Mastering cover letters

Detailed guidance on how to write a top-notch cover letter.

Includes a template, samples and pro tips to avoid common mistakes.

Why write a cover letter

Recruiters ask for cover letters because they offer valuable insights into a candidate's personality, communication skills, and motivation. Also, it allows candidates to personalize their application and be explicit about how their experience and skills fit the specific role and company.

Resumes and cover letters serve different purposes. While your resume is a polished summary of what you have accomplished so far, your cover letter is a professional letter that provides context and explains what you plan to do in the future.

Not all jobs require cover letters. However, submitting one is a good opportunity to catch the attention of the recruiter and stand out from the crowd. In addition, if submitted when optional, it shows that you genuinely care about your application and are willing to go the extra mile.

Cover letters are as important as resumes. A bad cover letter can cancel the impact of a good resume, though an impressive cover letter is unlikely to salvage a poor resume.

Structure

Here is the general structure of a cover letter:

I. Contant information

Your Name

State, Zip

Email and phone number

Today’s Date

II. Recipient information

Mr./Ms./Dr. Name (actual name)

Title

Organization

Address

**

Body paragraph

Dear (recipient name):

The opening paragraph (max. 5-6 lines) should clearly explain why you are writing, stating your specific employment interest. It´s also helpful to include an overall summary of the key skills, knowledge areas, or experiences that you bring to this role. The next paragraphs will then expand on and illustrate what you are summarizing in this first paragraph.

The middle paragraph(s) (max. 12- 15 lines) should summarize the aspects of your background that will interest the employer. Discuss your qualifications in terms of the contributions you can make. Ideally, focus on a specific role or project which best showcases your skills and impact. While you shouldn´t repeat your resume verbatim, don’t hesitate to refer to the most important information discussed in it.

The closing paragraph (max 6-7 lines) should explain why the position and the particular organization are attractive to you. It should also pave the way for the interview. Provide three authentic, specific and well-researched reasons.

Step by step and Sample cover letter

Opening paragraph 

Be clear about the position you are applying to and why you are a candidate worth considering. If you start off with a very specific conclusion that confidently states that you have what the employer is looking for, then the reader will also gain confidence that your letter and resume are worth reading.

Although writing a standard opening is correct, you can also include a short, catchier introduction that encourages the recruiter to keep reading.

Standard Intro: I am excited to apply for the position of Sr. Project Management at Meta Product Data Operations team. My strong educational background in Project management, coupled with +7 years of experience delivering complex operational efficiency projects in the technology industry for +20 leading clients, makes me a very solid candidate for this position.

Catchier Intro: I am excited to apply for the position of Sr. Project Management at Meta Product Data Operations team. My passion for this field began when I was just a child and I saw my father dealing with complex infrastructure projects at X company. Since then, I have acquired a strong educational background in Project management and dedicated the last 7 years to delivering complex operational efficiency projects in the technology industry for +20 leading clients. This makes me a very solid candidate for the position.

Middle paragraph(s)

Rather than summarizing the content of your resume, focus on a few things that can show relevant skills you leveraged (transferable to the new position), as well as the impact you achieved.

1. Identify the skills, experiences, qualities that you would like to focus on in this paragraph

2. Support the skills, experiences, and qualities of focus with examples that demonstrate them

3. Demonstrate how this ties back to the position, if necessary

Rather than saying explicit things like “I can make a uniquely valuable contribution to your organization”, give the employer enough relevant, targeted information so they can reach that conclusion by themselves.

Also, be specific and credible. Tell stories that have context (START Method), so they can understand why they mattered. For example: “When I was working as the president of X student group, one of the challenges that we faced was XYZ.” Once you have created a touch of drama, describe how you used your skills to overcome it, for example: “So what I had to do was build relationships with administrators on campus by communicating the critical role our group played in doing ABC.”

Sample: For almost five years, I provided +50 sales specialists with technical support for developing all the national proposals in the X industry. This role was key because each project was signed for an average of USD X M, and any miscalculation would involve serious legal and financial implications (context/drama; data). Here, I developed very strong PMO capabilities, especially budget and stakeholder management given my responsibility for reviewing all budgets (total USD Y M) and coordinating deviations with the financial department (relevant skills). My proactivity in designing a new financial tracker ensured X and Y, and 100% of the projects met their KPIs (impact).

Closing paragraph 

Write three reasons why you want the job and why you want to work for them. Avoid generic comments that would apply to any job or company. Even if they know you are probably applying to other positions, you need to make them feel this is not the case.

For Why this role position, you can explain your genuine interest for many reasons:

• Opportunity to apply know-how to another industry

• Opportunity to specialize more in something you do today

• Interest in broadening the scope you have today (be careful with implying you don´t have the necessary experience)

• Interest in applying your experience to a new client segment

• Interest in combining skills from different jobs into one position

• Excitement about building something from scratch (e.g. a team)

• ....

Sample (job): This role excites me for several reasons. First, it allows me to deep dive in an industry that I am familiar with and that I consider the most technical and complex. Second, it will allow me to combine a focus on sales processes with the management of day-to-day operational processes. Finally, it will be an opportunity to apply strong team management skills to help grow an even bigger team.

For Why this company, do research. Often, this is the part where candidates fail. It´s common that they say things like "I want to work in Meta because it is a very innovative company, it is growing fast, and it offers growth opportunities." This statement could apply to thousands of companies.

You can explain your genuine interest for many reasons, and it is important you are specific to show you did research and include some supportive data/ facts:

• Company is investing heavily in innovation

• Company is one of the fastest growing

• Company is pioneering in certain tools, methodologies, etc.

• Company has a culture that aligns with your values

• Company is focused on client segments that you value

• Company has a social cause you believe in

• ...

  
  

  Sample (job): Meta is my first choice by far. You have invested in innovation and new development more than any other tech company in 2024 (USD X M). You have an impressive growth record as a result of purchases such as X companies and your expansion to Y geographies. Finally, I did research on Glassdoor and spoke to a few current employees in the NY office and the culture stands out for teamwork and growth opportunities, which are my top priorities when deciding where to work.

  
  

  I look forward to hearing from you.

  Best regards,

More tips

Structure

• Write a new cover letter for every job application, ensuring it’s tailored to the company and the specific role (even if you recycle some sections)

• Do not use more than one page (aim for 3-4 paragraphs)

• Address the letter to a named person whenever possible. If you can´t find a named contact, you could use ‘Dear Recruitment Manager’ or ‘Dear Recruiter’

• Include the actual address of the company HQ or the office location you are applying to

• Include an actual digital signature (not just your typed name)

Content & Evidence

• Give evidence for your claims. If you say you are proactive or good at problem-solving, you need to demonstrate this with a specific, relevant example

• Quantify your evidence whenever possible (e.g how much, how many, how often, or monetary value)

• Match the keywords used by the employer in their job advertisement to show alignment with the role´s requirements

• Maintain an enthusiastic and interested tone

Style

• Avoid passive voice (e.g use "I accepted X offer" rather than "An offer was given to me")

• Do not start every sentence with "I" (e.g. say "Meta is my first choice" rather than "I would love to work for Meta")

• Avoid overly long or difficult-to-understand sentences

• Double check spelling and grammar before you send it

• Give yourself plenty of time to review and revise before the application deadline

• Keep a copy of your cover letter as recruiters may ask you about its content in an interview

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