Why to Write a Cover Letters

Before diving into what to include in a cover letter, let’s take a step back. While not all job applications require a cover letter, in today’s competitive job market, you should take any opportunity you have to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. Most jobs will at least give you the option of including a cover letter in your application, and why not take it? Establish yourself as a great communicator, someone willing to go above and beyond, and point out any reasons the role particularly resonates with you. While you also want to customize your resume to the individual job description, a thoughtful, concise, and well-written cover letter can show more of your personality and help you stand out from the crowd. 

A great cover letter is much more than the format – there’s no real consensus about exactly how many parts there are to a cover letter. (Search for it, we’ll wait – is it four? Seven? Twelve?) What really matters in creating your cover letter is the story you are telling about who you are and what you bring to the position, and in a different way than what you can do with your resume. 

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Cover Letter Format

As we pointed out, there isn’t a strict format for the cover letter layout. It should be one page or less – long enough to make your point but not include any fluff or unimportant information. With online applications, it’s not necessary to include the formal information on the top like people used to do when they handed in physical copies. So, there’s no need to include your full contact information at the top, especially if you’re just copying and pasting the letter into a field on the application. But, regardless of the format, this is what to include in a cover letter:

• A friendly greeting: To Whom It May Concern or Dear Hiring Manager are great choices. Don’t overthink it or overcomplicate it. While you can address it directly to the hiring manager if you know their name, multiple people are likely to read this letter, so going with something more general is a great practice.
• A strong opening paragraph: If your first paragraph doesn’t grab the reader’s attention, they are unlikely to keep reading. It doesn’t need to be long, but it should clearly convey: 1) You are excited to apply for the role, and 2) Your unique value proposition – what is the number one reason you would be a great fit for the role?
• A few paragraphs that align your experiences and skills with the role responsibilities and qualifications: This is where you really tie together your experience and how it melds with the role. It’s also a great place to bring up anything in your personal background that you find is important, but maybe isn’t well represented on your resume. This is especially important if you are looking to make a pivot or change in your career, but even if you’re staying in the same field, telling the story of how this role is the perfect next step in your career roadmap paints a powerful case for your success in the new position.
• A short sign-off: A short sentence or two expressing your hope that you will have the opportunity to be a part of the hiring process, followed by a simple sentence: Sincerely, Your Name. Again, like the greeting, don’t overthink it, but make sure you’re keeping it professional.

As for the actual digital format, make sure you read the instructions. Usually, the application will tell you what file types you can attach, or you will need to copy and paste it into a box. If you copy/paste, make sure you double-check to ensure all your formatting comes through properly. If you have the option of attaching a PDF, that is always a great choice, as it will look the same when opened for everyone.

Even if a job application says a cover letter is optional, show the employer you’re willing to go above and beyond. Target the story of your career journey for each employer using Jobalope’s cover letter generator.

What Not to Include

The point of a cover letter is to have an extra opportunity to show why you’re a match, so avoid just rehashing the same information that’s already covered in your resume or in other parts of the application. You also want to avoid adding information that isn’t directly relevant or feels like it’s just there to take up space. 

You also want to avoid anything you would avoid in an interview. Don’t talk badly about former employers, and don’t include any proprietary information that you aren’t allowed to share. Make sure that when you are discussing your accomplishments, you are doing so in a way that highlights you and your outcomes but doesn’t include specific numbers, names, or other identifying information. You want to make sure that while you are selling yourself, you are still coming across as discrete and loyal.

Selling Yourself

Previously, we discussed including your unique value proposition in your opening cover letter paragraph. What does that mean? What is the number one reason why you are the person for this role? This might be very different for different roles, even if they have the same title. If you’re applying to a project manager job, for instance, any of these might make good value propositions, depending on what the emphasis is in the job description:

• I have spent the last ten years managing education projects and creating engaging and effective learning content for adult learners, and I believe that makes me the ideal candidate for this role.
• With my extensive experience as a project manager and my passion for customer-first strategies and content creation, I am confident in my ability to bring innovative ideas that help solve tough problems.
• I am excited at the prospect of bringing my expertise in Agile methodologies, cross-collaboration, and global localization to the role of project manager.

All three of these are from cover letters for jobs simply titled “Project Manager,” but as you can see, they are very different. The first was for an EdTech company, the second emphasized the importance of customer focus, and the third wanted someone with extensive experience using Agile and working on localization projects. For each cover letter, what makes this candidate the right fit is something different, based on what kind of company it is, what the responsibilities would be, and the skills the candidate brings. These three lines were all written about the same candidate with the same background, and all are true. Customizing the reason why YOU are the person for THIS role is what makes a cover letter such a powerful tool in getting your foot in the door.
Need help crafting the perfect cover letter? Want to get your application completed ASAP but feel stuck on the cover letter? Check out Jobalope’s Generate Cover Letter Tool. You’ll be able to get a personalized cover letter you can use as your first draft to help jump-start your creativity and make sure you’re making the connection between your experiences and the job requirements.