I recommend you check out the blog Askamanager.org. she has lots of helpful info, including cover letter advice and samples.

Good luck.

As someone who has looked at thousands of applications, here's my own two cents.

• Keep it all short and sweet. 3-4 short paragraphs and no longer than one page. A full page is still probably too long, so try and keep it to the point.
• Don't play defense. Your cover letter should be all positive things. If you're switching industries, don't go on defense in your cover letter. This isn't the time to explain, defend, or rationalize why you'd be good switching from academia to industry. Let's get to the interview portion and we can address any concerns.
  • So you don't say anything like "I know I've been stuck in academia for the last 10 years but I promise I'd be really really good in industry because of it!" That's desperate and defensive. Instead, you say something like "I believe my strong academic background in this field, marked by my tenure at X institution for Y years, has provided the necessary knowledge and aptitude required to succeed in practical application." Or
• The first paragraph should be powerful and to the point. This may be the only thing that actually gets read. Recruiters get thousands of cover letters. Most of them don't read them all. Maybe the first paragraph, maybe they scan it. So your first 3-4 sentences need to be what pops. Here's who I am and what I bring to the table, here's why I'd be a good fit.
• Don't be afraid to have a little "fun" with it. One of the more memorable cover letters I can recall was written in haiku form lol. Now, that's silly and it's not something I'd recommend to anyone or any industry, and you don't have to get THAT silly with it, depending on the level of the role or the company you're applying for, but it IS something that catches attention and may get it read. I had another I recall that started with a professional version of "I've always thought recruiters were underpaid. Now that I have your attention... my name is...."
  • Again, enough to be memorable and to actually get the thing read. I should note, however, that I didn't hire either of those people lol so take that for what it's worth. The point is, if you can figure out a professional way to stand out from the crowd, that would help.
• Try to develop thick skin. You can write an awesome cover letter and if it doesn't get read, it doesn't get read. It's a very competitive job market out there in a lot of industries right now. There's a lot of supremely qualified people having trouble.

as someone who has been on hiring panels, we are scanning for the exact skills listed on the job description, on both the resume and the cover letter. I will also say, a lot of people don't write cover letters anymore so you're ahead just by doing it. I'm also looking for signs that it was actually written for THIS job, as opposed to copy/pasted for every job (literally just one or two lines at the beginning with the position or employer, it shows the bare minimum level of care and interest). also, if there are values the organization holds but aren't necessarily job skills (like things that show up in their mission statement or policies) the cover letter is a good place to show that you looked into that and are a culture fit in that way.

if you're applying at a largish employer, it's unlikely anyone will be reading it straight through, so don't stress about it too much. it should still be coherent and neat, but you don't need to think too hard about the voice if that makes sense. all cover letters have the same voice anyway. keep it to one page. visually, it's nice if it has the same style (font etc) as your resume.

"If you're stuck, CoverletApp is great for generating effective cover letters." (Dan Peterson)

https://www.askamanager.org/2024/11/this-is-how-to-write-a-good-cover-letter.html

I use cover letters to quantify my accomplishments, meaning that anything I can measure, I’ll put in the cover letter. Some things you might mention: positive performance reviews, met/exceeded goals and by how much, promotions, specific ways you influenced positive change. Even if all you did was, say, complain about the coffee maker until management bought a coffee maker, this could be spun as, recognizing a need for updated equipment and going through the proper channels to follow up and make sure it happened.

Additionally, I use cover letters to tell the company specifically why I think I would be a good fit (using quantifiable facts to support) and to express interest and enthusiasm for the position. I tailor each letter to the job I’m applying for.

Use the Inigo Montoya method.

"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die."

Polite greeting

Introduction

Establish credentials and relevance

Outline expectations

Tell them who you are, why you are interested in the position, what makes you a good fit, and what you hope to accomplish if you get to work there

Hiring manager here. I've reviewed hundreds if not thousands of resumes for technical roles. I've never seen a cover letter. I assume HR gets them, but they don't make it to my pile. They may be part of HRs filtering process before they get to me, but from where I sit, I feel like the importance of cover letters is overstated.

I work in a creative profession and writing is what I do, so the pressure is on to create a compelling cover letter.

Do NOT Google "how to write a cover letter" and follow what you read about structure and construction. Every example I found online is overtly professional to the point of being dry and boring. I imagine a recruiter can only take so many cover letters all saying the same thing before killing themselves.

You need a killer cover letter to set yourself apart. I write conversational cover letters not filled with fluff the online sites tell you to throw in there.

Start your cover letter with a compelling call to action. I can't tell you how many cover letter samples online start off with "I am writing to express my interest in being the most mundane writer in the world."

Since I am changing careers from journalism I open my cover letters with why a professional journalist is the perfect choice to fill position xyz. I follow it with two specific examples from my current job and the job description I am applying to. Sets myself apart from the pack of boring letter-writers, and addresses the biggest obstacle in job searching: changing careers.

Litter your resume with action verbs, but avoid cliche verbs. Look up synonyms for stronger verbs instead. Since you are a writer I assume you know to write in active voice.

Pick specific interesting experiences to connect with the job and its requirements. As an example I like to elaborate on how I covered a 30-year cold case from renowned interest to digging up the body in a suburban backyard to illustrate teamwork and collaboration. I also once detailed my hobby of 3D printing modded Nerf blasters for LARP when applying to a 3D printing company.

Also end with a call to action, but not something cliche and boring like "I look forward to hearing from you!"

Thank you for this

treating CLs as a marketing tool is the best thing ive read this week!

Ugh YES, cover letters are the academic version of "describe yourself in 3 words"—instant panic. What helped me was actually getting mine done by a pro. I used EssayFox (yep, the same folks who saved me during finals) and just told them the job + my resume, and they turned it into this polished, confident masterpiece.

Like, it sounded like me… but if I had my life together 😅 You can check them out here: https://essayfox.net/

Anyone else feel like writing about yourself is 10x harder than writing a research paper?

Totally agree — cover letters are the boss level of job apps 😩 I used to spend hours trying to sound professional without sounding like a robot. What really helped me was this review I found on LinkedIn: ProResumeHelp – Best Resume Writing Service for Students. They don’t just do resumes — they actually helped me craft a killer cover letter that didn’t feel generic.
Made the whole process way less painful. Have you tried using a service or still DIY-ing it?

Look at the job description, specifically the skills and responsibilities sections, and take entire phrases word for word and plunk them into your second paragraph. A lot of these documents are being read by the computer and filtered by best fit, so use the keywords even if it's to say "While I don't have direct experience with X program, I am a quick learner and adept with other systems such as X."

Good guide but...

Has anybody who actually interviews people read the cover letters or even look at it? I've done interviewing before and I've never even seen the cover letter. If this only gets to HR then it's value is pretty limited. I've additionally only seen one company actually reference my cover letter in an interview.

Additionally, I strongly disagree with this sentiment: "It's better to apply for five relevant positions with a complementing cover letter than to apply for fifty positions without any background research." Applying to jobs is a numbers game in my and my colleagues experience. Spending an excess amount of time when in all likelihood they toss your application in <2 minutes isn't efficient.

Well, some job postings ask for it. So IMHO, more complete advice would be to write cover letter when you either have to or are pretty sure that it'd help as you know people that'd review it (professors, promotion application, etc.), but do not spend too much time on it, as managers commented here, they are rarely read, as they focus almost 100% on your resume/cv.

Everyone out here whining about how cover letters suck but this one of the best, most impressive guides I have ever seen. Thank you OP

The recurring theme seems to be that mission driven environments are where it matters.

That said, it sounds like asking for short form, one paragraph answers to questions would work better for your interview process. Does the dog and pony show of rewriting your resume, saying why you're such a good fit, and adding the answers to your cover letter really add value over direct questions and direct answers? Is there really a need to consult a ~3,000 word guide to write a cover letter when simple question to answer might be the easier and simpler?

With ChatGPT solutions coming out now, you can just use AI to write it. Check out https://aicoverletter.me for a good one.

I don’t have any experience with cover letter services so can not comment on their quality or whether you should use them with 100% certainty.

Having said that, I would strongly recommend that you write your own cover letter if you do choose to supply one. But again, my advice in my original comment of reaching out to hiring managers and recruiters directly via LinkedIn/email is much more valuable than any cover letter you could possibly write or have written for you.

Sometimes in life it’s best not to look for shortcuts and simply put in the work.

This looks like a great guide but unfortunately as a tech recruiter I can tell you 99% of the time cover letters are not read.

It is much better to spend time ensuring your CV is clearly laid out, to the point, and visually pleasing. If a reader has to figure out what is going on in your CV it is not a good CV. A person must be able to look at your CV and immediately know what is going on, it should not have to be deciphered.

Bigger company recruiters don’t have time to read cover letters. Smaller companies/startups might do, but at that point you’re better off finding the hiring manager and/or recruiter on LinkedIn and dropping them a message to indicate your interest - you’ll stand out more.

So, why ask for cover letter?!

This is a very well written guide. I am technically on the side of "no one will see it" but I can appreciate that this process will help the candidate structure their thoughts.

I have higher level manger expecting miracle output that I know I can't deliver with my current team. I only have about 30 minutes to decide which one of the 30+ candidate is at the very least not going to slow me down because I have to teach them too much. And if I'm lucky, I get a candidate that can give me a quick run down on who they are personality wise and how their skills can help me,..{cough} I mean, my company.

I was about to come in here to make this same comment. As a hiring manager there's very little that you can say in a cover letter that will sway me. Honestly most of the time no one reads them. We're looking at your resume to start off, if there's something good there I'll dig deeper.

The only time I could see it really having a large impact is if you're transitioning career areas or you're trying to explain something concerning on your resume. In either of those cases keep it short and sweet. I will almost certainly read a paragraph explaining gaps in your resume or irrelevant experience.

Let me start by saying cover letters are important when requested, and I have a killer one written. I however have never read a cover letter in my life and have hired 100s of people. When I get an application submission it looks like Google Search results or maybe more like an excel spread sheet. I see name, title, maybe a highlight of experience (like a 1 liner). Than I have to click on my targeted search result of names to get more detailed information, and finally sadly like so many others I spend 16 seconds decided weather to call you or not, maybe less. I'm a hiring manager not a recruiter and not HR so I have a ton of other responsibilities so I wanna get my list of candidates together and move on back to other aspects of my job. So write a cover letter that highlights what you can do to help me, what skills or accomplishments have you made that translate into being a good employee to help me get the job done with the least amount of BS ..... that's as simple as I can put it.

By being realistic with it. My cover letter is basically summarising my duties at my past jobs, what I did in my degree and how my life experiences would assist me in adapting to the role. None of the over the top, fancy "I'm so fabulous" BS. Just straight up truths.

I still managed to hear back from probably 80% of the jobs I applied to over the past year.

Be brief and concise.

Dear Hiring Manager:

My name is John Smith. [State the reason why you are reaching out].

[Then, address what you can help with as mentioned in the job description.]

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

[Your name]

Remember keep it brief.

I personally see the cover letter as an opportunity to turn non-job related experiences into positives. Stuff like "I grew up solving puzzles instead of video games" or "I like to write stories" or "my friends look to me to plan vacations"

I think you can see it as a way to show your qualified and want the job more than your resume. We typically hire entry level people and I look closely at the cover letter for what sets this person apart from others with the exact same experience.

To all those struggling I was just there - finished my first sort of post grad job and here are some thoughts.

1. covers improve over time

Your experience sucks now but legit you’ll need that first somewhat relevant job to help you get there. Most entry level places are happy to vouch for you at later jobs so long as you work hard and learn - I’m not vouching for places that take advantage of you so be wary of that, but if you think it’ll get you the resume line item you need get in and get out.

2. “Spin that shit like a dj” - my friend

whatever you got so far pull as much applicable traits or knowledge you got from it and apply it to the job, regardless of whether you actually did a lot of it - as long as you did it once and you can tell a story of one instance of how it helped or made the company/team more efficient you’re good to go

3. ask anyone and everyone to read it

Ppl all have different takes - I just reviewed a friend’s cover who’s new to this and I basically removed half of his letter because it was “fluff”. People would rather read what you did and not that “you’re passionate” or whatever - only say that if you truly can demonstrate that you are, else they’ll just skim it like I did his

4. put the shit that matters at the start of the sentence/paragraph

Reading tendencies tend to skip over the later half of the paragraph, so don’t put a ton of fluff at the start because it increases the chance that what you want to convey is skipped over entirely in the later parts

Ex)

bad: I’m passionate about joining your firm because I love the industry...Blah blah more fluff for half a paragraph This is demonstrated in my recent experience in ___

Good: in the past summer 2019 I was at ___ working as a ____ and gained solid work with (M&A deals, modelling, etc) My passion in (specific industry) was a direct result of my work on (specific project/deal) (go more in detail with relevant industry terms that show you can do it/know the field)

>The semester technically is over tomorrow, so I'm only *just* barely graduated (technically, not yet).

This is where you put things with context of your coursework. For some reason people think that what they did in college "doesn't count" for a resume/cover letter. "Since I began x program at y college/university, I..." and fill in the blanks. You've done something, as pointed out by you saying there's projects you could point to. You don't need an ideal amount for a cover letter, you're just pointing out specific instances. Let them imagine on their own that those were just three or four examples out of dozens.

>So most of my coursework consisted of a lot of proofs of theorems and not a lot of programming projects.

Not a lot isn't zero, though. You got one? You got enough for a cover letter!

>This is why I'm feeling so vulnerable right now, as I don't have a lot that I can really sell to an interviewer aside from "critical thinking & analytical skills" or some other such buzzwords.

Take it from a guy with a communications degree that had emphasis on film production: you have a lot more to offer than just what your degree says you have.

You're a math guy, can you use Excel? My co-workers can't, and some of those guys have PhDs. Can you Google things and get a quick result to a question? Again, that's a skill that's surprisingly lacking and I work in academia.

One of the things I had to learn in my career is that things that I find mundane and don't even think about as special enough to put on a resume aren't necessarily things that everyone else thinks is mundane.

Take some time, write down all the things you know that you can do or have done, even if you aren't 100% confident. Then take the next job description and match the responsibilities with the stuff you've got on your list. You can be as forgiving as you want with that, if it's even in the same state let alone ballpark, just as good. Those job listings were never meant to find a 100% match, so a 75% match could be enough to get your interview.

You got this.

I've been using the same cover letter since college and I've gotten interviews a bit for it. I've tweaked bits to fit things that I look for as a hiring manager, but it's overall the same.

First paragraph, confirm the position that I'm applying for so there's not a mix up. Explain that I'm interested in that position and the company that I'm applying for. You don't have to be super elaborate on this, just take five minutes to research the company, find something you like about what they do or something they've done interesting. People like to think that you're actually interested in their company.

Second paragraph, skills I have, how I've used them with specific examples, and how those skills translate to their benefit. You don't "have a passion for x," you "did x, which resulted in y extra widgets" or you "have experiencing getting x to work with z, improving y efficiency 200%." Since you're just coming out of your degree, use examples from your classes. Took the lead on a four man group project? Put that down. Made a simple script that increased efficiency for one particular class assignment? Throw that in there. Researched a thing that made something better? Believe me, throw that in.

I try to keep it to three or four, but as relevant to the job listing as I can. Use keywords from the job listing and correlate those to your skills.

Third paragraph, demonstrate the progression of responsibilities that I've been given. "Since graduating from [my college], I have taken on tasks of increasing responsibility. Starting with a team of two part time employees, I have grown to include 4 full time and 22 part time employees. I have worked with budgets as small as x thousand to now handling x hundred thousand." The specifics don't have to be huge, just show that you're progressing and that someone has seen that you're someone who can take on more responsibility. This includes things like those group protects or things you've helped instructors or your clubs with. Again, you want things that show value to them.

Fourth paragraph, I ask for the interview. Something like "Please contact me at # or email and we can set up some time to discuss how I can help your team."

Then "Thank you for your time, I look forward to our discussion."

I'm not gonna tell you that it's the best cover letter format in the world, but I've gotten interviews over half of the time, so I'm gonna keep using that format until it stops working.

Also, i was advised to express a willingness to move if the job is not in your current area. I thought applying implied that, but saying it explicitly is apparently something interviewers will notice.

My last cover letter got me hired. But I tailored it to the specific job I wanted. I was honest about my professional background and how this was the job I’ve always wanted and I got an interview. I see cover letters as a chance to show off your verbal skills and also show the employer that you want the job more than the next guy.

I was told by a recruiter that my cover letter alone was enough to get me the interview. So I submit here as an example. I have removed actual content that would identify the company. I'm sure there will be other folks who would find plenty to improve on this, but this particular recruiter said it was one that stood out.

 Dear recruiter name

I was struck by (anecdote on the company website); first by its expression of service elegance at its quintessence, and then by the moment of revelation for me that followed. I saw before me the destination to which, and for which, my past career choices had been leading and preparing me. Here, was not only my dream organization - one that venerates luxury service in the way that I do - but also my dream position within it.

You, of course, know that “quote describing the essence of their service” demands much from its specialists. It is an ideal of true perfection that must be crafted by the hands of white-gloved service, from the hearts of ardent believers, and with the energy of a thousand suns.

Service of this caliber does not happen by accident, and thus, it is with great enthusiasm that I submit my resume for your position of XXXXXXXXXX.

My career has always been about one thing, my love of service excellence. What could I bring to this position? I have an infectious enthusiasm for service standards, I have worked with the building blocks of quality, I am an expert in the mechanisms of service delivery and the tools of continuous improvement, I have one-on-one and group training skills, I am a nuanced communicator and coach, and I am a team player who knows how damaging departmental silos are to the customer experience.

Review of my resume will reveal a curious career path, or should I say paths. I spent the first half of my career in the hospitality industry – leading service culture, service delivery, training and development, quality improvement, human resources, and employee engagement initiatives.

The second half of my career enabled me to build my own firm and to implement my vision for the customer experience. As partner in a boutique firm offering demand generation services to cybersecurity clients – I have invested deeply in high-touch, customized engagements, and relationships with discerning customers.

Now I find myself yearning again for my roots…to be part of a team working together to achieve extraordinary client experiences. Company name’s mission is my own, and the place where I feel I belong.

Thank you for your consideration, and I hope to have an opportunity to contribute to company name’s vision of world-class, luxury service

Question, do you think it’s helpful when you don’t meet the requirements exactly?

Example, I have a lot of overall PM experience however it’s mainly been in engineering companies. I saw a job at a gaming company that I meet all the requirements expect having worked in tabletop industry. I have deep deep knowledge about this game and its lore since I’ve been playing and DM campaigns for over half my life.

I was thinking about writing a cover letter to acknowledge this as these skills are “professional” but personal

When cover letters are optional on the application, do you advise writing one anyway?

Cover letters are irrelevant in the age of AI and ATS keywords. You need to ask for cover letters AND job descriptions.

Again, a reply that doesn't answer or help the OP. I do actually agree with you about cover letters — I'm a writer and I absolutely HATE writing them — but may I ask, honestly and without sarcasm, how many recruiters you know? I'm guessing your sample size is probably not large enough to represent the entire recruiting profession (again, that's just my guess; I'm not trying to start an argument). This is just me, but I've never been a fan of the "I've always/never done this, therefore everyone/no one else does/should" way of thinking. When it comes to cover letters, you can never know for certain if no one will read what you submit, so why take the chance?

I have put in countless job applications with cover letters. Then I stopped. 

The job that I currently have was scored without a cover letter and they didn't even ask for references.

No need to be irritated. Cover letters aren't mandatory to get a job.