good cover letters reddit

In an increasingly digitized world, where customer-centric strategies are vital for business success, I am thrilled to apply for the [Job Title] position at HubSpot."

Unhelpful Cover Letter Introduction:

"To Whom it May Concern,

I am applying for the [Job Title] position at HubSpot. I have some experience in marketing and can help your clients grow their businesses."

Relevant Professional Experience

It can be tempting to use the same cover letter for every job. After all, it‘s about your experience, isn’t it? But it's not enough to rephrase the work history in your resume.

Recruiters and hiring managers are looking to fill a specific role, so you need to show how your experience translates to their unique needs.

So, the body of a great cover letter should showcase the specific professional experiences that are relevant to the job you're applying for. Emphasize your accomplishments and skills that directly relate to what the job needs.

To speed up this part of the cover letter writing process, start by creating a list of your transferable skills . Drafting this list can help you quickly focus on the skills to highlight in your cover letter.

Then, use AI tools to summarize job descriptions and narrow in on where your experience and the needs of the role you're applying for overlap. This post is full of useful AI assistant tools if you're new to AI.

Helpful Cover Letter Experience:

“At [Company Name], I had the opportunity to assist a global ecommerce retailer in enhancing their online customer experience. By conducting in-depth market research and customer journey mapping, I identified pain points and areas of improvement in their website navigation and user interface.”

Unhelpful Cover Letter Experience:

“I also worked with an ecommerce retailer to improve the customer experience. We did some surveys and training, and they were happy with the results.”

Useful Examples

To make your cover letter stand out, add specific examples that show how you've solved problems or gotten results in past roles.

Quantify your accomplishments whenever possible, using data to give the reader a clear understanding of your impact.

Helpful Cover Letter Example:

“I lead a team of five content writers while increasing website traffic by 18% year-over-year.”

Unhelpful Cover Letter Example:

“I have a great track record of leadership and achieving fantastic results.”

Research and Company Knowledge

Hiring teams aren‘t hiring anyone with the skills to do the job. They’re hiring a person they'll work alongside at their specific company.

So, to show that you‘re not just looking for any job anywhere, share your knowledge of the company’s industry, values, and culture in your cover letter.

Spend some time on the company website and take notes on what makes this business interesting to you and why you would want to work there.

Then, explain how your skills align with the company's mission and goals and explain how you could add to their chances of success. This will showcase your interest in the company and help them see if you are a good cultural fit.

Helpful Cover Letter Research:

“I was particularly drawn to HubSpot not only for its industry-leading solutions but also for its exceptional company culture. HubSpot's commitment to employee development and fostering a collaborative environment is evident in its recognition as a top workplace consistently. I strongly believe that my passion for continuous learning, self-motivation, and dedication to contributing to a team will make me a valuable asset to HubSpot.”

Unhelpful Cover Letter Research:

“I have been inspired by HubSpot's commitment to inbound marketing and its comprehensive suite of solutions. HubSpot's dedication to providing valuable content and fostering meaningful relationships aligns with my own values and aspirations.”

Clear Writing

Your cover letter needs to pack in a lot of important information. But it's also important that your cover letter is clear and concise.

To accomplish this, use professional but easy-to-understand language. Be sure to remove any grammar or spelling errors and avoid lengthy paragraphs and avoid jargon or overly technical language.

You may also want to use bullet points to make your letter easier to skim. Then, proofread your cover letter for clarity or ask a friend to proofread it for you.

• Guide to Becoming a Better Writer
• Tips for Simplifying Your Writing

Helpful Cover Letter Writing:

"In addition to my academic accomplishments, I gained valuable practical experience through internships at respected law firms.

Working alongside experienced attorneys, I assisted in providing legal support to clients. This hands-on experience helped me develop a deep understanding of client needs and enhanced my ability to effectively communicate complex legal concepts in a straightforward manner."

Unhelpful Cover Letter Writing:

"Furthermore, as a complement to my academic accomplishments, I have garnered invaluable practical experience through internships at esteemed law firms.

Throughout these placements, I actively collaborated with seasoned attorneys to conduct due diligence and furnish clients with comprehensive legal support. Notably, these experiences fostered a profound comprehension of client necessities, whilst honing my legal acumen to articulately convey intricate legal principles within a lucid and concise framework, adhering to applicable precedents and statutes of limitations."

Genuine Interest and Enthusiasm

Find ways to convey your passion for the role and how excited you are to contribute to the company you're applying to. At the same time, make sure your interest feels authentic and outline how it aligns with your career goals.

Your ultimate goal is an enthusiastic letter that feels honest and leaves a lasting positive impression.

Showing excitement in writing doesn't come naturally for everyone. A few tips that can help you boost the genuine enthusiasm in your letter:

• Record audio of yourself speaking about the role, then use voice-to-text technology to transcribe and add these sections to your letter.
• Choose your words carefully .
• Write in active voice.

Helpful Cover Letter Tone:

“I am genuinely enthusiastic about the prospect of joining [Company/Organization Name] as an accountant. My combination of technical proficiency, eagerness to learn, and strong attention to detail make me an ideal candidate for this role. I am confident that my dedication, reliability, and passion for accounting will contribute to the continued success of your organization.”

Unhelpful Cover Letter Tone:

“Honestly, I can hardly contain my excitement when it comes to reconciliations, financial statement analysis, and tax regulations! Engaging in spirited discussions with professors and classmates has allowed me to foster an unbreakable bond with the fascinating world of accounting, and I'm positively bursting with enthusiasm at the prospect of applying my skills in a professional setting.”

Memorable Conclusion

End your cover letter on a strong note. Summarize your top qualifications, restate your interest in the position, and express your interest in future communication.

Then, thank your reader for their time and consideration and include your contact information for easy follow-up.

To make your conclusion memorable, think about what parts of your letter you‘d most like the hiring manager to keep top of mind. Then, consider your word choice and phrasing. If you’re feeling stuck, this list of ways to close an email can help.

Helpful Cover Letter Conclusion:

"Thank you for considering my application. I am excited about the opportunity to further discuss how my qualifications align with the needs of Greenpeace. Please feel free to contact me at your convenience to arrange an interview.

Together, let's make a lasting impact on our planet.

[Your Name]"

Unhelpful Cover Letter Conclusion:

"Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of discussing my qualifications further and how I can contribute to Greenpeace's mission. Please feel free to contact me at your convenience to arrange an interview.

I’d like to add another stage to the job search: experimentation.

In today’s competitive landscape, it’s so easy to feel defeated, less-than-good-enough, or like giving up your job search.

But don’t let the process become so monotonous. Have fun discovering the qualitative data I’ve discussed here — then, have even more by getting creative with your cover letter composition.

I certainly can’t guarantee that every prospective employer will respond positively — or at all — to even the most unique, compelling cover letter. But the one that’s right for you will.

So, get inspired by these examples and templates. Write an incredible cover letter that shows the hiring team at your dream job exactly who you are.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in October 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. This article was written by a human, but our team uses AI in our editorial process. Check out our full disclosure to learn more about how we use AI.

Don't forget to share this post!

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The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Cover Letter

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How to write a great cover letter in 2024: tips and structure

A cover letter is a personalized letter that introduces you to a potential employer, highlights your qualifications, and explains why you're a strong fit for a specific job.

Hate or love them, these brief documents allow job seekers to make an impression and stand out from the pile of other applications. Penning a thoughtful cover letter shows the hiring team you care about earning the position.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to write a cover letter — and a great one, at that.

What is a cover letter and why does it matter?

A professional cover letter is a one-page document you submit alongside your CV or resume as part of a job application. Typically, they’re about half a page or around 150–300 words.

An effective cover letter doesn’t just rehash your CV; it’s your chance to highlight your proudest moments, explain why you want the job, and state plainly what you bring to the table.

Show the reviewer you’re likable, talented, and will add to the company’s culture . You can refer to previous jobs and other information from your CV, but only if it helps tell a story about you and your career choices .

What 3 things should you include in a cover letter?

A well-crafted cover letter can help you stand out to potential employers. To make your cover letter shine, here are three key elements to include:

1. Personalization

Address the hiring manager or recruiter by name whenever possible. If the job posting doesn't include a name, research to find out who will be reviewing applications. Personalizing your cover letter shows that you've taken the time to tailor your application to the specific company and role.

2. Highlight relevant achievements and skills

Emphasize your most relevant skills , experiences, and accomplishments that directly relate to the job you're applying for. Provide specific examples of how your skills have benefited previous employers and how they can contribute to the prospective employer's success. Use quantifiable achievements , such as improved efficiency, cost savings, or project success, to demonstrate your impact.

3. Show enthusiasm and fit

Express your enthusiasm for the company and the position you're applying for. Explain why you are interested in this role and believe you are a good fit for the organization. Mention how your values, goals, and skills align with the company's mission and culture. Demonstrating that you've done your research can make a significant impression.

What do hiring managers look for in a cover letter?

Employers look for several key elements in a cover letter. These include:

Employers want to see that your cover letter is specifically tailored to the position you are applying for. It should demonstrate how your skills, experiences, and qualifications align with the job requirements.

Clear and concise writing

A well-written cover letter is concise, easy to read, and error-free. Employers appreciate clear and effective communication skills , so make sure your cover letter showcases your ability to express yourself effectively.

Demonstrated knowledge of the company

Employers want to see that you are genuinely interested in their organization. Mention specific details about the company, such as recent achievements or projects, to show that you are enthusiastic about joining their team.

Achievements and accomplishments

Highlight your relevant achievements and accomplishments that demonstrate your qualifications for the position. Use specific examples to showcase your skills and show how they can benefit the employer.

Enthusiasm and motivation

Employers want to hire candidates who are excited about the opportunity and motivated to contribute to the company's success. Express your enthusiasm and passion for the role and explain why you are interested in working for the company.

Professionalism

A cover letter should be professional in tone and presentation. Use formal language, address the hiring manager appropriately, and follow standard business letter formatting.

How do you structure a cover letter?

A well-structured cover letter follows a specific format that makes it easy for the reader to understand your qualifications and enthusiasm for the position. Here's a typical structure for a cover letter:

Contact information

Include your name, address, phone number, and email address at the top of the letter. Place your contact information at the beginning so that it's easy for the employer to reach you.

Employer's contact information

Opening paragraph, middle paragraph(s), closing paragraph, complimentary close, additional contact information.

Repeat your contact information (name, phone number, and email) at the end of the letter, just in case the employer needs it for quick reference.

Remember to keep your cover letter concise and focused. It should typically be no more than one page in length. Proofread your letter carefully to ensure it is free from spelling and grammatical errors. Tailor each cover letter to the specific job application to make it as relevant and impactful as possible.

How to write a good cover letter (with examples)

The best letters are unique, tailored to the job description, and written in your voice — but that doesn’t mean you can’t use a job cover letter template.

Great cover letters contain the same basic elements and flow a certain way. Take a look at this cover letter structure for ref erence while you construct your own.

1. Add a header and contact information

While reading your cover letter, the recruiter shouldn’t have to look far to find who wrote it. Your document should include a basic heading with the following information:

• Pronouns (optional)
• Location (optional)
• Email address
• Phone number (optional)
• Relevant links, such as your LinkedIn profile , portfolio, or personal website (optional)

You can pull this information directly from your CV. Put it together, and it will look something like this:

Christopher Pike

San Francisco, California

[email protected]

Alternatively, if the posting asks you to submit your cover letter in the body of an email, you can include this information in your signature. For example:

Warm regards,

Catherine Janeway

Bloomington, Indiana

[email protected]

(555) 999 - 2222

2. Include a personal greeting

Always begin your cover letter by addressing the hiring manager — preferably by name. You can use the person’s first and last name. Make sure to include a relevant title, like Dr., Mr., or Ms. For example, “Dear Mr. John Doe.”

Avoid generic openings like “To whom it may concern,” “Dear sir or madam,” or “Dear hiring manager.” These introductions sound impersonal — like you’re copy-pasting cover letters — and can work against you in the hiring process.

Be careful, though. When using someone’s name, you don’t want to use the wrong title or accidentally misgender someone. If in doubt, using only their name is enough. You could also opt for a gender-neutral title, like Mx.

Make sure you’re addressing the right person in your letter — ideally, the person who’s making the final hiring decision. This isn’t always specified in the job posting, so you may have to do some research to learn the name of the hiring manager.

3. Draw them in with an opening story

The opening paragraph of your cover letter should hook the reader. You want it to be memorable, conversational, and extremely relevant to the job you’re pursuing. 

There’s no need for a personal introduction — you’ve already included your name in the heading. But you should make reference to the job you’re applying for. A simple “Thank you for considering my application for the role of [job title] at [company],” will suffice.

Then you can get into the “Why” of your job application. Drive home what makes this specific job and this company so appealing to you. Perhaps you’re a fan of their products, you’re passionate about their mission, or you love their brand voice. Whatever the case, this section is where you share your enthusiasm for the role.

Here’s an example opening paragraph. In this scenario, you’re applying for a digital marketing role at a bicycle company:

“Dear Mr. John Doe,

Thank you for considering my application for the role of Marketing Coordinator at Bits n’ Bikes.

My parents bought my first bike at one of your stores. I’ll never forget the freedom I felt when I learned to ride it. My father removed my training wheels, and my mom sent me barrelling down the street. You provide joy to families across the country — and I want to be part of that.”

4. Emphasize why you’re best for the job

Your next paragraphs should be focused on the role you’re applying to. Highlight your skill set and why you’re a good fit for the needs and expectations associated with the position. Hiring managers want to know what you’ll bring to the job, not just any role.

Start by studying the job description for hints. What problem are they trying to solve with this hire? What skills and qualifications do they mention first or more than once? These are indicators of what’s important to the hiring manager.

Search for details that match your experience and interests. For example, if you’re excited about a fast-paced job in public relations, you might look for these elements in a posting:

• They want someone who can write social media posts and blog content on tight deadlines
• They value collaboration and input from every team member
• They need a planner who can come up with strong PR strategies

Highlight how you fulfill these requirements:

“I’ve always been a strong writer. From blog posts to social media, my content pulls in readers and drives traffic to product pages. For example, when I worked at Bits n’ Bikes, I developed a strategic blog series about bike maintenance that increased our sales of spare parts and tools by 50% — we could see it in our web metrics.

Thanks to the input of all of our team members, including our bike mechanics, my content delivered results.”

5. End with a strong closing paragraph and sign off gracefully

Your closing paragraph is your final chance to hammer home your enthusiasm about the role and your unique ability to fill it. Reiterate the main points you explained in the body paragraphs and remind the reader of what you bring to the table.

You can also use the end of your letter to relay other important details, like whether you’re willing to relocate for the job.

When choosing a sign-off, opt for a phrase that sounds professional and genuine. Reliable options include “Sincerely” and “Kind regards.”

Here’s a strong closing statement for you to consider:

“I believe my enthusiasm, skills, and work experience as a PR professional will serve Bits n’ Bikes very well. I would love to meet to further discuss my value-add as your next Director of Public Relations. Thank you for your consideration. I hope we speak soon.

Tips to write a great cover letter that compliments your resume

When writing your own letter, try not to copy the example excerpts word-for-word. Instead, use this cover letter structure as a baseline to organize your ideas. Then, as you’re writing, use these extra cover letter tips to add your personal touch:

• Keep your cover letter different from your resume : Your cover letter should not duplicate the information on your resume. Instead, it should provide context and explanations for key points in your resume, emphasizing how your qualifications match the specific job you're applying for.
• Customize your cover letter . Tailor your cover letter for each job application. Address the specific needs of the company and the job posting, demonstrating that you've done your homework and understand their requirements.
• Show enthusiasm and fit . Express your enthusiasm for the company and position in the cover letter. Explain why you are interested in working for this company and how your values, goals, and skills align with their mission and culture.
• Use keywords . Incorporate keywords from the job description and industry terms in your cover letter. This can help your application pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) and demonstrate that you're well-versed in the field.
• Keep it concise . Your cover letter should be succinct and to the point, typically no more than one page. Focus on the most compelling qualifications and experiences that directly support your application.
• Be professional . Maintain a professional tone and structure in your cover letter. Proofread it carefully to ensure there are no errors.
• Address any gaps or concerns . If there are gaps or concerns in your resume, such as employment gaps or a change in career direction, briefly address them in your cover letter. Explain any relevant circumstances and how they have shaped your qualifications and determination.
• Provide a call to action . Conclude your cover letter with a call to action, inviting the employer to contact you for further discussion. Mention that you've attached your resume for their reference.
• Follow the correct format . Use a standard cover letter format like the one above, including your contact information, a formal salutation, introductory and closing paragraphs, and your signature. Ensure that it complements your resume without redundancy.
• Pick the right voice and tone . Try to write like yourself, but adapt to the tone and voice of the company. Look at the job listing, company website, and social media posts. Do they sound fun and quirky, stoic and professional, or somewhere in-between? This guides your writing style.
• Tell your story . You’re an individual with unique expertise, motivators, and years of experience. Tie the pieces together with a great story. Introduce how you arrived at this point in your career, where you hope to go , and how this prospective company fits in your journey. You can also explain any career changes in your resume.
• Show, don’t tell . Anyone can say they’re a problem solver. Why should a recruiter take their word for it if they don’t back it up with examples? Instead of naming your skills, show them in action. Describe situations where you rose to the task, and quantify your success when you can.
• Be honest . Avoid highlighting skills you don’t have. This will backfire if they ask you about them in an interview. Instead, shift focus to the ways in which you stand out.
• Avoid clichés and bullet points . These are signs of lazy writing. Do your best to be original from the first paragraph to the final one. This highlights your individuality and demonstrates the care you put into the letter.
• Proofread . Always spellcheck your cover letter. Look for typos, grammatical errors, and proper flow. We suggest reading it out loud. If it sounds natural rolling off the tongue, it will read naturally as well.

Common cover letter writing FAQs

How long should a cover letter be.

A cover letter should generally be concise and to the point. It is recommended to keep it to one page or less, focusing on the most relevant information that highlights your qualifications and fits the job requirements.

Should I include personal information in a cover letter?

While it's important to introduce yourself and provide your contact information, avoid including personal details such as your age, marital status, or unrelated hobbies. Instead, focus on presenting your professional qualifications and aligning them with the job requirements.

Can I use the same cover letter for multiple job applications?

While it may be tempting to reuse a cover letter, it is best to tailor each cover letter to the specific job you are applying for. This allows you to highlight why you are a good fit for that particular role and show genuine interest in the company.

Do I need to address my cover letter to a specific person?

Whenever possible, it is advisable to address your cover letter to a specific person, such as the hiring manager or recruiter. If the job posting does not provide this information, try to research and find the appropriate contact. If all else fails, you can use a generic salutation such as "Dear Hiring Manager."

Should I include references in my cover letter?

It is generally not necessary to include references in your cover letter. Save this information for when the employer explicitly requests it. Instead, focus on showcasing your qualifications and achievements that make you a strong candidate for the position.

It’s time to start writing your stand-out cover letter

The hardest part of writing is getting started. 

Hopefully, our tips gave you some jumping-off points and confidence . But if you’re really stuck, looking at cover letter examples and resume templates will help you decide where to get started. 

There are numerous sample cover letters available online. Just remember that you’re a unique, well-rounded person, and your cover letter should reflect that. Using our structure, you can tell your story while highlighting your passion for the role. 

Doing your research, including strong examples of your skills, and being courteous is how to write a strong cover letter. Take a breath , flex your fingers, and get typing. Before you know it, your job search will lead to a job interview.

If you want more personalized guidance, a specialized career coach can help review, edit, and guide you through creating a great cover letter that sticks.

Ace your job search

Explore effective job search techniques, interview strategies, and ways to overcome job-related challenges. Our coaches specialize in helping you land your dream job.

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

3 cover letter examples to help you catch a hiring manager’s attention

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Blog Cover Letter Help Best Cover Letters of 2024

The 11 Best Cover Letters of 2024

Whether you’re seeking inspiration for your own job application or simply curious about the latest trends in cover letter writing, take a look at our roundup of the best cover letters of 2024.

As featured in *

Below are eleven of the best cover letters our team has seen so far this year.

While these cover letters might not work in every situation, they all have standout features that are easily adapted to any cover letter.

Our free-to-use cover letter builder can make you a cover letter in as little as 5 minutes. Just pick the template you want, and our software will format everything for you.

1. The professional cover letter

In this great cover letter example , the applicant landed an IT project management job by proving they had the required project management skills and experience while providing highlights from their career:

Why this is a good cover letter example

The writer of this cover letter doesn’t add much flair, but they do an excellent job packing in all the relevant information that employers are looking for, like their most impressive achievements and skills.

When writing a cover letter for more formal industries, it’s best to maintain a professional tone throughout your letter, like in the example above.

The applicant knows how to address a cover letter properly, referring to the hiring manager by name rather than using the generic “ To Whom It May Concern .”

Then, the candidate introduces some of their basic qualifications and establishes a personal connection to the organization. Doing so shows the hiring manager that the candidate did their research and cares about the needs of the company.

Following a great introduction, the candidate includes a list of job-relevant accomplishments . This list makes the candidate look perfect for the specific role they’re applying to fill.

2. The funny cover letter

This clever cover letter from former ESPN anchor Kenny Mayne is one of the best examples of how to land a job with a joke:

Submitting a cover letter like this one is a bold move and wouldn’t work in most situations. But sometimes a little (or in this case, a lot) of confidence can go a long way.

Kenny’s clever take on the traditional cover letter caught the attention of ESPN executive John Walsh, and landed Mayne his dream job in sports media.

We don’t recommend you send a cover letter like this to employers, but it’s an excellent example of how, in the right circumstances and with enough confidence, a cleverly written cover letter can get you hired.

3. The most-improved cover letter

Below is an improved version of a  wordy cover letter . The applicant discovered it in their email outbox years after submitting it and sent it to experts to rewrite it as an experiment.

The result? Their cover letter now does a great job of selling their passion for the job, despite a lack of experience:

The candidate’s original cover letter was difficult to read because of its length and unimpressive content that didn’t highlight their qualifications. It simply repeated bullets from their resume’s work experience section and didn’t show their interest in the position.

The redone version, on the other hand, has concise paragraphs and an impactful opening line, making it much easier to read. And it highlights the candidate’s passion for the specific position they’re applying to fill.

Ultimately, this updated cover letter is much more likely to hook the hiring manager and help the candidate score an interview.

4. The fun-loving cover letter

This social media cover letter is an ideal example of how to balance professionalism with humor:

The candidate starts their cover letter by expressing their enthusiasm and summarizing their main qualifications, all in a fun, informal tone.

Additionally, they manage to balance their humor with substantial information about their professional achievements. This way, the hiring manager stays engaged and comes away with a good idea of the candidate’s skills and experience.

However, this approach isn’t for everyone. Adding some humor to your cover letter is a great idea if you’re applying in more casual fields like social media management. But you should avoid informal language when applying for positions in formal industries like law or accounting, because employers in these industries expect a traditional cover letter.

5. The short and sweet cover letter

This cover letter uses a simple, to-the-point approach:

This short cover letter doesn’t waste any time explaining why the candidate is a good fit for the nursing position they’re trying to land. In a few concise paragraphs, the candidate states their interest in the position and confidently summarizes their professional achievements.

While cutting down on the details doesn’t work for every application, in this case the applicant knows exactly what the employer is looking for. The candidate then addresses that need directly, saving the hiring manager the work of finding the information they want in a long cover letter.

In busy fields like nursing, a direct cover letter is often appreciated.

6. The unique cover letter

This sales cover letter is one of the best examples we’ve seen of how to mix creativity with professionalism:

In an industry as competitive as sales, you need your application to be convincing and memorable. This candidate takes that lesson to heart.

Starting with an unusual cover letter introduction helps this job seeker immediately set themselves apart from their competitors. Then, they move into a convincing sales pitch about their relevant skills and qualifications.

Also, they present their most impressive accomplishments in an easy-to-read, eye-catching cover letter format by using:

• a numbered list
• bolded paragraph headers
• italic text to emphasize the names of their past companies

By putting a unique twist on the cover letter and backing it up with a summary of their professional background, this candidate crafts a sales cover letter that’s both memorable and convincing.

If you want a cover letter introduction that’s a bit more traditional but equally impactful, immediately establish how you can help the company reach its goals or address a specific issue it’s facing.

7. The video cover letter

Here’s a perfect example of a video cover letter:

This applicant’s video cover letter works because they:

• show examples of their work
• clearly structure it with an introduction, 3 reasons they should be hired, and a compelling conclusion that summarizes their target work environment
• include links to their contact information and portfolio

But when you submit a video cover letter — whether the job ad requests it or to stand out from other applicants — always send a traditional cover letter as well. Sending a written cover letter prevents hiring managers who prefer to read about your qualifications from ignoring your application.

You can also make a  video resume to go along with your video cover letter. But again, write your resume out and submit that version too.

8. The young applicant

This adorable cover letter probably didn’t land the applicant a job, but we have to give them credit for trying:

What this young candidate lacks in experience (or legal working age), they make up for in enthusiasm.

And they even provide real-life examples of why they think they’re qualified to manage the National Railway Museum. The best cover letters always have examples and hard numbers that prove the applicant can produce results.

9. The creative cover letter

A colorful, creative letter like this is sure to stand out from the pile of traditional black and white cover letters that hiring managers see every day:

Before you even start reading this digital marketing cover letter , you can tell the candidate has a creative flair.

For fields that require innovation and an eye for design, like marketing or fashion, a visually appealing cover letter immediately lets hiring managers know you possess key skills they’re looking for.

However, it’s important to strike a balance between creativity and professionalism – something that this cover letter achieves. It’s well-organized, concise, and highlights the candidate’s top accomplishments.

10. The career change cover letter

A great career change cover letter focuses on bridging the gap between a job seeker’s background and where they want to go in their career, something this cover letter does flawlessly.

The applicant highlights all the reasons why their background in fashion is a strength, not a weakness. This tells employers that they’ve thought carefully about how they can apply their skills in their new target industry.

But they don’t stop there. They also explain what concrete steps they have taken to upgrade their skill set and develop the industry-specific abilities they’ll need to succeed as a UI/UX designer.

11. The enthusiastic cover letter

Not only does this cover letter emphasize the reasons why this applicant is a great teacher, but it’s clear that they’re enthusiastic about the opportunity to work at a school that shares their educational philosophy.

Employers are always on the lookout for candidates with genuine passion for the job, because it means they’re more likely to stick around instead of using the position as a stepping stone.

Just keep in mind that enthusiasm alone usually isn’t enough. You’ll still have to include relevant highlights from your career and show that you have the skills necessary to succeed in the role.

12. The well-researched cover letter

Showing that you’ve done research on a company is the best way to demonstrate your interest in a job. The candidate who wrote this cover letter does exactly that:

From the very first sentence, this cover letter demonstrates that the candidate has invested time and effort into learning about the company’s mission and values.

They even mention specific initiatives the company has launched and explain why they resonate with them personally.

Even better, the applicant connects their own skills and experiences to the company’s goals and needs, showing that they’re not just a good marketer in general, but the right fit for this particular organization.

The best cover letter template

Here’s the best cover letter template you can use to write your own. Either download it as a free Word file or copy and paste the text version, and fill in the blanks (marked with brackets) with your information:

Best Cover Letter Template (Text Version)

(123) 456-7890  |  [email protected]  |  www.linkedin.com/in/your.name/[Today’s Date][Hiring Manager’s Name][123 Company Address][Company’s City, State, Zip Code][(xxx) xxx-xxxx][[email protected]] 

Dear [Mr./Ms./Mx.] [Hiring Manager’s Last Name],

I was excited to see your listing for the [Position Name] position at [Company Name] on [Website Name] recently. As a dynamic [Your Occupation] with [# Years] of professional experience doing [Primary Work Task] to drive results, I’m confident that I’d be an asset to your team.

Your job listing mentions a need for someone knowledgeable in [Area of Expertise], which is an area I have extensive experience in. I’m currently employed at [Current Company Name], where I’ve honed my skills doing [Relevant Tasks Performed]. While employed here and at other companies listed on my resume, I have successfully:

• [ Action verb ] [achievement #1, including hard numbers and examples for context]
• [Action verb] [achievement #2 with more data and examples]
• [Action verb] [achievement #3 with more data and examples]

I’m confident that my track record of excellent work ethic, unparalleled attention to detail, and knack for [Relevant Skill] will make me an immediate asset at [Company Name] and let me contribute to your success.

I look forward to discussing the [Position Name] position and my qualifications with you in more detail. I’m available to talk at your soonest convenience. I’ll be in touch next week to follow up, just to make sure you’ve received my application.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Why this is the best cover letter template

This is a great cover letter template because it has:

• proper formatting that makes your application look professional
• bracketed writing prompts that tell you exactly what to write to impress hiring managers
• bullet points for readability
• a link to a matching resume template (also free to download) in the Word version

Prefer another color scheme or different design elements? Find a  cover letter template you like, paste our template into it, and customize it for your application.

How to write the best cover letter

There’s no single right way to write a great cover letter, because no two applicants or job ads are exactly the same. But here are some general guidelines to help you make the best cover letter for your target job:

• Start with a catchy first sentence that shows your passion for the work, a bit of research about the company, or some appropriate humor
• Include relevant hard numbers and examples that show you’re a perfect fit for the job
• Finish with a strong conclusion that thanks the hiring manager, requests an interview, and lists your contact information (again, for the reader’s convenience)

Using an AI cover letter generator can help you quickly create a winning cover letter that shows employers why you’re the right candidate for the job.

The best cover letter format

An excellent cover letter uses business letter formatting with:

• your name and contact information at the top
• the hiring manager’s name and company contact details
• a salutation addressing the hiring manager by name
• 3–4 paragraphs and a bulleted list
• a polite sign-off (like “Sincerely,”) and your name

Every structural detail of the best cover letters is also optimized, including:

• margins : adjusted between ½ and 1 inch to space information evenly on the page
• line spacing : set to between 1 and 1.5 spaces so your text isn’t too spread out or overly crammed together
• font : chosen for readability and professionalism (Calibri and Georgia are examples of the best fonts for resumes and cover letters)
• font size : set between 10 and 12 points for easy reading

Ida Pettersson

Career Coach and Resume Expert

Committed to empowering job seekers of all experience levels to take the next step in their careers, Ida helps professionals navigate the job hunt from start to finish. After graduating from New College of Florida with a B.A. in Philosophy and Chinese Language and Culture, Ida moved to Hong Kong to begin her own career journey and finally settled in Taiwan. Her insights on resume writing, interview strategies, and career development have been featured on websites such as LawCareers.net, Digital Marketer, and SheCanCode.

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Ask a Manager

this is a resume and cover letter that work

A reader recently shared with me the resume and cover letter she used to get a new job, and I liked them so much that I got her to agree to let me share them here.

Note: Do not steal these and make them your own. The reason they work is because they’ve so customized to the writer.  They’re here for inspiration only — to provide an example of what all the advice here can look like in practice.

I also want to note up-front: I’d tweak some small things about this (for example, I wouldn’t include typing speed on the resume), but that’s not the point. The point is that this is an excellent illustration of a cover letter resume that will excite a hiring manager — the cover letter because it’s personable, explains why the candidate is interested in this particular job, and makes a compelling case for why she’d excel at it beyond what’s on the resume , and the resume because it shows that she has a track record of getting things done.

So when you’re wondering what it really looks like in practice when you do all the stuff I talk about here — it’s this.

Here’s a link to the cover letter and resume . (It’s a PDF. And to protect the reader’s privacy, I changed her name, the names of her employers, and the locations.)

If you’re not writing your cover letters and resume like this, you must, must start. I hear all the time from people who made this switch and suddenly started getting interviews. It makes a huge difference. Do not make me beg you.

Want more help finding a job? Get my e-book:   How To Get a Job / Secrets of a Hiring Manager

Read an update from the reader who wrote the cover letter here .

You may also like:

• this is one of my favorite cover letters ever
• here's another real-life sample of a great cover letter
• here's an example of a cover letter that will make you a stronger candidate

{ 266 comments… read them below }

Your edits are beautiful. I’d totally hire Dany. And she can bring her, um, pets to work.

I’m with you, I’d hire her especially if she brought her pets.

I love that you named the person Dany Targarean! So good.

XD I cracked up when I read the edits! Took me a second to realize you’d not only changed her name, but everything else, too. Now I want to write a modern-day Song of Ice & Fire as a war of the hotel chains!

Seriously, though, I enjoyed the letter & the resume. I’ll be reformatting my own letter a bit if I don’t get this position I’ve been gunning for!

Add me as another delighted reader with the Game of Thrones homage.

And yes….that cover letter was aces. It should save her from a beheading or two.

I want to visit the hotels in Westeros, VT…do they have any ski slopes nearby? Great cover letter!!!

Of course there’s skiing – Winter is coming.

(sorry I had to.)

I just sprayed coffee out my nose reading that. Thanks, Jessa… lol

I have been working a month at a mediocre job I got with a mediocre cover letter. I discovered AAM just a week after I got it. I am going insane thinking about all the crappy cover letters I sent to the jobs I really wanted, but didn’t get. Now in a year or so when I’ll be moving again, I am incredibly excited to start applying like THIS.

In the meantime I’ve been practice-writing cover letters, beefing up my resume, and educating friends going on interviews on the Gospel of AAM.

I can fully attest to what a difference AAM’s advice has made in my ability to land interviews and even an amazing opportunity. Not to mention the e-book “How to Get a Job”.

I highly recommend the e-book and reading the interviewing section of this site.

Me too! I feel like I owe a commission an getting the job I have now.

I recommend it too. It definitely helped me, especially in preparing for interviews.

I have a son who is searching for a job. I think I will point him towards the e-book. Thanks for reminding me about that.

Thank you for posting this example. This is probably covered in what you would tweak but I have a couple of questions:

1) Would you keep the resume to one page? 2) I agree the cover letter shows passion and a particular interest in this position but do you get turned off by the writer telling the hiring manager what they need and “I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you soon.”?

I was thinking these exact two things. In my opinion, 2 pages is OK, but the letter felt a bit pushy. Obviously the hiring manager loved it though!

I was fine with the length. “I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you soon” isn’t my favorite sentence, and if I were editing the letter I’d take it out, but in the context of a fantastic cover letter it’s not a problem at all.

I’ve got to admit, I was pretty surprised when I started reading the letter that you loved it so much.

I mean, the passion and interest is great, but having read your blog regularly for a year, I would have thought the whole tone of the letter, in telling the hiring manager what they need, goes very much against your ethos. Without hunting around for specific examples (because I don’t have time), I am pretty sure you have actually told people not to do this in the past, with your reasoning being that you can’t possibly get inside a hiring managers head and it’s presumptous to try. You also often counsel against being very ‘salesy’, and this is about the most ‘salesy’ letter I’ve ever read, next to posting a bottle of wine and a personalised calendar.

I’m thrilled it worked, and I’m sure it would appeal to plenty of hiring managers, but I’m pretty confused about how this lines up with a lot of the advice I’ve read on your blog.

Ok, I’ve just read all the other comments and feel bad about mine. To clarify my main point, you say below:

“I’m posting it to say “here is someone who applied all the advice we talked about and the end result is great.””

I actually feel like this post contradicts what I understood to be your advice in many scenarios, which is that you shouldn’t tell the hiring manager what they need, or assume you are the best person for the job (you are very, very strong on that, and the letter – or at least my reading of it – goes against that advice).

I think a lot of comments are coming from the perspective that this just doesn’t seem to fit with our understanding of your recommended approach to writing cover letters.

I agree. I also thought the usual recommendation was against this kind of a pushy letter. I can’t stand pushy people selling themselves. I have chosen not to interview applicants like this and not hire applicants who spoke like this in interviews. I once had one who said she would “help” me by questioning everything and pushing me to allow her to try things “her way” so she could “improve” them. No thanks- aside from being insulting to me by suggesting I don’t know what I’m doing, the jobs I hire for take a lot of education and take years to learn well enough to understand what we do and why we do it the way we do it. Coming in and “trying things her way” without having a basic understanding of the job is a recipe for disaster and she was immediately removed from my list of candidates who I planned to send on to interview #2. Maybe that works in a sales job but try it in a professional environment and see how fast you are shown the door.

Funnily enough, I know AAM also reads Query Shark, and this comes up on Query Shark sometimes too–the query that breaks rules and works anyway, and it frustrates some posters there because they’d been paying so much attention to learning the rules and they feel like they’ve had the wool pulled over their eyes.

And I get it. I love rules; they’re nice and quantifiable (and easy to catch other people out on :-)). But the rules are never the whole story, in writing or in life. You can avoid split infinitives, employ the predicate nominative (gag!), know when you can hyphenate an adverbial compound, and still be a bad writer, just like you can learn the “It’s wrong to tell a lie” rule and end up ostracized for telling your grandmother she looks fat.

The guidelines for resumes and cover letters are basically shortcuts to this: let the hiring manager know you, know what you’ve done, and know what’s special about you, and do so in a way that makes it as easy as possible for her to know what you could do for her organization. What rules you can bend and break while doing this will depend on you, your field, and the hiring manager, and there’s no guarantee–but then there never is, no matter how closely you follow the most conservative guidelines. You might say what’s good here is also what some people are seeing as its weakness–this letter is so vivid that it gets the writer as much dimension as a partial interview, because it gives such a clear sense of the writer and her approach to the work. If you don’t like it as a hiring manager, that’s a fair rejection–you’ve really seen this candidate. And if you do like it, you have much more clarity about this candidate than you usually do at the cover letter stage–it thoroughly illuminates the candidate.

I really like the idea of a letter giving enough information to be a partial interview, illuminating the candidate. This is definitely what I have learned about writing cover letters from AAM.

I recently went through an interview process and came within a whisker of getting the job – a really fantastic, amazing job that to be honest I didn’t think I had a hope of even being interviewed for. I’m sure that AAMs advice played a part in me getting as far as I did, and if it were not for the fact that someone close to the hiring manager (professionally) recommended someone at the last minute, who turned out to be a stellar candidate, the job would have been mine.

fposte, I completely agree with your comments.

I also read both AAM & QueryShark (and I’m not even working on a novel!). What you say about the way they work is spot-on. Great advice for two very different scenarios, and in both places, sometimes breaking the rules works better than following them (And I recommend QS to everyone, especially any novelists looking for an agent!)

Yeah, this is tricky — because the reality is, she did it well here. It’s sort of like the only other real-life cover letter I ever published here, where that writer also broke some of the normal rules (she actually talked about her kids!). But she did it well, so it worked. The closest comparison I can think of is with writing in general — you can break writing rules if you know them, you do it intentionally, and you do it skillfully. The same thing is true here — she didn’t come across (to me) as inappropriately pushy or salesy; the letter was great enough that sentences that maybe would have come across differently in a different letter came across fine here.

Times like this I realise how rule bound I’ve become. 15 years as a tax lawyer will do that to you ;-)

+1. I was also very confused by AAM’s enthusiastic approval of this. I’ve been reading her for years and I’ve also seen the same trend in her advice, which was to NOT do what this candidate did a lot of. The whole “let me tell you what you need” thing really put me off – probably because AAM has taught me not to do that – and the rest of her letter just seemed too salesy.

But hey, she’s sitting pretty in her new job right now, so I guess all’s well that ends well!

I completely agree. The cover letter reads too salesy to me, and it’s not even particularly well-written (too many contractions, incomplete sentences, etc.). I was surprised, too.

I’m glad I’m not the only one. I fail to see why this cover letter and resume is outstanding.

I can see why you feel that way, but I’ve been a hiring manager for several positions before, and to me, this reads as trying wayyyyy too hard. I would not have put this person in my “Must Call Back Immediately” pile.

I guess my question is — as the person states at the top of her cover letter, hiring managers get hyperbole like this all the time. I don’t see why this stands out.

I am not trying to be a contrarian, but for me personally, I would never feel comfortable writing such a letter because it is so over-the-top salesy. (And I’m in marketing.) That’s not my personality. Is this the way it has to be done? That’s discouraging because it simply is not my voice nor style.

I’m glad you felt that way too. Admittedly, I’ve never been a hiring manager and don’t have a ton of experience yet, but the whole tone of the letter was a huge turn-off for me, and I didn’t care for the resume either. What happened to keeping it to one page, to cutting out the “objective/profile” paragraph at the top, etc? Plus, I thought we were supposed to put our results with the jobs in which we achieved them for the full chronological style- is this how we’re supposed to do them now? :/

Same. I’m very confused…

Objective, cut. Profile, keep.

Why? Objective is all about what the company can do for you.

Profile is about what kind of added value you’re bringing to the table. It’s a snapshot of your accomplishments.

I also wouldn’t put this in my must call back immediately pile. The tone of the letter felt immature and that the applicant did not have the experience necessary for a management position.

I also think telling the employer that they’re likely to clean house is a bad idea. Hey I know you completed a takeover and will be laying off a lot of people, I would like to use this opportunity to help with the restructuring.

Well, if you’ve been following the company for a while and noticed a pattern or even read statements as to their MO, I feel like it isn’t so jarring to read.

I had a similar reaction. I think what rubs me the wrong way is that the applicant is telling the manager what she thinks the manager needs. Kudos for being assertive, but the manager knows what she needs. You need to show her what you have, and I would say that only about 1/3 of the sentences in the cover letter are showing that.

See, but she was showing an awareness to what she believed the job required. My understanding is that many folks apply to positions without realizing what the job might entail. With this cover letter, OP makes clear what *she* expects the position to be, and clearly, it was in line with the HM’s expectations, as well, not to mention showing a ridiculous amount of research on the company AND (apparently correctly) interpreting the greater ramifications.

And as others have said, if it wasn’t on-point, she wouldn’t have been there. In fact, I think this is an excellent example of self-selecting what jobs are for you. Think about it: if she’d not done that and it turns out the styles/expectations were dramatically different, then she’d be in a sorry situation that we all watch Alison coax others through every day.

I really think this cover letter would only work in some industries. An IT manager wouldn’t appreciate this as much as a sales manager, I’m sure.

Most good cover letters will only work in some industries, though, because they’re tuned to the tone and needs of their specific situation.

Good point!

I agree–it wouldn’t work in engineering either. Way to sales-pitchy.

Absolutely. If I got a cover letter like this when I was hiring a law clerk, I would have been turned off by how casual it is. People in other industries (such as customer service) might be looking for this type of attitude, though.

This is how I feel, too. People always say to go more informal and try not to be so stuffy but I am just *stuffy* dangit. At least in writing, I sound like Humbert Humbert. In person less so but it’s just because there’s tone and demeanor to dial back my weird, overly fluffy word choices.

Given that I think Lolita is one of the most beautifully written books in the English language, I would never restrict you from sounding like Humbert Humbert :-).

I think the point isn’t so much to make sure you’re casual as to make sure you sound like you. I’m on the formal side myself, so my chatty style is going to sound more formal than some people’s formal style. But I think if it *is* your natural and normal voice, you’ll wear it comfortably in a letter in a way that somebody more accustomed to writing informally won’t; when they write in a way they’re not used to, it’s stiff and stilted, not simply polysyllabic.

Addendum: do keep in mind that people often read these things quickly, though, so make sure you don’t lean toward the dense end of your communication style. I write for academic audiences in some venues and trade audiences in others, as do some of the people I edit, and given the nature of our trade readers, I do a lot of “debulking” of my writing when I’m editing myself for trade. Shorter sentences, fewer clauses, getting to the point faster, that kind of thing.

Good point above! It can make a person sound painfully pretentious, though, so I do try to dial it back. I do a debulking edit of most things, too.

I’m trying especially hard to tone it back recently, as I noticed it seems this is more and more common in the younger/less experienced people I work with. Department chairs? Brief and casual. Medical students? Lots of justifications and more stilted language. I definitely think there’s something to the idea that direct writing with a personal tone lends to an air of confidence and expertise.

I hope for your sake that your similarities to Humbert Humbert are limited to your communication style!

Hahaha, they do. But for obvious reasons I do try to avoid making the comparison too often.

This isn’t really my voice or style either – I would personally feel a little silly writing something in this tone. I think the cover letter still has merit for those of us who prefer or need to use a more formal tone though. “Dany” demonstrates genuine interest in the company and explains why she would be good at the position rather than just reiterating the content of her resume. I think the key is to incorporate those elements into cover letter that accurately reflects your industry or personality.

I thought the cover letter was a bit over the top, and also a bit on the long side. I don’t know… If you’re a hiring manager wouldn’t this seem a little long to get through? They lost me a bit a after the second paragraph. I always thought the letter should quickly state why you’re interested in the company/position and why you are the best fit or your skills/experience match. Maybe that’s a bit more formal and less human-voiced than this one, but I think this wouldn’t quite work for me unless I knew the hiring manager.

Well, you never want to argue why you’re the best fit, because you have no idea who else is applying.

Some of this is job-dependent, it’s true, but I’d say it’s pretty common that places asking for cover letters do so because they get something from them, and they’re not going to see that in, say, a two-paragraph cover letter that just redeploys information already in the resume. I rely a lot on cover letters in hiring, and this one isn’t too long for me; what you’re describing would probably be too short, because I would have no idea of your communications style from that.

This cover letter doesn’t have the kind of voice that I would favor, but it’s not written for my field or for me; the things that are strong about it and that would impress me even with its not being tonally right for my field are its vividness and its clear understanding of the industry, the company, and the company’s current challenges. This applicant has seriously done her homework, knows what she’d be getting into, and is excited to do it. That’s something that would impress me even across a voice that wasn’t the custom in my field, and if it’s right for the field–which I suspect it is–it’s a seriously impressive cover letter.

Same. This letter is a little too hokey for my taste. However, I think the important thing to take away is that the “voice” is not generic, not to imitate this particular writer’s voice. This is clearly not a form letter the writer found online and cut/pasted. It is very clear that they are interested in that specific job at that specific company and their personality really comes through. These are all good things and you don’t need to go overboard in order to communicate them to your reader(s).

Her letter stands out because her voice comes through, she’s genuinely excited, she’s done research and knows what she’d be getting into, she’s thought about what the job will take and is excited to do it.

I think a lot of you are discounting the importance of voice. Her voice will not be your voice, nor should it be.

I absolutely agree. It felt authentic, not like a boilerplate, fill-in-the-company-and-job-title letter.

I would definitely interview her, because she comes across as intelligent and buttoned up. She is someone I’d want to meet.

I actually know her in real life! She really is a fun person to meet. With company names, etc. changed, it exactly matches a friend of mine. I know she reads AAM, and that she just got a new job like this. Pretty exciting. :) She actually helped me with my resume too, so I’m glad to know you approve of her skills.

I’ve done quite a bit of resume screening over the years. The tone of this is salesy, but it’s not relying on salesy-ness to convince me, so I wouldn’t be especially bothered by the tone, certainly not enough to screen her out. She demonstrates an understanding of our businesses practices and shows me how she would fit into them.

Sales-y without substance, right in the No pile. Sales-y with substance, and I’ll just chalk it up to personality. And especially in the hospitality industry I’d would bet that kind of demeanor is welcomed. Soft sales are a key way to increase revenue, but many customer service employees, especially young ones, are too timid to sell things. You have to write it into a script if you want them to say it. But someone who shows she feels comfortable selling her own candidacy in a very direct fashion is probably also someone who will think to upgrade the client to a better catering package or reserve a larger room block, etc.

I really like these compelling examples of more qualitative achievements! Thanks for posting, and thanks for sharing, Danaerys, Mother of Dragons! Good luck in your job search!

I’m glad it helped! Something that I know can be very hard for people in less number-driven fields is showing concrete examples of what you’ve achieved.

This is always my struggle with my resume and cover letter. I work in non-profit accounting, and I lot of what I do is routine. I manage the financial end of over 30 grants, but it’s not like I have a lot of accomplishments. We received a great audit with no recommendations or findings, the year after I was hired, for the first time in several years. It’s not an accomplishment because that’s what we SHOULD be doing. Received over 50% of the grants we applied for? That was more on the grant writer, I just did the budget. So I always end up just listing tasks, and I don’t feel like that comes off as well. Maybe it’s just because I’m fairly new to the industry (just graduated 2 years ago).

Those are both accomplishments and both belong on your resume. They’ll paint a picture of you as someone who does great work, not someone who just goes through the motions.

It seems like most of the sample cover letters that have been posted here have a fairly informal tone, which is probably fine for some fields. But what about the very formal (large law/consulting firms, banking) industries? I can tell you that this style would never fly where I work. It’s too bubbly. How do you inject personality while maintaining the requisite formality? (Especially since most of us in my field are decidedly NOT bubbly but Very Serious People, and often feel a bit awkward around bubbliness.)

I was wondering this also. Some employers in my field tend to be more formal and the bubbly tone of the cover letter would be a turn-off to some hiring managers.

I’d love to read how to add some personality into the cover letter for those of us hoping to land jobs in a field where more formality is expected. My coworkers and I don’t get bubbly until happy hour. :)

You are right bubbly doesn’t work for an accountant. But the part where she talks about the company and what she’s researched–brilliant. If you apply to a public company make reference to their annual report. i.e. “I see in your 2012 report that your company puts an emphasis on matter X. I can appreciate that because in my last position I worked a lot on X.” The best thing I’ve found to do is to tell a short story from your experience that matches up with something in the ad. Such as if you see they want somebody with knowledge of computerized accounting systems. I would write In my last job I was the project manager on the conversion of our legacy software system over to PIA software system. In this processes I not only learned how the information should flow through the system but also how to deal with people who are resistant to change.

I was just going to ask about that. Having been a reader for several years, I write cover letters similar to this (but in my tone, which is more formal, and for my level of seniority/scope of work/etc., which is higher than this example). Recently I’ve been advocating The Ask A Manager Way to my husband, who is in business school and transitioning to a career in consulting. His response was that this absolutely wouldn’t fly. I’d love to hear from others with that background!

I agree with you – I work in law. I’m not a hiring partner, so I don’t know what they’re thinking I suppose, but I can’t imagine this tone appealing to them. I know people aren’t robots, but they are, like Anon said, Very Serious People, and I think that some of the colloquialisms here wouldn’t work. In a Business Formal profession, I feel like one might need a more ‘business formal’ cover letter.

I think you absolutely have to tailor it to the job/industry. Doesn’t Alison say repeatedly that you shouldn’t be using the same cover letter for every job?

I think the Magic Question has tempted people into hoping that there’s a similarly Magic Cover Letter. Unfortunately, there’s not.

I have recent job-hunting experience in the legal field, and I’ve been quite successful, thanks in no small part to AAM (which I substituted for the advice from my law school’s career center). When I write cover letters, I have three main goals:

1. Really display why I’m interested in THIS particular job/firm. 2. Highlight the experience and skills that aren’t on my resume, explaining how they’ve given me a good grasp of principles that apply directly to the job. 3. Show my personality by demonstrating enthusiasm in a professional way.

Some things in Dany T’s cover letter are similar to what I write (if I’ve been reading up on the firm or following it in the news, I might mention X award or Y case and tie it to my interest or fit for the position).

Other parts are over-the-top for the legal industry, IMO (I probably would never use an exclamation mark in a cover letter, I start with a much more standard introduction without the sales-y language, and I aim for about 2/3 page instead of a full page). But I think what Alison is pointing out is that the candidate convincingly expresses her interest, explains why it would be a good fit in a way that makes sense, and shows some personality to stand out.

You are very helpful. Could use your help with a cover letter. If interested, Please contact me. Thank You, DeShawn

You tailor it to the industry, yes. But people regularly think they need to sound more formal than they really do. The most compelling writing is conversational, not stiff.

I see that, and I agree that the put-on tone that some (especially very young) people use is awkward and not compelling. But it would be great to see a sample cover letter from a stuffy industry, just to see how to let your personality shine through while adhering to industry expectations.

This is exactly what I’m looking for. A sample cover letter from a traditionally “stuffy” and “formal” industry that shows a candidate’s personality.

I’ll see if I can dig up an example of my cover letters. I am an engineer and haven’t had an issue getting interviews when I’ve applied for jobs. I’d like to hear AAM’s opinion of my cover letter too. Hopefully she will share!

“I’ve been following Stark Investments’ progress with interest for several months…”

Iron Man or Game of Thrones? :)

Read the rest and it should be clear! :)

I totally went to the same place on my first read-through. Then I though, huh, just one Marvel reference in all of that Fire and Ice? Then I read it again and hit my head against my desk. Doh!

I adore AAM and almost always agree with her completely. This letter, however (like the other sample cover letter she posted) reads a bit too informally and presumptively to me (I really don’t care for the “you need someone who” wording.) I prefer a more straightforward, matter of fact style. I’d probably call this person in, but be on the look out for any signs that this person thought too highly of themselves to be a truly productive team player.

But I agree the illustrative examples are quite good.

I think it demonstrates what Alison has been trying to say: there is no one Dream Cover Letter and Resume that will work for everyone. She’s saying, “This cover letter and resume really worked for me and I want to show you.” They are examples of _one_ way to do a cover letter and resume that will work well for many people.

As a fiction writer, I run into this a lot. Newer writers are always looking for ways to write a story that “everyone will love” and that work for every reader. It’s impossible. Even the bestsellers don’t work for everyone, and in fact some people hate them.

There are some number of things that do work, and a much larger number of things that don’t (just like writing fiction). All you’re trying to do when writing a resume & cover is follow some general principles that work and match your style. What works on Wall Street isn’t right for a small non-profit, and what works for an effusive salesperson doesn’t work for an engineer.

If you look at enough samples of good resumes, you’ll eventually see some patterns that you can use in your own.

As a fiction writer, I run into this a lot. Newer writers are always looking for ways to write a story that “everyone will love” and that work for every reader. It’s impossible. Even the bestsellers don’t work for everyone, and in fact some people hate them.

Yep. You can’t follow trends, either, because by the time you’re ready to go, that ship has sailed. This was a good example. Just as we need to develop our own voices as writers, resumes should be the best reflection of each person’s professional self.

If you look at enough samples of good resumes, you’ll eventually see some patterns that you can use in your own.

I agree with this; someone might be able to get a couple of hints from this one, but maybe the rest doesn’t work for them for whatever reason. This has a lot I can use because I’m not far into my career, but someone in a vastly different industry might not see anything they can incorporate.

Alison, in light of that, would you consider posting a really good fake resume every so often, for different industries or levels of experience? :)

This would help me, too! I’m always looking for good sample resumes, but the top hits are always old ones that are way out of date. I know it would be a lot of work, but it would be nice to have some good examples to look at.

Try looking at opencoverletters.com. They’re geared for library professionals, but you’ll find a great mix of letters from those entering the field to those seeking out higher level administration roles.

Not after this :)

It’s seriously frustrating to see this torn apart. (And even more so when I know that people moving more in this direction will help them get interviews, particularly when I receive nearly a letter a day from someone telling me it worked for them.)

Well…I can kind of see where that comes from. I mean, sometimes if the OP made a mistake and doesn’t realize it or comes across as arrogant, the comments tear them apart and sometimes it seems like there couldn’t have been any other way that post could have ended. Some people thrive on being able to tear others down. So it’s hard to have it go that way for a while and then have those comments stop for one post. There’s a real person behind this resume, but there’s one behind every letter, too. Besides, I’m picturing Dany laughing all the way to the bank on her dragon. :)

Well, I’m paying attention and thank you for it. I don’t comment all the time but read (and have read) everything on your site. I’ve lost my writing ‘voice’ and I see that loss in writing cover letters also. My office recently hired a grant writer who has a 100% win rate. When I chatted with him about it, he said he works hard to make sure his writing voice is conversational and not fake. I always struggle with this because I feel like I should write in a different way with things like cover letters and grant writing. I see now that while the level of formality may change, my voice needs to remain the same.

So thanks again. It’s frustrating but I’m learning from it.

Oh come on. You shouldn’t have posted this if you didn’t want people to critique it. These comments are typical of how people normally discuss topics on your blog. You’re being overly sensitive about this. It seems as though you didn’t want this particular post to be subject to the usual candid feedback that you get on an AAM post. I’m surprised, for someone that talks about humility and owning up to your mistakes, you seem to be having a hard time admitting that you made one here.

I think the letter is great, and I don’t think it was a mistake to post it.

I am, however, feeling pretty damn protective of the person who allowed me to share it, as she didn’t sign up for some of the comments here. As well as frustrated that some of the commenters are missing the forrest for the trees, as someone else pointed out.

Yeah, criticism can be harsh, but why post the letter/resume if you don’t want an open and honest discussion that people can learn from and apply to their own circumstances? People have differing opinions, and it’s certainly helpful to hear from both sides. I read the letter, and thought it was a little too cheesy/young sounding and it would definitely be inappropriate for my industry (I realize that doesn’t make it a fact, and applicable to all, it’s just my opinion). I came to the comments and found that some other people thought so too. That’s helpful because it gives people more information as to what others think is good/bad in a cover letter (not just what you personally think is good). Hearing both sides is what’s helpful for people in constructing their own application materials.

As I’ve said elsewhere in this thread, I’m all for discussion of the letter and resume. My beef is with the harshness of some responses (“just awful,” for instance), which I just can’t imagine most people saying to someone they actually knew … hence my request for people not to do that. That’s not about me being thin-skinned; it’s about me wanting people to be thoughtful toward the writer, who I asked to share her materials here (a request I’d have trouble making of anyone in the future because I’d be hesitant to subject them to some of these comments).

I think one factor is that the provenance difference was more evident to you, who did all the behind the scenes stuff, than to the posters, who just had a slightly different intro, so people weren’t necessarily reading this as “somebody kindly shared something as a favor after being specially requested and should be responded to accordingly.” If you choose to try it again, maybe being more explicit up front about the difference and different expectations?

That’s a great point.

I think the reactions to the letter are, to me anyway, further confirmation of how incredibly different personality styles view things. I totally understood what you meant by “her voice” came through. I totally understood that there are very basic guidelines, but no hard and fast rules for writing a great cover letter. Someone upthread mentioned that they realized they have been taking your suggestions literally, which is why they reacted negtively to the letter–because OP didn’t follow the “rules” you’ve been purporting. So there are the detail-oriented, ‘rule’ followers of the readership reacting to this letter that is written by an informal, personable, big picture sort of person (at least that’s how it strikes me).

Forest for the trees is exactly it: The people who totally get OP’s letter process easier at the forest level and can see it as such; those that are reacting negatively I would bet are very detailed focus people and are getting hung up on minutiae (though they’re gonna get pissed I said minutiae, because they don’t see it that way at all. See? Conflicting priorities).

Guidelines vs Rules. To me, OP followed the guidelines but made up her own rules of how to do it. I guess that’s what I get out of this.

Additionally, as a reviewer that trains reviewers, I have to move novices away from “I found a mistake in this book and therefore it deserves a negative review!” Whether it’s creating a book or an application package, writing is a balance, and perfection is impossible. The question is “Where does this writing try to take you, and does it get you there?” more than “Can you find anything wrong with it?”

Yes, exactly. As I said in the initial post, there are things here I would change if I were editing it, but that’s not the point. The point is look at it as a whole. It’s glorious.

And FWIW, I think the resume is very strong, and the cover letter is bold but appropriate for someone seeking this type of position. The company is seeking someone who can turn businesses around. This letter demonstrates the personality to do that (at least, indicates enough of it to merit an interview).

This resume and cover would not be so good for, say, someone applying to work directly with patients in hospice care.

Dog walker? I think you meant Dragon walker! ;)

The Game of Thrones references had me chuckling like a crazy person at my desk.

I really like the resume and it’s very similar to mine. I really love the use of action verbs. But I cringed at the cover letter – it felt way too casual to me. Am I the only one who thinks of job applications as business correspondence and makes it more formal? That cover letter felt like something I would write to an old friend, which may work in some industries but I don’t think it would work in mine.

The hospitality industry is weird like that, though.

I agree–I thought the resume was great but the cover letter made me cringe a little. It’s well-written, but the tone was too casual and too pushy. However, I think the OP knows her industry because clearly it worked for and I could see the hospitality industry going for something like this.

It really depends. When I was a resume screener, I was hiring for a small org and would be working closely with the person we hired. It’s nice to get a sense of who the person is that you’re going to be seeing 40 hours a week. Although really in either direction, formal or informal, as long as the person demonstrated competence I wasn’t going to reject anyone just on their letter’s tone. Note also that I was doing this in my mid 20s…perhaps it’s just because my generation doesn’t stand on ceremony as much. What are pantyhose?

I love the tone, and I love conversational cover letters in general.

And while yes, tone will vary by industry, it should never be stiff or even particularly formal. (It shouldn’t be super informal either, of course — but there’s a middle ground between that and formal.)

Once I changed my cover letters from formal to conversational, I started getting interviews.

I work in media/marketing though. My whole job is to tell stories through words.

I’m annoyed with people tearing this CV and cover letter down because I’d love to see more examples of CVs and cover letters that were successful. I think it would be a great section to have once a month or something (eg. a sales cover letter that worked, a engineering cover letter that worked, a freelance artist’s CV and how they laid it out etc.) because I’m interested in how other industries do things. Stop ruining it everyone.

Yes! I would love to see this!

I’d love this too! (though I doubt we’ll get it now)

+1 This would be amazing! I would absolutely love to see a section like this.

And a lot of business writing in general is more formal than communicative. I have to sound like I know what I’m talking about, so I’ll change the word ‘use’ to ‘utilize’ and make sure all my writing sounds business-like. And that is often at the expense of clear communication.

My spouse fights with this when writing lab procedures. Others want to make sure it follows a strict standard and uses appropriate big words and sounds scientific and makes them look smart. He wants it to be read and followed by lab techs.

So, there is a lot of conversation about making sure the cover letter is not too casual, but isn’t the point to get the interview? If it stands out (in a good way) and achieves that, it’s working.

Disciplines and classes protect their turf by developing specialized language–jargon–that limits how many people can understand what’s being said. It eliminates competition and gives security to those already in the know, and that’s about all it does. Your example of utilize for use is a classic case. You don’t have to be smarter to use the bigger word, and the bigger word doesn’t lend any meaning the smaller one doesn’t. You just have to have a better vocabulary to know the bigger word, meaning you got educated at a better school, in a better neighborhood, came from a better economic background.

After leaving academia I went into marketing, and it was a strange transition learning to write in a way that’s meant to be quickly understandable by the average person instead of the type of writing I’d spent my whole education and academic career learning to write, that stiff, jargon-loaded, goes-on-a-page-too-long style. It’s such a shame we don’t teach young people to write for utility, and instead teach them bourgeois writing as thought it’s a status symbol.

Love this and how true. The big words can be a form of grandstanding or display of power. I learned that one very early on. But I also learned to look at follow-up. Big fancy words followed up with nothing is about the same as nothing. After awhile I changed, I felt that the real power is in communicating in a manner that most people can follow along. Be approachable. Dear family member had a vocab that would knock off the socks on PhDs. Most people? Their reaction was “I don’t know what he just said and I probably won’t get any time soon.” So dear family member did not have the close relationships he could have had because it was all about using the impressive vocabulary regardless of the impact on other people.

Yes, it is very effective for isolation one’s self.

I have to sound like I know what I’m talking about, so I’ll change the word ‘use’ to ‘utilize’ and make sure all my writing sounds business-like. And that is often at the expense of clear communication.

This is really counterintuitive to me. Wouldn’t clear communication and simple language make it sound more like you know what you’re talking about, not less?

Nope, because if you can use the jargon (see EmilyK’s post), then obviously you’re more in the know than those limited to simple language. Sure, it’s often at the expense of real communication, but sounding smart is more important. (He especially complains when some people trying to sound smart say things incorrectly, but if it’s obtuse enough, not everyone will be able to tell that it’s wrong.)

I wrote a conversational-toned cover letter applying for my first post-college accounting job (discussing my familiarity with the company, etc) and the hiring manager raved about it in our interview and to my subsequent interviewers. This was a big, established corporation. She parted the seas for me to be hired smoothly, seriously. These types of letters do work very well in more industries than you might expect.

I found the cover letter a bit “let me tell you what you need” myself (agreeing with those above) but it is still leaps and bounds stronger then the typical ” I am hard-working , motivated self starter” types that I used to write when i was just out of school

Since I started writing in a conversational tone, for cover letters, I’ve definitely seen my response rate increase. I’m still kind of proud of the one that i wrote for my current job.

Thanks for posting this, this will help me a lot!

I could never figure out how to list achievements rather than just job duties, because I’ve only had stupid minimum wage jobs and how much can you really achieve in those? All the examples I’ve seen before were like “raised sales by 10 million dollars” or “saved the company and the world” and gave up on the idea.

Its cool seeing how someone who’s also had low level jobs put that idea into practise.

I had the same problem. Alison’s book and this website (comments especially) were a huge help.

I agree – I thought her bullet points were really illustrative. There are lots of jobs (not just minimum wage jobs!) where there aren’t clear numeric accomplishments to list. Her examples were helpful to me too!

Totally agree. I also found that really helpful. I don’t think I ever would have put down things about my “reputation as x” or how I did something in “several” situations because the advice I always got was to quantify things. I always thought if I couldn’t calculate it, it shouldn’t be on there. Obviously, if I brought in a million dollar client that saved my company from bankruptcy, or something, I could list that. But something like “reputation as a quick and efficient researcher” is true and perhaps helpful.

That said, I assume if I put on something that has my “reputation” at issue I’ll need a few examples to back it up by the time I get to the interview.

Yes, you absolutely can and should do that, if you can back it up!

Yes, this is something I’ve struggled with a lot. It’s difficult to feel like you have achievements doing retail and other similar work, when all the examples you see are office/project work based. The types of things the OP used as bullet points helped a lot as far as illustrating what some bullet-points of my own might be.

It appeared to me as if the letter writer was trying to cover up for a lack of experience/qualifications with the cover letter and 2-page resume. And I actually think they succeeded. The impression I had from the cover letter was of someone much more experienced (albeit somewhat young) and that impression carried over as I initially scanned the resume. It was only upon a *much* closer reading and rereading of the resume that I realized how weak their qualifications were (at least for what I assume is needed for a hotel management position – not my industry though). Although it’s not my tone or style, this certainly gives me strategies to think about for the future- especially when applying for jobs that are a stretch. Impressively done.

Weak qualifications? Wow, this seems pretty harsh. Everyone in management started out in non-manager positions. After I read your post, I went back to review the resume. I’m not in the hospitality trade, but it appears to me like she has spent plenty of time learning the trade. Obviously her hiring manager agreed because she got the job.

I actually intended my comment to be a compliment. Based on her cover letter I had already formed an image of someone with more substantial experience. All her experience seemed to be entry-level and the types of positions that are often filled by people who aren’t necessarily looking to move up in the hospitality industry, so that past experience doesn’t automatically lead me to think she has the knowledge base for management. So yes, her formal qualifications on paper are weak. But she was able to successfully communicate to the hiring manager that she had other qualities (such as a deep knowledge of the trade) that make her better qualified for the job than her actual background would indicate. That’s a really, really difficult thing to do.

Yes, me too. I went back and reread everything when I got to the line about not having hotel management experience because the impression I had of the letter writer prior to that was of an experienced, high level hospitality manager.

I really like this, particularly since I’ve been looking to break out of the retail/receptionist rut and she makes it sound good.

One thing, though. The “Key Results” and “Profile” at the top seem a lot like an objective to me. Obviously it worked, but would you recommend against that in favor of just wading into the experience?

I thought the same thing! I’d love for Alison to weigh in about this in a little more detail. For example, if adding this would mean having to remove a job experience entry to keep it to one page (for those who haven’t been working long enough to warrant a second page), which should we keep?

I refer you to Zahra slightly further down! (Who will refer you to me, but this is faster.)

I had a lengthy comment here and it vanished as I was posting it, so I’ll try and replicate it. Incoming plug for my industry here!

Hospitality can actually be a really great launching pad for people who have been in that retail/receptionist area and want to make a career without having to go back to school. At the moment, it’s one of the few fields that still trains from the bottom for the most part; some managers have degrees in hotel management or MBAs but a lot don’t, and quite a few don’t have college degrees at all. Despite the recession, it’s actually been a sector that’s been growing fairly well, compared to some.

Generally speaking, if you have prior customer service experience, they’ll look for you to add on a year to two years of hotel experience before letting you transition to management. Going to front desk is the most common transition in from retail, but there are quite a few possible areas. After that, your first management job is normally a lead or supervisor position. This is normally a position where you do have significant responsibility—hire/discipline authority, and a number of areas that are under your purview, but there’s often a number of managers above you with whom you’ll be working.

The advantages are that a lot more hotels offer benefits to full-time employees than retail stores, as far as I know. In my area, the average pay is a bit higher for entry level front-of-house hotel staff at least, though not a huge amount higher. There’s also a lot of room for advancement and a lot more areas to advance into. For example, a medium-sized hotel might have a general manager, an assistant general manager, a sales manager, one or more front office leads, one or more maintenance leads, one or more housekeeping leads. A large hotel will have more levels, and may also have a food and beverage operation, with the associated managers. And the fact that there’s still a willingness to train from the ground makes it far more accessible than a lot of fields right now.

The thing I personally love about it is that because the hospitality industry itself is so competitive (it’s not unusual for there to be a dozen hotels in a five-block radius), there’s still a lot of innovation going on, and a willingness to experiment and try new things. This will vary from hotel to hotel, but the industry as a whole has to keep pushing the envelope because there are always more room nights to sell than guests in any one area.

The downsides, of course, are that you have hotel guests much longer than you have someone visiting an office or a store. A guest might be on the premises for eight hours or longer, and some of them make you very aware of it. Anything can and will happen. You will come to dread the phrase “soiled linens”. If you don’t cope well with the unexpected and with change, it’s not a good field for you. Also, managers are normally on call 24-7. Someone locks their keys in a closet? Someone throws up in the pool? You might get a call at 3AM and have to come in. Especially as an entry-level employee, but also as a low-level manager, you will work nights, weekends, and holidays, including ones you usually get off even in a retail environment (such as Christmas or New Years’ Day).

If you do decide to have a look at it, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to ask a lot of questions in the interview. There are some really amazing hotels, and there are some really, really awful ones. Look for one where the team meshes, and ideally where the manager’s willing to develop his or her teams’ talent.

I nearly always agree with AAM, but this is not one of those times. I think the resume is well done, but I would not interview this person based on the cover letter. The examples in that letter are good, the research is good, the level of interest is good. Overall, I get what AAM is saying about customization.

But the tone is pushy and immature. And it’s not just the part where the applicant assumes that she knows what the hiring manager needs. Even the opening paragraph is off-putting.

I feel like for a customer-service position, though, you’d want someone who is solution-driven and cheerful. So the attitude of “I see you have a problem – open position – and here I have a solution – myself” seems really great for the hospitality service.

It is industry-specific, but the letter-writer knows her industry and it worked.

I think also that opinions here may depend on hiring experience. I think if you haven’t had much hiring experience, you tend to compare cover letters to hypothetical cover letters in your head rather than to the real gamut that you get when hiring; it may also be that some people with seriously executive hiring experience never see anything but brilliant application packages. My hiring tends to fall toward the early end of careers, so I think I’m seeing a lot of people at a similar stage to our sample provider, and her sample definitely has a savvy that isn’t common at that stage.

Noted, TL. I guess if you need relentlessly cheerful you’re in good shape with this one. And I get the part about letting your voice come through.

My concern is that it’s a lower level position, and while she says that she’s open to doing things in new ways, the impression I got was “anything you can do I can do better”. I would be concerned about managing someone like this, since she seems so aggressive at an early time in her career. The letter is too direct and too foward for me. Even for junior people, personally I tend to favor applicants who are more mature.

Exactly it. This letter set off so many warning bells for me. I’ve hired for several positions before, and have learned that this type of person just wouldn’t mesh with me.

But, that’s my experience. I can cede that. But the idea that all hiring managers would jump to this isn’t true. I wouldn’t have. It wasn’t posited that way in the original post, but now is being said as such in the comments. That I can understand.

Who is saying all hiring managers would love this? There’s no letter in the world that all hiring managers would love, nor should there be since part of the point is to screen for fit (on both sides).

Relentlessly cheerful is pretty necessary in this field, honestly. (You’re not the first person to say that about me, actually.)

I can certainly see your point, and you’re not particularly wrong. I am pretty aggressive, to be honest. The reason this position interested me is because I could tell they were looking to shake things up and that they might be interested in someone willing to upset a few apple carts.

I would rather have a direct and forward young manager than a timid one who is too afraid to speak her mind or to exercise her authority when she needs to.

The amount of applications I received with a dull form cover letter with our name obviously copied and pasted in a different font than the rest of the letter…the “cover letters” that simply read “In response to your posting on X, please find my resume for the position of Y”…the people who did not include a cover letter at all…and the person who wrote back when I followed-up looking for his cover letter to tell me he didn’t feel that he needed one…

…this letter stands up because the writer, whatever her tone, has convinced me that she understands the job, can perform its duties, and would have a positive attitude towards the work. So, so many cover letters barely accomplish one of those three things.

While I would not have hired this person based on the cover letter (way too pushy), I do have to say the fact that it has a cover letter at all and even more so, one that it customized to the employer, is impressive. In my experience, it is extremely rare to receive a cover letter at all. Maybe it is my industry or maybe it is due to our online application system, but I only see about 10% of our applicants submitting cover letters. The PhD applicants seem to be the worst offenders for some reason. Most of them can’t seem to be bothered enough to properly fill out the application so forget a cover letter. I guess they think their education should be enough.

A lot of people (including me) are responding with skepticism to the tone of the letter. But something we seem to be forgetting is that it worked. She got the job. So while (apparently) a lot of people on here say they wouldn’t interview this person, the interviewer that mattered did. She correctly read the company’s style, her industry, and what they were looking for.

I had to step back from my initial reaction of “THAT’S WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT NOW? UGH I AM SO SCREWED,” in part because that would not work for me (both as a job seeker and as a hiring manager). A company that wants me to be that super stoked about an entry level position* will not be a good fit for me and — unfortunately, due to bad leadership from the owner — any job seeker who comes into my place that happy and excited to shake things up will quickly have their soul crushed within a week.

With that being said, I read through a lot of the comments and realized that getting a little more personal/using some of Alison’s tips without realizing it has landed me more callbacks than I was getting. (It’s still demoralizing and I am still stuck at my dysfunctional workplace, but I am trying to measure things in terms of progress instead of sobbing “OH GOD OCTOBER IS ALMOST OVER AND I AM STILL DEALING WITH CLIQUEY COWORKERS, A CRAZY MAKING BOSS WHO TEXTS ME ON DAYS OFF ABOUT QUESTIONS SHE CAN ANSWER HERSELF, AND THE GENERAL DYSFUNCTION OF THE PLACE” into a bottle of bourbon and a pint of ice cream every night because I haven’t landed a new job yet.)

No one is saying you have to write a cover letter exactly like this or you will never move on from your soul sucking job. It’s about taking a gamble, seeing what works, and adapting your techniques as necessary. The OP took a gamble and it paid off! She’s found something that she either enjoys or was able to use as a stepping stone to a better position, and that’s a lot more than I’ve been able to do.

* Entry level for my personal situation

I am dying to have a place where we share really bad ones! I have a horrible example that I want to show the world but can’t. The person who gave it to me to be their reference just isn’t into feedback on it, but it is so terrible. Can we look at more bad ones? Please?

that seems a little mean-spirited

Those tend to be hard to get permission to post :)

Can we all remember that we’re talking about a real person who volunteered to let me use her materials here and who is now reading your comments? (I asked to share it; she didn’t suggest it.) I’m all for people commenting and sharing impressions, but I’m cringing when anyone is harsher than I imagine they’d be if they were talking to a friend about the friend’s resume.

Also: It worked for her. She got the job she really wanted. And at least other one hiring manager with decent judgment (me) loved it too. So while it might not work for you, it’s clearly working for some people in a position to hire — and so I think harsh judgments stated as absolutes are really out of place here.

Ooof. Okay.

Sorry if my comments personally sounded harsh. I should say that the drive and determination are wonderful, and I’m glad the cover letter worked for her. I think that making your cover letter specific does help substantially. I know for a fact that doing this helped me get my current job (becaue I recently asked my HR department). Also, I think the resume is great.

I don’t think the comments overall are that bad– I think that people are saying that this particular tone doesn’t translate to different industries or doesn’t work for them personally as a hiring manager. Which isn’t the same thing as saying that the writer is a bad person in any way.

Yeah, I don’t think this is really being torn apart. There is nothing you could ever post that someone wouldn’t say “I would not hire this person because I don’t like the tone.” Most people seem to be saying that this letter wouldn’t be applicable in their industry and a lot of them seem to want an example of one that you like that WOULD fit their circumstances. I think that speaks to their trust in your judgement.

But I think some of this comes from people who don’t actually know whether this works in their industry or not, and what they’re really saying is “This is really different from what I’ve been told and it makes me uncomfortable.”

I have hired for several positions in marketing and sales, and there is no way this person would even get a phone screen. So not all the comments here are hypothetical. It made me uncomfortable because I’ve interviewed people like this person, and they would have been a terrible culture fit.

But, to other people’s points, that was in my particular industry and organization. I’m glad s/he found a role at a place that values this style. There’s some place for everyone, which gives me some hope.

But the fact that she would have been a bad culture fit for you and perfect for others means that the letter is doing exactly what it should — screening for the right fit for her and the employer she’s sending it to. It SHOULD be doing that; that’s part of the point of letting your voice come through. It’s part of what makes it a great letter.

So for people to rag on all the things they don’t like about it misses the point. I’m not posting this to say “here is your cover letter.” I’m posting it to say “here is someone who applied all the advice we talked about and the end result is great.”

There’s no single cover letter out there that will be the right fit for every employer and every industry; by definition, no such letter could exist. You need to be able to look at it and see the parts that she did well that are universal.

I think that’s the problem; people are still looking for some kind of magic bullet cover letter that will fit all situations. And that just doesn’t exist!

On top of losing sight of the fact that the rest of the Internet is real people with feelings, I think a lot of people online miss the fact that the Internet is pretty much always just one step away from a gang-up, pile-on situation.

There is usually just one person, maybe two, behind a post, an article, an opinion, or some creative thing online. But the Internet is legion. That one person winds up facing a sea of other individual people who collectively create a giant pile of negativity through the combined influence of their individual responses.

I would like it quite a lot if people would really consider not only how they would feel if someone said X thing to them, but also how they would feel if 30 or 50 or 100 people in a row said X thing to them, before being negative or criticizing someone publicly on the Internet.

So very true. I’ve had questions answered by Alison and the comments, even though completely polite and generally helpful, were still a bit hard to take. It only takes a couple of “why did you do it that way in the first place!?” type questions before we want to start justifying our actions. It’s hard to step back and just listen and learn, and let some of it go.

Possibly I’m just feeling protective toward the writer, but “just awful,” “immature,” and so forth seem pretty harsh (as well as bizarrely absolute, given the context).

I’d like to add one more “thank you” to the pile. I really appreciate the samples

+1 AAM wrote she will probably not post another cover letter/resume in the future bc of some of the comments. I agree with some, disagree with some…but overall I find it helpful to see things like this and hope she reconsiders. Will my cover letter and resume be a copy+paste of this (with a find+replace of my name and previous jobs)? No. But the point is to get an IDEA of what this person did. It’s like seeing Jennifer Lawrence on the red carpet and wearing an outfit inspired by her’s with changes to account for my body type, brands I have access to, and context. Or seeing a recipe on Food Network and adding or subtracting to make it a vegetarian meal. I’m sure there are people who did not comment, for whatever reason, but who also found it helpful.

I think that people saying “this doesn’t work for me” is fine. That is not tearing the letter or the author apart. I just read thru the comments and there isn’t much which is mean spirited.

I also think that you are not giving your readers enough credit. People have said over and over again that they get your main points. Cover letters, when well written and customized for the job, tend to help applicants. This one person’s tone didn’t work for a lot of people. And that’s okay. It is fine to disagree.

I don’t have a problem with “it doesn’t work for me.” I have a problem with “it’s just awful,” “it’s immature,” etc.

Understandable. But it’s a blog. People write stuff quickly in a spare moment at work. And for me, because substitute “not ready for my sort of environment” for “immature”.

Maybe if you do this again, you could just close off the comments. But I don’t think this set of responses is much different from those posted to a lot of other questions. (When I wrote to you a few months ago, I barely read the comments. I wanted your advice, and didn’t want to be swayed by too many voices)

I don’t know, I think there’s a pretty big difference between “doesn’t work for me” and “awful”, that isn’t just down to people writing in a hurry.

It boils down to know your audience. Who is going to be reading your letter/resume? What type of circumstances are they in?

The second factor is what kind of environment do you want to work in? I could be mistaken, but I don’t think we talk very much about writing to fit the environment you want. So that could skate by us.

I hope you don’t give up on examples, Alison, even if it means turning off comments. It would be good to actually have a list of what you like about the example- being specific. I think the explanations in paragraphs aren’t as clear as a list.(yeah, almost like breaking it down and analyzing- but not quite that picky.) And it would be good for the people providing examples to show the train of thought behind the writing at the beginning of the thread. That would tend to ward off the some of the more negative comments. I think I am seeing two types of comments- one is “this won’t work in my arena” and the other is “I can’t write like that.” These two types of comments are at the opposite end of the spectrum from each other.

I am more toward the “I can’t write like that” end of the spectrum so I was very interested in the thought process OP went through to make her decisions about what to write. I can see where others would appreciate something geared more toward their own industry/arena. What does a conversational cover letter for academia look like? Or the legal environment and so on. (It’s a left-handed compliment, really. “Will you pull this rabbit out of a hat so we can see?”)

In short, it’s through examples that a lot of people get the best insights. So, yeah, I would half expect people to ask a lot of candid questions that could be difficult to listen to. And also for people to point out why something wouldn’t work- that can be a question dressed up as a statement in some instances.

I think it’s great. But I feel the need to warn the OP that since Winter Is Coming, it might not be the best time to work for the Stark family. Unless you like funerals!

That’s why I applied for Lannister Inc!

Strangely, I was thinking, that it should have been “Lannister Investments” in the letter….I mean, they are the ones with the (literal) gold mine, yes?

People, c’mon, HOUSE OF DORNE, INC. is where it’s at.

I hear they do wedding planning, too.

Eeesh no way, when you get close to the top, you have a harder fall. In the Game of Thrones you win or you die….

I’m chilling with Saro in safe old Dorne…..or maybe I’ll go live in one of the Free Cities. Meritocracy! :)

Yes, Free Cities Cooperative would work too! :)

Ooh, I loved the ‘Profile’ and ‘Key Results include’ sections at the top of the resume. Seems like a great way to back up a summary section, while also allowing the opportunity to customize based on specific jobs/industries.

About all the comments on objectives: I urge you to go back to what AAM said in past writings:

Objectives: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/06/20/10-things-to-leave-off-your-resume “Resume objectives never help and often hurt. Not only do they feel outdated at this point, but *they’re all about what you want*, rather than what this stage of the hiring process is all about—what the employer wants. ” (emphasis mine)

Summaries/Profiles http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2013/02/04/5-things-you-might-not-have-on-your-resume-but-should ” Profile sections or summaries have replaced objectives at the top of modern-day resumes. This is a quick list of the highlights of your strengths and experience, summing up in just a few sentences or bullet points who you are as a candidate and what you have to offer. A well-written profile or summary can provide an overall framing of your candidacy, setting the hiring manager up to see the rest of your resume through that lens.”

To me, Objectives are not only outdated, they are redundant.

If you’re answering a call for resumes, the Hiring Manager knows your objective is to get the job they posted.

If you’re cold applying (like a lot of my freelancing friends do), you should be explaining in the cover letter what you kind of work you are looking for from the employer.

I’m a manager in a university setting. In my world, this letter would not get you past the first round of consideration. In the academic world, this tone would be perceived as pushy and immature. Even if the candidate’s qualifications are excellent, I think the tone of the letter would land the application in the reject pile. Furthermore, no one on a search committee would be able to overlook the grammatical problems (there are at least two sentences that aren’t sentences). So, as others have said, this further illustrates the point that what works well in one particular culture does not work well in another.

As you suggest, YMMV. I hire in a university too, and I actually don’t perceive the writing as grammatically incorrect–it’s following oral convention rather than written in a couple of spots, but the general skill level makes it clear that that’s a choice, not a lack of knowledge. It’s like my refusal to acknowledge the predicate nominative :-).

This. It was clearly a choice. I often do the same when I’m attempting to write in a conversational tone. (Although I’ve always shied away from using this device in a cover letter as my industry is on the stuffier side.) True grammatical errors often stick out like an eyesore and break the natural flow of reading. In this case it effectively served both the informal tone and natural, conversational flow of the letter.

The person who wrote this cover letter and resume is not an academic, and isn’t applying for a job as a professor in a University. If you look at her resume, she has mainly worked in admin support and customer service. Considering ( and with all due respect) she has no formal University or College listed on her resume she has done a fantastic job in selling herself to the employer. The point of Alison posting this example was to show a well written cover letter and resume for the type of industry she was applying for. She got the job didn’t she? Looking at her experience on her resume she definitely got the interview because of her cover letter. She doesn’t have management experience, and would be a deal breaker for a company looking to hire a hotel manager. She obviously researched the company and wrote in a voice that they loved.

This is for a hospitality job, though. Most of the hospitality managers I’ve encountered are really bad at spelling/grammar. (Really bad is an understatement haha…)

God forbid you start a sentence with a word traditionally used as a conjunction. And people wonder why graduates straight out of college without any practical writing experience typically can’t produce copy worth the paper it’s printed on…

The criticism of the grammar was not about starting a sentence with “and,” it was about incomplete sentences.

I have to agree. Just in case anyone lands on this page wanting a resume/cover letter format to apply at a university, I would proceed with caution. Not that this isn’t a good cover letter for hospitality, but I would button-up the tone to write one for academia. They are rightly concerned that you will be able to succeed in academia–in other words, can you play the game?

Also, if I’m remembering correctly, Alison’s examples seem to contain a lot of contractions which contribute to a very informal tone–I wouldn’t recommend that for higher ed.

There’s nothing wrong with contractions in more formal writing; I’ll never understand where that idea came from. I advocate them.

I remember in grade school teachers telling us not to use contractions in writing. But that was long, long, long ago. I never used them even when I returned to college. I had enough red lines and circles on my papers… sigh. But this is how something sets inside a person and takes up residency.

I get a lot of enthusiasm out of the cover letter. Which is exactly what I would want in a hotel/hospitality position. The author also shows that she knows that efficiency is not the only thing that matters. She’s shown that she’s taken the time to research the business and understands what they need. I can totally see why she got the job.

Me too. Dany has done her research, she lets her bubbly and enthusiastic personality shine through which seems totally appropriate for a career in hospitality, and her letter was interesting enough to keep me reading through to the very end.

Congratulations on the new position, Dany, and thank you for agreeing to share your resume and cover letter with us. The naysayers may wish to examine their own cover letters and resumes to see where they can polish things up. I know that I sure would, if I were searching for a new job.

Great point about the tone being a perfect fit for the industry!

Just to back up “don’t use this for your own” — not only is it bad because it’s so personalized and because “do your own work” is important, but also because there are hiring managers who read AAM. I don’t hire often, but I once got a cover letter (for a writing position) that included lots of language from a cover letter Alison highlighted here… I was not impressed.

Thank you for sharing AAM! I loved this example. It’s a coherent, well-researched and thoughtful cover letter.

Yes, it is on the sale-sy side, but isn’t a huge part of hiring/job searching selling yourself to the other side?

Whatever people think of the cover letter personally, it clearly worked for the person who wrote it.

As someone who absolutely hates to write cover letters, I appreciate the example.

Thanks AAM :)

I got a job at a wonderful U using AAM advice…and specifically I remember reading the original post about this cover letter when I was applying. In fact I got the first job I applied to after my stay at home stint (2 yrs.) with my son. …in a totally different field at a U I had been drooling over for years. So Academia Hopefuls: these methods worked for me. %100 success rate.

“Juicy projects” “perfect fit” “cleaning house?” No, no, and no! After reading the cover letter, the closest you get to something concrete about the writer’s background is that she had a leadership position in a restaurant. Ummm… I just don’t see what was supposed to make me want to contact her for an interview because this would be an automatic rejection from me.

The resume was better, with at least some specific examples, but the cover letter was just awful.

Sorry AAM. You’re still my favourite career blogger, though!

For a hotel manager job, being bubbly and having managed a restaurant before is huge.

But the concrete things about background go in the resume. The cover letter is for a different purpose. It’s supposed to give me clues to more nebulous things like: does this person seem understand how our business and industry work? would this person enjoy doing the work of this role, or would they be bitter and a drain on staff morale? would this person fit into our company culture and be someone others would enjoy working with? is this person less inexperienced and malleable (an advantage for a position that requires a lot of compliance), or opinionated and savvy (an advantage for a position that requires a lot of independent judgment)?

Really, “just awful”? Not “not to my taste” or “not the right tone for my field,” but “just awful”? I would say this comment is just awful as well and demonstrates the problem with crowd sourcing anything.

I appreciate it being posted and there’s a lot here to learn from.

Thanks for the comments Jill. I respect your opinion. See? That was easy, and I didn’t have to say anything nasty.

“Just awful” was and is my opinion of the letter. I agree that cover letters do not include the amount of detail in the resume, and that they need to hit on other intangibles, but the language, tone and content would not induce me to even look at the resume because it all felt juvenile and unprofessional. At my organization, we tend to read cover letters first, so this letter would land the applicant in the discard pile.

If she had related her experiences in the restaurant or customer service sector to the hotel position, and the great things she would bring to the role, then it would have shown her relevant experience and made her seem like a qualified candidate – someone whose resume I would want to read.

To the OP – I’m truly glad that you got the job you wanted, and that you were able to connect with the employer. Not questioning abilities, here. Maybe it is an industry perspective, so I’m glad you’ve found your fit!

Hey, some companies do make a living out of buying fledgling businesses in their field, turning them around through reviewing processes, work/management culture and weeding out people that don’t fit anymore. If this company has a history of doing exactly that, or even commenting that this particular acquisition is heading this way, the OP’s cover letter seems excellent to me. After all, she’d just be telling how she would fit in such an atmosphere and telling the HM what kind of person/qualifications she thinks would fit in such a scenario.

Thank you, Resume/Cover Letter Writer, for allowing Alison to post this. It’s so helpful to see real examples of a resume/cover letter combo that actually work – opposed to what an internet search believes resumes and cover letters should be.

Agreed. It is amazingly helpful and giving me hope in a time when I really, really need it.

I want to join those saying thank you, LW for agreeing to let your materials be posted here.

I’ve been trying to explain to my husband how he should be writing his cover letters and resumes to get more interviews, and this is exactly the sort of thing he needs to see.

Along with others I can agree the tone of your letter wouldn’t work for the things he applies to, but the content certainly would. Kudos for knowing your industry well and researching the heck out of this company. You do an excellent job of making it clear why you want the job and why you would excel at it which is the whole point.

I thought this was great! I also don’t understand the “this wouldn’t work in my industry/for me” commentary. By their nature a cover letter’s purpose is to get you hired for the job you are applying for. And she was hired for the job, so her application materials 100% worked. Letter writer, thank you so much for sharing, and a big congrats on your new job! It’s pretty weird to be inspired by a cover letter / resume, but I am totally inspired and going to re-work my CL & resume now. I think what is so great about this example is that it is easy to see things you can adopt without actually mimicking the author.

I think the discussion here just further proves AAM’s point – that cover letters and resumes should be tailored to a specific job opening and highlight what stands out about you individually.

In this case, I can see why some people find the cover letter a bit off or perhaps unprofessional. For many industries, this letter is not appropriate; but as someone who previously worked in the service industry, I can see why this letter got her an interview. The letter highlights many of the qualities that are important in hotel/restaurant/bar jobs: friendliness, passion, excitement, focus on customer service, and previous experience in the industry.

Soon-to-be new grad here, looking for some advice:

Can someone point out to me the “universal” things we can pick up from her example. Obviously, showing how she knew about the company’s operating procedures and she went to the website and actually understood what she read is great, but what else should I try to emulate?

I’ve always tended to “tell the story of me” through cover letters. As in, give background on situations I’ve been in that make me a good candidate. But most of Alison’s examples just state “as my resume will show, I have extensive experience in these areas” without going on to “prove it” through long anecdotes. Should I aim to be more like that? I sort of get how a cover letter isn’t supposed to be reiteration of your resume, but how much explanation about your experiences is necessary?

For example, I talk about how I’ve competed in lots of case competitions because it shows teamwork and problem-solving abilities. Then I go on to list each competition I was in, what the question was, and what position I placed. Would it be enough to state that I’ve competed in and won a number of case competitions and then put the specific details in my resume?

Warning: long response ahead!

Alison addresses some of your questions right in the post:

The point is that this is an excellent illustration of a cover letter resume that will excite a hiring manager — the cover letter because it’s personable, explains why the candidate is interested in this particular job, and makes a compelling case for why she’d excel at it beyond what’s on the resume, and the resume because it shows that she has a track record of getting things done.

And here’s my take on things she does that would work on me:

– She takes a crack at understanding what the hiring manager is looking for: “You need someone who isn’t wedded to doing everything the way it’s been done before. Someone committed to high standards.” etc. This could go wrong, if she misinterprets what the the hiring manager wants. But articulating what you think they need and how you can give that to them is a strong strategy: it shows you understand them and gives them a structure through which to understand your experience.

– She clearly describes the value she will add: “Every place I’ve worked, my favorite part of the job is looking at how things are done and trying to figure out ways to do it better…”

– The profile and “key results” on her resume highlight exceptional accomplishments – things that go beyond “just doing the job.” As someone mentioned above, when you skim this application it gives the sense of a much more experience candidate than Dany actually is, which is awesome. A hiring manager will be impressed with her credentials, even if her experience is less than another potential candidate.

– With each job, she highlights strong, specific accomplishments. Every line in the section that focuses on the hospitality industry makes me think “She’s really good at her job.”

What I’d change about this letter is some of the superfluous language. Fewer words – especially adjectives and adverbs – are better. Warmup phrases don’t add to understanding. I’d get rid of bits like “So here’s the crux of it,” “every place I’ve worked,” “needless to say,” “really” (before “excited”), etc. I think that’s what a lot of people are responding negatively to here.

Regarding your case competition example: I don’t know what you mean by “telling the story of you,” but generally I think that telling a (short) story in your cover letter is a stronger use of that space than listing awards/etc. So you might talk about a particular case you worked, what the challenge was, how you overcame it, and what the outcome was.

Does that help?

I think this is an excellent assessment–you’ve articulated its strengths and identified the areas that are more taste and field calls for your reservations.

Chriama, take my thoughts with a grain of salt because I’m not in business, but to me “the story of you” would come through great with the “I talk about how I’ve competed in lots of case competitions because it shows teamwork and problem-solving abilities” and then would dry up when it hit the list of what you’ve learned from each one. Give me the range and then tell me about a key example that will stick vividly in my mind as snapshot of who these competitions show you as–be the person who kicked butt in Yonkers after her teammate died onstage, not one of the people with bullet points about her proactively kinetic synergies.

This is the most insightful comment here yet. I think you are right on point on the strengths and weakness of the original letter, especially on what commenters are responding negatively to (which I think is missing the forest for the trees).

To Chriama, I would not list every competition and question in the cover letter. Tell a specific story about problem solving or team work instead.

I also would like to say I think that’s very good feedback regarding the cover letter. I know I can be wordy (this represents the way I really talk), so in future editions, I’ll try and pare it down a bit more.

I just wanted to thank you again for sharing it, and congratulations on getting the job!

OP, I can relate. I’m wordy in real life and in writing. But thank you so much for sharing this with us, and congratulations on landing the job.

Also, I really appreciated the conversational tone of your letter. People sometimes think “conversational” = “informal” but that’s not actually true in every case. It takes skill though, to pull it off, and I think you do.

Oh, and check out William Zinsser’s “On Writing Well.” He helped me become more aware of my love of unnecessary adjectives and adverbs, even if I still use them. :)

I understand some of the duress that this post has caused to some of Alison’s readers because of the ways in which this letter “breaks some of the rules” but I have to parrot Victoria’s thoughts. From my own perspective as a hiring manager, this application package works as resumes and cover letters are intended to act.

The cover letter illustrates forethought and care by the applicant – however she might actually feel, I read it as a candidate who has taken time to try and understand my organization, and who has concluded that she is excited about it. I don’t deny that there is a salesy aspect to it, and yet for myself, it works. This isn’t a zero-sum game for me, and the strengths of the letter are such that whatever weaknesses it has are negligible to me.

The resume illustrates the ways in which she has provided an excellent standard of care and work. The package considered as a whole is compelling to me, certainly compelling enough to make me want to speak with the candidate further. And in that conversation or conversations I can draw my own conclusions about the shortcomings of the application materials – and you can be sure that in interview I would do just that. Screening at this point – truly at any point in the hiring process – isn’t about seeking perfection. That person, that resume and cover letter, aren’t real.

For all the feelings, etc. flying around this post, I really think that it illustrates in so many ways what Alison has tried to convey about the hiring process. Namely, that it is extremely nuanced, and while there are certainly rules and conventions we couldn’t claim that it was nuanced if those rules and conventions couldn’t be bent or broken at times.

Reading the cover letter and this entire thread has been really interesting.

I admit the letter turned me off and even made me feel depressed. Not because the letter writer sounds like a bad person, but the voice sounds far more sales-y than I would ever feel comfortable being, and also presumptive that she knows the company’s exact needs. It’s dispiriting to think that I’d have to add that much hype and bubble. However, she got the job, and the letter and resume *do* make her sound competent (if a bit pushy and sales-y for my tastes), so it obviously worked for this company and position.

Despite my initial negative reaction, there are things in there that aren’t just hyped verbiage, and which could be applied to any cover letter. The writer obviously did a lot of research, and had a clear and long-running interest in the company. (Although this fact is kind of frustrating, since it’s not something that many – most? – of us could say in a cover letter.) Her paragraph about her research showed that she’s intelligent and able to make sense of the case studies and financial articles, and put data together to come up with (presumably accurate) conclusion.

It’s worded conversationally, and even if that turns me off a bit, I can see how conversational language sounds more approachable and easy to read. Having something to back up her assertions about great customer service (the “binder full of compliments”) is hard evidence for the hiring manager.

The resume was even more interesting than the cover letter, actually. I wouldn’t have thought about adding all the “soft” achievements like the ones she lists in her “Key Results”.

Lots of stuff to think about, and thanks to the OP and Alison for sharing it, even if I don’t like everything about it.

I’d also be interested in seeing a cover letter written by a more formal personality, and/or for a more formal profession, if such a thing crops up in the future.

Things I love about this:

1. The research. Not just “hey I pulled this line off your website research” but actual research that shows you truly follow the industry.

2. The passion. You can definitely tell she wants to work for this company, in this industry.

3. The key results section was really cool. I think it was very creative and adds a ton to the resume that would be hard to show without that section.

Things I like about this:

1. Explaining how you feel a need. The only issue is that you had better be correct in what they actually need.

2. Explaining how the fact that you don’t have hotel managerial experience isn’t a weakness. This is a strategy I’ve used successfully before. I’ve found it to be very hit and miss though.

Things I don’t like about this:

1. Too salesy. Hyperbole really really bothers me, even if you try to explain it away. Now, I come from a formal/conservative industry, so in this applicants particular industry this could be more appropriate. I don’t know, but for me it was too salesy.

2. Too informal. This is hard for me to write because I agree with AaM that 98% of cover letters are way too formal, but this one swings the pendulum too far in the other direction for my tastes. Once again though, this may be more appropriate in this industry than mine.

Neither of my 2 dislikes come even close to overshadowing the rest. If this applicant wasn’t radically under-qualified for the job in comparison to other applicants, I’d at the very least give her a call. Now, in the phone interview I’d hope to see the same level of excitement and industry knowledge without it becoming a sales pitch.

*Fill a need.

Reading this blog in Europe I must admit to finding the covering letter of a style I would not expect to receive or like. However the CV is a masterpiece of what I’ve always been taught to look for: Skills, Abilities and Achievements. All indicators as to how well the candidate will fit the post you are trying to fill. Well done to the author and all the best for the new position.

Yeah, this totally wouldn’t fly in Germany. But a lot of the resume / cover letter advice on this blog wouldn’t, as would quite some of the other advice. In general, things are much more formal here – I shudder just thinking of calling a hiring manager by their first name or showing up at an interview not in a suit (I am a software developer, usually people here say IT doesn’t require one).

However, some of this is also what I would like to see more of here – a resume focusing more on achievements than duties sounds like it would be much more helpful for the hiring process, for example. Less formal cover letters would also be nicer to write.

Many, many people are saying that the cover letter is “too informal”. Apparently it wasn’t, because it got Dany her new job. So it makes me wonder: Why do many people seem dedicated to the idea that a stiff, formal cover letter is better, even though Alison (who is an experienced hiring manager and knows her stuff!) assures us that a conversational tone is better? Could it be just an old-fashioned idea that is left over from the resume-writing class that we took in high school business class? “Dear Sirs: Please find enclosed my resume in response to your advertisement from Tuesday’s Daily Herald. I would humbly propose to submit said resume as an application to the post. Your humble servant, Windchime T. Peabody, esq.”

OK, yes, that’s silly, but really? I don’t know where we all got the idea that a stilted, formal letter is better.

There are a lot of hiring managers saying they wouldn’t interview this candidate, so I think maybe we all just have to accept that there is a difference of opinion on this approach.

I think Windchime is right. Of course there are hiring managers who prefer a more formal cover letter. My guess is that many of them were taught that cover letters are supposed to be formal, and they’ve never given much thought as to why. Some fields require very formal writing in day-to-day work, so it makes sense. Others don’t require it, but think they do. A lot of people find it difficult to be appropriately polite or deferential without striking a formal tone, so they’d rather err on the side of caution, and that’s fine. But I think it’s important to recognize that it is possible to convey respect/politeness/etc. in a conversational tone – but it can be difficult.

Either way, I suppose it doesn’t matter because the hiring manager is hiring for what he thinks he needs, even if he doesn’t actually need it. So, know your field, as Alison says.

“binders of compliments.” Love it.

I would like to see an example of a more formal cover letter. This wouldn’t work for my industry or for my personality.

For those who found this helpful, I’m glad it was useful to you! For those who have questions or concerns, I’ll address the main points here. Please understand I’m not trying to be defensive at all; as Alison said, it worked for me in this case. I’m only posting this to clarify some of the choices that I made in this particular instance, because I think others might find it useful when they have to make similar choices.

1. The letter writer is cocky and doesn’t really have the experience to back it up.

I debated quite a while about whether to include the line about being ‘perfect’ for the job. I finally decided to leave it in, since I had every qualification that they listed, and also had some further useful skills to bring to the table. This is an entry level management position, so no previous management experience was required or requested. Having both hospitality experience and some basic management experience in food service was very helpful in getting the position.

2. The letter writer assumes she knows what the hiring manager needs and it’s off-putting.

This was also a calculated risk. I follow industry news pretty closely for my region, and I keep my eyes on the job boards to watch for patterns. Based on the questions I asked and the answers I got during my interviews, I think I was pretty close to right in terms of what the managers did need. It was a risk, though, since if I’d been wrong, I would have come across as clueless.

I also was deliberately looking for a position where things were in a state of flux, and where I would therefore have a chance to jump in, learn as much as I could, and influence things in a way that wouldn’t be possible when the status quo was more set. I wanted my resume to reflect this.

3. The letter is too casual.

I think this is a case of knowing your field. The hospitality industry still mostly trains from the ground up. While some managers may have degrees in hotel management or MBAs, many more never went to college at all, so it’s not unusual for even official hotel correspondence to be fairly casual. Additionally, since this position involves a huge amount of customer interaction (chatting with guests, making them feel comfortable, and so on), I felt a casual approach was more appropriate to convey the way I deal with people.

4. The letter-writer sounds like a pain to work with.

I definitely have a temperament that doesn’t do well in all environments or on all teams. I am a stickler for doing things right; I like people, but I need the freedom to try new systems and to constantly grow and push myself. I get bored quickly if I don’t get to learn new things often. I’m ambitious, and I don’t like doing things the same way just because they’ve always been done that way.

Conversely, I work extremely hard. I’m not naturally satisfied with good enough. I usually like to research thoroughly to make sure I understand a problem before tackling it. I like to take on extra projects, and I’m very, very good at keeping a lot of balls in the air at the same time.

My goal with this cover letter was to convey my personality, so that the hiring manager would have a sense of who I am. Because I know that I do have a personality that doesn’t mesh well with every team and every situation, I felt it was best to make it clear from the outset who I am and what I’m like. As a result, I feel that we were able to have some very good conversations about what the job would be like and whether it would be a good fit for both of us.

5. The letter-writer’s resume is too long.

Yep, I agree with you!

On the resume, there are a few things on there that I included because they were requested (they specifically asked for 45+ WPM typing speed in the advertisement) and some things because they explained gaps that otherwise looked odd. I think once I get some more accomplishments in this new job, I can pare the whole thing down to one page.

Once again, I’m not trying to be defensive. I offered this resume and cover letter because some of the cover letter examples posted here in the past helped me. In this case, it worked for me. I’m sure I’ll look back on this resume five years from now and wince at it, and that’s all right. I hope seeing an example that worked in one instance will help others, and that understanding my rationale behind the choices I made will help too.

I love both your cover letter and resume. Even though I’m not in the hospitality field, I was excited by your excitement.

Your calculated risks were spot on. Really great work!

I’m glad you liked it! If it helps even a few people with theirs, I’m happy with the outcome.

What an incredibly gracious response. Thanks for replying.

I posted my original comment then read all the others and felt bad for seeming to have jumped on the bandwagon to criticise.

I think I’m finally getting the point that Alison made somewhere in this thread, that the ‘voice’ you used was perfect for you, and for seeing if this job was the right fit for you. If the hiring manager had the same response as most people commenting here had, then obviously it wouldn’t have been the right place for you.

I’m so impressed at the way you have responded here, and again, I’m thrilled that this approach worked for you. I hope you have a stellar career in your chosen field.

It’s completely fine; you don’t get into the customer service sector in a serious way if you can’t take a little heat.

Something occurred to me as you were mentioning that it read as too salsey to you.

It seems to me that there are two kinds of sales. There’s the kind of sales that we tend to think of when we think of used car salesmen and the like, what we might call ‘bad sales’. Bad sales is focused only on the needs of the seller, pushing the product that best fits their bottom line. It’s annoying and also ultimately a poor model because it doesn’t generate satisfaction, which in turn doesn’t help you build a good reputation.

There’s also what we might call ‘good sales’. Good sales is focused on finding the product that both fits the needs of the seller and the needs of the buyer. For example, a salesman who finds the less expensive car that fits the customer’s needs instead of trying to push a more expensive one so he gets a higher commission. While it might generate a lower short-term return, it’s a better strategy because it builds a solid reputation and good word-of-mouth. Sometimes, this might even mean not getting a sale because you honestly don’t have what fits the customers’ needs.

In this cover letter, what I was attempting to do was to find a solution that would fit both of our needs, both theirs and mine, and to do that, I needed to accurately assess their concrete needs, and demonstrate what product (me) I honestly thought could best fit their situation. I think that’s a bit different than some of the letters you tend to see that simply try to create vague needs based on the candidate’s traits. (Are you looking for a motivated self-starter with over five years of sales experience?)

In other words, based on my perception of current events in our sector, my research, and the postings I saw, I believed that there was a concrete need for a person with very specific traits: a desire to work in an environment that needed to be brought up to par, comfort working with people, and an ability to handle a lot of different tasks at once, in this case. And I felt that I had those traits, so I offered my ‘product’ as a plausible solution.

(It’s entirely reasonable to debate how successful I was overall in achieving that goal. I was successful enough to get the job, but of course, one can always improve.)

I guess what I’m saying is that it might help to think about salesmanship in a cover letter as neither a positive or negative thing per se. I think it’s more about how it’s being done.

These are *excellent* points. No wonder Alison loves you – it sounds to me that regardless of style or tone or any of that stuff, you are showing exactly what we should do in job hunting: *always* keep in mind that hiring is a 2 way street. You knew what you wanted. You learned as much as you could about what they needed. You did your best to bring it all together in a compelling way that was appropriate to your field. Well done.

OP – You sound super smart. I think you have a bright future ahead of you. Congrats on the job.

Ditto from me. You’ve got your eyes wide open, you are constantly looking all around and it shows. To my way of thinking your writing has a confidence to it. Not the bad form of confidence but a good confidence that comes from going in and out many situations and having hands on learning. You know that if you encounter something different you will just work through it like you have a thousand times in the past.

I think your comments here have been very insightful, too. Very helpful for those of us that want to know the thinking behind the choices. Thanks for sharing.

I found reading your cover letter really helpful. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m sorry that this somehow turned into a play-along-at-home version of The Apprentice. I’m really glad that your letter and resume impressed the only hiring manager(s) whose opinions mattered–even though your letter would never get you a callback with the Rockettes. ;-)

Thanks again for giving those of us searching another example of a successful letter. Congratulations and good luck with the new job.

I’m glad you found it helpful, and thank you for the well-wishes!

And I assure you my dancing ability wouldn’t get me into the Rockettes either! ;)

That was a very cool response, OP.

I know you were concerned about coming off as defensive, so I figured I’d tell you that you came across exactly the opposite. You were gracious and understanding.

Like I said in my previous comment, your passion and research outweigh any perceived flaws by a ton, so I’d let any criticism roll of your back. We don’t all come from the same industry, region, background, etc. so it becomes easy for folks to think that the way their industry works is how all industries work.

Thank you, I appreciate the compliment.

And I’m quite sure that this approach wouldn’t work in a lot of fields, or even in a lot of jobs within this field! As I said, writing about what I believed their needs were was a definite risk, one that would have been unwise if I was applying outside my region or in a situation where I knew less about the company.

I have to say, something that I’m very curious about now that I’ve read the comments in this thread is what a successful resume for a more conservative field might look like.

Calling out their needs and how you could fill them was one of my favorite parts!

I just got a job offer with a substantial pay increase and substantial bonus potential in a conservative construction industry. If you’d like to see them, shoot an email to jrscott11022 AT G Mail dot com.

There are flaws in both, so I can’t say they are a “good example” but I can say that they are a little more on the formal and conservative side than yours.

Flaws include:

having a core competencies section on the resume. Still there because I was applying through a computer system that tracks “buzz words” and it was an easy way to make sure the correct buzz words were included.

Education at top instead of bottom. Didn’t even think about it until a recent AaM post where she (correctly) points out that your education is less important than experience, so experience should go first.

Other misc. problems that I’m not aware of I’m sure.

My cover letter has transformed since starting to read AaM though. If you think this one is formal, stuffy and boring, you should have seen what I was using before!

Thanks for posting such a detailed reply – I was just on verge of banging my head on the desk at the endless negative comments (and I am *extremely* nitpicky when it comes to cover letters and resumes.)

Things that work for one specific applicant applying for one specific job, using the information cleaned from the wording of the job posting and the reputation of the company, will not necessarily work for another applicant applying for a different job. This is how it’s supposed to be!

Definitely, and I’m glad you liked it!

This is great background, and (me coming in way late to the party), I’m guessing there would have been less “I don’t like this!” comments with this info.

It really shows the importance of knowing the industry you’re in/interested in and doing your research. Even though I’m not in the same industry, it definitely gave me food for thought for my next job search!

Thanks for sharing.

You might be right!

And I think that’s something that can always be helpful–not only in getting a job, but in considering whether you even want to apply for a particular job. You might find in your research that you think their business model is unsustainable or that you don’t agree with some of the philosophies they follow or any number of things.

Hey Alison–will you be offering that $100 rez/cover letter review again in the near future? Mine helped me get what is one of the most coveted jobs for college grads (Big 4 accounting), but I think they suck regardless. Compared to the ones you’ve held up as good examples, mine are impersonal and borderline pretentious, and I’m interested in getting your take. You know…for the *next* job app.

Eventually, yes, but probably not in the next couple of months. That said, email me directly and I’ll set one up for you!

https://www.askamanager.org/2011/09/great-cover-letter.html

I’m getting a serious case of déjà vu here. An engaging, well-written, enthusiastic cover letter full of personality, tailored to the company and industry and that got someone the job they wanted? Wrong, wrong, wrong, that would never work in MY field!

Maybe I’m crazy, but I get the feeling that the takeaway isn’t that you should march straight to your nearest bank, law firm, or academic institution and tell them about your kids and your love of juicy projects…

Certain parts of that letter were so enthusiastic that, to me, they came across as hard to believe. Maybe that’s just because I’m laid-back and cynical. I think there’d be a serious personality clash if I were working with someone who’s that much of a go-getter.

Then it’s done part of its job — it’s screened out people she wouldn’t work well with.

Yeah, I think OP is clear about what type of work environment she is looking for. Sometimes people write job opening descriptions to weed out people that would not be a good fit. So it goes both ways.

For example if OP ended up at the school that the Agent of Change was talking about the other day, that would be a nightmare for OP. That would be similar to stuffing OP into a little box- an almost suffocating experience.

thanks for sharing these letters and resume. Thanks to your advice, I wrote a personable cover letter. It got me the interview even though I didn’t get the job. Your advice gave me the push I needed to start my start for a new jjob.

Thanks for posting this – great to see actual examples of “good” cover letters/resumes. I have a Q: One of the oft repeated points in bother cover letter/resumes is “show not tell” Would be great if someone could point this out here (a few examples) – I always have a problem doing this for my resume, so if they exist here it will be great to see them in action & understand.

Here were some things that I tried to do here, in terms of ‘show, don’t tell’.

As I stated earlier, this position was for an entry-level management job. They wanted you to have hospitality experience, but they didn’t expect management experience necessarily. It was also a job in a more full-service style of restaurant than I’d worked at before. I figured that would mean they’d want someone who could get up to speed quickly, and who takes the initiative to figure things out. That was part of the reason I chose to discuss my research process in the cover letter–to demonstrate how I tackle problems.

In this case, I tried to demonstrate that I’m good at customer service by referring to my ‘binder of compliments’ in my cover letter, and by stating in my resume that I have gotten many guest compliments, including on Trip Advisor, which the hiring manager could look up. I also physically brought my binder with me in case they asked for it.

(When I get guest comment cards, I print them or photocopy them for my records. It both helps on days when guests are being jerks to me, and it’s helpful to have some concrete evidence if you need it.)

I also tried to show that I have strong organization skills by describing the cleaning and reorganizing projects I took on, the training method I developed, and the tutoring center I helped to start.

Does that give you any ideas?

Thank you for posting this, that was very interesting for me to read, as cover letters and resumes look quite different in my country. I like the whole “achievements rather than duties” approach and the section on top of the resume. Might try that out if I apply to jobs again, to see whether that works here (I work in an in demand industry, so a little experimentation won’t hurt me too much :-))

This is interesting to me for similar reasons. I’m also in an in-demand position so I actually had *fun* rewriting my resume based on Alison’s advice. (Also, an in-demand position meant that I got interviews without even writing a cover letter. But I did delete my sucky old ones.)

Thank you AAM and OP for sharing this! It sparked my creativity and I hope to bring some new enthusiasm to my job search.

Thank you again!

I can’t write cover letters like that because it feels to me like self-aggrandizement and I’m nigh-constitutionally incapable of such pushiness.

It just doesn’t work for me, since such things always come across as insincere.

Alison, I’d just like to say that I thought both the cover letter and the following discussion were very useful and I hope you’ll consider doing this again (though perhaps with more ground rules for polite criticism). Especially in a tough economy, there are a lot of job seekers looking for a magic bullet approach to writing cover letters that will land them any job. Seeing hiring managers with different jobs and personalities disagree about how well a cover letter works is a really important lesson about how the magic bullet doesn’t exist. This thread was such a good illustration of this point that I’m seriously considering sending it to my interns who will be on the job market soon, and I’d hate to think that this will be the last post like this that we get.

I’m going to stick my two cents in here one last time, because this was a lesson that it took a job for which I was completely unsuited to teach it to me.

You don’t want just any job; you want a job that will be right for you. And a cover letter that does its job will help screen you from environments in which you wouldn’t work well.

My cover letter clearly would not have gotten me hired at many places where some commenters here work. If people found my cover letter too salesy and pushy, they probably would have found me too salesy and pushy to work with. It would probably only make both me and them miserable.

That’s actually a good thing!

When I first put in this application, I wasn’t sure I wanted this specific job. I was very interested in the company and had been following it for ages, but this specific job was on a slightly different track than the one I’d been pursuing. I decided to look at it more seriously and apply because it was a company I liked, and I was pretty much exactly what they advertised for.

But I also knew that things had been going through a lot of changes since the buy-out. I wanted to be sure that I was walking into a situation where I could help make things better , not where I’d constantly have band-aid solutions pushed on me that wouldn’t let me deal with the underlying issue. That’s part of why I decided to write a gutsy letter, one that pretty much spelled out that if they hired me, I was going to want to fix things. I was going to want to change things. If they weren’t okay with that, then I didn’t see any point in wasting my time or their time.

In the interview, this also put me in a position to really ask the questions I needed answered. I think the fact that I was willing to end the process with a polite “I wish you the best of luck, but I don’t feel this is the right fit for me” actually helped me get the job because my interviewers knew I wasn’t going in with rosy-colored glasses.

If I were going back in time to talk to younger me, I would want to tell myself.

“Job hunting is like dating.

Don’t jump at the first thing that comes along because you’re afraid you won’t get another chance.

Don’t hide who you really are. It always comes out and you’ll be miserable if your relationship was based on someone who isn’t real.

Everyone has more than one place where they can be happy. The movies like to show life as a linear journey where you either find your true destiny, or you’re miserable. The truth is much more complicated. You might be a round peg, but there’s a whole lot of round holes.”

/end soapbox

I work for a university and have been on numerous search committees over the years. When I read over the cover letter, I was a little bit surprised that you liked it so much. To me, well the person showed enthusiasm for the position, and obviously tailored the letter to fit the position’s requirements, the tone of the letter seemed very conversational. In my field, I tend to use the cover letters as an example of how well a person can write. When I see things like a lot of colloquialisms, or contractions, I tend to rate the application lower. Is that old-fashioned of me? I would really like to know. I have been receiving more letters similar in tone to the one that you linked to. Maybe I need to adjust my thinking.

Yes, I think so :)

Good writing doesn’t prohibit contractions — and is usually conversational, too.

The third paragraph contains a fragment

Yep. And the letter is good enough that it doesn’t matter. I think you’re missing the forest for the trees here.

I wanted to come back to this post and say that I’m really thankful for this cover letter example. I did agree with comments that the tone wouldn’t work from some industries. However, I was inspired to think of different ways to show enthusiasm. I’m now hearing back from many companies, and I’m definitely excited to move forward with the interview process!

A great cover letter? Are you kidding? It was so long-winded and “full of oneself” that I stopped reading it half way through. In an economy where companies may receive literally HUNDREDS of resumes in response to a single job opening, who has time to read manuscripts??

Gosh, maybe many of the hiring managers here telling you that it would work?

It’s fine if it’s not for you, but your reaction makes no sense in light of that context.

This is excellent reading and very worthy advice, I really needed to read and apply it now for the job I am applying for…. Thank you again for the enlighten heads up!

Wow! I’ve been thinking about my resume all wrong! Thank you for giving me a different perspective on what managers are looking for in applicants. Please keep giving us posts like this.

I HAVE A JOB INTERVIEW BECAUSE OF YOU!!!

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Okay so I read the cover letter and resume. I don’t know if the job titles are the actual titles for a real person, but this reads like someone who had a lower level job and is trying to get a higher level or management job. I think it is important to describe what you do just as much as what your title is. For example Teller in banking is pretty obvious but how about Branch Specialist. Depending on the company it could mean anything from simple loan officer or someone who can do anything in the branch. The person reading the resume will come into it with certain ideas what words mean in the job titles of previous experience. I have to echo what others stated, the cover letter comes off way too much like someone who is over confident. If that came across my desk I would get a good laugh and move on.

I do like the resume format though, I might have to steal that! I think getting the volunteer experience in there was slick. I am more impressed with the resume format then anything. I think kudos is in order for the format.

Can I just say, I love how you change everything to a Game of Thrones reference. Kills me every time!

The PDF documents are in Game of Thrones fictional characters. :) I just loved it. And thank you.. the idea is brilliant

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A Career Expert's Top 6 Tips For An Incredibly Effective Cover Letter

Writing an amazing cover letter can feel impossible, but putting in that effort is so worth it. "Cover letters are an opportunity to make a case for why you’d excel at the job, totally aside from what’s on your résumé," Alison Green, a former hiring manager who runs the Ask a Manager blog, tells SELF. "Employers aren’t just hiring experience," she explains. Instead, they're looking for someone who more or less has the whole package, which is hard to tell if all they know is your job history! Here, Green offers her expert insight on how to make your cover letter rise to the top of the pile.

1. Use a more casual opening than "To whom it may concern."

Since the most successful cover letters are usually more conversational than formal, it can be good to leave this one behind. "If you know the name of the hiring manager, use that. But if you don’t, you really don’t need to go to great lengths to try to track it down," says Green. In instances where you have no idea who's in charge of the process, she recommends starting off with "Dear hiring manager" instead.

2. Inject some personality that plays to your strengths.

A cover letter that repeats what's on your résumé is a wasted opportunity to shine. "When you’re facing hundreds of generic form cover letters that summarize résumés, one written using a conversational tone, like it's by a real person, is incredibly refreshing," says Green. To catch the hiring manager's attention, add interesting tidbits that give a glimpse of who you are while also emphasizing why you'd be excellent in the position. Think of it as showing instead of telling—you're not just saying you're qualified, you're backing it up with examples.

Green remembers one woman who pulled this off pretty flawlessly. "Once when I was hiring for an assistant job, a candidate mentioned that her friends teased her about her obsessive organization because she color-coded her closet and kept her music catalogued on a spreadsheet," says Green. "That’s not the sort of thing that you’d put on a résumé, but it quickly gave me a sense of who she was and why she might be a great fit for a job that required organizational skills." Thanks to those kinds of compelling details (in addition to other awesome qualities, of course), the candidate ended up scoring the job .

That's not to say you can't touch on various details of your past roles! You can and should, but instead of standing alone, each one should be fleshed out to give the hiring manager a better picture of who you are. Maybe you talk about how thanks to your meticulous research, a recent presentation you made clinched a major deal for your office. Or perhaps this is your chance to mention how your career trajectory points to a long-held interest in what the company does. Whatever it is, that extra information can help you stand out in a good way.

3. Resist the urge to say you'll follow up to schedule an interview.

There's a difference between taking initiative and jumping the gun. "This is overly pushy and will turn off most hiring managers," says Green. "You've already expressed interest by applying for the job, so now it's in the employer's court to review your application along with the others they've received and decide if they’d like to talk further." She adds that most people who write this don't actually follow up, so then they seem unreliable in addition to being too forward.

4. Stay away from cover letter clichés.

You don't need a gimmick to pique the interest of whoever's reviewing your application. "Hiring managers don’t want to feel like you’re selling them," says Green. "They want to feel like you’re talking to them like a colleague." To that end, she suggests cutting anything "aggressively sales-y" from your cover letter. Think openings like, "If you are looking for a dynamic professional who can X, Y, and Z, look no further!” Beyond seeming forced, they've seen it before. "It's so generic at this point that the hiring manager’s eyes are likely to glaze over," says Green.

5. Avoid phrases like, "I'm uniquely qualified for this job."

Along with "I'm the best candidate for this position" and other variations on the theme, these declarations can come across as either clueless or arrogant. "You just have no way of knowing those things, since you don’t know what the rest of the candidate pool looks like," says Green. Something self-assured but not hinting that you're omniscient is probably a better bet, like "I'm confident my X and Y could make me a great asset to your team."

6. Hit the length sweet spot.

If you can fill about a page with quality content, you're golden. "The perfect length is the amount of space it takes to explain why you’re an exceptionally strong candidate for the job. Half a page usually won’t be enough to do that," says Green. "On the other hand, you also shouldn’t be writing to hit a word minimum, since that often doesn't lead you anywhere good."

She suggests asking yourself if your cover letter explains why you'd thrive in the position without straight-up rattling off your work history at any point. If so, it's probably offering up just the right dose of "I'm amazing, you should bring me in for an interview ASAP" vibes that can get you one step closer to landing a new job .

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SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.

6 Common Mistakes Job Seekers Make When Using ChatGPT To Generate Cover Letters

ChatGPT can write effective cover letters, but first you must learn how to avoid these common pitfalls.

Customers Interviewed by:

Do you hate writing cover letters? Most job seekers do . So isn’t it a good idea to use an artificially intelligent bot like ChatGPT to help generate your cover letters?

Yes and no. 

This new and exciting technology can help you apply for jobs. But hopping onto ChatGPT without knowing how to properly use it can come back to haunt you.

In this article, we’ll go over the six most common mistakes people make when using ChatGPT to write their cover letters.  

What is ChatGPT and why should you use it?

ChatGPT is an artificially intelligent language model that can generate human-like responses to text-based prompts.

For example, if you type in the prompt “Should I write a cover letter when applying for a job?” ChatGPT will respond with something like this:

“Yes, it is generally recommended to write a cover letter when applying for a job, as it can help you stand out from other applicants and demonstrate your interest and qualifications for the position.”

This tool is not only free and easy to use, but it’s also massively popular. 

ChatGPT attracted over 100 million active users within the first two months of its launch in November 2022. This makes it the fastest-growing consumer app in history!

Why should you use ChatGPT to help you write your cover letters? 

Because it will save you time and effort. This will allow you to focus on other important aspects of your job search, like networking and researching companies.

Pro Tip: Want to save even more time and effort? Try Jobscan’s cover letter generator. This easy-to-use tool uses AI technology to generate a highly personalized cover letter for you with just one click!

It’s important to remember that ChatGPT is a tool, not an intelligent human being. 

Because ChatGPT seems so smart, people often make the following mistakes when using it to generate their cover letters .

The 6 most common mistakes people make when using ChatGPT for cover letters

All six of the following mistakes arise from one common misconception – that ChatGPT is capable of doing ALL the work for you. 

This is simply not true. 

ChatGPT is “not perfect,” when it comes to writing cover letters, says career coach Harrison Hughes , “B- range if I am being honest. However, B- for what essentially should be treated as a first draft is not bad at all.”

Remember, ChatGPT is only a tool that can help you write a cover letter – it’s not the complete answer.

Mistake #1 – Using only the job description to generate your cover letter

The easiest way to generate your cover letter using ChatGPT is to simply paste the job description into the prompt box. Then tell the bot to write a cover letter for that particular job . 

At first glance, the cover letter ChatGPT generates for you might appear to be good. 

But there are two problems with this approach: 

1) The letter won’t reflect your accomplishments and experience.

2) You’ll probably be found out by the hiring manager.

One employer received a cover letter that seemed a little too perfect. She then pasted the job description into ChatGPT and received back— the exact same cover letter!

“I knew it was written by a bot because the cover letter was just verbatim repeating the job description, with no details about the applicant.”

Don’t do this! At the very least you need to paste your resume along with the job description into ChatGPT. 

By analyzing your resume, ChatGPT can then incorporate your skills, experiences, and qualifications into the cover letter. 

Mistake #2 – Using only your resume to generate your cover letter

This is the opposite of the first mistake. Sometimes job seekers will prompt ChatGPT using only their resume and nothing else. 

Again, the bot will return a fairly well-written cover letter. But the letter will basically just regurgitate your resume. This won’t impress hiring managers.

Even worse, some people will use this same cover letter for all their job applications. 

First of all, your cover letter should support, not regurgitate, your resume. It can do this by supplying additional information about your qualifications, accomplishments, and experience. 

Second, cover letters should be tailored to the job you’re applying to. This means highlighting the skills and attributes that would make you a great fit for that specific role.

A cover letter based solely on your resume doesn’t fulfill either of those needs.

At the very least, you should use both your resume and the job description to prompt ChatGPT. 

Jobscan’s cover letter generator does all this for you with just a single click . It uses AI-powered technology to create a personalized cover letter for you that is perfectly tailored to the job you’re applying for.   

Check out this brief video to see how our cover letter generator works:

 Even then, there’s still more work to do if you want a cover letter that will actually get you an interview.

Mistake #3 – Not adding a personal touch to the cover letter

While ChatGPT is an amazing tool, it doesn’t have much of a personality. In other words, the content it generates can be generic and boring to read.

“AIs are brilliant at being average,” says Neil Taylor , the founder of the UK-based communications company Schwa. “If you’re writing something that actually needs to stand out…it’s not going to cut the mustard.”

Again, while ChatGPT can give you a solid first draft of a cover letter to work with, it’s up to you to inject some of your personality into it.

Here are some things you can do to make your cover letter reflect your unique voice and experiences: 

• Personalize the opening by briefly explaining why you are interested in the position and how you’d be a great fit.
• Highlight your achievements , awards, or certificates that are relevant to the position. 
• Use numbers or metrics to provide concrete evidence of your skills and abilities.
• Share stories of how past experiences have prepared you for this role. 
• Match the job requirements with your specific qualifications and skills.  
• Explain why you are passionate about the industry/company.
• Showcase your extracurricular activities such as volunteer work or hobbies that make you stand out from the rest.
• Discuss how your values align with the company’s mission and goals.
• Conclude with an enthusiastic statement that conveys excitement for the opportunity.

Remember, the whole point of a cover letter is to display your personality and show why you are the best candidate for the position. 

By adding a personal touch, you can make your cover letter more memorable and impactful.

Mistake #4 – Don’t misrepresent yourself in your cover letter

What happens when you give ChatGPT prompts that are too broad or vague?

It makes stuff up.

For example, if you ask ChatGPT to write a cover letter for an accounting position, it might say that you have experience using QuickBooks – even though you’ve never used it.

Why would ChatGPT do this? Maybe Quickbooks was mentioned in the job description. Or maybe the bot just assumes you know QuickBooks since it’s a popular accounting software. 

It’s not uncommon for ChatGPT to make assumptions about your experience, skills, and knowledge that don’t reflect reality . 

Even if you provide ChatGPT with your resume and other details, it can still misrepresent you. 

It might be tempting to accept all of ChatGPT’s suggestions , even if they’re not true. But YOU are ultimately responsible for what goes in your cover letter. 

You must check to make sure that all of the facts and information in your cover letter are true and accurate.

Don’t blame ChatGPT for inaccuracies found in your cover letter! 

Mistake #5 – Using ChatGPT’s tone of voice in your cover letter

ChatGPT has been trained to produce coherent and grammatically correct sentences. 

But those sentences won’t necessarily reflect your tone of voice.

If you are using ChatGPT to generate your cover letter, try to insert your own personality and voice into it as much as you can. The letter will be more effective if you do. 

Here are some tips on how to insert your voice into your cover letter:

• Read through your cover letter , highlight the parts that don’t feel like you, and rewrite them using language that feels more natural.
• Add personal anecdotes and experiences that are relevant to the job you’re applying to. 
• Use language that reflects your sense of humor, creativity, or other personal qualities.
• Use active voice and strong verbs to make your cover letter more dynamic. Passive voice and weak verbs make your writing sound flat.
• Get feedback from people who know you. They’ll tell you when your cover letter doesn’t sound like you.

Mistake #6 – Not making your cover letter ATS-friendly

What does ATS mean?

It stands for “application tracking system”. This is computer software that most companies use these days to help them manage the hiring process.  

When you submit your job application it doesn’t go to a human being – it goes directly into an ATS database. Hiring managers then search the database for suitable job candidates by typing in keywords related to that job. 

For example, an employer searching for an administrative assistant might type in “data entry” or “MS office”. If your cover letter includes those keywords it will show up as a result.

Where do you find these keywords that will optimize your cover letter for the ATS? In the job description. 

This is why you should always include the job description as a prompt when asking ChatGPT to generate your cover letter.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming ChatGPT will always add the most relevant keywords to your cover letter. After all, it doesn’t know what ATS is or how it works!

Always check the job description yourself or use a resume scanner to make sure your letter contains the keywords hiring managers are searching for the most.

NOTE : Check out our cover letter examples page , which covers a wide range of jobs, industries, and situations.

Key Takeaways

Despite the pros and cons of using ChatGPT discussed in this article, overall it’s a great tool that can help you save time and effort when writing your cover letters.

Remember, ChatGPT is great at creating first drafts – not polished final versions. 

You’ll still need to add your own personality, check for inaccuracies, and fill in missing information. 

If you want to be sure to avoid the common mistakes listed in this article, try using Jobscan’s cover letter generator . 

Powered by AI technology, Jobscan uses industry best practices to create cover letters that will get you more job interviews. It does this by….

• Analyzing both your resume and the job description.
• Tailoring each letter to the specific job you’re applying for.
• Focusing only on the skills you have listed on your resume.
• Featuring your most relevant accomplishments and measurable results.
• Creating a cover letter that is keyword-rich and ATS-friendly.
• Organizing all your cover letters in one place for easy access. 

Jobscan is a powerful tool that can quickly generate strong cover letters. As with any AI tool, we recommend that you still take the time to review and customize it before sending it off.  

With Jobscan’s cover letter generator , you’ll be able to get a quality cover letter while avoiding many of the mistakes others make by doing it alone.

More expert insights on this topic:

Should You Actually Use ChatGPT to Generate Your Cover Letter? (11 Pros and Cons)

How to Use ChatGPT to Generate a Cover Letter That Will Actually Get You An Interview

Robert Henderson, CPRW, is a career advice writer and a resume expert at Jobscan.

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How to Write a Cover Letter That Lands You an Interview: Complete Guide

By Ann Rozier

Is it really necessary to write a cover letter when you apply for a job? Does anyone really read it?

In most cases, the answer to both questions is a resounding yes . Writing an impressive cover letter gives you an opportunity to tell prospective employers who you are and why you are the best candidate for the job.

A cover letter, after all, is like a strategic sales pitch . If written well, it will catch the hiring manager’s eye and give you a good shot at being advanced to the next round.

And, employers want to know you understand their company and why you are a good fit. Writing an impressive cover letter means demonstrating your suitability in a detailed but concise way that leaves the employer wanting to know more .

To make sure your cover letter is the best it can be—and the process is as painless as possible—we’ve put together some great cover letter writing tips to get you started. But first, we’ll start with the basics of what is a cover letter.

What Is a Cover Letter?

A cover letter is a document that accompanies your resume when you apply for a job. Your cover letter addresses specific information and details on why you’re qualified for that particular position . While a resume details the facts of your previous employment, a cover letter expands on the information and helps to convey your personality.

Companies utilize cover letters to screen applicants for positions and to help determine who will move on to the interview process. Because it’s your first impression and introduction to a new, potential employer, a cover letter should be unique and customized for every job.

How to Write a Cover Letter

Cover letter format.

Use business letter format and include your basic contact information, the date the letter is written, and the contact information for the addressee. Use this format whether submitting your letter in person or online as an attachment or in a form.

Use a simple font and black text . Match the font to your resume, and choose something like Arial or other simple resume fonts .

Think of your letter in terms of three or four paragraphs and no more than one page. Less is often more. Finish with a professional closing such as “Sincerely,” “Best regards,” etc.

Sign and print your name for paper documents, and if you don’t have the technology available to include your signature on an online document, you can simply type your name in the closing.

Before you begin writing your cover letter, thoroughly research what the company does, the key characteristics of the job you are applying for, and the company culture . Understand the tone of the company . A startup might be very casual and down-to-earth, while a Fortune 100 company might be more formal.

Cover Letter Salutation

Any well-written cover letter has clean and easy-to-follow formatting. Know who you are talking to and avoid the generic “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern,” which looks like you didn’t make an effort. Instead, do your research to find the name of the person doing the hiring. Between the company’s website, LinkedIn, and Twitter, you should be able to find the name you are looking for.

Body Content

The body of your cover letter should have a beginning, middle, and final paragraph. These persuasive paragraphs need to convince the hiring manager that you are a good fit for the job and should be invited for an interview .

Don’t forget that a cover letter is meant to be an introduction —a brief one—to showcase your best qualifications, a little bit of your personality, and to answer any questions the employer posed in the job description. Cover letters shouldn’t be more than a page long and not more than 250-400 words. You can use this cover letter road map to help guide you.

Introduction: “I’m excited about you.”

In your opening statement, let the reader know why you wrote the letter . “If you’re stuck on what to write,” say the team of FlexJobs Career Experts, “try starting a sentence by referencing pieces of the job description.” For example, you can say:

When I read that you were seeking someone with 5+ years of experience in project management, with skills to see the big picture and the small details, I was thrilled to see how well my skills and qualifications match your needs!

Then, in one or two sentences, describe specifically what attracts you to the position and the company .

“Candidates many times become so focused on conveying their own awesomeness that they forget to reflect on the number one thing employers are interested in. Why do you think THEY are awesome? What appealed to you about the position and/or organization that had you apply? Do a bit of research so you can show them that you aren’t applying just to apply, but that you have a vested interest in working for them,” explains Andrews.

Let the reader know you understand who they are and the unique value of the open position. Bonus: Note a key positive piece of news recently released about the company. You want them to think that you really get them as a company.

Dynamically connect these points about the company to a highlight in your accomplishments that will intrigue the reader to read on.

Specific Examples: “Here’s why you should be excited about me.”

Highlight two to three examples from the experiences on your resume that showcase your relevant talents, skills, and accomplishments .

The job description calls for someone with X, Y, and Z skills, all of which I’ve used successfully in my current role. For example, …

Make sure you connect these experiences to the needs of the position and relate them to your points in the first short paragraph when possible.

Concise Conclusion: “Let’s get together.”

You want to start this section by thanking the reader for their time and consideration.

Indicate your anticipation of the next steps of the process. For example, “I look forward to further discussing how my skills can contribute to the needs of your team.” Then, state the best ways to contact you by noting your email address and phone number.

Don’t forget to use your own voice in your cover letter. It doesn’t have to be a dry, unfriendly essay. In fact, it should be the opposite.

Showing a bit of your personality in your cover letter will allow a hiring manager to better assess who you are as a person—and what you can potentially do for their company.

Cover Letter Examples

To help you see the above steps in action and learn how to write a cover letter, these cover letter samples from FlexJobs’ career experts can shed some light on the finished product. Below is a cover letter sample for a full-time position.

Hello Ms. Williams, 

I am writing to request consideration for the role of Vice President of Operations with Carolinas Rehabilitative Cooperative. The described challenges and opportunities with the position really resonated with me on both a personal and professional level. As someone who required rehabilitation about 15 years ago, I have profound empathy for those who are seeking similar services, and that has driven my passion to empower organizations that empower individuals to make their lives better. 

To be clear, I am not seeking another “job”—I am seeking an opportunity that will allow me to combine my passion for the rehabilitative space with my deep operations experience as a hands-on doer as well as leading, growing, and mentoring high-performing operational teams. From my experiences with household brands to the unfamiliar, a common thread throughout is knowing the overarching goals of the organization, as well as its values and culture, and combining those aspects into sound operations practices. Most recently, my efforts at Gilson’s Farms led directly to 20% cost shipping reduction in a single year while driving 100%+ growth in revenues Y/Y. 

Underpinning my success? I possess a unique combination of digital as well as traditional business operations experience. Balanced with corporate strategy, I have driven compelling growth through operational efficiencies. 

I am confident that I would excel in the role of Vice President of Operations with Carolinas Rehab—not just as someone able to perform the job, but someone who is truly inspired and motivated by this work and can, in turn, inspire and motivate as an operations leader. 

To thrive in the service of others. That is why I want to work specifically for this organization. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss the role and my qualifications with you further. Thank you for your time and consideration. 

Best wishes,

C. Washington

A cover letter for a full-time job in a more traditional field may look like this:

Dear Mr. Davis: 

I am writing with enthusiasm to apply for the position of Commercial Loans Operations Senior Manager at Citizens Bank. With a wealth of highly complex operational experiences within the banking industry, including risk mitigation, change programs, data stewardship, regulatory requirements, and a commitment to outstanding customer service for all stakeholders, I believe I can serve you well in this important role. 

I have over 15 years in banking and financial services operations in progressive management roles and would be honored to create significant results in this position, such as these: 

• Earned or saved employers $40B in new client business and reduced operating costs.
• Navigated complicated international tax, regulatory, and legal frameworks to create a brand-new global securities lending product that grew its loans by $19B in first two years.
• Empower lean teams to do our best work by refining processes, monitoring performance indicators, and developing relationships that create a climate of confidence and continuous improvement. 

I am especially comfortable solving complex problems and overseeing challenging projects where it’s necessary to define the mission, inspire innovative solutions, and make difficult, well-informed decisions. 

This quotation from Peter Hawkins sums up how I would approach each day in this role: “Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them.” 

Whether in change management, client satisfaction, or new product development, I approach challenges with keen interest to deepen the team’s engagement and create “constructive” solutions that benefit stakeholders, the company, and the bottom line. 

My resume demonstrates the repeated and consistent business success, customer satisfaction, strategic thinking, and decision-maker influence that Citizens Bank is seeking. Please let me know if we can meet to discuss this opportunity. Thank you very much for your time. 

Cover Letter Mistakes to Avoid

A cookie-cutter approach.

While some basic parts of your cover letter can be used for several jobs, don’t send the same exact cover letter with each application. Take a moment to address your interest in this specific company and this particular job .

Being Long-Winded

Strong cover letters avoid regurgitating a resume and keep language personal in a succinct way.

Inappropriate Humor

Exhibiting humor that’s in poor taste is bad form in pretty much any situation, but it can be particularly harmful in a cover letter .

Loaded Words and Phrases

Self-promotion can be tricky, and it’s easy to step over the line. Certain words and phrases can be overkill, such as saying you’re the perfect person for the job or coming off as too picky or demanding.

Get Help Writing Your Cover Letter

“No one likes writing cover letters, so don’t feel alone ,” says Andrews. Indeed, although writing an impressive cover letter is not an easy task and requires a lot of understanding, thought, and knowledge, it’s well worth the effort when you are invited to the coveted interview.

FlexJobs Is SO Much More Than Just a Job Board

In addition to helpful articles like this one, members get unlimited access to:

• Highest Quality Remote & Flexible Jobs
• 200+ Expert Skills Tests
• Virtual Job Fairs
• Weekly Career Coach Q&As
• And so much more…

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How to Start a Cover Letter: 30 Creative Opening Sentences Recruiters Will LOVE

Wondering how to start a cover letter? Traditional cover letter wisdom might tell you to begin with something like, “Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to apply for the marketing manager position with the Thomas Company.” But we say: A cookie cutter cover letter intro feels as outdated as a Hotmail address.

A cover letter is your chance to introduce yourself to a hiring manager—who you are, what you have to offer, and why you want the job—but you have an extremely limited amount of space to do it. If you really want to get noticed, you’ve got to start right off the bat with something that grabs your reader’s attention.

What do we mean? Well, we won’t just tell you, we’ll show you. Keep reading to find tips on how to start a cover letter, along with 30 creative cover letter opening lines and sentence examples.

Still looking for that perfect next role? One of these open jobs on The Muse just might be the one »

5 tips on how to start off a cover letter

Here are a few pointers to guide you as you use our example cover letter openings—we’re getting there, we promise!—to craft your own:

1. Avoid boring or overused openers

Recruiters have read cover letters that start with lines like “I’m excited to apply for the front-end engineering position,” or “Your job posting on The Muse prompted me to…” so often they could wallpaper their homes with them. While those are OK and still acceptable, you'll have a better shot at impressing potential employers with a less cliché opening line.

2. Be lively and personable

People like reading interesting, engaging stuff—the kind that paints a picture, tells a story, and maybe even makes them smile. People like it when you’re human, genuine, and memorable. So figure out something about yourself and your background that relates to the company or position you're interested in, and use that to build a connection.

3. Show what you bring the company

You’ll get more into the details after your opening paragraph, of course. But your cover letter opener should still tell the reader, “This person can do something for us,” rather than, “This job would really help them.”

4. Stick to the point

Your opener, while creative, should still be relevant to the job. Don’t begin by highlighting an unrelated accomplishment or recounting an anecdote that never connects back to why you’re applying for the job. Part of writing an effective cover letter is curating key information that relates to that specific job opportunity and shows the reader that you're a good fit for the role.

5. Don't start with “To Whom It May Concern”

Find an alternative to “ To Whom It May Concern .” Seriously, banish those five words from your cover letter vocabulary forever. Nowadays, this phrase is seen as outdated, overused, and even rude—especially when better options exist.

30 cover letter opening sentence examples

We’ve come up with 30 creative cover letter opening sentence examples and separated them by the method they use to grab the reader’s attention. We don’t recommend copying and pasting because, well, your cover letter should be unique to your stories, background, and interests.

But you can most definitely use these examples to get inspired for your next application. (If you’re looking to see what an entire cover letter might look like, check out our article on the best cover letter examples for every type of job seeker .)

Start with passion

Employers want to hire people who care about what they’re doing. If you start your cover letter off talking about your passions and how they relate to the job, you’re telling the reader that you’ll be an engaged and motivated employee who’s likely to stick around. Plus, it’s a good way to tell the company a bit about who you are as a person right off the bat. Just be honest and realistic.

If truly loving data is wrong, I don’t want to be right. It seems like the rest of the folks at [Analytics Company] feel the same way—and that’s just one of the reasons why I think I’d be the perfect next hire for your sales team.

I’ve been giving my friends and family free style advice since I was 10, and recently decided it’s time I get paid for it. That’s why I couldn’t believe it when I found an open personal stylist position at [Company].

After about three years of trying out different roles at early-stage startups around San Francisco, watching more “ find your passion “ keynotes than I’d like to admit, and assuring my parents that, yes, I actually do have a real job, I’m starting to come to terms with the fact that I’m happiest when I’m doing two things: writing great content and getting it out into the world.

The other day, I took a career assessment , which told me I should be a maritime merchant. I’m not quite sure what that is, but it did get me thinking: A role that combines my skills in business development with my lifelong passion for the ocean would be my absolute dream. Which is how I found this role at Royal Caribbean.

As a kid, I once gave up a day of a family vacation to transport an injured lizard I found by our hotel two hours each way to the nearest animal hospital (and talked my dad into driving me pre-GPS!). When I was a bit older, I found out I could care for animals every day for a living, and I’ve been working toward that goal ever since.

I am constantly checking my LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds—and not because of FOMO. Because I’m someone who wholeheartedly believes in the power of sharing ideas in online communal spaces, and I’m positive that I can help spark meaningful conversations as your next social media assistant.

When I was growing up, I wanted to be one of those people who pretend to be statues on the street. Thankfully, my career goals have become a little more aspirational over the years, but I still love to draw a crowd and entertain the masses—passions that make me the perfect community manager.

Start with admiration

Companies often want to hire people who already know, love, eat, and sleep their brand. What better to kick off your cover letter than a little flattery? Of course, remember when you’re telling a company why you love it to be specific and genuine. Because while everyone likes a compliment, no one likes obvious self-serving B.S.

I pretty much spent my childhood in the cheap seats at Cubs games, snacking on popcorn and cheering on the team with my grandfather. It’s that memory that’s shaped my career—from helping to establish the sports marketing major at my university to leading a college baseball team to an undefeated season as assistant coach—and what led me to apply for this position at the Chicago Cubs.

It was Rudy, my Golden Retriever, who first inspired me to apply to your operations assistant opening—not only have we used your app to find other dogs to play with in our neighborhood, he’s really excited about the prospect of coming to work with me every day. As I learned more about how [Company] is using modern tech to help pets thrive in cities, I couldn’t help but get excited to be part of it, too.

Example 10:

When I was seven, I wanted to be the GEICO gecko when I grew up. I eventually realized that wasn’t an option, but you can imagine my excitement when I came across your events manager position, which would have me working side by side with my favorite company mascot.

Example 11:

When I attended SXSW for the first time last month, I didn’t want to leave. So I decided I shouldn’t—and immediately went to check out job openings at the company.

Example 12:

If I could make the NYC apartment rental process better for just one person, I would feel like the horrors of my recent search would all be worth it. So a customer service role at [Apartment Search Company], where I could do it every day? I can’t think of anything more fulfilling.

Example 13:

[Vacation Rental Company] is synonymous with luxury and escape, known for spaces that inspire. I’ve felt this firsthand every time I’ve stayed at one of your properties—whether I was throwing a bachelorette party or working from home in a new locale—and I would love the chance to contribute to this reputation as your destination manager.

Example 14:

I was an hour out from hosting my first big dinner party when I realized I had forgotten to pick up the white wine. In a panic, I started Googling delivery services, and that’s when I first stumbled across [Delivery Service Company]. I’ve been hooked ever since, so I couldn’t help but get excited by the idea of bringing this amazingness to nervous hosts like me as your next social media and community manager.

Example 15:

Though I’m happily employed as a marketing manager, seeing the job description for your company’s PR director position stopped me in my tracks. I’ve been wearing your glasses for many years, and have always been impressed by the way the company treats its customers, employees, and the community at large.

Example 16:

A group of us IT folks were sitting around talking about our favorite Pacific Northwest companies this morning (coincidentally, over coffee). As you might figure, Starbucks was among the first names that came up. What makes you such a standout among Seattle-based corporations? Here’s the list we compiled:

Start with accomplishments

For any given job, you’re going to be competing with a lot of other job seekers—presumably, a lot of other similarly qualified people. A great way to stand out in your cover letter is to highlight something about yourself—a character trait, an accomplishment, a really impressive skill—that’ll quickly show how you stand out.

Example 17:

My last boss once told me that my phone manner could probably defuse an international hostage situation. I’ve always had a knack for communicating with people—the easygoing and the difficult alike—and I’d love to bring that skill to your open office manager position.

Example 18:

Among my colleagues, I’m known as the one who can pick up the pieces, no matter what amount of you-know-what hits the fan. Which is why I think there’s no one better to fill this customer service leader position.

Example 19:

Last December, I ousted our company’s top salesperson from his spot—and he hasn’t seen it since. Which means, I’m ready for my next big challenge, and the sales manager role at your company is exactly what I’m looking for.

Example 20:

After spending three years managing the internal communications for a 2,000-person company, I could plan a quarterly town hall or draft an interoffice memo in my sleep. What do I want to do next? Put that experience to work as a consultant for executives looking to level up their communications strategy.

Example 21:

While you won’t find the title “community manager” listed on my resume, I’ve actually been bringing people together online and off for three years while running my own blog and series of meetups.

Example 22:

If you’re looking for someone who can follow orders and doesn’t like to rock the boat, I’m probably not the right candidate. But if you need someone who can dig into data, see what’s working (and what’s not), and challenge the status quo, let’s talk.

Example 23:

I recently relocated my family to Texas. As we neared our new home, I noticed with intrigue the many wind turbines dotting the landscape. Suddenly, it hit me: “This is the career for me.” After unloading the moving van, I promptly researched companies in this sector that may benefit most from a skilled field engineer with expert electromechanical skills. And I discovered that [Company] is where I want to be.

Example 24:

You might be wondering what a 15-year veteran of the accounting world is doing applying to an operations role at a food startup. While I agree the shift is a little strange, I know you’re looking for someone who’s equal parts foodie and financial expert, and I think that means I’m your person.

Example 25:

Over the last 10 years, I’ve built my career on one simple principle: Work smarter. I’m the person who looks for inefficient procedures, finds ways to streamline them, and consistently strives to boost the productivity of everyone around me. It’s what’s earned me three promotions in the supply chain department at my current company, and it’s what I know I can do as the new operations analyst for [Company].

Start with humor and creativity

OK, before you read any of these, we have to stamp them with a big, blaring disclaimer: Do your homework before trying anything like this—learn everything you can about the company and the hiring manager to gauge whether or not they’d appreciate some comedic relief or a bit of snark. If it seems like they would, it’s a great way to make them smile (then call you). If they don’t? Try a different approach.

Example 26:

Have you ever had your mom call five times a day asking for a status update on how your job search is going, and then sound incredulous that you haven’t made more progress since the last phone call? That’s my life right now. But I’m hoping that soon my life will revolve around being your full-time social media manager. The good news is, I bring more to the table than just an overbearing mom. Let me tell you more.

Example 27:

Thank you so much for offering me the marketing manager position at [Company]! I wholeheartedly accept. OK, I know we’re not quite there yet. But if we were, here are just a few ideas for what I would do once in the role.

Example 28:

I considered submitting my latest credit card statement as proof of just how much I love online shopping, but I thought a safer approach might be writing this cover letter and describing all the reasons I’m the one who can take [E-Commerce Company]’s business to the next level.

Example 29:

I never thought that accidentally dropping my iPhone out of a second story window would change my life (it’s a funny story—ask me about it). But thanks to my misfortune, I discovered [Phone Repair Company]—and found my dream job as an expansion associate.

Example 30:

If we were playing “Two Truths and a Lie,” I’d say: I’ve exceeded my sales quotas by at least 20% every quarter this year, I once won an international pie-eating contest, and I have an amazing job at [Company]. The last, of course, is the lie. For now.

Frequently asked questions

How do you start off a cover letter.

When unsure how to open a cover letter, a good rule of thumb is to steer clear of clichés or overused opening lines. Instead, start by highlighting a passion or accomplishment relevant to the company or role you're applying for. You could also mention something about the company that caught your attention. Get creative, but keep it professional and make sure your narrative makes sense in that context.

How to start a cover letter greeting?

Try to find the hiring manager's name on LinkedIn or the company's website and address them directly, like “Dear Jane Doe”. If you can't find their name, “Dear Hiring Manager” is a good alternative. Avoid using “To Whom It May Concern” as it sounds outdated and impersonal.

How do I introduce myself in a cover letter?

Introducing yourself in a cover letter is straightforward: just share a bit about yourself. For example, “I'm a copywriter with seven years of experience in online content writing. At least officially. Since my first year of college I've been working on personal projects and keeping a track record of my accomplishments throughout the years.” No need to repeat your name since it's already in your contact information at the beginning of the letter.

How to start a cover letter without a name?

If you don't know the name of the person receiving your cover letter, start with “Dear Hiring Manager” or similar. Other possibilities include: “Dear Hiring Team”, “To the Hiring Team”, “To the Hiring Team”, “Dear Recruiter/Recruiting Team”, or “Dear Hiring Committee” if your industry evaluates cover letters and applications through a board.

Jenny Foss , Erica Breuer , Regina Borsellino , Amanda Cardoso also contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article.

How To Write a Cover Letter: The Ultimate Guide

You have crafted a compelling resume, updated your LinkedIn profile, and even short-listed promising open positions. The only thing left to do is write your cover letters. And for many people, this task proves to be unexpectedly challenging. A lot of questions arise. How do I address these letters? How long should they be? What should I write? And do I still need cover letters in 2022?

We have created this ultimate guide to answer all your questions and give step-by-step instructions on writing a good cover letter. This guide will teach you:

• How to format your cover letter
• What types of cover letters exist
• When do you need a cover letter even if an employer does not explicitly ask for one
• How to address and end a cover letter
• Common mistakes to avoid

We have also added cover letter examples and tips for making your documents even better.

Let’s get started!

What Is a Cover Letter?

A cover letter is a document you send with your resume. In this letter, you express your interest in a job opening, provide some context for your skills and experiences, and explain any parts of your resume that may be confusing or concerning for a potential employer.

Some people believe writing cover letters is a waste of time and that recruiters rarely read them. Others argue that employers still value these documents for insight into a candidate’s personality and motivations. And although there is some truth to the first point, studies show that cover letters are still well worth writing.

For example, ResumeGo surveyed 236 hiring professionals to determine if cover letters impact their decision-making process. Here are some results:

• 87% of recruiters said that they do indeed read cover letters
• 81% answered that they value letters written for a particular company and position more than generic ones
• 65% stated that cover letters significantly influence their hiring decisions

So, yes, your cover letter probably will be read. And yes, it better be good because it can be the reason you get an interview!

There are only two situations where you can skip cover letter writing. The first is if an employer explicitly states in their job ad that you should not include a cover letter. The second is if you are applying through an online form and there is no option to submit a cover letter. Otherwise, invest some time introducing yourself to a potential employer and showcasing why you will be a valuable asset to their company.

And again, your cover letter is the best place to add important information that does not belong on your resume. You can use a cover letter to explain employment gaps, mention that you are willing to relocate, describe why you are changing careers, or address any other concerns a hiring manager might have. You can also use a cover letter to ask a company if there is an open position that suits your qualifications, request help in the job search process from people in your network, or mention a person who referred you for a job.

Now, let’s take a closer look at different types of cover letters.‍

Types of Cover Letters

There are three main types of cover letters:

• Application cover letters are the most common type. These are sent together with resumes to apply for a particular job opening.
• Referral cover letters indicate a mutual contact you share with a recruiter. It might be an industry expert or an employee at the company where you are applying. Such letters are a powerful tool as hiring managers are likely to look closely at referred candidates.
• Prospecting cover letters or letters of interest, on the other hand, are not written for a specific position. People send these letters to companies where they would like to work. Prospecting cover letters ask if there are any unpublished openings where your qualifications and skills would be helpful.
• Networking cover letters are not sent to companies but instead to people in your network. These letters inform your former colleagues, alumni, or friends that you are looking for a new job and ask them if they know of any suitable opportunities.

In this guide, we will be focusing on application cover letters . However, you can also apply most of our recommendations to other types of cover letters.

Before we dive deeper into what you should include in your cover letters, let’s take a moment to discuss how your letters should look.

Cover Letter Format

The right format and proper structure are as important for your cover letter as its content. You need to make sure that your document is concise, clear, and easy to read. Luckily, this goal is not too difficult to achieve. Just follow these simple tips:

• Font: Use a standard font size (11 or 12-point) and stick with basic styles like Arial, Verdana, Times New Roman or Calibri.
• Spacing: Leave space between each section so your document does not look cluttered.
• Length: Keep it short. Recruiters have no time to read lengthy cover letters. Try to keep your letters around 200–400 words.
• File format: If the job ad includes instructions regarding the file format, follow them. Some companies prefer Word or PDF attachments. Others favor cover letters in the body of your email.
• File name or email subject line: Choose a straightforward and informative file name. You can use this template: [Your Name] Cover Letter — [Job Title]. You can follow the same format for your email subject line.

As to structure, you can follow this simple formula:

• Opening paragraph
• Middle paragraph
• Final paragraph

We will look closer at what to include in each of these parts in the next section.

How To Write a Cover Letter In 6 Steps

Before spending time on the content of your cover letter, take a moment to think about people who will read it. The goal of hiring managers is to close an open job as soon as possible with the most suitable candidate. Regardless of the position, hiring managers need to find a person who meets two main criteria:

• Has the necessary skill to do the job
• Is likely to stay with the organization for several years.

A perfect cover letter will demonstrate that you are qualified for the job and that you are excited to join the company.

With this thought in mind, let’s see how to craft a cover letter in 6 simple steps.

Step 1. Start with a professional header

Your header should include your contact information, the date of application, and the recipient’s contact information. You can also include links to your personal website, LinkedIn profile, or online portfolio. For example:

Amanda Smith

Sales Engineer

[email protected]

(617) 123–4567

www.linkedin.com/in/amanda_smith

February 25, 2022

Human Resources Manager

AAA Company Inc.

123 Some Avenue

Make sure you are using a professional-looking email address. It can be a combination of your first and last names. And remember that it is inadvisable to send resumes or cover letters from your work email.

Step 2. Open your letter with an appropriate salutation

Ideally, you should address your letter to a specific person to establish a connection and signal that you tailored your letter to this particular role. If you know the hiring manager’s name, start with a greeting like “Dear Mr. Brown,” if the company is more traditional, or “Dear John,” if you know for sure that the company’s culture is more casual. If you have trouble determining the hiring manager’s gender, the safest option is to use “Dear” followed by the hiring manager’s full name. For example, Dear Aryan Patel.

What should you do if the ad does not include the recruiter’s name? First, do some research using the company’s website and LinkedIn page. If this still does not tell you who will read your application, choose one of these common ways to address your letter:

• Dear Hiring Manager
• Dear Business Analyst Hiring Team
• Dear Some Company Team
• Dear QA Team Hiring Manager
• Dear Hiring Team

It is best to avoid overly formal greetings like “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir and Madam,” or very informal greetings such as “Hi, John.”

Step 3. Introduce yourself in your opening paragraph

The first paragraph of your cover letter is a good place to mention which job position you are applying for and how you discovered it. This is because hiring managers may work with documents for different job openings simultaneously. It is perfectly valid to start with something simple like, “I am excited to apply for the Systems Engineer position at AAA Company I found on LinkedIn.” Then, explain your interest in this particular organization and briefly state what makes you a good fit for the job:

As a longtime fan of your products, I would be thrilled to become part of your team. I firmly believe that my five years of experience in designing and implementing efficient and secure computer systems will be a valuable addition to AAA Company.

In the first two or three sentences, you need to give recruiters a reason to read further. Show them that your candidacy answers both requirements we discussed earlier: you are qualified for the position and likely to stay with a company for a long time.

Step 4. Explain why you are a perfect candidate in the middle section

In the second paragraph, describe your most relevant experiences and achievements, and link them to the position you are applying for. Of course, there is no need to repeat the content of your resume. Instead, expand on the points in your work experience section. Give some examples, demonstrate the measurable impacts you made, or mention the professional praises you received.

For example:

During my previous role at 123 Technologies, I evaluated work processes, developed business requirements, and created use cases and process models. One of my most significant accomplishments was implementing a new contract management system, which reduced the time needed to complete contract-related tasks by 25% and saved the company $350K yearly. Working on large and small projects, I often communicated with people from different departments. My colleagues praised my extraordinary ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical specialists while at the same time being able to discuss technical details with developers easily.

The best way to determine what to write in this section is to read the job description carefully and see what the employer wants in an applicant. Then choose two or three points that correlate with your previous experiences and emphasize those in your cover letter.

Step 5. Wrap up by relating your experience to the company’s needs

In the closing paragraph, you can summarize skills that make you a perfect fit for the role, restate that you are excited about this opportunity, and thank hiring managers for their time. It is also important to politely ask them to invite you to an interview. You do not want to come off as needy, though. The final sentences of your cover letter should sound confident and focus on what you can bring to the table instead of what you want to get from the job.

I will be honored to bring my ability to notice opportunities where others might see only obstacles and my passion for improving processes until everything works like a well-oiled machine to AAA company. I look forward to sharing more details of my qualifications with you during the interview. Thank you for your time and consideration.

The last paragraph is also an excellent place to answer any potential concerns proactively. For example, if you currently live in San Francisco but are applying to a company in Atlanta, mention that you are relocating next month.

Step 6. End with professional signoff

The last thing to do is complete your letter with a formal closing. The most common sign-offs include:

Best regards,

• Respectfully,
• Kind regards,
• With best regards,

Then just add your full name, and your cover letter is ready to send!

Professional Cover Letter Examples

Now that you know what each section of your cover letter should include, let’s take a look at two examples. The first is a cover letter from an experienced data analyst. The second is a recent graduate applying for an IT technician role.

Mid-career cover letter sample:

David Smith

Data Analyst

[email protected]

www.linkedin.com/in/david_smith

AAA Technologies Inc.

Dear Mr. Brown,

I am excited to apply for the Data Analyst position at AAA Technologies I found on Indeed. As a long-term admirer of AAA products, I will be honored to help the company base decisions on data. I firmly believe that my 7+ years of experience translating complex sets of numbers into meaningful insights and actionable recommendations would be a valuable addition to your team.

In my previous job at BBB Industries, I supported our marketing and sales teams with market reports and ad hoc data analysis. My most significant achievements include implementing a new approach to revenue forecasting reports that brought 35% higher accuracy and developing reporting dashboards that reduce the time needed to process data by 40%.

What I like the most about the data analyst job is the opportunity to explore relationships between numbers and turn them into stories that allow businesses to make better decisions. And I will be thrilled to help your teams identify key data patterns and translate them into valuable insights.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my letter and look forward to learning more about this opportunity. I would be happy to discuss how my experience and skills can help AAA Technologies reach its business goals.

Entry-level career cover letter sample:

IT Technician

Dear Mr. Davis,

I am excited to apply for the entry-level IT technician position at AAA Company advertised on Indeed. I am confident that the practical knowledge I gained during my internships and my excellent university results make me a good candidate for the job.

During my time at Northwestern University, I completed two internships at 123 Industries. In my role, I was responsible for documenting help desk tickets, installing equipment and peripherals, creating accounts for new employees, and troubleshooting various technical issues. I am proud to have helped our department improve ticket response time by 14%.

I won the Dean’s Award for achieving exceptional academic results at the university. The courses I completed have given me a solid foundation in the tools and methodologies involved in managing IT systems. I would be thrilled to bring my knowledge and skills to the IT technician role at AAA Company.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I look forward to learning more about the position and discussing my qualifications during the interview.

Final Cover Letter Tips

By now, you should be confident about writing a compelling cover letter. However, let’s add a few more tips to keep in mind.

Do not repeat what is in your resume

Remember that the goal of your cover letter is to highlight how your qualifications are relevant to the target company. Do not simply repeat bullet points from your resume. Pick a couple of skills and provide specific examples of how you demonstrated them. Did you make a business process more efficient? Did you train junior team members in using a certain tool? Did you lead a particularly complex project to successful completion? Write about it! And do not forget to add numbers and percentages to boost the credibility of your statements.

Tailor your letter to a specific job

There is nothing wrong with preparing a template and recycling a few strong sentences from one letter to another. However, using the exact same document for different jobs is not the best idea. Recruiters can quickly identify when candidates use generic letters to apply for a position. To make a better first impression, take the time to customize your cover letter so that it reflects your interest in a specific company and showcases the most relevant experiences for a particular role.

Do not focus on weaknesses

Although your cover letter is a good place to briefly explain a career gap or mention reasons for changing careers, do so in a way that does not draw attention to your weaknesses. Avoid sentences like, “Despite my limited experience…” or “While I lack experience….” Do not focus on the skills or experience you are lacking. Instead, highlight what you bring to the table. Describe transferable skills and include examples of responsibilities relevant to a new role.

Show your personality

Of course, a cover letter should be professional. However, this does not mean that you must use overly formal language. Using sentences like “I wish to convey my sincere interest in…” can make you sound insincere. You should also avoid overused phrases such as “self-motivated go-getter” or “thinking outside of the box.” Instead, be honest and straightforward, provide unique examples of your skills, or tell a story about how effective you were in a previous job.

Keep it short

A cover letter should introduce you to a potential employer and get hiring managers interested in you as a candidate. It should not describe your entire professional life in every possible detail. So, there is no need to write several pages. Keep it brief and straight to the point. The perfect length for a cover letter is between half a page and one page using a 12-point font.

Proofread your cover letter carefully

Whether your target job requires writing skills or not, there should not be any errors or typos in your resume or cover letter. In a CareerBuilder study , 77% of hiring managers named bad grammar as a top reason for not offering job seekers an interview. So, it is crucial to proofread your documents carefully. It is always a good idea to ask a trusted friend or a family member to read over your resume and cover letters before submission. They may notice small mistakes you missed and can check that your letter is clear and easy to read.

Follow the instructions

Before sending your cover letter, take a moment to review the job ad again. Employers often provide specific instructions, such as submitting your documents in a particular format or including a job reference number in the email subject line. Make sure your job application fulfills all such requirements. Otherwise, your application might fall short even though your documents are well-written.

A cover letter that demonstrates you are both a qualified candidate and excited to join the company will help you stand out among applicants. Taking the time to craft a customized cover letter for each position is well worth your effort. Hopefully, our guide will make this task less challenging and time-consuming!

How-To Geek

You can write cover letters and resumes with ai (but should you).

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Ai is shockingly good at creating cover letters and resumes, is it wrong to use ai for your cover letter and resume, how to use ai to create top-notch cover letters and resumes, some companies use ai detection tools to scan cover letters, key takeaways.

• ChatGPT can create decent resumes & cover letters from scratch and with minimal input.
• ChatGPT might create falsehoods based on the job posting you show it, so make sure to delete the inaccuracies.
• You can use ChatGPT to refine and improve personalized resumes and cover letters for job applications.

If you're on a job hunt, you know how tedious and time-consuming it is to write cover letters for every single job posting. Enter ChatGPT—it can save you countless hours by tailoring your resume and cover letter for each job application in just a few seconds. However, is there a catch?

Cover letters and resumes have a general layout and style that you should follow to come across as professional. ChatGPT can perfectly emulate that standardized style because it was trained on large amounts of data, which also includes thousands of cover letters and resume examples.

It knows all the patterns that make for a good cover letter or resume, and it'll apply those language patterns to your information to help you conform to standard job application forms.

All you have to do to create a half-decent cover letter or resume is give ChatGPT some information to work with. The recently added "Memory" feature , coupled with the " Custom Instructions " function, helps ChatGPT understand you and your writing style.

Still, you don't even have to use those features to create a resume or cover letter—just give ChatGPT some information relevant to your experience and ask politely . For example, you can copy-paste your current resume and a job posting and then ask it to create a cover letter based on the provided information.

Don't have a resume? Don't fret. You can ask ChatGPT to define a few important questions to help you create your first resume or use it to refine your existing one. Here's an example showing key pieces of information that should be in your resume:

Remember, your resume is a concise summary of essential personal information, your greatest achievements, relevant skills, and not much else. Even human-written resumes sound pretty robotic, so the results are more or less in line with the norm. For instance, I told ChatGPT to create a resume and gave it very little information to work with, and here are the results:

The reason why it knows about my hobbies is that I added them to "Custom Instructions." That being said, the experience, skills, and overall format are all ChatGPT's doing. While it's not an impressive resume by any means, it's way more than I expected considering how little information I gave it.

As for cover letters, the same general principles apply. It can easily turn a few sentences about your experience and a vague job description into a generic cover letter. Let's continue where we left off with our "resume" from above and write a cover letter for an imaginary job ad:

While it sounds as if a middle-schooler wrote it using a template, and you can't expect to land a half-decent job with something like this, it's a decent start. The most important information is at the top, the format is tidy, and ChatGPT even tried to establish a link between my relevant experience and the job requirements. I'll show you a few tricks and tips on how to make an outstanding resume and cover letter shortly.

The real question here is whether it's ethical to use AI for job applications. The main argument against AI-generated cover letters and resumes is that AI is prone to lying .

You see, much like humans, ChatGPT wants (you) to land the job, so it'll say that you possess the required skills and experience, even if you haven't actually done any of that. For instance, if a job posting has "Proficient in graphic design tools such as Canva," ChatGPT will say that you're a Canva expert in the cover letter, even if you've never used it. This happened to me on every single cover letter I created.

The flip side of this argument is that cover letters and resumes follow a highly formulaic structure. Using ChatGPT to assist you shouldn't significantly affect the outcome of your application as long as you've verified the information to be 100% true. Applicants have to send out an average of 100–200 job applications before they land a job, so ChatGPT speeds the process up quite a bit.

The worst part is that some recruiters won't even read your cover letter but will instead focus on your answers to the application questions. I briefly worked as a recruiter myself, and I'd only read a cover letter when I was on the fence. In such instances, the cover letter is there merely as a supplementary document that satisfies hiring norms. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide whether it's okay to use ChatGPT for your cover letter and resume. If you opt to use it, carefully proofread everything to make sure that there are no lies or half-truths in your job application.

I've shown you earlier how it's pretty easy to create a basic cover letter and resume with ChatGPT, but if you want to land a half-decent job, you'll still have to do some parts yourself. You might have heard the phrase "garbage in, garbage out," and the rule applies here as well. The trick to generating a good cover letter and resume with ChatGPT is to create the first draft yourself. In the case of a resume, write as much relevant information as you can about your skills and past work experience before handing it over to ChatGPT to process the data. Here's a quick example I came up with on the spot:

This is still pretty basic, as I haven't given ChatGPT enough information to work with, but it's serviceable. You can now ask it to identify gaps and help you improve the resume in general to make it even better. It'll give you actionable feedback you can implement immediately to improve your resume.

You can use these same general principles to create a killer cover letter as well. You can go back and forth with ChatGPT until you land on something that you like. You can treat ChatGPT the same way you'd treat a resume consultant. Once you're done generating, first make sure there are no errors in the text. After that, add some personal flair to make sure you stand out from other applicants.

Remember, other applicants also have access to ChatGPT and have likely used it to apply for the job, so you really need to make your cover letter unique and compelling to get hired. Pay particular attention to the first few paragraphs, as they can let your personality shine through the most. Also, note that some sections will probably sound robotic and "fake," so get rid of them.

Companies that care about whether you use AI to write your cover letter will scan it using AI detector tools. The tool can identify and flag text that sounds robotic based on patterns AI tools use.

However, these tools aren't perfect and will occasionally flag human-written text as AI as well, so your cover letter would get rejected anyway. This further underscores my point above that you must find a way to make your cover letter original, at least to some extent.

If you haven't tried ChatGPT on your resume yet, I strongly encourage you to do so now. Consult with ChatGPT to make your resume polished, compelling, and concise. Also, don't forget to use ChatGPT to make "bange"r cover letters by tailoring them to specific job postings and maximize your chances of getting hired while also saving time. Once you get used to your AI career advisor, you'll find it hard to apply to jobs the traditional way.

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• Resume and Cover Letter
• Do Hiring Managers Actually...

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

5 min read · Updated on March 10, 2022

Even if a hiring manager doesn't read your cover letter, writing one will still help you stand out from other candidates.

Congrats — you've found a job that looks like a fit, and you've taken the time to craft a specialized resume for the role. But do you really have to spend more time writing a cover letter as well? Do recruiters even read cover letters anymore?

The short answers are “yes” and “sometimes.” However, it's the “sometimes” that can keep your interview chances alive, all other things being equal.

As a start, it's good to know some specific situations where you must write a cover letter.

When are cover letters necessary?

There are four very specific situations that will always require a cover letter.

You're applying directly to a specific person in the company, not through the general application system.

Someone has referred you for the position that you can mention in your cover letter.

It's requested in the job application.

The employer's hiring manager or recruiter specifically asks for it.

These all make sense, but what if none of those apply to your particular job application process?

Write a cover letter anyway.

Remember your mother telling you to always have an extra of whatever you need because it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it? That's a broad rule of thumb for cover letters; it's always better to submit one that might not be read versus a recruiter or hiring manager looking for one that's not there.

You can also find incentive for writing a cover letter once you understand the specific ways it helps you stand out as a candidate.

How does a cover letter help you get hired?

It's a tie-breaker.

Full disclosure: In my work as a recruiter, I barely glanced at cover letters — unless I had two equally qualified candidates and needed a deciding factor, or I was interested in a candidate, but their resume didn't tell me enough of what I wanted to know.

It shows you're serious about the job

Preparing a cover letter when one isn't formally required shows that you're willing to take the extra time and energy to show just how much you want the job.

Two recent studies by CareerBuilder also confirm that a cover letter never fails to impress. About 53 percent of employers feel a resume alone is not enough to get noticed, while 49 percent of HR managers said that including a cover letter is the second-best way to call attention to your resume, behind customizing that resume for the job.

The data also showed that cover letters made a strong impression whether the job was full-time, part-time, or an internship.

It can explain employment gaps and career changes

Sticking to a two-page resume means you can't clarify or explain that gap in your employment or why you went into a new career; this is the role of the cover letter. 

Instead of a hiring manager tossing your resume due to that employment gap, they can refer to the cover letter to better understand the circumstances surrounding it.

It has a big impact at small companies

Smaller companies often hire fewer people at a time, so their hiring managers will likely take the time to look for and read a cover letter to better understand each candidate.

It shows some of your personality

A cover letter can also help a recruiter or hiring manager see a bit of your personality to assess how you would fit with their company culture, so make sure you show off your personality in a way that is effective and professional .

Does anyone actually read cover letters?

As mentioned above, the best answer is “sometimes” — and it also can depend on who you ask.

TopResume's expert Amanda Augustine shares a good example of this:

“According to the 2016 Recruiter Nation Report by recruitment software provider Jobvite , 74 percent of recruiters do not consider cover letters important in their decision to hire an applicant. However, a poll from recruitment firm Robert Half found that 90 percent of executives consider cover letters to be invaluable when assessing candidates.”

The paradox is that even though they might not always read cover letters, most hiring managers always want them. 

The benefit for you is that whether it's read or not a cover letter always makes a good impression . Also, if the hiring manager for your job is someone who actually will read a cover letter, you want it to be there — your future career is too important to leave to chance.

What's in a good cover letter? 

Writing an effective cover letter is a topic in itself, but this is the basic information to include:

Introduce yourself and how you learned about the job.

Show how you would add value to the company.

Offer a solution for a pressing issue at the company.

Provide your contact information and availability for an interview.

Cover letters take time and energy to create, which makes it tempting to just not write them at all, but don't give in.

Whether you're applying online or through an email, the simple act of including a cover letter is impressive enough for employers to take notice. Even if no one reads it, a cover letter is worth the effort if it helps you score the job. 

Not feeling confident in your job search right now? It's tough out there — but we can help with a free resume review . 

Recommended Reading:

9 Cliches to Cut From Your Cover Letter Right Now

5 Things to Say in Your Cover Letter If You Want to Get the Job

How Do I Write a Great Cover Letter?

Related Articles:

How to Create a Resume With No Education

From Bland to Beautiful: How We Made This Professional's Resume Shine

7 Signs Your Resume is Making You Look Old

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To Serve His Country, President Biden Should Leave the Race

By The Editorial Board

The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values . It is separate from the newsroom.

President Biden has repeatedly and rightfully described the stakes in this November’s presidential election as nothing less than the future of American democracy.

Donald Trump has proved himself to be a significant jeopardy to that democracy — an erratic and self-interested figure unworthy of the public trust. He systematically attempted to undermine the integrity of elections. His supporters have described, publicly, a 2025 agenda that would give him the power to carry out the most extreme of his promises and threats. If he is returned to office, he has vowed to be a different kind of president, unrestrained by the checks on power built into the American political system.

Mr. Biden has said that he is the candidate with the best chance of taking on this threat of tyranny and defeating it. His argument rests largely on the fact that he beat Mr. Trump in 2020. That is no longer a sufficient rationale for why Mr. Biden should be the Democratic nominee this year.

At Thursday’s debate, the president needed to convince the American public that he was equal to the formidable demands of the office he is seeking to hold for another term. Voters, however, cannot be expected to ignore what was instead plain to see: Mr. Biden is not the man he was four years ago.

The president appeared on Thursday night as the shadow of a great public servant. He struggled to explain what he would accomplish in a second term. He struggled to respond to Mr. Trump’s provocations. He struggled to hold Mr. Trump accountable for his lies, his failures and his chilling plans. More than once, he struggled to make it to the end of a sentence.

Mr. Biden has been an admirable president. Under his leadership, the nation has prospered and begun to address a range of long-term challenges, and the wounds ripped open by Mr. Trump have begun to heal. But the greatest public service Mr. Biden can now perform is to announce that he will not continue to run for re-election.

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