Job Advice

What to Include in a Cover Letter

If writing is not really your thing, then writing a cover letter for your job application might feel a bit overwhelming. The good news is that writing a cover letter is really not that hard. Once you know what to include in your letter, the rest will come naturally. 

Greeting

If at all possible dig up the name of the hiring manager you are dealing with. This is the person you will be addressing. Some ways you can find this information might include using LinkedIn or doing some detective work talking with current employees. If you really cannot find the information, then a general greeting will be fine. 

The Hook

You will want to begin with an introduction that will grab their attention. This is where you can really include some compelling details about yourself that makes you the perfect fit for this job. Here you will want to introduce any real-world experience you have had that will bring something of value to their company. 

More Details

Moving forward, you will include more details to paint a picture of why you are the best choice for the position. You can include more detail here about past work experience which you really may not have had room to include on your resume. A resume usually only has room to include the names of the companies you worked for, but not necessarily a lot of detail concerning how you contributed to that role. 

This is also a great place to include why you want to work for the company. What do you find compelling about the company? 

Closing

You can wrap up your letter by re-stating your contact information and ending with the confidence that you will be hearing from them soon. 

Cover letters are still an important part of the application process. Include these things to ensure your cover letter makes a great impression.