How to Write a Cover Letter and Get Noticed

When you apply for a job, you can submit a cover letter in addition to your resume or CV and any other requested materials. While including one is only sometimes necessary, doing so can expand your unique professional story.

Whereas your resume or CV covers essential information, like the dates of your past employment and the skills you’ve developed, your cover letter is an opportunity to dive more fully into your motivation for applying. In writing a cover letter, you should aim to answer two primary questions: 

• Why are you interested in this role at this particular company? 

• Why are you a strong fit? 

A great cover letter can help you stand out. It can also give potential employers an early impression of who you are and why they should consider you for the role. 

What is a cover letter, and when do you need one?

A cover letter is a one-page document — around four to five brief paragraphs — that details your career. It can be instrumental when your application makes it past an applicant tracking system (ATS) and into the hands of a hiring manager or if you’ve been asked to email your application directly.  

There’s no firm consensus about cover letters. Some recruiters and hiring managers prefer them, whilst others pay more attention to your resume and don’t review your letter. Still, there’s evidence they have an impact. In an experiment from ResumeGo, 16.4 per cent of applicants who submitted a tailored cover letter landed an interview compared to 10.7 per cent of applicants who didn’t include one [1]. Customised cover letters also led to more interviews compared to generic cover letters. 

When should you include a cover letter?

Cover letters take time to craft because you’ll need to research the company and role, building a specific explanation about why you want to work there. As such, you may want to reflect on whether completing one is a good investment. 

It can be helpful to include a cover letter when: 

• You’re especially interested in the job or company

• Someone has referred you

• You’re changing careers and want to explain your reasons further

If you’re unsure about submitting a cover letter as part of your application, err on the side of caution and write one so a recruiter or hiring manager has more information about you. 

Cover letter sections

A cover letter has five main sections: 

1. Header: At the top of the document, include your contact information, name, city and state, phone number, and email address. Leave space after that information and address your cover letter to the hiring manager once you conduct further research and identify the appropriate person. If you can't find a specific name, go with a generic greeting: ‘Dear [Department] Hiring Team.’  

2. Intro: In the first paragraph, demonstrate your fit. Explain who you are, what excites you about the role, and what you hope to accomplish in your next career move, whether that’s more responsibility, moving into a new but relevant area, or something else. 

3. Body paragraphs: In the subsequent two or three paragraphs, spend time discussing your experience. Don’t simply restate what you’ve already shared through your resume. Instead, talk about any notable effect you’ve had, such as increasing profitability or performance or when you went above and beyond.   

4. Conclusion: In your final paragraph, restate your interest in the role, remind the hiring manager why you’d be a good fit for their team and company, and state what you want.  

5. Signature: Include a signature line with a formal farewell like “Sincerely” and your name. 

3 tips before writing your cover letter

Whether you’re drafting an entirely new cover letter or updating a previous version for a new application, a few steps are worth taking before you begin writing: 

1. Research the company.

Visit the company’s website and closely examine the ‘About Us’ section. If the company has a careers section, read over any information about workplace culture. Consider what interests you—what the company does or how it operates—and note it to include in your letter. 

2. Review the job description. 

Compare the job description to your work history: What have you done in previous roles, and what areas of growth particularly excite you? A hiring team will want you to have many of the skills necessary to handle the job’s responsibilities, but you can also highlight the kind of growth you’re seeking and how the role feeds into that. 

For example, ‘Whilst I’ve regularly contributed strategically to my team’s output, I’m excited to take on the opportunity to lead strategic development.’

3. Reflect on your transferable skills.

Transferable skills are those you take from job to job, like problem-solving and working collaboratively. These can be beneficial in your cover letter, showing a recruiter or hiring manager how you approach work so they can think about how well you’d fit their team.  

3 tips for writing your cover letter

Once you begin writing, follow the steps below to craft and review your letter before completing your job application: 

1. Grab the hiring manager’s attention with a strong opening.

Cover letters used to be more formal, often beginning with a dry introduction like, ‘I am writing to apply for X.’ Now, you can infuse more personality into the opening, speaking about your passion, interest, and enthusiasm about the opportunity. Reflect on your research about the company and role, and integrate that information into your intro. 

For example, ‘I’m a seasoned UX designer who appreciates a challenge. I’ve been especially impressed with the app redesign XYZ Company recently launched, and I’m interested in joining your team’s efforts to make users more engaged.’

2. Align your tone. 

Much like how you might tailor your outfit depending on where you interview, it can be helpful to tailor your tone in a cover letter. For example, formality might seem rigid if you’re applying to a tech start-up, but an established financial institution might expect it. Think about the tone the company conveys through its website and other communications, and strive to align your writing without overshadowing your personality. 

3. Proofread.

Take time to proofread your letter before sending it, ensuring it’s error-free. Find someone to review it for you or read it aloud, which can often help you catch any tangled sentence constructions or issues. 

Cover letter example

Using the abovementioned sections, let’s break down a cover letter for a project manager role. For another example, look at the cover letter for a data analyst role.

[Header] 

November 7, 2023

Harland Sanders

Animax

Bhaveshwar Plaza, 

L B S Marg, 

Ghatkopar west, Mumbai - 400086

Dear Mr. Harland Sanders,

[Introduction] I am Ramesh Devi, and I am excited to apply for the Junior Project Manager position at Animax. I am a Project Coordinator at Square Paws, where I have successfully supported several projects. I have long admired Animax’s work to improve animal adoption processes and would be delighted to contribute my skills to the team.

[Body] At Square Paws, I oversaw multiple aspects of running numerous projects. I worked closely with the project manager to develop project schedules, ensure team members had the resources to complete their tasks and coordinate communication with stakeholders on project updates. I am particularly proud of a project to roll out a feature on our app that users could use to book appointments with veterinarians. As a complex project involving multiple stakeholders, it was important to be mindful of the details and continuously listen to users' feedback. My efforts to coordinate an early feedback system in a trial period led to discovering several bugs and pain points we fixed for the launch. As a result, we reduced customer concerns by 80 per cent and ultimately completed the project under budget by ₹30,000.

[Body] I have long been familiar with animal adoption centres and believe wholeheartedly in Animax’s mission. I have volunteered consistently at animal shelters since high school and am familiar with their processes. In college, I took several courses that I believe can be useful to the project manager role, including zoology and business administration. Working as a project manager in this field will allow me to expand my knowledge of the industry and assist in my goal of making the world a more livable place for shelter animals.

[Conclusion] My experience, skill set, and passions make me a strong candidate for Animax’s team. I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you for your time.

[Signature] 

Sincerely,

Ramesh Devi

Get started

Refresh your cover writing skills with the Guided Project Create a Resume and Cover Letter with Google Docs on Coursera, which takes around two hours to complete.  

Develop or strengthen data analysis, social media marketing, and UX design skills with a Professional Certificate from companies like Google, Meta, and IBM. Sign up for Coursera today and begin a seven-day free trial.