How to Write a Cover Letter

The what

Writing a cover letter that stands out can be the difference between landing the job of your dreams and not being considered at all. A competitive listing may receive hundreds, if not thousands, of applications, which means the statistical chance of being chosen is relatively small. Although a well-written cover letter is not sufficient to guarantee that you get the job you want, it is almost always a necessary component.

The cover letter is a vital part of your application. This is why the "cover" letter is typically the first page and not an appendix (although it is common to attach it as a separate document). Whereas your CV or resume gives the reader (the hiring staff or potential manager) a brief summary of your accomplishments and qualifications, the cover letter demonstrates your ability to express yourself.

Think of the resume as the foundation of a building, which carries the weight of the structure. The cover letter is more like the interior design: perhaps not the most vital part of the building, but certainly the part that catches the eye.

The cover letter shows the employer that you have the qualities the job requires, and it makes a statement about who you are and how well you suit the job. It should give that je ne sais quoi, the personal touch that your CV inherently lacks.

A 2010 survey of employers by Eric Hilden of the Center for Career and Life Development at Saddleback College found that 42.9% of employers required applicants to submit a cover letter for every position they applied to. Only 29.8% felt that cover letters weren't important or that they simply didn't have time to read them, and the remaining 27.4% had no opinion on the matter.

Another survey, Covering All the Bases (2012), by the staffing firm Robert Half, found that 91% of the executives polled considered cover letters valuable when evaluating candidates. Historically, the cover letter was sent as a hard copy along with a resume by regular mail ("snail mail"), but it has not disappeared with the move to electronic applications. The same survey found that 79% of managers agreed that sending a cover letter online had become standard practice.

Three types of cover letters

Cover letters can be put into the following groups:

In response to a job listing: This type of cover letter is written to apply for a known job opening. It's targeted, well tailored and specific.
A prospecting letter: This type of cover letter is unsolicited and describes, in general terms, your abilities and how they fit the company's needs or culture. You're essentially asking about future positions.
A networking letter: This type of letter asks for information or assistance in your job search.

This article focuses on the first type, as it is the most common and therefore the most useful.

The why

The reason to submit a cover letter is fairly straightforward. It gives you a chance to stand out from the crowd and lets the employer assess your background in a way that isn't possible by merely scanning a CV. There was a time when you could land a job with a brief, to-the-point resume and no cover letter. Those days have passed. To be considered a serious contender, you need a cover letter that shows why the employer should choose you.

That's why it's important to submit a well-written cover letter even if the position you are seeking doesn't require one. The only time to skip it is when the listing explicitly says that no cover letter should be sent. In every other case, it will either be a necessary part of your application or, at the very least, improve your chances by making you stand out.

The how

Perhaps the most important thing about a cover letter is that it should be tailored to the specific position you are seeking. Avoid using a generic cover letter that you send indiscriminately to different employers. Instead, take the time to customize each letter and highlight the parts of your career or educational background that are relevant to the position. There should be no doubt that the letter is written specifically for the person reading it.

What to cover

The purpose of your application

Are you seeking an internship, a full-time position or something else? The reason for writing should be explicit and clear to the reader within the first few lines.

What makes you the best candidate

Highlight the skills you have, the experience you've gained and the knowledge you've acquired that make you the right candidate for the position. To do this, read the job description carefully and make sure you understand what's expected of you.

How you heard about the position

Did you find it by searching for positions related to "x," through a flyer or through a referral? This should be clear from the letter.

The earliest date you can start

Are you available immediately, or only from a specific date? Include this information in your letter, perhaps near the end.

Your personality

The cover letter needs to offer a glimpse of your personality. You won't be able to compress something as intricate as your personality into a document of a page or so, but the letter still needs that personal touch. The reader should at least get a glimpse of who you are, even if that glimpse only shows one small piece of the whole puzzle.

Layout

The layout of your cover letter matters, there's no denying that. Having said that, it is by no means as important as well-written content. A weak design might be overlooked, but a clumsily written letter will most likely be discarded. Here are a few tips to consider when designing your cover letter:

Font: Choose a clean, professional font such as Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri or Myriad Pro. Avoid fonts that look comical or childish, such as Comic Sans.
Font size: 10 to 12 points, depending on the font. Some fonts are inherently larger and can justify a smaller size, and vice versa.
Margins: Word processors usually default to margins of about 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides. There's no need to tinker with them unless you know what you're doing.
Length: Keep it between half a page and one page unless you have a very good reason not to. In the Saddleback College survey cited above, 19% of employers said a cover letter should fill an entire page, 46% said it should be only half a page long and 24% said the shorter, the better. The remaining 11% had no preference. The lesson: never go beyond one page unless you have a good reason.

A cover letter sent electronically differs from its paper counterpart in a few ways. For one thing, your contact details typically go below your name at the end of an email, but at the top of the page in a printed letter. In an email, you also need a good, clear subject line. Sometimes the employer has already specified it, and in that case, follow their instructions. If not, keep it simple, descriptive and interesting. An example of a descriptive subject line is "Ref. 250 - Proposal Engineer - John Johnson" and an example of an interesting one is "SEM Expert Seeking New Opportunity". Whichever style you choose, it should always be clear what the message is about.

Finally, a handwritten signature should always be included on a printed letter but is not necessary in an electronic application.

Content

The main goal of the cover letter is to make sure the reader understands why you're the most suitable candidate. In addition, the letter should:

Entice the reader to look at your resume.
Explain your motivation for applying. Be specific.
Explain how you came to this decision. What led you to apply for this particular position?
Show that you know about the company and its practices, and how your skills are relevant to its overall goals.
Mention it if you were referred by someone who works at the company.
Mention it if you've worked with the company before, perhaps as an intern or as part of a project.
Give examples of relevant knowledge and experience that make you suitable for the position.
Invite the employer to contact you for further information. Unless the employer says otherwise, you can also follow up yourself once your application has been sent.
Answer any specific questions the employer asks in the job description.

Sample cover letters

Many university career centers publish examples you can learn from. Virginia Tech's career center, for instance, offers cover letter types and samples.

The who

The cover letter is typically sent along with your resume and supporting documents to an HR representative or, even better, directly to the hiring manager. Your chances are much better if you can skip the middleman and send your application straight to the person who has the final say. Unfortunately, the manager will often simply redirect you to the HR department, where your application ends up in a large pile with everyone else's. That's unfortunate but true.

One way around this is to find out who the manager for the position is and try to book a meeting with them. This will set you apart from other applicants and give you a chance to explain why you're the most suitable candidate. Make sure you have prepared some questions to ask.

The where

Most applications are sent electronically these days, so attach the cover letter in the way the job listing specifies. This usually means sending the cover letter and the resume as separate attachments. In some cases, the cover letter is pasted into the application form instead. Always check how many words the form allows; it's no fun to have produced a well-written, well-tailored cover letter that turns out to be longer than the limit. If there is no limit, see the length guidelines under "The how" above.

The when

A 2013 ABC News report by A. Farnham, Monday Best Day to Look for a Job, described an analysis of more than 500,000 job applications. Job seekers who applied on Mondays had the highest success rate in moving to the next stage of recruitment (30%), compared with the lowest rate for Saturday applications (14%). The analysis didn't explain why, but a common theory is that people who apply on Mondays are simply more eager. Another possible reason is that a new work week means the recruiter's desk isn't yet cluttered with new applications.

You should also send your application as soon as possible, since early applicants tend to have a better chance of being hired.

Final tips

Proofread the document

It is extremely important that your letter is free of spelling and grammar mistakes. At the very least, use the spell check feature in your word processor. In addition, read the letter out loud; that way, you will notice if a particular sentence sounds strange. When you're happy with the quality, print it, grab a pen and read it again. In my opinion, the final read-through should always be done on paper, even if the application is sent electronically. Remember, the person reading your letter may well print it out, so it's important that it looks good on paper too.

Let someone else proofread it

Ask a friend or relative to read through your cover letter. You would be surprised what they might pick up that you have overlooked. Something that felt obvious to you may not be as obvious to someone else.

Things to avoid

Don't lie. No job is worth your integrity. Always be truthful; the truth comes out in the end anyway. If you lie, you'll have to keep track of all your lies, and the rest of your career will be built on something untrue.
Don't rely on clichés.
Don't make claims you can't back up, even if they are true. If you say you speak Spanish, for instance, be prepared to show it if asked.
Don't sell yourself short. Everyone has strengths. Highlight yours as much as possible without piling on flattering adjectives.