![How to Write a Cover Letter for Any Job [2024 Guide]](https://cdn-images.resumelab.com/pages/how_to_hero.jpg)
A cover letter can make or break your entire job application. Discover how to write a cover letter that will impress any recruiter.
Career Expert
Many people think that writing a cover letter is daunting and anxiety-inducing, but the truth is that more than half of employers prefer candidates with cover letters. Missing a cover letter means missing a lot of interviews. Having a bad cover letter means. almost the same.
If you don't know how to write a cover letter, do not worry. We'll teach you how to write a good cover letter. The one employers want to see and will get you a lot of job interviews.
This guide will show you:
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Want to see cover letter examples for a specific positions? Feel free to check out these articles:
Looking for a different cover letter example? See Cover Letter Examples for all professions.
We extracted data from over 500,000 documents created in our product and discovered that:
- Among all cover letter templates, Cascade, Cubin, Primo, and Classic are the most popular choices for our users.
- 39.81% of our users report having over 10 years of experience, and only 2.63% have no experience at all.
- Administrative assistants, customer service representatives and registered nurses are the most likely to create cover letters.
* The data comes from the last 12 months (August 2023-August 2024)
Jennifer J. Amato
Customer Service Specialist
89 Westfield Road
Anytown, CA 92301
Head of Product
3015 Round Table Drive
Anytown, CA 90544
When I found the opening for the Senior Customer Service Specialist with ABC Bank I felt as if it was addressed to me, personally. In my current position as CSR at Acme Corp, I’ve boosted customer retention by 37% in 9 months and raised the mean NPS from 7.9 to 8.8. I’m sure my expertise can translate into similar results for ABC.
I realize that the major upcoming challenge for your Customer Service Team will be to assist other teams in launching the new AI-based platform for Personal Internet Banking. While working at Acme, I:
I love that your Customer Service Team operates with one goal in mind only: to maximize the business opportunities by finding and implementing tailor-made solutions for all customers. It perfectly reflects my core professional value: the drive to connect every customer with personalized support at every step of their consumer life journey.
When can we schedule a call to discuss solutions for boosting ABC’s Customer Satisfaction Scores by 20% in the next Fiscal Year?
Jennifer J. Amato
P.S. I’d also value the opportunity to tell you how I raised customers’ satisfaction rates with my team by 48% above the company average.
After reading this cover letter, Mr. Stipe couldn’t resist inviting Ms. Amato to a job interview. Yours can be just as effective. Let’s start with the basics:
A cover letter is a one-page document that’s a part of your job application alongside your resume. In your cover letter, you get a chance to introduce yourself, set yourself apart from all the other candidates, and prove you’re the best person for this job.
A cover letter isn’t just a retelling of the facts you share in your resume. It gives a glimpse of your personality while showcasing your professional achievements in greater detail. It should also show your passion for the specific job you’re applying for—otherwise, the recruiter will think you don’t really want the job and move on to the next candidate.
In short, a cover letter is a document that can make or break your entire job application. Let’s see how to write one that’s guaranteed to become a success:
Many people—even seasoned professionals—aren’t quite sure how to write a cover letter. So, if the very thought of writing it makes you anxious, you’re definitely not alone. But you’re not doomed to dedicate half of your day to anxious guesswork along the lines of “How do I even get started?”
Effective cover letters follow a clear underlying structure that you can easily borrow:
If you include all these elements in your cover letter, you’ll be a lot closer to getting your dream job than you think.
Now, let’s go through all these elements. Here's how to write a successful cover letter:
Your cover letter should follow the best practices for writing business letters. Keep your cover letter short and to the point—in fact, your entire cover letter shouldn’t be longer than 350 words. Yes, that doesn’t look like much, but it’s a good cover letter length to aim for.
Pick a professional, easy-to-read font, set the line spacing to 1 or 1.15, and align your paragraphs to the left. This formatting is easy on the eyes and won’t give the recruiter a headache.
Recruiters are busy people, remember? Add an extra line between paragraphs so that your cover letter is easy to scan within a few seconds.
Not sure how to format your cover letter and choose the best layout? Check out our guide to cover letter formatting or, even better, use our cover letter builder that does the job for you.
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
Writing a cover letter heading sounds simple, but if you happen to get it wrong, your job application is doomed.
Fortunately, writing cover letter headers is easy. Just follow this template:
[Your First and Last Name]
[LinkedIn Profile URL]
[Location / Date of Writing]
[Hiring Manager’s First and Last Name]
[Hiring Manager’s Professional Title]
[Name of Company]
[Company Street Address]
[City, State, Zip Code]
You can also add links to other online profiles that are relevant for your job. For example, you can link to your GitHub if you’re a software developer. If you’re an illustrator, add a link to your portfolio on Behance.
Expert Hint: Double-check your cover letter header for typos—no hiring manager wants to see their name misspelled! Also, make sure your contact info is the same as the info you give in your resume header.
Done with the header? Good, let’s move on to the next step.
Start with a simple, professional greeting. If you’re applying for a corporate job, opt for “Dear Mr./Ms. Lastname”. If your dream employer has a more relaxed company culture, you can write “Dear Firstname” instead.
Can’t find the hiring manager’s name in the job ad? Research the company’s website, do a quick search on Google or LinkedIn… or just call the company and ask who’s responsible for the hiring process.
If you still can’t find out their name, write “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Hiring Team”. This greeting isn’t as great as addressing a letter to a specific person, but it’s still better than “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To whom it may concern”.
Now it’s time to write the first paragraph. Your main goal here is to grab the reader’s attention and make them read on. Here are some ways to start a cover letter:
Let’s look at some examples.
Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You’re the perfect candidate and we’ll prove it. Just pick one of 21 resume templates and get started now.
You’ve just read a ton of information, so let’s recap. Here’s how to write a cover letter for any job or internship:
Got questions about how to write a great cover letter? Need assistance with writing your cover letter for a job? That’s what the comments section is for. Get in touch and I’ll respond right away.
At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.
Here are some tips for writing a successful cover letter:
A cover letter is a one-page document that you send in with your resume. Here's what to include in a cover letter: additional information about your achievements and skills, proof that you're the best candidate for this job, and proof of your passion for this specific company.
Use a cover letter builder to craft a cover letter that follows all best practices.
Here's what employers want to see in your cover letter:
If you can't find the recruiter's name in the job ad or on the company website, opt for "Dear Hiring Team" or "Dear Hiring Manager" .
Take care to avoid outdated, impersonal phrases like "Dear Sir or Madam" or "To whom it may concern". Learn more in the dedicated guide to addressing cover letters.
Format your cover letter like you would format any business letter:
For more information on page margins, fonts and layout, check out our guide on cover letter formatting. Or head straight to a cover letter generator that will take care of the formatting.
A resume provides an overview of your career and education, usually in the form of bullet points. A cover letter, on the other hand, provides context and explains why you're the best candidate. To make sure your job application is successful, submit both a resume and a cover letter. Use a resume builder and a matching cover letter builder for a consistent look.
Short answer: yes. More than 70% of recruiters prefer candidates who do send a cover letter, even if the job ad says it's optional.
Unless you're applying via an online form where you can't upload a cover letter, always make sure to include one. Use a cover letter builder to make the writing process quick and painless.
200–350 words. This is a good cover letter length to aim for—just enough to put your message across without unnecessary fluff.
Written by Olga BerOlga is a career expert with a background in teaching. At ResumeLab, she writes actionable guides to help job-seekers highlight their unique strengths and unlock their career potential.
Unlock your dream job with free, editable Word cover letter templates! Discover a collection of expertly designed templates with pro tips. Download now for a winning application!
A resume is just another sheet of paper without a cover letter to show your human side. Use these 3 generic cover letter samples to write your own non-general cover letter fast.
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