What is a Cover Letter?

A cover letter is a one-page professional document that accompanies your resume in the job application process. All job seekers should learn to create a custom cover letter for every role to which they apply.

A cover letter can help you elaborate on critical details in your resume and articulate why you’re the most qualified candidate for the position. If you are new to the workforce or are making a career change, a cover letter is the perfect place to highlight the transferable skills that will make you a great hire.

Cover Letter Examples for Every Scenario

While the contents of your cover letter will change over the course of your career, writing a cover letter always gives you the opportunity to set yourself apart from the competition. Including one with your resume shows employers that you understand the role in question and are willing to go the extra mile.

Get in the habit of writing a simple, customized cover letter for every job you apply for, even if it isn’t required. With recruiters sometimes seeing hundreds of applications for a single role, this is an opportunity to highlight your most impressive professional or academic achievements and elaborate on your relevant experience. For each, be sure to study the job ad to familiarize yourself with the required skills and experience for the role. Be sure to fold these keywords into your cover letter.

We have identified four main scenarios in which you might write a cover letter and what to include in each:

Receptionist Cover Letter Example
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Critical elements to include:

  • The name of the company and the job title you are applying for
  • A brief explanation of your most pertinent education or work experience
  • Hard and soft skills you possess that are most relevant to the role
Customer Service Manager Career Change Cover Letter Sample
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Critical elements to include:

  • The name of the company and the job title you are applying for
  • A brief explanation of your background and why you are seeking a career change
  • Transferable skills you possess that align to those outlined in the job ad
Referral Video Producter Cover Letter Example
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Critical elements to include:

  • The name of the person who referred you to the role and the job title you are applying for
  • A summary of your most relevant work experience
  • Hard and soft skills you possess that are most relevant to the role
Administrative Assistant Summer Internship Cover Letter Sample
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Critical elements to include:

  • A brief introduction, including where you attend school and your major. If you are a recent graduate who is seeking an internship, also include your date of graduation.
  • The name of the internship you are applying for as listed in the job ad
  • A summary of your relevant work or academic experience and your career aspirations

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If you already have the regulatory knowledge and arithmetic skills needed for these roles, our accounting and finance cover letter examples will add up to opportunities for you quickly.

Let a cover letter demonstrate your organized and communicative nature before you even step into an interview. Our administrative cover letter examples will help get you ready.

If you’re a professional multitasker with a head for organization and planning, our business operations cover letter examples will have you running the show in a new role in no time.

We’ll help you build your cover letter so you can get hired to build everything else. Let our examples be the blueprint for how you’ll land a new role in the construction field.

We’ll help get your career on its feet fast so you can start saving people sooner. Check out each of our firefighting cover letter examples below.

Our cover letter examples will help you land a job somewhere you’ll want to extend your stay indefinitely. Check out our wide-ranging host of hospitality cover letters below.

Employers can’t run businesses without employees. If your skills lend themselves to hiring, managing, and developing talent within a company, check out our HR cover letter examples below.

Nearly every modern business needs technical support at some level. Take advantage of your technological savvy and our cover letter examples to land the IT job you’re after.

If your resume is your personal branding statement, your cover letter is the pitch you need to nail to get hired. Hone your pitch by looking over the marketing and advertising examples here.

Ring up a new career in retail by impressing your future boss with a stellar cover letter. See how our examples demonstrate the full range of skills needed in the industry.

To prove you can do it professionally, first sell your future employer on hiring you with an excellent cover letter. Browse through our sales cover letters examples for one matching the role you want.

Protect your job prospects by wowing hiring managers with an incredible cover letter. See how our security cover letter examples suggest which skills you should showcase to employers.

Use a cover letter to get your career where it’s going faster. Take a look at our transportation cover letter examples for an idea of how to impress hiring managers so you’ll get hired sooner.

Cover Letter Example FAQ:

What should a basic cover letter include?

Here are the five basic sections of a cover letter and what belongs in each:

  1. Header: The header of your cover letter contains your contact information. Include your telephone number, professional email address, and links to your LinkedIn profile, personal website or online portfolio, if applicable.
  2. Greeting: Do your research to find out the name of the hiring manager and address your cover letter to that person. If it is not listed in the job ad, do some research on LinkedIn or the company website to identify the right person. In a pinch, find the name of someone in the recruiting department and address your letter to that person. Avoid using generic greetings, such as “To Whom It May Concern.”
  3. Opening paragraph: The opening paragraph of your letter should mention the name of the company and the job title to which you are applying. It should also briefly mention why you are applying to the job.
  4. Body paragraph(s): The body of your cover letter is the longest section. In one or two paragraphs, expand on the most relevant parts of your experience or education. If you have work experience, it can be impactful to use data and metrics in this section to show recruiters the impact your work has had to help illustrate what you will bring to the table if hired.
  5. Closing paragraph: Your closing paragraph should briefly summarize the contents of your letter and reiterate your enthusiasm for the role

 

How do I write a quick cover letter?

The quickest way to write a cover letter is to use a Cover Letter Builder. Our builder offers you pre-written text suggestions, crafted by certified resume writers who know what recruiters look for in top candidates.

Is it OK to have a two-page cover letter?

No. Even if your resume is two pages, as is allowed for some highly experienced applicants, cover letters should be succinct and fit onto a single page. Recruiters often get hundreds of applications for a single job opening and don’t have time to read long explanations. Your cover letter should simply highlight the critical aspects of your background, not regurgitate information that can easily be found on your resume.

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