HOW TO WRITE AN AMAZING COVER LETTER WITH EXAMPLES

Let’s be honest, this is probably the tenth article you have seen about writing a great cover letter. Since more and more jobs are expecting you to write the perfect cover letter, more people out there want to write about it. How do you know who to trust? Well, you can read a ton of awesome articles from people who have never actually written a cover letter but they sure sound convincing, or you can learn how to write an amazing cover letter from proven experts who do it every day.

If this is your first time ever writing a cover letter, you are going to learn step by step how to write a great cover letter. If you are a seasoned cover letter writer but you just want to learn some new tips, keep on reading.

In just a second, I will break down exactly how to write an amazing cover letter from top to bottom with detailed examples for you to follow. Get your pen and paper out; it’s time to get rocking.

1. CONTACT INFORMATION

Your cover letter header should start off by including your contact information.

Name: First and Last – Middle name is also O.K. to include.

Address: Use your real address, even if you are looking to relocate. Using a fake address or P.O. box could come back to bite you in the butt if you get called in for an in-person interview.

Phone: List all phone numbers if you have more than one.

Email: Please do not embarrass yourself and have an email like [email protected]

The Hiring Manager will toss your application out immediately without even reading on. The ideal email address is [email protected] or some variation of that.

Steve Smith

1234 W. Turner Rd.

San Francisco, CA 94129

(415) 333-1234

[email protected]

2. PERFECT COVER LETTER SALUTATION

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when addressing the person reading their cover letter is saying some basic title like “To whom it may concern” or “Dear hiring manager”. Do a little research and figure out who exactly will be reading this letter. Then address them appropriately by their name. How to find this information out:

• Check the job posting, a lot of the time it has the hiring managers name on it.
• Anonymously call the company and ask who the manager for the specific department you are applying to is.
• Conduct a LinkedIn search by typing in the company and the department followed by “manager” (e.g., FMP Software sales manager). For larger companies, you can add a filter to identify the exact city & state you are applying to.

3. AMAZING COVER LETTER BODY

An amazing cover letter body can be broken down into 4 simple paragraphs each with a unique goal. Remember, these are not huge 5-10 sentence paragraphs. They should be short and sweet, anywhere from 2-4 well-written sentences.

Paragraph 1 Goal – Grab Your Reader’s Attention

In your first paragraph, you should state the position you area applying for, the company, and a few key reasons why you are the perfect fit for the job.

Here is a slightly tweaked example that you can find in this article from themuse.

When I was growing up, all I wanted to be was 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 love to draw a crowd and entertain the masses—passions that make me the perfect community manager for Google.

Paragraph 2 Goal – Show Your Value To The Company

Now that you have grabbed your reader’s attention, it is time for you to introduce yourself and explain exactly why you are the best fit for the job. Make sure that you have reviewed the job description and then find relevant skills from your resume that you can highlight for the reader. Bullet points work really well in this section.

Examples for a Community Manager position:

• Successfully analyzed the performance of 30+ marketing programs and identified the best opportunities for optimization resulting in a 40% revenue increase within 2 years.
• Monitored online posts for content and adherence to guidelines with 100% accuracy.
• Negotiated advertising contracts with third party sites and ad companies saving our company over $150,000/year.

Paragraph 3 Goal – Prove Your Interest In The Company

This is the section of your amazing cover letter that you need to prove your interest in the organization you are applying to by demonstrating your knowledge of the company. Show the reader that you have actually taken some time to research their company and that you believe in their core values and mission. Here is a slightly tweaked example written by Debra Wheatman @ workitdaily.com.

“After researching 123 Company, I understand your immediate goal is to improve business performance and establish key benchmarks within [Name of Industry]. Your recent acquisition of [Company Name], puts you in a position to gain market share and establish a unique brand presence with potential and existing customers. Given my professional achievements listed above, I am in a position to help you quickly achieve your goals.

Paragraph 4 Goal – Wrap It Up And Put A Bow On It

Briefly, summarize what it is that you will bring to the company and don’t be afraid to include some sort of call to action for them to get in contact with you. Tell them that if they have any further questions or would like to set up a meeting that you are available by phone or email. Also, if you plan to follow up, let them know when and how you will reach out to them next so that they can be ready. Lastly, thank your reader for their time and consideration while reading your amazing cover letter.

Shazam! You just learned how to write an amazing cover letter from scratch!

P.S. WE LOVE YOU

Did you know that in the time it took you to read how to write an amazing cover letter, you could have already had one completed? Stop wasting time on your cover letters and let us write an amazing cover letter for you. Check out Find My Profession to learn more about our Cover Letter Writing services.

Liked this article? I would so appreciate it if you'd share it with a friend, family member, or colleague!

Share your thoughts on this article below, I want to hear from you!