I’ve been asked these questions a lot over the years. So, I thought it was about time I wrote them down for you all to enjoy! If this is your first job application and cover letter, then welcome and congratulations on taking the first step towards starting your career.
| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| Tailor your cover letter to the specific job and company |
| Keep your cover letter brief, ideally no longer than one page |
| Use bullet points or other formatting as needed to make your cover letter easy to read |
| Explain why you’re interested in the position and why you’re the best candidate for the job |
| Proofread your cover letter carefully before submitting |
| Even if a cover letter isn’t explicitly required, it’s generally a good idea to include one with your job application |
Can You Get A Job Without A Cover Letter?
The cover letter is a way to introduce yourself to the hiring manager. In addition, it’s an opportunity for you to show how you can solve their problem and what makes you qualified for the job. A good cover letter should be as long as it needs to be no longer and no shorter.
As a general rule of thumb, always err on the side of brevity when writing a cover letter because hiring managers don’t have time to read long-winded letters that are full of unnecessary fluff.
The key point here is that your cover letter should not just tell employers what they want but also show them why they need you specifically!
According to our career experts, ‘Cover letters are important because they allow you to showcase your skills, experience, and personality to potential employers.’ Learn more about why cover letters are essential to your job search in our Are Cover Letters Important? article.
Is A Cover Letter Important When Applying To Jobs?
Having a cover letter is important because it allows you to introduce yourself and explain why you are the best candidate for the job. If you don’t include one, employers may not even read your resume. A cover letter can also help convince hiring managers that you understand their company’s needs and are qualified to do the job.
If an employer receives 10 applications for any given position, they’ll likely only spend 20 seconds reviewing each one. This means that if there’s not enough information in your cover letter or resume to convince employers that they should consider interviewing you, they won’t bother with either document.
Should I Send A Cover Letter With Every Job Application?
If you’re sending a resume, yes, a cover letter is necessary. It’s a great way to show the hiring manager that you’ve done some research about the company, position, and industry in general. A good cover letter will also help demonstrate your writing skills and communication abilities two qualities that are essential for success at work!
You can always tailor the content of each cover letter based on the specifics of each position (like mentioning specific projects or initiatives they may have been involved with). But essentially every cover letter should include three things
A brief introduction of yourself
Why you’re interested in working there or doing what they do
Your contact information
How Long Should A Cover Letter Be?
The amount of pages in your cover letter depends on the position you’re applying for and what information you are trying to convey. If you’re applying for an entry-level job, a one-page cover letter is sufficient.
However, if you’re applying for a higher-level position or one that requires more experience, then it’s best to write a longer cover letter. The length of an average cover letter is normally between two and three pages long.
When writing any type of document (including a resume), writers will often say “make sure that every sentence serves at least one purpose.”
This same concept applies when writing your cover letter: every sentence must serve at least one purpose and preferably several different purposes! If there’s something in your cover letter that doesn’t matter or isn’t relevant to the reader, get rid of it!
Are cover letters really necessary? The short answer is yes! As our career advisors note, ‘Cover letters allow you to provide more detail about your qualifications and make a stronger case for why you’re the right fit for the job.’ Read more about the importance of cover letters in our Are Cover Letters Necessary? article.
Do You Always Have To Include An Address In A Cover Letter?
When you’re applying for a job, it’s important to include your contact details in the cover letter. This means including your address, phone number, email address, and website address. If you have other social media accounts (LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook), then be sure to include those too.
If you have several profiles on different networks – such as LinkedIn and Twitter – then it’s worth mentioning them all in the same paragraph so that employers know where they can find more information about you if necessary
“I’m available via email or phone at [email]. You can also find me on LinkedIn at [link] or follow me on Twitter @[username].”
How Do You Write A Cover Letter For A Resume?
A cover letter is a document that allows you to sell yourself as a candidate for the job. It will help you stand out from the other candidates, especially if you want to apply for a job that has already reached its maximum number of applicants.
Cover letters are usually brief and concise, but they can be longer if necessary. They should include
Your name and contact information
A statement about why you’re interested in working at this particular company or organization (the “hook”)
A brief description of your skills and experience related to the job being offered (the “meat”)
Start by writing down all of your qualifications, including any relevant education or work experience; then use this list as a starting point when drafting your cover letter. If possible, tailor each cover letter specifically for each employer so that it’s fresh and unique every time!
What Do Hiring Managers Look For In A Cover Letter?
To get hired, you need to show hiring managers that you are both interested in and a good fit for the job. This is where your cover letter comes in! The best way to convey this information is through an engaging narrative that includes the following:
Show that you have done your research. Hiring managers will appreciate it if you can point out relevant aspects of their business and show that you have taken time to learn about what they do and why it matters. This shows them that you care about the position, which increases your chances of getting hired by a lot!
Show that you’re excited about being part of their team (or even just working there). A good way to do this is by making sure your cover letter includes some kind of reference to how awesome it would be if they hired someone who had some connection with their company or environment even if it’s just saying something like “I love what [Company XYZ] stands for.”
This helps show off some qualities that make people great employees: being passionate enough about something so much so as not only wanting but also believing themselves capable enough of contributing positively toward achieving its goals!
How Do You Write The Best Cover Letter?
One of the most common questions we hear is, “How do I write the best cover letter?” There are no hard-and-fast rules for cover letters, but there are some guidelines that will help you make sure your letter stands out from the crowd.
Use a template. If you’re using a template to apply for jobs online or in print, use it exactly as written even if it feels stiff or awkward at first.
You can always add personal touches later on when you have more information about what the employer wants in their ideal candidate. But having an outline of what’s expected will help ensure that every sentence counts and gets its point across quickly and clearly as possible!
Use one template/format across all applications. The reason why people don’t use templates is that they think they can’t find one that works well enough (or has enough personality). Using one format makes things much easier when applying for multiple jobs at once; plus it makes sure everything looks consistent throughout each package sent off into cyberspace!
While some employers may not require a cover letter, it’s generally a good idea to include one with your job application. As our experts explain, ‘Sending a resume without a cover letter may make you appear lazy or disinterested in the job.’ For more information on when it’s acceptable to send a resume without a cover letter, check out our Can You Send a Resume Without a Cover Letter? article.
What Should I Include In My Cover Letter?
If you’re applying for a job, your cover letter must highlight why you’re applying for the position and why you are a good fit. It should also highlight any relevant experience and skills that will help you succeed in the role.
Include information about:
Why you’re interested in working at this company (if applicable)
What interests or motivates you about this field/industry
Relevant work experience or education from previous jobs
Relevant certifications and training courses
Is Emailing Your Resume Bad Practice If The Application Doesn’t Require One?
Many applications don’t require a cover letter, but if you are applying for a specific position and there is no contact information on the application, you should send a formal cover letter.
You can also get away with sending an email to an employer if they do not require a formal resume or cover letter. If they want something more than your resume and the job listing asks for more information, then by all means send it! For example: “Dear Bob of Main Street Cafe and Bakery: I am interested in working as a cashier at your restaurant because…”
What Are The Five Parts Of A Good Cover Letter?
A good cover letter has five parts:
Introduction. Make the employer want to read the rest of your letter by catching their interest in the first paragraph (two-to-three sentences). The introduction should also include information about how you found out about the job opening and your experience there.
Body. Briefly summarize what you’ve done in each position you’ve held, but don’t make this section too long focus on accomplishments rather than tasks performed daily or weekly.
Include any special projects or assignments that were particularly challenging or relevant to this specific job opportunity and state how your skills helped solve problems in those situations.
Closing/Signature line, including name (printed), address and phone number(s) (optional). Remember that it’s always a good idea to put down all contact information so they can find you if necessary!
The closing also gives room for one more sentence about why hiring you would be a great decision for them as an employer;
At least two things stand out as candidates worthy of consideration when writing these final remarks: “I look forward” statements are clichéd but still acceptable here because they’re short enough not to get overly repetitive; however, avoid saying anything negative like “Please consider me” because it sounds desperate rather than confident.”
Is it possible to write a cover letter that’s too short? While brevity can be a virtue, a cover letter that’s too brief may not provide enough detail about your qualifications. As our advisors note, ‘Aim for a cover letter that’s around three to four paragraphs in length.’ Find out more about cover letter length in our Can a Cover Letter Be Too Short? article.
What Are The Components Of An Effective Cover Letter?
Personalize the letter. The cover letter is not a form letter, so you want to make sure that the hiring manager knows that you’re talking about them specifically. You can do this by including information about the position, the company or organization, and any connections you may have with them.
Show your research on the company and role. If it’s obvious that you haven’t researched their company or role as much as possible before sending off your CV, then this will come across in your cover letter too.
Make sure that everything in there aligns with what’s on their website and job description (if they’ve published one), otherwise, there’s no point in even sending off your CV at all!
Where Can I Get Some Advice On How To Write My Resume?
You can get advice on how to write your resume from several places, including:
Using a resume template. Many online platforms offer free or paid templates for resumes. These make the process of creating a resume much easier, as you simply have to fill in the blanks and save it as a PDF or Word document. You can find some examples here.
Using a resume writing service/book/app/software. Several services will help you create your resume if you don’t feel like doing so yourself; these services are often very expensive but can be worth it if they provide guidance and feedback on your project (so long as they aren’t charging too much).
You can also purchase books or apps designed to help people write their resumes the one listed below is recommended by many users who have tried it out: Resume
Should I use ‘I’ in my cover letter and CV, or write in the third person?’; ‘Is it okay to start sentences with ‘And’ or ‘But’?;’ Can I double space after punctuation?’; ‘Should I use (c) or (C)?’, etc.
There are many other questions that you could ask yourself if you wanted to, but these are the most common. The short answer is yes, use first person (you), ‘and’, and ‘but’.
The reason for this is that using these words in your CV or cover letter will make it more personal and engaging for the reader.
Recruiters are more likely to read a CV with proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation than one without it because they can tell that someone’s taken time over their application rather than just sending off a generic piece of writing hoping for the best.
When it comes to ending your cover letter, there are several options to choose from. Our career experts recommend using a professional closing, such as ‘Sincerely’ or ‘Best regards.’ For more tips on how to end your cover letter, check out our Can You End a Cover Letter with Kind Regards? article.
Conclusion
We hope this guide has been helpful! If you’re looking for more advice on writing effective cover letters, we’ve got plenty of resources here at Cover Letter Help. You can also check out our blog and follow us on social media for more tips and tricks on how to write your best cover letter yet.
Further Reading
If you’re looking for more information about cover letters, check out these resources:
Are Cover Letters Necessary?: This article from Zety explores the importance of cover letters and provides tips for writing an effective one.
Should You Include a Cover Letter If It’s Not Required?: The Balance offers insight into whether or not you should include a cover letter, even if it’s not explicitly requested.
Do Employers Care About Cover Letters?: Indeed provides a comprehensive guide to cover letters and discusses whether or not employers actually care about them.
FAQs
Q: Are cover letters necessary for job applications?
A: While some employers may not require a cover letter, it’s generally recommended to include one with your job application. Cover letters allow you to provide additional information about your qualifications and explain why you’re a good fit for the position.
Q: What should be included in a cover letter?
A: A cover letter should introduce yourself, explain why you’re interested in the position, highlight your relevant skills and experience, and explain why you’re the best candidate for the job.
Q: Can a cover letter hurt your chances of getting a job?
A: Yes, a poorly written or generic cover letter can hurt your chances of getting a job. Make sure to tailor your cover letter to the specific job and company, and proofread it carefully before submitting.
Q: Should I write a new cover letter for each job application?
A: Yes, it’s generally recommended to write a new cover letter for each job application. This allows you to tailor your cover letter to the specific job and company, and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position.
Q: How long should a cover letter be?
A: A cover letter should generally be no longer than one page. Aim for around three to four paragraphs in length, and use bullet points or other formatting as needed to make it easy to read.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.
