Cover Letter Resources

A well-written cover letter should introduce who you are, expand on the information in your resume as it relates to the specific job description, and explain why you are interested. A cover letter is always specific to the individual job posting, and should never be crafted from a generic template. This page will cover the basics of how to get started writing a cover letter, give some examples of cover letter format, and link to some useful outside resources.

Before you sit down and actually begin to write your cover letter, there are three things you should do. 

1. Research the employer. You need to know what you're getting yourself into. Research the organization to see how your experiences and skillset can contribute to the broader mission. Will you be a good fit at this organization? If so, make sure to include why in your cover letter. If not, maybe rethink your interest in the position.

2. Analyze the job description. Carefully review the job details and qualifications listed in the job description. Think about how to connect your experience and qualifications to the job posting. Save a copy of the job posting for your records. Frequently, by the same you get to an interview, the job posting has been removed from the website - you will want a copy to reference!

3. Analyze your own background. Getting started with the content of a cover letter can be daunting. To get your wheels churning, ask yourself "What have I done that is similar to what this position entails?" Be sure to think outside the box - this is not necessarily limited to work experience. Consider the courses you've taken, academic projects, internships, volunteer experience, and extracurriculars in addition to your professional experience. 

• Address the letter to a specific person. Whenever possible, address your cover letter to a specific individual. You might have to look for this information online. This could be the hiring manager, the supervisor for the job, or another person at the company.

• Catch the reader's attention. As with most non-technical writing, a cover letter should begin with a "hook." The first paragraph should tell a compelling story and draw the reader in. Make them want to know more.

• Reference the specific job for which you are applying. Be sure to mention the job title in the first paragraph. If someone at the company recommended you for the job, be sure to include their information early on, as well. 

• Include keywords from the job posting.  

• Show them why you're the ideal candidate. Explicitly connect your experiences with the qualifications listed in the job posting.

• Tell them your "why." It is unlikely that you will be the only qualified candidate applying for the position. One of the ways you can stand out against the crowd is by using the cover letter to explain why you want to work for this employer and in this industry. It is vital, however, that you mean what you say; it is obvious when an applicant is inauthentic and seeking only to boost the ego of the employer.

• Give examples. Give specific examples that support your skills and qualifications.

• Follow the five Cs. Your cover letter should be...

  • 1. Clear: What do you (uniquely) have to offer this company? Why are you the ideal candidate? 

    2. Concise: Get to the point. You only have so much space, so make every word count.

    3. Consistent: Your voice, tense, Oxford comma usage, capitalization, etc. must be consistent throughout your cover letter. Your cover letter is an important professional document that is evaluated not only on content but also as a sample of your work and writing more broadly.

    4. Correct: It is highly likely that you will be asked about the content of your cover letter in an interview; it is important that you not embellish your experiences too much or get caught in an inconsistent story.

    5. Complete: You only get one cover letter, so make sure that you fit in all of the important information.

• Demonstrate your knowledge of the position and the company. No one expects you to know everything up front, but you should have some basic understanding of the company and the position for which you are applying. Without that knowledge how can you be sure you'll be a good fit? The last thing you want is for an employer to throw out your resume because they don't think you understand what you're applying for (it happens!). 

• Proofread. Use at least two spell-checkers (Grammarly is great), but don't expect that the spell-checkers will catch everything. Proofread yourself and have friends proofread. Read it out loud and listen to the words. Have a friend read it out loud.

• Include only information that can be found on your resume. Your cover letter should expand on your resume to provide a more personal insight into who you are and why you're the right choice. Don't simply reiterate information from your cover letter, expand on it.

• Be too long-winded. You don't want to cause any confusion about which job you're applying for or what your objective is. 

• Write more than one page. A traditional cover letter should be no more than one page. It should be easy to skim and highlight your qualifications. 

• Explain what the employer can do for you. You want to tell the employer why you're interested, but the overarching theme of both your cover letter and resume should be what you can do for the employer, not the other way around. 

• Send the same cover letter to each employer. It is crucial that you tailor your cover letter to each job for which you are applying. This is not a one-size-fits-all situation and it will be obvious to the person reading your cover letter if this is what you do.