Cover letter

What is a cover letter?

A cover letter is a document no longer than one Word-format page attached to one's resume when a person responds to a job posting. As a rule, this document is not a prerequisite for employment and is often an optional attachment, but, nevertheless, it is of great value for both the applicant and the potential employer, because it complements and expands the resume. A cover letter is occasionally written in a special field when you click on the "Send resume" button; sometimes it is attached as a separate file. Either way, a cover letter gives you a chance to stand out from other job seekers and draw the employer's attention to your application.

Since some companies do not consider responses without a cover letter, it is a good idea to attach one even to those job postings where cover letters are not mentioned in the job description. Cover letters can also be attached when you apply for an individual project, a scholarship, an internship or to a deal offer you send to partners. In simple words, it is an ordinary text follow-up that includes a thank you, your brief record and demonstrates your willingness to cooperate.

Why you need a cover letter

According to the statistics of the HH job search platform, 34% to 60% of employers prefer a resume complete with a cover letter and therefore read it in the first place. So, a cover letter is not just a formality but also an effective tool for self-presentation. As mentioned above, a cover letter allows you to "highlight" your response among others, especially if the list is long and the job vacancy is extremely popular on the site. Also, a cover letter, due to its structure, allows you to focus a potential employer's attention on your specific skills, accomplishments, or character traits. It can be interpreted as an introduction or foreword to your resume, so the cover letter is mainly intended to set the right tone to introduce your candidacy, prepare the employer for it, and subtly communicate the idea that you are the best possible candidate.

Among other things, you need a cover letter to:

• prove that you are interested in this particular company and position. That's why it's important to write a unique cover letter for each response, without using "copy and paste". For many employers, the cover letter presence confirms that you are serious and considering them specifically, not all companies one after another.

• divert attention from your resume's "weaknesses", for example, if you have limited work experience or you are still a student, and instead of real cases you have only boundless enthusiasm. So, the cover letter is your chance to convince the potential employer that you can cope with the job. It's the same as the first impression!

• demonstrate business etiquette skills and the ability to competently present yourself. This is especially important for international companies and if there is no cover letter, they tacitly consider it bad form.

• say a little more about yourself than your resume. Things that don't fit into the Experience or About Me columns or seem too informal and strange can be included in your cover letter, as it allows a free format and there are no strict requirements with respect to its structure and content.

• demonstrate that you are already familiar with the company and can be useful to them. You can link your cover letter to the actual facts about the company, for example, "I know you sold 10,000 copies last year, but I can sell 100,000". This way you'll show that you already researched the company inside out.

Keep in mind that, as a matter of principle, some employers open ONLY the responses that have a cover letter attached! Since, once again, this is interpreted as a truly live interest, because if you took the time to write a cover letter, it means you are serious about this job opening.

Types of cover letters

There are just two main types of cover letters. The most common one, which is implied most often when it comes to these letters, is a job application cover letter, which is an attachment to your resume that you manually fix when you submit a response to the job site. Such a letter is usually focused on highlighting the candidate's qualifications and explains why they want to work for this particular company and in this particular position.

An alternative type of cover letter is one accompanying documents, business correspondence or other legal documents. For example, explaining what the recipient will find in each attached folder, what to pay attention to, why you are sending this, etc.

Cover letters can also be broken into the following categories:

• "Hot" cover letters. These are the classic and most popular ones you attach to your response on a job site.

• "Cold" cover letters. They are ones you write to a company bypassing the websites, directly to their corporate email address, without knowing if they even have job openings available to you. This is one of job hunting strategies enabling to find job openings that may not have been posted yet or that may be "created" specifically for you if you are a valuable professional and want to work for a particular company, but are unwilling to wait for new positions to become available.

• Letter of Recommendation. In this type of letter, you mention your past employers or partners, reputable people who can recommend you as a top-notch professional (and attach their contact information accordingly).

• Letter of Value. In this letter, you list your achievements, merits, and skills expressed in specific numbers and metrics to highlight your professional value in the market.

How to write a cover letter

To properly compose a cover letter, you need to use the following pattern:

Introduction

How do you start a cover letter? It's simple: first, greet the expert who will be reading it. If you know their name, address them by name. Introduce yourself and write what position you are applying for so that your letter can be more easily linked to your resume. It is a good idea to mention the company name for the recruiter to see that you did not just copy and paste the letter from your previous response. The introduction should take a maximum of 1 paragraph to 4 lines.

The body of the letter

The body of the letter usually features between 1 and 4 paragraphs of 3-4 sentences. It demonstrates and explains your motivation to work at the chosen place. It is appropriate to highlight your merits and expertise, as well as the reasons why you prefer this particular company. Likewise, it is appropriate to list your hard and soft skills, mention that you are already familiar with the company's activities, and briefly point out your most important achievements in your previous job or successful cases.

Conclusion

The conclusion, like the introduction, typically fits into 1, maximum 2 paragraphs. It is essential to mention that you appreciate the opportunity to present yourself to the company, to thank the recruiter for their attention and emphasize that you will be waiting for a response and are ready to answer any additional questions or provide supplementary documents.

Signature and contacts

It is the usual formality - and here is a tip how to sign off a cover letter. You need to include your name, phone number and email address where you can be contacted. It is also appropriate to use the "Best wishes" line.

Note: If it is a creative job, make sure to submit your portfolio. Add a link to it in your cover letter text, for example, in the body or your contacts with the caption "Here you can find information about my other works".

If you write a cover letter not in a special form on the website, but as a Word document, stick to the same classic format as in your resume: Times New Roman font, 10-14 pgs with necessary highlights and underlines (but don't overdo it!).

Tips for crafting the best cover letter

Here are a few more tips to help you choose the right cover letter format and write it:

1. A different cover letter for each job opening

As mentioned above, it's important to change the title of your job and the name of the company in your cover letter, as well as to show that you created it from scratch specifically for this position. To do this, you can change the lead-in to the letter, for example, link the beginning to the merits or specifics of the particular company, as well as list - in the letter body - data you discovered while researching it on the Internet (which is also a recommendation in its own right: always know as much as you can about the person or the company you write to!).

2. Compliments and an elaborate thank-you are not necessary

Don't forget that in writing, as in face-to-face communication with someone, it is essential to remain sincere. Too frequent or long expressions of gratitude and admiration can be seen as ingratiation. But you don't write a cover letter to flatter or charm someone; you write it to present yourself as a pro. Right? Focus on exactly that. People who will read your letter are also just doing their job, not doing you a favor.

3. Capture the reader's attention right away

A cover letter is by no means a book, but it is also important to hook the reader, arouse their curiosity and willingness to read to the end. That's why you can use more original and informal options instead of trite opening phrases like: "My name is N, I want to work for your company". For example, "During my 10+ years in marketing I have pulled the company out of the crisis and increased sales by 230%, and I am aware that you are facing a similar market situation, so I would like…"

4. Find common ground between you and the company

Here, too, as in personal communication: the more common points you have with your interlocutor, the easier the conversation will go, and you are more likely to become friends. So try to show that you are well-versed in the topic and the niche, that you are already determined to work for the company and that you have the resources it needs. For example, if the company originally started in retail and now operates exclusively online, you can mention that you also started in retail but realized that online is much more promising.

5. You don't have to be strict at all

Especially, if you submit a cover letter to your resume to a creative company, a design one, for example. Keep in mind that a human being is going to read your letter, and if it is overloaded with numbers or data, it will be difficult to comprehend. And considering that an HR manager may read 100 such letters in a day, they all blend into one for them. That is why you can make a joke or share - in passing - an interesting and funny fact about yourself. For example, that you have a habit of eating a chocolate bar every time you sign a successful contract and as a result, gained 10 kilos in your previous job. But make sure it is appropriate: if you are writing to a big international company, it is not worth the risk.

6. Make your value obvious

For example, you can use the "problem-specific approach" to this end: point out to the company what its weaknesses are and that you know how to fix them or help it achieve even bigger figures next year. You can outline the course of action and your suggestions in your cover letter instead of the standard body - this unique approach can dramatically increase your chances of getting the position!

A good cover letter checklist

Below is the checklist you can use to go through your cover letter after you finish writing it. It will help you identify even the smallest errors and make your letter even more effective!

• Your letter is short and takes no more than half an A4 sheet in standard font and takes up to 15 seconds to read.

• There is no "bla-bla-bla" in the text, just necessary and important information.

• The information is as specific and measurable as possible, expressed, ideally, in numerical values, e.g., percentage increase, etc.

• It features a clear business style and the cover letter classic structure (from introduction to conclusion).

• It demonstrates your individual value as a candidate.

• The letter contains ONLY relevant material currently important for the employer or objectively demonstrates your value.

• It mentions references from other managers or previous jobs where you proved yourself (optional).

Also check the letter for errors before sending it to the potential employer so that it doesn't contain:

• generalities all candidates use from one letter to the next.

• personalization, if you don't know who will read the letter (in which case you should address the person directly);

• grammar, punctuation and stylistic errors (if in doubt, check the text with a neural network);

• typos;

• slang or cliché phrases such as "stress resistance", "quick learner", etc. (You should specify all these and support by examples);

• descriptions of irrelevant experiences or outdated material;

• stories about your personal life and biography;

• negative statements about your previous jobs.

A sample of an ideal cover letter

Let's look at two cover letter samples. The first one is the most standard cover letter, while the second is better suited for creative jobs and companies (but both are appropriate).

Sample 1

Dear Frank Jobs,

My name is Nikki Strong, and I would like to offer my candidacy for the marketer position at your company, as I've worked in digital marketing for 5 years and successfully implemented over 20 major projects for leading brands during this period. My experience even includes collaboration with companies like Pepsi and Apple. My main job involved managing multichannel campaigns, increasing conversions and brand awareness building.

The position with your company attracted me because of your team's reputation, often discussed on social media, and your innovative approach to product promotion. I am confident that my skills and expertise will enable me to make a significant contribution to your projects progress.

I would be happy to discuss my candidacy in more detail at an interview. Thank you for your time and attention.

Yours truly,

Nikki Strong

Sample 2

Hello, Agency N team! My name is David Reed and I would like to offer my candidacy for your PR Manager position. I've followed your company's achievements on Instagram for quite a while and admire the original nature of your marketing campaigns, so I'd really like to play a hand in promoting your products as well.

I've been in communications for seven years and have worked with projects in various fields, including fashion, IT, healthcare, and others. In my previous job, I wrote in two years more than 1,000 creative texts, ranging from press releases to long reads about the brand's life. I also have extensive connections with several major publishers in our country, experience in organizing shoots, and my own contractors willing to continue working with me in my new job. I also maintain relations with several leading media outlets whose coverage could increase your company's visibility.

My experience is detailed in my resume. You will also find there a portfolio with sample texts and my advertising strategies statistics for the past two years. I hope I will have a chance to work with you, and I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you!

Best wishes,

David Reed

As you can see, the second cover letter looks like a personal message or part of a more informal correspondence, and this emotionality is its main advantage (occasionally inappropriate, though).

Conclusion

A cover letter is an important part of successful job hunting. First of all, you need this letter yourself, because it allows you to stand out among other applicants, to attract the recruiter's attention and make a good first impression. If you don't know how to get started, you can also use our perfect cover letter sample as a template, or use a neural networks-based online generator of cover letters. But keep in mind the main point: it's essential to stay honest and open, remember your individuality, and truly fit the position you apply for.