to increase the likelihood of it being read by the hiring manager. Doing so will help ensure your letter gets past an ATS and into human hands.
Best practices
- Address the recruiter or hiring manager directly.
- Explain what attracted you to the company in one or two sentences.
- Customize your speech language pathologist cover letter for the job.
- Include keywords from the job description throughout.
- End with a clear call to action.
- Proofread your cover letter more than once.
- Write a generic speech language pathologist cover letter.
- Write more than one page.
- Use generic salutations, like “To Whom It May Concern.”
- Regurgitate your speech language pathologist resume.
- Rely on automatic grammar or spell-checkers.
- Write a fan letter, even if it is your dream job.
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Toni is a Career Expert who has been providing career advice to professionals for over 16 years. Her areas of expertise include interview prep, salary negotiation, resume writing and career change coaching.
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