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How to Show Your Personality in a Cover Letter

Write a Unique Cover Letter

Avoid clichés, try a creative first sentence, make a connection, think of unique examples.

• Show You’ll Fit the Company Culture

Tailor Your Tone to Fit the Industry

• Keep It Professional

Don’t Go Negative

More cover letter examples.

Hiring managers read dozens, if not hundreds, of applications for every job they post. If you want to get the job, you have to stand out. It’s important to show the hiring manager not only that you are qualified, but also that you are the best candidate for the position.

One way to get your application noticed is to write a unique, engaging cover letter that shows not only your qualifications but also your personality. Go beyond some of the clichéd, formulaic language found in many letters.

If you make your personality stand out in your letter, the hiring manager will more likely give your application a second look.

Of course, there is also such a thing as putting too much personality in your letter. You want to remain professional, and focus on what makes you an ideal candidate. Find the right balance between showing your personality and being professional in your cover letter, and you will be on your way to a job interview.

The best way to show who you are to the company is to avoid writing one generic cover letter for every job listing . Instead, tailor your letter to the specific job and company.

You can write a targeted cover letter in a number of ways:

• Include keywords from the job listing in your letter.
• You can also reference the company itself–for example, mention a particular success the company has had, or explain why you are interested in working for the company.
• Perhaps most importantly, send your letter to a specific person , if possible.

If you have to, do some digging to find the name of the hiring manager, and address your letter to them.

Avoid the phrase “ To whom it may concern ” unless you can't find a contact. It's important to do your best to show a hiring manager that you have taken the time to write a unique cover letter for the specific job.

One of the best ways to avoid sounding like everyone else in your cover letter is to leave out some of the most overused phrases in cover letters. For example, don’t say you are a “hard worker” or that you “go above and beyond.” Try to find unique ways to explain who you are. One way to do this is to focus on particular examples —show them who you are, rather than tell them.

So many cover letters start with the sentence, “I am applying for X position.” While this is a fine way to start, the hiring manager has likely seen this sentence hundreds of times. Try starting with a more engaging first sentence (or first sentences) that shows who you are.

You might express why you are passionate about the job or the company. For example, you could start, “I have always been a storyteller. As a child, I would write countless stories about princes and princesses. Now, I have turned my passion for storytelling into a career in marketing.” Or, “When I first researched your company for a project in a business class over five years ago, I became inspired by your mission to provide low-cost tech solutions.”

A great “hook” will keep the hiring manager reading and will show him or her a bit about why you are a good fit for the job and company.

If you know anyone at the company, or if someone at the company referred you to the job , mention this early on in your cover letter (ideally in the first couple of sentences).

This humanizes you, and makes you seem more like you are already a part of the company culture . It also shows that someone in the company already thinks you are qualified for the job.

Remember that a cover letter should not simply restate your resume. While your resume lists your qualifications, your cover letter goes deeper, providing examples of times you demonstrated particular skills and abilities necessary for the job.

One way to show your personality is to include some unique, even surprising, examples that demonstrate your skills. For example, if you are applying for a job that requires organizational skills, you might mention how you accurately manage and process dozens of monthly shipments from your Etsy account. These kinds of examples are particularly useful if you do not have much relevant work experience.

Of course, only include examples that are relevant—they need to connect back to a skill or trait necessary for the job.

Show You’ll Fit in With the Company Culture

Hiring managers want to know not only that you are qualified, but also that you will fit in with the company culture. Before writing your letter, research the organization. Check out the company’s website, and talk to anyone you know who works there. Then you can mention ways that you might fit into the culture.

For example, if you know they do a lot of after-work team sports, you might briefly mention at the end of the letter that you would love to put your pitching skills to good use.

Some job listings also give you a peek into the company culture . For example, if the listing itself is very silly or funny, feel free to add a little humor to your letter, if that feels natural.

Similarly, you can tailor your letter to fit the personality of the industry. If you are applying for a corporate job, for example, you might want to write a more traditional cover letter. You can still include some personal examples, and maybe a catchy first sentence, but you should avoid too much humor or zaniness.

If you are applying for a job in an industry that is a bit more informal—say, a tech startup company—you can get a little bit more creative. Your tone can be more lighthearted, and you can include some creative examples.

If you’re applying for a job in a visual, creative field, consider showing your personality through the form of your letter. You might include bullet points , or even a visual (such as an infographic). You can include some of these nontraditional elements in your resume too.

Keep It Professional 

No matter how much of your personality you decide to put into your cover letter, keep the letter professional. It needs to be well written and error-free. It also needs to stay focused on the main topic: why you are a terrific fit for the job.

Some people try to add personality by using phrases like “I know you hate reading cover letters, but…” or “I know I am one of many candidates, but…” Avoid any phrases that sound negative.

Also, avoid phrases that imply you know how the hiring manager feels. You don’t actually know whether he or she hates reading cover letters, and you don’t know how many candidates applied for the job. Focus on the positive, and don’t make assumptions about the hiring manager, the job, or the company.

Sample Cover Letter Showing Personality

Sara Jones 7 Chestnut Street Anytown, Anystate Zip Code 555-555-5555 email@email.com

January 5, 2019

John Wilson Editorial Director XYZ Magazine 5 Main Street, Suite 1 Anytown, Anystate Zip Code

Dear Mr. Wilson,

I’m writing this cover letter to you at 11 pm. Why? Because I just finished speaking with my former coworker, Jane Smith, who tells me that you’re hiring for the position of editorial assistant, and I wanted to apply immediately.

Jane will tell you that I’ve been eager to apply for a role at XYZ Magazine since we worked together, first at our student magazine, where I was managing editor and she was editor in chief, and then at ABCmag.com as assistants. I’ve always valued XYZ’s showcase for diverse and emerging voices, as well as its commitment to fact-checking and copyediting.

In fact, my desire to work for your magazine informed my studies at Large Public University. I took several copyediting and multimedia graphic design courses in my last year and have continued taking classes after graduation.

In addition to my background in multimedia design and copyediting – and my passion for XYZ – I have:

• Three years of experience brainstorming, pitching, and assigning stories
• Excellent research and reporting skills
• Extensive experience analyzing traffic trends with Google Analytics
• Expert-level social media management skills
• An intense love affair with the Oxford Comma (which I know you share)

I’ve also had a few bylines on XYZ over the years:

I’d love to speak with you about the role. Please feel free to contact me at 555-555-5555 or email@email.com to discuss it or to arrange an interview.

Thanks, and best regards,

Sara Jones [signature for hard copy]

Review cover letter examples for many different types of jobs and get templates you can use to write your own letters.

The 23 Best Cover Letter Examples: What They Got Right

Published: December 14, 2023

I've sent plenty of cover letters throughout my career, so I know it isn't usually fun to write one. Fortunately, the cover letter examples I painstakingly gathered below show that it’s possible to have a little fun with your job search — and maybe even make yourself a better candidate in the process.

I was shocked upon learning 45% of job seekers don't include a cover letter when applying for a job. I definitely don't recommend following the crowd on this matter because your cover letter is a chance to tell the stories your resume only outlines.

It's an opportunity for you to highlight your creativity at the earliest stage of the recruitment process.

Are you ready to showcase your unique skills and experience? Or are you looking for more tips and cover letter inspiration?

Keep reading for 20+ cover letter examples, then check out tips for cover letter formatting and what makes a cover letter great .

5 Free Cover Letter Templates

Five fill-in-the-blank cover letter templates to help you impress recruiters.

• Standard Cover Letter Template
• Entry-Level Cover Letter Template
• Data-Driven Cover Letter Template

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Cover Letter Examples

• Standard Cover Letter Example
• Data-Driven Cover Letter Sample
• Entry-Level Cover Letter Example
• The Cover Letter That Explains 'Why,' Not Just 'How'
• The 'We're Meant for Each Other' Cover Letter
• The Cover Letter with H.E.A.R.T.
• Short-and-Sweet Cover Letter Example
• The Short Story
• The Bare Bones Cover Letter
• The Breezy Follow-Up
• The Administrative Assistant Cover Letter
• The Internship Cover Letter
• The Brutally Honest Cover Letter
• The Pivot Cover Letter
• The Graphic Design Cover Letter
• Consulting Internship Cover Letter Example
• Nonprofit Referral Cover Letter Example
• General Email Inquiry Cover Letter Example
• Post-Phone-Call Cover Letter Example
• Mission-Driven Graduate Cover Letter Example
• Short Recommendation Cover Letter Example
• Professor or Research Position Cover Letter Example
• Director Cover Letter Example
• Editorial Cover Letter Example
• Promotion Cover Letter Example
• Law Cover Letter Example

Customizable Cover Letter Examples

In a hurry for a cover letter example you can download and customize? Check out the ones below from HubSpot’s cover letter template kit .

1. Standard Cover Letter Example

Download a Customizable Copy of This Cover Letter Example

This standard cover letter is among my favorite approaches because it hits all the right notes: It includes a space to give a brief summary of your experience, as well as a space to delve in-depth into the specific responsibilities of your current role.

You also have the chance to describe the challenges you’ve mastered in previous roles, showing that you’re capable of facing any problem that comes your way.

Why I Love It

I love this cover letter because it allows you to describe the high points of your career while still being professional, personalized, and succinct.

2. Data-Driven Cover Letter Sample

Numbers are worth a million words — or that’s how I think the saying should go (if only we could include pictures in cover letters).

Citing data and statistics about your achievements at your current company is an assured way to capture a hiring manager’s attention.

Over the years, I've learned most hiring managers don’t read the entire letter, so a bulleted summary of your achievements can be a powerful way to increase the effectiveness and scannability of your message.

I love this cover letter because it’s adaptable to any role. Even if you don’t work in a data-centric role, you can include any enumerable achievement.

If I worked in a creative industry, for instance, I could include the number of creative assets you designed for your current company.

3. Entry-Level Cover Letter Example

Many of us have had "first job jitters" (that's what I'm calling it) when applying for our first career opportunity.

However, my experience taught me to increase my chances of getting that first interview by including a cover letter that explains how my education can help me succeed in the role I applied for.

In fact, HubSpot staff writer Erica Santiago says highlighting her education was key to snagging her first role out of college.

"When I graduated from journalism school, I only had a couple of internships under my belt and maybe some writing clips — not enough to compete with most young professionals with more experience," she recalls.

"So, I highlighted the classes I took such as 'News Reporting and Writing' or 'Electronic News Gathering," she says, "And I explained the assignments I did and how they gave me real-world experience in interviewing and reporting."

She says that's how she got her first job as a digital journalist for WSVN in Miami.

If you need help understanding how to highlight your education in a cover letter, look no further than this example from HubSpot.

While other cover letter samples give experienced professionals the opportunity to share their experience at length, this one gives you the chance to describe your personal and professional attributes.

You can then convey how you can use your knowledge to help your target company reach its goals.

I love this cover letter because it’s easy and simple to use for a student who has little experience in their target industry — including those who haven’t yet completed an internship.

Looking for more? Download the entire kit below.

5 Professional Cover Letter Templates

Fill out the form to access your templates., best cover letter examples.

What does a good cover letter look like in practice, and how can you make yours stand out? I  found six examples from job seekers who decided to do things a bit differently.

Note: Some of these cover letters include real company names and NSFW language that I've covered up.

1. The Cover Letter That Explains 'Why,' Not Just 'How'

You may already know how to talk about how you’ll best execute a certain role in your cover letter. But there’s another question you might want to answer: Why the heck do you want to work here?

The Muse , a career guidance site, says that it’s often best to lead with the why — especially if it makes a good story.

I advise against blathering on and on, but a brief tale that illuminates your desire to work for that particular employer can really make you stand out.

Image Source

Here’s another instance of the power of personalization.

The author of this cover letter clearly has a passion for this prospective employer — the Chicago Cubs — and if she’s lying about it, well, I'm sure that would eventually be revealed in an interview.

Make sure your story is nonfiction and relatable according to each job. While I love a good tale of childhood baseball games, an introduction like this one probably wouldn’t be fitting in a cover letter for, say, a software company.

But a story of how the hours you spent playing with DOS games as a kid led to your passion for coding? Sure, I’d find that fitting.

If you’re really passionate about a particular job opening, think about where that deep interest is rooted. Then, tell your hiring manager about it in a few sentences.

Why This Is A Great Cover Letter

This example shows how effective personalization can be. The writer is passionate about the employer, drawing from her own childhood experience to communicate her enthusiasm.

Further reading: Sales Cover Letter Tips

2. The 'We're Meant for Each Other' Cover Letter

This cover letter example is a special one because it was submitted to us here at HubSpot. What does the letter do well? It makes a connection with us before we've even met the letter's author.

"Content Marketing Certified" shows the applicant has taken the content marketing certification course in our HubSpot Academy (you can take the same course here ).

Our "records" indicate he/she did indeed give an interview with us before — and was a HubSpot customer.

The cover letter sang references to a relationship we didn't even know we had with the candidate.

The letter ends with a charming pitch for why, despite him/her not getting hired previously, our interests complement each other this time around.

(Yes, the applicant was hired).

This cover letter example does an excellent job of building rapport with the employer. Despite not getting hired for previous roles they applied for at HubSpot, the writer conveys exactly why they are right for this role.

Read more: Customer Service Cover Letter Tips

3. The Cover Letter with H.E.A.R.T.

HubSpot has a lot of H.E.A.R.T. — Humble, Empathetic, Adaptable, Remarkable, Transparent.

Our Culture Code is the foundation of the company's culture, the driving force behind our mission to help millions grow better , and serves as the scaffolding for our hiring practices.

Recruiters at HubSpot look for applicants that demonstrate how they embody the Culture Code and job description, paying extra attention to cover letters that are super custom to HubSpot.

In another HubSpot submission, a HubSpot applicant writes about how she found out about HubSpot, why she likes the company, and how her professional experience aligns with H.E.A.R.T.

HubSpot's recruiting team was impressed with her dedication to the company and how she went beyond what was asked for by linking her portfolio in her closing paragraph.

Featured Resource: 5 Free Cover Letter Templates

Download our collection of 5 professional cover letter templates to help you summarize your professional journey and land your dream job – whether it's at your first or fifth company.

Short Cover Letter Examples

4. the short-and-sweet cover letter.

In 2009, David Silverman penned an article for Harvard Business Review titled, " The Best Cover Letter I Ever Received. " That letter has three complete sentences, as follows:

One might argue that this particular letter is less than outstanding, and I'll also admit it's an older example.

It’s brief, to say the least, and the author doesn’t go into a ton of detail about what makes him or her qualified for the job in question.

But that’s what Silverman likes about it — the fact that the applicant only included the pieces of information that would matter the most to the recipient.

"The writer of this letter took the time to think through what would be relevant to me," writes Silverman. "Instead of scattering lots of facts in hopes that one was relevant, the candidate offered up an opinion as to which experiences I should focus on."

When you apply for a job, start by determining two things:

• Who might oversee the role — that’s often included in the description, under "reports to." Address your letter to that individual.
• Figure out what problems this role is meant to solve for that person. Then, concisely phrase in your cover letter how and why your experience can and will resolve those problems.

The key to this standout cover letter is research.

By looking into who you’ll be reporting to and learning more about that person’s leadership style, you’ll be better prepared to tailor your cover letter to focus on how you can create solutions for them.

Read here for more tips on how to land your dream job .

5. The Short Story

Basha Coleman began her cover letter with a short story. The goal of this short story is two-fold:

• Detail the experience she already has with the organization.
• Stand out to the hiring team.

I notice her short story follows a typical narrative arc: It has a conflict/obstacle, a turning point, and a positive outcome, all created with a goal to emphasize a theme or point.

In this case, Coleman is emphasizing her existing affinity with the brand and her triumphs within the program so that she can continue on her career path.

Like the second example in our list, this cover letter does an excellent job of conveying the applicant’s existing affinity for the brand. If you are applying to a company you love, don’t be shy about showing it and explaining why.

6. The Bare Bones Cover Letter

In today's job market, cover letters aren't always necessary. Even though many recruiters won't ask for or even read them, cover letters can still be effective and convey personality to a reader.

Writing a strong cover letter can help you better convey your interest in the position and company.

This template from The Balance Careers puts together the essential components of a short cover letter: excitement about the position, your qualifications, and a call-to-action for the recruiter to follow up with you.

Combining these central aspects in a well-written, compelling narrative will go a long way in convincing readers to hire you.

This letter is organized and concise. The inclusion of bullet points to highlight key skills and help the recruiter skim the document is a nice touch.

Check out this post for more useful cover letter tips .

7. The Breezy Follow-Up

In this cover letter, Amanda Edens is following the instructions the hiring manager gave by forwarding an email with resume and writing samples attached.

This short cover letter is the result. I especially admire how she uses casual and breezy language to convey personality and enthusiasm, and she keeps her paragraphs succinct.

Not only does Amanda include links to relevant writing samples that are live on the web, but she also closes with a strong final paragraph that:

• Summarizes the expertise she has relevant to the posting
• Emphasizes that she doesn't want to simply get a job but rather help the organization accomplish their goals
• The reader gets everything they need in an organized and thoughtful manner.

8. The Administrative Assistant Cover Letter

In this cover letter the candidate, Michelle, plays up her prior music industry experience to build a connection with Epic Music Group. If you have specific industry experience for the role you are applying for, be sure to highlight that.

It’s clear that she’s passionate about not only the music industry, but Epic as a whole.

She’s done so much research on the company that she knows what software programs they use, and happens to be proficient in it to help convey value to the hiring manager.

This example further illustrates the importance of research.

Make sure you understand the culture of the company to which you’re applying before you send a completely unfiltered cover letter — if you don’t, there’s a good chance it’ll completely miss the mark.

In just three short paragraphs, the applicant uses their company research to drive home why they are the perfect fit for the role — emphasizing industry experience as well as software knowledge specific to the company.

All of this communicates that she’d be able to start with very few hiccups while getting up to speed.

Further reading: 15 Cover Letter Templates

9. The Internship Cover Letter

Maybe you’re just getting started in your career and looking to land the right internship to gain experience in your field.

In this case, you’ll need to highlight more of your educational background and transferable skills since you won’t have as much professional experience to highlight.

The cover letter above is a great example of how to emphasize your skills and accomplishments when applying to internships or entry-level positions. A few things the applicant does well:

• Highlights relevant extracurriculars and affinity networks. In this case, the applicant is applying for a business analyst position, so mentioning their involvement in a FinTech group makes sense.
• Previous internships in relevant fields: Our applicant points out that they’ve interned as a Business Analyst at another firm. Pointing out that they’ve done the role before will help make their case for fit.
• Highlight other useful skills: This applicant is fluent in both English and German. If an international company or an organization needs bilingual support, knowing multiple languages is an asset.

This cover letter example illustrates how you can leverage your education and background to get the gig even when you don’t have much working experience. Highlighting previous internships or experience in related fields can go a long way in convincing hiring managers you’re the perfect candidate for the role.

Further reading for recent graduates:

• How to Find a Job After College
• Writing a Cover Letter for an Internship

Creative Cover Letter Examples

10. the brutally honest cover letter.

Then, there are the occasions when your future boss might appreciate honesty — in its purest form.

Former Livestream CEO Jesse Hertzberg, by his own admission, is one of those people, which might be why he called this example " the best cover letter " (which he received while he was with Squarespace):

As Hertzberg says in the blog post elaborating on this excerpt — it’s not appropriate for every job or company.

But if you happen to be sure that the corporate culture of this prospective employer gets a kick out of a complete lack of filter, then there’s a chance that the hiring manager might appreciate your candor.

"Remember that I'm reading these all day long," Hertzberg writes. "You need to quickly convince me I should keep reading. You need to stand out."

The applicant did their research on the company’s culture and executed this cover letter flawlessly. It’s funny and shows off the applicant’s personality all while making it clear why they are a good fit for the role.

Further reading:

• How to Stand Out and Get Hired at Your Dream Company
• How to Find Your Dream Job

11. The Pivot Cover Letter

Making a career switch? Your cover letter can be an excellent opportunity for you to explain the reasoning behind your career change and how your transferable skills qualify you for the role.

It’s clean but effective.

Since the role she is applying for is more visual, it’s important to both show and tell why you’re a good fit.

This cover letter strikes the perfect balance between creativity and simplicity in design while putting the applicant's career change into context.

The copy is clean, with a creative font choice that isn’t distracting from the content, but still demonstrates the applicant’s knack for design.

12. The Graphic Design Cover Letter

When applying for more creative roles, the design of your cover letter can say just as much as the words on the page. Take the graphic designer letter example below.

It’s got so much going for it:

• Pop of color
• Clean layout
• Interesting fonts

Besides the style elements, this example also doesn’t skimp on the key skills recruiters are looking for. Using metrics, the applicant proves their value and why they would be a great fit.

This cover letter thoroughly conveys the applicant’s skills and qualifications using a variety of visual elements and emphasizing their greatest achievements.

Pro tip: If you're applying for a graphic design job, share a link to your graphic design portfolio website , even if it's not an application requirement.

Job Cover Letter Examples

Next up, let’s go over some classic cover letter examples for jobs, especially if you’re applying to internships or only have a few years of experience.

The below cover letters follow the golden rules and don’t deviate too much from the standard — which is ideal if you’re applying to positions in more traditional industries.

13. Consulting Internship Cover Letter Example

Many internship applicants are early on in their careers or are still in college. That means they’ve yet to gather enough experience to offer tangible proof of their ability to do the job.

That means that a cover letter is the place where an internship applicant can shine.

This cover letter example highlights the applicant’s skills in a bullet-point format. That makes it easier for an overburdened hiring manager to get the essence of her points, quickly, if they’re only skimming cover letters.

Not only that, but this applicant personalized the letter in every single sentence. She shares information about her prior conversations with some of the company’s employees and mentions the company’s name at every turn.

While she only has one prior consulting job, she deftly mentions the skills she developed in that role and ties them into her desired position at Quantcast Product Group.

This cover letter example does a fantastic job advertising the applicant’s soft skills in a highly scannable format — while still going heavy on the personalization.

Don’t be shy to lightly play with formatting to get your point across and to imbue the letter with your passion for a company.

14. Nonprofit Referral Cover Letter Example

This cover letter example for a nonprofit job hits the ground running by right away inserting the name of one of the nonprofit’s Superintendents.

That’s an excellent way to get a recruiter’s attention and make you stand out from the slush pile, even if you’re only just out of school, as is the case for this applicant.

If you’ve received an internal recommendation for a position, you’d be wise to open your letter with that information. Don’t worry about it feeling too stilted or strange — remember, hiring managers only skim letters.

Your goal is to make sure they get information about you that they otherwise won’t get from your resume.

With only three full paragraphs, this cover letter example is short, sweet, and to the point. No time is wasted, and it also goes over the critical basics, such as skills and experience.

This nonprofit cover letter includes a recommendation from an internal employee at the target organization, making it more likely to stand out from the slush pile.

I  also love that it doesn’t skimp on the basics, such as skills, enthusiasm, and experience.

15. General Email Inquiry Cover Letter Example

Even if a job opportunity isn’t available at an organization yet, it doesn’t mean that there won’t be. You can always send a general inquiry cover letter, like the one in this example.

This email cover letter for a political campaign internship is short and sweet, but includes the critical information the campaign coordinator needs to consider the applicant for any new positions that may open up.

The best part about this cover letter is that it can be easily customized from one political campaign employer to the next.

While it does include a level of personalization, it’s brief and can be easily changed to address the specific political candidate.

When sending general inquiries like this one, it’s essential to make the personalization aspect as pain-free as possible for yourself. That may mean including only one sentence or two, knowing that a general inquiry might not be replied to.

Setting up customized email signatures is also highly recommended. They should include your name, job title, and ideally links to your website or social accounts as well as your headshot.

These add a professional touch and help you stand out from other cover letters in the recipient’s inbox. At the same time, the headshot makes you easier to remember in case a job position becomes available, while the website or social links allow recruiters to learn more relevant details about you.  

This email cover letter example hits all the right notes while keeping it brief and to-the-point. While we don’t recommend choosing this format for a formal cover letter, it works if you’re sending a general inquiry to an employer over email.

It’s also a good example to follow if you’re still in college or have very little experience.

Read more: How to Write a Letter of Interest

16. Post-Phone-Call Cover Letter Example

If you get a phone call from a potential employer and they invite you to send your resume, pat yourself on the back — that is such a win. In your cover letter, be sure to mention that right away, like this example does.

A hiring manager or an executive at a company likely has a lot of tasks on their plate, which means that they may forget about your call from one week to the next.

That is totally okay, which is why this example starts with a reminder that the applicant and the letter recipient spoke back on January 31st. It also has a few more details about why they started speaking in the first place.

Aside from leveraging the phone call that’s already occurred, this cover letter also does an excellent job explaining why the applicant is an ideal choice for the job.

It goes into detail about skills and previous experience with a high level of enthusiasm, and includes a promise to follow up at the end.

This cover letter example includes two things that will immediately draw my attention: A phone call they’ve already had, and a mutual contact at their organization.

The job and internship search can be grueling; never be afraid to use everything you have at your disposal to improve your standing over other applicants.

Read more: How to Start a Cover Letter

17. Mission-Driven Graduate Cover Letter Example

This cover letter example from a recent B.A. graduate wowed me from the first sentence.

The applicant right away explains her attained degree and her specific career interests, then dives into the aspects of her experience that make her such a great candidate.

It's so personalized to the employer’s own mission that it’s difficult to stop reading it.

Even if the hiring manager isn’t a science or health professional, they would be able to effectively gauge the applicant’s suitability for the role by the expertise she shows in her cover letter alone.

The applicant explains at length why she’s excited to work for that specific hospital. The organization serves Aboriginal populations, which aligns with her own values and research interests.

In the last paragraph, she summarizes what she knows about the employer in one sentence, then describes how each of her experiences supports the employer’s mission.

That is an exceedingly clever and meaningful way to align yourself with an organization at a deeper level.

If you’re applying to a mission-driven organization, don’t be shy about showing your excitement and expertise. You don’t need a lot of experience to show that your values align with those of your target organization.

This cover letter example is especially good inspiration if you’re making a career change, have only just a few internships under your belt, or are graduating from college.

18. Short Recommendation Cover Letter Example

Referral or recommendation cover letters don’t need to be too long, and this is a great example of that. It immediately leverages a mutual connection at the company.

The mutual connection recommended that the applicant contact the hiring manager for a role, which is a piece of information I  always recommend you frontload in your letter.

This specific cover letter comes from an applicant with little experience, making it a good example to follow if you’re switching careers or just out of college.

Instead of talking about their experience, the applicant uses anecdotal evidence to convey their enthusiasm for working at that company.

The writer also goes over their most salient skills, such as being able to speak multiple languages. They also explain how their degree directly applies to the target role.

I  love that the candidate highlights their leadership abilities and makes that an effective selling point for being hired.

This cover letter doesn’t go on for too long, which we love. It’s simple and sweet and provides all the information the hiring manager needs to look more closely at the applicant’s resume and make an interviewing decision.

19. Professor or Research Position Cover Letter Example

Academic or research position cover letters might require a little more information than the typical cover letter — and this is one such example. Why is it okay to go a little longer?

Because the letter is not only a way to supplement the PhD candidate’s academic CV, but to provide a writing sample for the search committee.

I love this cover letter because it expresses the candidate’s enthusiasm for teaching and explains her instructional ethos, such as providing out-of-the-classroom opportunities, championing communication, and encouraging students to step out of their comfort zone.

The applicant also suggests courses she may be able to teach at the target institution, and expresses her interest in developing new courses as needed.

She also suggests how she can enhance the college’s extracurricular programming by offering study abroad courses, which shows not just an interest in teaching but adding to the school’s overall culture.

While this letter goes for a little longer than recommended, it serves as a fantastic writing sample and explains the applicant’s research background at length.

If you’re applying to academic or research roles, don’t be afraid to go into detail about what most excites you in terms of research interests.

20. Director Cover Letter Example

This cover letter example — for a Director of Catering position at a university — doesn’t waste any time.

The applicant right away says that they’re a strong candidate for the role, then jumps right into three salient qualifications that make him a great fit.

I love how the applicant uses bullet points and bold text to guide an overburdened hiring manager through the cover letter — and to give them permission to scan it, if needed.

If the hiring manager would like more information or actual examples of the skills, they merely need to read the rest of the bullet point paragraph.

As mentioned, light formatting can be beneficial to your cover letter, as it draws the recruiter’s eyes and prevents them from having to fish for the information they’re looking for.

This short, sweet cover letter includes the critical information a hiring manager or high-level executive needs to make an interview decision.

I  love the use of formatting that doesn’t stray too much from regular cover letter conventions, and I  like that the applicant kept all other paragraphs extremely brief.

21. Editorial Cover Letter Example

Applying for an editorial or journalistic position? Like a cover letter example I  shared earlier, you can take a more storytelling approach to capture the hiring manager’s attention.

This cover letter example does that effectively by telling an anecdote that directly mentions the newspaper where they’d like to work.

This immediately draws the reader in and tells them that this application isn’t random at all; the applicant would like to work at the newspaper because they’ve read it every morning.

Not only that, but they have a favorite reporter on the newspaper’s staff. The applicant then jumps into the specific reason they want to take an editorial position at the Baltimore Sun.

The cover letter includes all pertinent information, such as how previous positions have equipped the applicant to take on this job. It closes with enthusiasm after keeping the reader rapt every step of the way.

The applicant uses storytelling to — you guessed it — apply for a position that needs storytelling skills. If you’re applying for a data-driven position or a graphic design position, why not showcase those skills in the cover letter itself?

I  like that this letter doesn’t diverge too much from cover letter conventions while still differentiating itself.

22. Promotion Cover Letter Example

In this cover letter example, the applicant already works for the employer and wishes to apply for the next position to move up in their career.

I  like that the letter cites the applicant’s extensive knowledge of the organization, which will no doubt give them an advantage over external applicants.

Not only that, but the applicant also references their experience before they started working at the employer and uses that information to make their candidacy even more desirable.

Lastly, this letter includes a healthy level of enthusiasm for the university and the position — something that is never extra in a cover letter.

This cover letter example does an excellent job showing the candidate’s knowledge of their current organization while stating why they’re a natural fit for the promotion.

Plus, the letter includes information on the applicant’s relevant activities outside of work — if you’re involved in any organizations that might help you do your job better, be sure to include them.

23. Law Cover Letter Example

This law cover letter example jumps right into personalization, a bold move that will serve you well if you’re genuinely interested in a company and want to stand out.

The applicant cites the recipient’s recent article on bond litigation, then ties that into the role they’d like to get at the law firm.

The applicant then goes into his skills and the feedback he’s received from past managers. This is an excellent way to introduce your skills without sounding dry — or even unfounded.

By citing positive feedback you’ve received, you’ll imply that others have praised you for having those skills, and that you’re not only "tooting your own horn."

Pro-Tip: In cover letters, it’s absolutely okay to toot your own horn — that’s what they’re for. But if you can cite others’ remarks, that also helps.)

At just two and a half paragraphs, this letter is exceedingly short but no less effective. It’s an excellent example of how to personalize your letter quickly while still conveying the essentials of a cover letter.

This short cover letter example keeps it brief while still creating high impact. The applicant personalizes the letter immediately, cites external feedback, and conveys enthusiasm.

This letter proves you don’t need to write a novel about an employer to sway the hiring manager into giving you an interview.

Now that I've shown you some excellent examples, let's talk about how you can create the best cover letter for your dream job.

What is a good cover letter?

A cover letter is used to show your interest in the role, passion for the company, and the impact you've had in previous positions. Good cover letters should include a standout opening, relevant skills and qualifications, and a strong finish with a call-to-action — all within one page and unique to each application.

What’s on a cover letter?

Before you start writing your cover letter, let's cover a few basic must-haves you'll want to include. If you’re looking for more detailed instructions, check out this guide to writing a cover letter .

Add a simple, but pleasant greeting to address the recruiter or hiring manager.

Learn more:

• Dear Sir or Madam Alternatives
• Cover Letter Greetings

Write a catchy introduction that explains why you’re interested in the role.

• How to Write an Introduction
• Tips for Writing a Good Introduction Sentence

Work Experience

This is the heart of your cover letter. It outlines your relevant experience and why you’d be a great fit for the role. You can highlight special skills, experiences, professional achievements, or education to help make your case.

• How to Write About Your Professional Background
• Professional Bio Examples
• LinkedIn Bio Examples

In this paragraph, add a call-to-action by expressing interest in an interview. Offer your contact information and sign off.

• Email Closing Line Examples
• Tips for Writing Conclusions

What does a cover letter look like?

Besides showing off your skills and qualifications, cover letters give you the opportunity to present a clear, concise, and compelling writing sample. It shows off your personality and your ability to convey ideas.

That's a lot of information to include on a single page, so it can help to have a clear structure to start with.

Check out our fillable cover letter templates to see how you should organize the content of your cover letter.

What makes a great cover letter?

A cover letter is personal, but it also needs to help you reach a goal and help the hiring team understand how you could perform that role with their company. This complexity can make cover letters really tough to write.

Because cover letters are difficult to write, many come off as boring, basic, or confusing for hiring managers to read. But the tips below about the qualities that make a cover letter great can help you take your cover letter from basic to bright.

Start with this quick video, then keep reading for more tips:

Personalized Introduction

Begin with an introduction that's personal. It should capture the reader's attention and address your recipient by name. Then, add a compelling opening sentence that emphasizes your interest in the specific role.

Helpful Cover Letter Introduction:

"Dear [Hiring Manager's Name],

In an increasingly digitized world, where customer-centric strategies are vital for business success, I am thrilled to apply for the [Job Title] position at HubSpot."

Unhelpful Cover Letter Introduction:

"To Whom it May Concern,

I am applying for the [Job Title] position at HubSpot. I have some experience in marketing and can help your clients grow their businesses."

Relevant Professional Experience

It can be tempting to use the same cover letter for every job. After all, it's about your experience, isn't it? But it's not enough to rephrase the work history in your resume.

Recruiters and hiring managers are looking to fill a specific role, so you need to show how your experience translates to their unique needs.

So, the body of a great cover letter should showcase the specific professional experiences that are relevant to the job you're applying for. Emphasize your accomplishments and skills that directly relate to what the job needs.

To speed up this part of the cover letter writing process, start by creating a list of your transferable skills . Drafting this list can help you quickly focus on the skills to highlight in your cover letter.

Then, use AI tools to summarize job descriptions and narrow in on where your experience and the needs of the role you're applying for overlap. This post is full of useful AI assistant tools if you're new to AI.

Helpful Cover Letter Experience:

"At [Company Name], I had the opportunity to assist a global ecommerce retailer in enhancing their online customer experience. By conducting in-depth market research and customer journey mapping, I identified pain points and areas of improvement in their website navigation and user interface."

Unhelpful Cover Letter Experience:

"I also worked with an ecommerce retailer to improve the customer experience. We did some surveys and training, and they were happy with the results."

Useful Examples

To make your cover letter stand out, add specific examples that show how you've solved problems or gotten results in past roles.

Quantify your accomplishments whenever possible, using data to give the reader a clear understanding of your impact.

Helpful Cover Letter Example:

"I lead a team of five content writers while increasing website traffic by 18% year-over-year."

Unhelpful Cover Letter Example:

"I have a great track record of leadership and achieving fantastic results."

Research and Company Knowledge

Hiring teams aren't hiring anyone with the skills to do the job. They're hiring a person they'll work alongside at their specific company.

So, to show that you're not just looking for any job anywhere, share your knowledge of the company's industry, values, and culture in your cover letter.

Spend some time on the company website and take notes on what makes this business interesting to you and why you would want to work there.

Then, explain how your skills align with the company's mission and goals and explain how you could add to their chances of success. This will showcase your interest in the company and help them see if you are a good cultural fit.

Helpful Cover Letter Research:

"I was particularly drawn to HubSpot not only for its industry-leading solutions but also for its exceptional company culture. HubSpot's commitment to employee development and fostering a collaborative environment is evident in its recognition as a top workplace consistently. I strongly believe that my passion for continuous learning, self-motivation, and dedication to contributing to a team will make me a valuable asset to HubSpot."

Unhelpful Cover Letter Research:

"I have been inspired by HubSpot's commitment to inbound marketing and its comprehensive suite of solutions. HubSpot's dedication to providing valuable content and fostering meaningful relationships aligns with my own values and aspirations."

Clear Writing

Your cover letter needs to pack in a lot of important information. But it's also important that your cover letter is clear and concise.

To accomplish this, use professional but easy-to-understand language. Be sure to remove any grammar or spelling errors and avoid lengthy paragraphs and avoid jargon or overly technical language.

You may also want to use bullet points to make your letter easier to skim. Then, proofread your cover letter for clarity or ask a friend to proofread it for you.

• Guide to Becoming a Better Writer
• Tips for Simplifying Your Writing

Helpful Cover Letter Writing:

"In addition to my academic accomplishments, I gained valuable practical experience through internships at respected law firms.

Working alongside experienced attorneys, I assisted in providing legal support to clients. This hands-on experience helped me develop a deep understanding of client needs and enhanced my ability to effectively communicate complex legal concepts in a straightforward manner."

Unhelpful Cover Letter Writing:

"Furthermore, as a complement to my academic accomplishments, I have garnered invaluable practical experience through internships at esteemed law firms.

Throughout these placements, I actively collaborated with seasoned attorneys to conduct due diligence and furnish clients with comprehensive legal support. Notably, these experiences fostered a profound comprehension of client necessities, whilst honing my legal acumen to articulately convey intricate legal principles within a lucid and concise framework, adhering to applicable precedents and statutes of limitations."

Genuine Interest and Enthusiasm

Find ways to convey your passion for the role and how excited you are to contribute to the company you're applying to. At the same time, make sure your interest feels authentic and outline how it aligns with your career goals.

Your ultimate goal is an enthusiastic letter that feels honest and leaves a lasting positive impression.

Showing excitement in writing doesn't come naturally for everyone. A few tips that can help you boost the genuine enthusiasm in your letter:

• Record audio of yourself speaking about the role, then use voice-to-text technology to transcribe and add these sections to your letter.
• Choose your words carefully .
• Write in active voice.

Helpful Cover Letter Tone:

"I am genuinely enthusiastic about the prospect of joining [Company/Organization Name] as an accountant. My combination of technical proficiency, eagerness to learn, and strong attention to detail make me an ideal candidate for this role. I am confident that my dedication, reliability, and passion for accounting will contribute to the continued success of your organization."

Unhelpful Cover Letter Tone:

"Honestly, I can hardly contain my excitement when it comes to reconciliations, financial statement analysis, and tax regulations! Engaging in spirited discussions with professors and classmates has allowed me to foster an unbreakable bond with the fascinating world of accounting, and I'm positively bursting with enthusiasm at the prospect of applying my skills in a professional setting."

Memorable Conclusion

End your cover letter on a strong note. Summarize your top qualifications, restate your interest in the position, and express your interest in future communication.

Then, thank your reader for their time and consideration and include your contact information for easy follow-up.

To make your conclusion memorable, think about what parts of your letter you'd most like the hiring manager to keep top of mind. Then, consider your word choice and phrasing. If you're feeling stuck, this list of ways to close an email can help.

Helpful Cover Letter Conclusion:

"Thank you for considering my application. I am excited about the opportunity to further discuss how my qualifications align with the needs of Greenpeace. Please feel free to contact me at your convenience to arrange an interview.

Together, let's make a lasting impact on our planet.

[Your Name]"

Unhelpful Cover Letter Conclusion:

"Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of discussing my qualifications further and how I can contribute to Greenpeace's mission. Please feel free to contact me at your convenience to arrange an interview.

I’d like to add another stage to the job search: experimentation.

In today’s competitive landscape, it’s so easy to feel defeated, less-than-good-enough, or like giving up your job search.

But don’t let the process become so monotonous. Have fun discovering the qualitative data I’ve discussed here — then, have even more by getting creative with your cover letter composition.

I certainly can’t guarantee that every prospective employer will respond positively — or at all — to even the most unique, compelling cover letter. But the one that’s right for you will.

So, get inspired by these examples and templates. Write an incredible cover letter that shows the hiring team at your dream job exactly who you are.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in October 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. This article was written by a human, but our team uses AI in our editorial process. Check out our full disclosure to learn more about how we use AI.

Don't forget to share this post!

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How to Write a Cover Letter for an Internship [Examples & Template]

Letter of Interest Tips, Templates & Examples [A 2023 Guide]

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Creative Cover Letters (With Examples)

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Find a Job You Really Want In

Cover letters are your employer’s first introduction to you as an individual. Your cover letter touches on your interest in the job, the company, and what skills you possess that make you ideal for the position. Your letter will tell the hiring manager a bit about yourself, as well, such as what passions outside of work drive you.

In that regard, it makes sense to be a bit creative with your cover letter to make it feel like you and to catch the hiring manager’s attention. If you’re considering writing a creative cover letter, or wondering if creative cover letters catch an employer’s attention, then keep reading.

Key Takeaways:

Hiring managers can read through dozens of cover letters in a day, so making sure yours stands out is key to getting an invitation to interview .

A creative cover letter helps grab the reader ’s attention by doing something different, whether that’s done visually or through the written content.

Before submitting a creative cover letter, research the company to look for any guidelines and make sure your letter matches the company culture.

Remember that creative cover letters won’t be well received by everyone.

What is a creative cover letter?

How to write a creative cover letter, tips for making cover letters creative, 10 creative cover letter examples, creative cover letter faq.

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Creative cover letters are exactly what they sound like — a cover letter that’s outside the norm. There aren’t any particular guidelines as to what makes a creative cover letter — it is creative, after all — meaning that there are many ways for you to make your letter stand out.

Cover letters can be creative in a number of ways, such as:

Format. If you’re being creative with your cover letter, you don’t have to follow the standard format. Putting things in a different order, adding color or pictures, or formatting the letter differently are things that’ll make it stand out from the crowd. This can be anything from bullet points to a different size margin.

Just be aware that throwing the rules out entirely can be confusing, so be careful how you go about it.

Personalization. All cover letters talk a bit about your passions or interests. But a creative cover letter can add anecdotes, asides, or references to your favorite books or movies.

Informality. Having a conversational tone is atypical for cover letters, but it’s the sort of thing that will really appeal to certain company cultures.

Humor. Adding humor can be a huge boon to cover letters. The trick is making sure that the jokes land, which isn’t easy in writing. But so long as you don’t go do anything controversial or embarrassing, the attempt will likely be appreciated.

Graphics. You can add pictures, graphics, drawings, or charts to your cover letter. There are only certain instances where this is applicable, but if you’re applying for a graphic arts or drawing position, including something you designed in your cover letter shows them your skills right away.

Audio. It’s also possible to add audio to your cover letter if it’s electronic (which most are).

Creative cover letters tend to work best with creative industries, such as:

Architecture

Graphic design

Entertainment

A creative cover letter isn’t going to follow the same rules as a standard cover letter, meaning that it’ll take more thought and effort to write. As you’re doing something nonstandard, your letter is more likely to be scrutinized, which means that you have to be sure that you write the absolute best cover letter you can.

Research the company. If you’re thinking about changing the design to be more creative than the standard header and content format, make sure that your creative cover letter will be well-received. Some professions are stricter and want to see your skills, experience, and qualifications instead of your creativity.

In these cases, it’s best to stick with a classic cover letter with just a professional header and you can get more creative in the body of your letter .

Choose your format. In industries where creativity is encouraged and a good way to attract attention, you can play with the layout, design, and color scheme. The sky’s the limit and you can get super creative.

You just have to make sure that your cover letter is legible and communicates all of your skills and experience. If you’re getting creative, try matching your cover letter to your resume , website, or portfolio . Use the same color scheme or design across all of your application materials so your submissions are easily identifiable and cohesive.

If you’d rather leave your cover letter looking traditional and just spice up the content, there are plenty of ways to make your writing engaging. Improving your writing and adding a little extra flair can liven up your cover letter, making it exciting for the reader.

Take advantage of your first paragraph. The first sentence is most important, and you can leave it at just a creative first sentence if you don’t want to be too outside the norm. However, your first paragraph is where you can be enthusiastic and creative, all while tying it into the skills required for the job.

You can’t just write anything. It’s important that whatever anecdote, joke, or observation you start with is relevant to the job that you’re applying for.

Tell them why you are interested in the company. One way to get creative is to research the company and find interesting facts or stories that you connect with, then mention them in your cover letter.

Include things about where your interests intersect or why you love that company in particular. Some examples include charities that you’re both passionate about or how the organization has made an impact on your life.

Highlight your accomplishments. You might have an achievement that you’re especially proud of or is particularly relevant to the position you’re applying for.

If that’s the case, leading with that might be a good way to capture your reader’s attention right from the beginning.

Proofread and edit. As this letter is going to be non-standard, it’s especially important you don’t have any errors. You don’t want the recipient thinking that you’re just unaware of cover letter standards, or feel that the rules don’t apply to you.

Reread the letter to make sure the point you want to get across lands. It’s best to have someone that you trust read the letter for you as well, just to make sure it works.

While writing a creative cover letter is in many ways similar to writing a standard one, there are some tips to make it more engaging. The trick to a creative cover letter is to make it stand out, and unique cover letters get noticed. It’s important to try to put your personality into the letter, as that’s what you’re really selling: yourself.

Show off your passions. If you love your career path or you’re super excited for the position you’re applying to, let it be known!

Sharing your genuine excitement and passion for a field, industry, or job is a good way to show your dedication, expertise, and engagement.

Create a story. Your cover letter doesn’t just have to be a dry walkthrough of your professional life and achievements.

Include a belief statement. Like a goal or objective on a resume , a belief statement on your cover letter can give hiring teams a one sentence overview of who you are and what you want to achieve.

It’s a great place to write about yourself and align with a company’s values or goals to show that you’ve done your research and you’d be a good culture fit.

Mention a network connection. If you have a friend who already works at the company or got a referral from someone in your network, you should add that to your cover letter . That shows that you already know people at the company and they could vouch for you.

Connections at companies can be extremely useful, so try networking and seeing where you can find connections.

Proofread. Before submitting your cover letter, make sure you are rereading to look for any spelling or grammar errors. You can even have someone else look over it to catch anything you might have missed. It can look unprofessional to send in a letter with errors in it.

Tailor your cover letter. Make sure you are tailoring your letter to each job. Hiring managers can tell when you send in the same cover letter. Make sure to include the company name and the recruiter’s name if you found it. It can also be a good idea to include any keywords from the job listing or company website.

As the definition of a creative cover letter is so broad, it can be difficult to picture what is meant by that. Remember that while this is a creative exercise these are still business letters, so you can’t completely throw all the rules out the window. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t write up a fun cover letter and get a job with it.

Some people may say that I’m crazy for quitting my real estate job and going to culinary school, but those people have never tasted my signature pasta alla vodka. My unique career journey positions me perfectly to manage ABC Restaurant as they franchise and expand, while keeping the quality of service consistent.

As the recipient of the American Financial Technology “Most Cutting-Edge IT Initiative” award, I’m always ready to bring my best, most creative ideas to whatever IT project I’m tackling. I’m committed to staying up-to-date with industry trends and bringing that knowledge and expertise to share with all of my colleagues when we tackle projects.

When I noticed that ABC Company donates 10% of its profits to the ASPCA, I knew that I had to apply for this position. I care deeply about animal welfare causes and even spend my free time volunteering with the ASPCA. Being able to work at an organization that gives back to a group I support while allowing me to grow professionally is an opportunity that I cannot pass up.

As an accountant , I believe that everyone should know how to manage their finances responsibly. I do not just analyze and watch over my clients’ finances, but teach them how to be financially responsible so they can make informed decisions about their money.

When I was a kid, I lived at the movie theater. I would always see new movies as soon as they came out and kept going back to see everything again. Since then, I’ve worked to fit my love of movies and skill as a writer to find a career in media journalism. This position writing for the culture section of XYZ Magazine is the perfect opportunity for me to contribute to an iconic publication while bringing my personal passions into my professional life.

You’re looking for a social media savvy content marketer ? Look no further, I’m right here. I have grown Instagram accounts by 5000+ followers, created dedicated TikTok audiences, and ran Facebook ads with 200% ROI in the last year alone and I’m excited to beat those stats with ABC Company.

Thanks to my former colleague, Jane Doe, I heard of an opening for a PR Director at your company and was immediately intrigued. Jane has nothing but great things to say about your company and once I saw the job description, I knew it would be a perfect fit.

I have been constantly refreshing XYZ Company’s careers page since I found out about their mission to support local nonprofits with innovative tech. When I finally saw a job posting that happened to be in my industry, I applied immediately. I admire XYZ’s mission and I believe my enthusiasm for web development and your mission will make me the perfect fit for the Full Stack Developer position.

If you’ve seen my resume , you know that I’m not exactly qualified for the business analyst position. But what you can’t see from my resume is my dedication to teaching myself the ins and outs of the industry in my spare time or the endless networking I’ve done to understand the role of a business analyst . Here’s why I’m uniquely positioned to wow you as your newest business analyst.

I believe that every business has a valuable service to provide, it’s just about finding the perfect audience for it. As a marketer , I love tackling the “hard to sell” businesses and flipping around their branding and messaging until they’re profitable.

What should a creative cover letter include?

A creative cover letter should include a standard heading but a unique body paragraph. A standard header is important for professionalism, but the body of the letter should be an interesting way of introducing your skills and accomplishments.

How do I make my cover letter unique?

You can make your cover letter unique by adding relevant personal touches. For example, telling a brief story about how and why you left your real-estate job to pursue culinary school can speak to your passion and willingness to learn.

Plus, such an opening is unexpected and clever. What restaurant would expect you to talk about real estate? But, that makes you a more unique and memorable candidate.

How do you end a creative cover letter?

The best way to end your creative cover letter is through charming confidence. Briefly summarize why you’re the best candidate for the job, and thank the employer for their time.

Are creative cover letters effective?

Yes, creative cover letters are effective. For example, up to 83% of hiring managers say that a great cover letter could convince them to schedule an interview with an applicant.

And a creative cover letter makes you even more memorable, which will make it far easier to land an interview.

Should you have a creative cover letter for a creative industry?

It isn’t required that your cover letter be creative if you’re applying for a creative job, but that’s where a creative cover letter is most likely to be effective. It’s important to consider the company culture before deciding what kind of cover letter to write. There are many businesses that have creative jobs — like graphic design — that aren’t inherently creative industries.

Harvard Business Review — How to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You (and Gets Noticed)

Inc. Magazine — 11 Secrets to Writing the Perfect Cover Letter

Harvard University — Resumes and Cover Letters

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Amanda is a writer with experience in various industries, including travel, real estate, and career advice. After taking on internships and entry-level jobs, she is familiar with the job search process and landing that crucial first job. Included in her experience is work at an employer/intern matching startup where she marketed an intern database to employers and supported college interns looking for work experience.

Matt Warzel a President of a resume writing firm (MJW Careers, LLC) with 15+ years of recruitment, outplacement, career coaching and resume writing experience. Matt is also a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing Focus) from John Carroll University.

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16 Secrets for Writing Cover Letters That Get You Hired

I can write a solid resume, interview well, and make sure that my online presence is on point.

The one thing that’s always been a struggle? The dreaded cover letter.

Cover letters can be absolute torture, and it feels like there are a million ways to screw them up. Is yours too formal or informal? Too long or short? Too much information or too vague?

There’s an upside, though: Making your cover letter awesome doesn’t have to be a long, difficult process. In fact, as I’ve written more and more cover letters over time (and started helping dozens of other people write theirs), they’ve actually become (gasp!) fun.

Below, I’ve listed the 16 most important tips I’ve learned to make crafting a cover letter into an easy and pain-free process. Half of the tips are related to what you write, and the other half are tiny things that’ll make sure your cover letter is better than the rest. By the end of the list, there’s no way a hiring manager will be able to shuffle you to the bottom of the pile. Or you know…delete your email…

8 Tips for Cover Letters That Grab Hiring Managers’ Attention

1. Describe a pain point

Here’s the most important question any cover letter should answer: What problem would hiring you solve?

Notice that this question is about the company’s problem, not your desire to land the job! Tricky, I know.

But think about it: If a company has put up a job description, it means they have a pain point and need a solution. For example, if a company is hiring a web designer, it means they don’t think their current layout is up to snuff and they’re looking for someone who can get them there. That’s the problem they need solved, and that’s what your cover letter should make clear in first few sentences.

2. Don’t regurgitate your resume

This is a tip that you’ve probably heard before, but it happens all the time : Don’t use your cover letter to simply restate your resume!

Your cover letter is the perfect place to expand on things that your resume doesn’t detail, illustrate the more intangible reasons why you’re perfect for the job, and explain any particular circumstances that warrant discussion (for example, if you’re making a sudden or drastic career change).

Skillcrush: 22 Things to Remove From Your Resume Immediately

3. The tone should match the company

Cover letters are great for companies not only because they can see if you can solve the problem at hand, but also because they give hiring managers a sense of whether or not you understand the company culture.

How do they figure this out? Tone.

Take a look at a company’s website, how its social media is phrased, and how its employees talk about it online. Is this company a little more informal and fun? Is it buttoned-up and corporate? Your cover letter should be written in a tone similar to that of the company’s copy. Obviously put a professional spin on it, but keep the company’s culture in mind.

4. Keep the focus on the company

Hiring managers assume that if you’re applying to a particular job, that must mean you really want that job. Thus, you don’t need to spend your entire cover letter reiterating how badly you want the job and how great the experience would be for you .

It’s okay to spend one or two sentences tops explaining your love for the company, but then it’s time to turn the tables.

The majority of your cover letter should be illustrating to a potential employer what hiring you would do for their company. Again, focus on the pain point: What talents and skills do you have that would help this organization tremendously?

5. Use your numbers

A big problem I’ve seen in lots of cover letters is that they tend to be very vague in describing any notable accomplishments or achievements.

For example, instead of saying that you have had “a great deal of success as an email marketer,” use your numbers: “I spearheaded an entire newsletter redesign that resulted in a 500% increase in our open rate, which proves…”

Numbers also add intrigue and leave hiring managers wanting to hear more!

Psst! This tip holds true for resumes! ( More here .) Adding numbers and statistics is a solid way to stand out!

6. Make your anecdotes short

While examples can make your cover letter super effective, many people make the mistake of including unnecessary or irrelevant information when using anecdotes that make them drag on and lose their umph .

My personal rule is to make any example or story no longer than three sentences so that you can avoid going overboard and wasting valuable space. Here’s how to break it down:

• Sentence 1: Introduce the skill you’re highlighting.
• Sentences 2: Explain the situation where you showed off this skill.
• Sentence 3: What was the end result? Explain what it did for the company and what it proves about your character.

7. Make your opening line memorable

If the big opener to your cover letter is “I’m applying for Position X at Company Y” or “My name is…” it’s time to press the backspace button. There are two things wrong with both of these phrases:

• They’re redundant, so you’re taking up precious space! A hiring manager is already going to know your name from your application as well as which position you’re applying for. No need to repeat it.
• They’re generic and unmemorable. Give your hiring manager something to get excited about or be intrigued by.

So, how can you start a cover letter with something that has a little more pizzazz? Try opening with a favorite short anecdote, a quote that best describes you as a professional, or your personal tagline.

8. Everything should relate to the job description

As you write (and then read through) every line of your cover letter, ask yourself: How does this sentence relate to the job description? If you find yourself going on tangents or including facts that don’t prove your ability to excel at the job or understand the company culture, take it out.

And if you need some help making sense of exactly what will prove you are qualified for the job at hand, check out these 10 Tips for Deciphering Tech Job Listings .

8 Tips for Putting the Finishing Touches on Your Cover Letter

1. Research whom to address your letter to

Scrap the “To Whom It May Concern” greeting and do some research to find out who will be reading your cover letter.

In some cases, employers will be super helpful and straight up tell you whom to address that cover letter to. If you aren’t so lucky, a quick Google search can help, or if you have a connection to a potential employer, have a professional contact ask around to see if they can get a name.

If all else fails and you really want to avoid the dreaded “To Whom It May Concern” line, feel free to shoot the company an email. I did this before when I was applying to a company that had a plethora of people on its editorial and HR teams and I had no idea who’d be hiring me.

Here’s the quick template I used:

I’m applying to [name of company]’s [name of job title] position, and I was having some trouble figuring out whom specifically to address the cover letter to. Is there a particular person or department I should direct it to?

Thanks so much for your time!

[Your name]

2. Be smart with hyperlinks

If you’re going to use hyperlinks in your cover letter, there are two important things to keep in mind. First, try not to include more than two or three links tops in a cover letter (like an online portfolio or personal website). All links should be relevant, and your cover letter shouldn’t be used as a dumping ground for everything you’ve ever created!

Second, make sure you add context to a hyperlink to both draw attention to it and to make the hiring manager understand that it’s worth his or her time to click on. For example, if you’re referencing a recent design project you did, add that said project can be found “in my online portfolio” and add a hyperlink.

3. Delete extra images, clipart, emoticons and emojis

This is a no-brainer: Regardless of how “chill” the company says it is, keep clipart, emoticons, emojis, cute pictures of your puppy, and any other images OUT of your cover letter!

Squeeze an emoji into a cover email if you’re SUPER confident it’s appropriate. Otherwise, steer clear.

4. Keep it short (like, really short)

I’ve seen dozens of cover letters in the past month, and the biggest issue across the board is that people make their cover letters way too long.

Here’s the general rule of thumb to follow: Your cover letter should be a single page (no more!) and around 300-350 words. If you’re writing a cover email, three to five sentences works (since you usually have attachments or links for a hiring manager to click on).

5. Keep your font professional (and normal)

True story: I once received a cover letter from a friend where he’d had kept his writing to one page—but it was in eight-point font. Yikes.

Your cover letter font size should be normal (aim for between 10-point and 12-point), and your font should be straightforward and professional. Favorites include Arial, Times New Roman, and Georgia. Just say no to Curly Q or Comic Sans.

Skillcrush: 8 Free Font Pairings You Have to See

6. Break up your paragraphs

Nothing provokes fear in people faster than a wall of text. Hiring managers get a visual of your physical cover letter before they ever read it, and if their first reaction is, “Oh god, it’s all one paragraph!” that’s not a good sign.

Instead, break up your cover letter into smaller paragraphs of three or four sentences each. It’s so much more aesthetically pleasing, and the person reading your cover letter will thank you.

7. Cut the vague professional jargon

As with in a resume, using phrases like “team player,” “self-motivated,” or “results driven” only makes your cover letter generic and unmemorable. Use more lively language, or better yet, use specific examples to prove your point.

8. Re-read your cover letter over (and over and over)

Editing is the most tedious but also the most necessary part of any cover letter writing you do. Start by printing your cover letter out and reading it aloud. I also recommend reading the cover letter starting with the last sentence and working your way up.

Another pro tip: Definitely get someone else to read your cover letter. In many cases, you might think your writing is pristine, but a friend will find at least a couple typos and point out some places where your wording is a little clunky.

Getting that perfect cover letter doesn’t have to be a time-consuming process. Use these tips and you’ll be snagging the job (and impressing potential employers with your savvy) in no time!

Skillcrush: The Ultimate Guide the Perfect Email Cover Letter

Lily is a writer, editor, and social media manager, as well as co-founder of The Prospect , the world’s largest student-run college access organization. She also serves in editorial capacities at The Muse, HelloFlo, and Her Campus. Recently, she was named one of Glamour’s Top 10 College Women for her work helping underserved youth get into college. You can follow Lily on Twitter at @lkherman

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How To Write An Amazing Cover Letter That Will Get You Hired (Template Included)

Writing a cover letter can be one of the most stress inducing aspects of the job search.

The reason writing them is so difficult is because we don’t have a defined framework to follow.

If you need to update your resume, you download a template and fill in the blanks. When you’re applying to jobs, the employer lays out the fields you need to complete right there in the application.

But when you’re writing a cover letter, you probably find yourself staring at a blank Word document wishing the right words would will themselves onto the page.

Most of us don’t consider ourselves to be the next Walter Isaacson, and the task of crafting the perfect story sits well outside of our comfort zone. It doesn’t help that most of the advice out there on the subject is vague at best.

I did a quick Google search for “How To Write A Cover Letter.” Here are a few things the “experts” recommend:

• Assess the employer’s needs and your skills. Then try to match them in the letter in a way that will appeal to the employer’s self-interest.
• Arrange the points in a logical sequence; organize each paragraph around a main point.
• Basic fonts like Arial, Calibri, Helvetica , Verdana, and Open Sans work well. A font size of 10 or 12 points is easy to read. Standard margins are 1” on the top, bottom, and left and right sides of the page.
• Be sure to include positive traits like “Focused,” “Hard Working,” and “Results Oriented”

While all of this advice is technically correct, did you feel your confidence skyrocket when you went back to type out that first sentence?

Yeah, me neither…

Writing A Cover Letter That Actually Gets You Hired

Here’s the thing – most career “experts” out there give vague advice that they’ve seen work in their corner of the market. It doesn’t get too specific because many career coaches (even recruiters) have never been through the application process at a world class company. They don’t know the nitty gritty.

When they do give specific advice, it’s usually tailored to a niche – software development, tech sales, finance, etc. But what works for one person in one industry or role might not work for a similar person in a different situation.

I’m hoping to change things with this article.

Over the course of this post, I’m going to lay out the cover letter strategies that thousands of my clients have used to land jobs across industries and at companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Deloitte, ESPN, American Express, and more.

If you’re not getting the results you want from your resume or cover letter, check out my free resume builder . It lets you create a recruiter-approve, ATS-friendly resume in minutes and it’s 100% free (no fees, subscriptions or limits!).

The Truth About Cover Letters

Before we dive into the actionable stuff, I want to provide some context on where cover letters fit in the hiring process.

Cover letters are a strange animal. People seem to think that they are the missing link that will suddenly skyrocket the response rates of potential employers.

When I asked my audience to choose between a guide on cover letters, resumes or LinkedIn profiles, cover letters won out by a significant margin.

The truth is, in the mind of a recruiter/hiring manager, your cover letter is a tie breaker that is only read after the rest of your application has been reviewed. 90% of hiring managers don’t even read cover letters. However, over half of employers noted that they prefer candidates who submit a cover letter:

This leaves us in an interesting place.

We need to craft a good cover letter to help boost our chances, but we don’t want to spend several hours doing so because there are far better ways to spend our time to get results during the job search. If you follow the networking and value-add strategies in my other articles , those strategies are going to be far more effective at breaking ties than a 3-5 paragraph document.

My hope is that this guide will give you a framework that enables you to efficiently craft cover letters that are more likely to get you hired.

The 7 Cover Letter Mistakes That Cost People Jobs

If we want our cover letter to be as effective as possible we need to make sure we avoid the mistakes that employers hate to see, yet most people still make.

In order to be as accurate as possible, I went out and spoke to recruiters from Google, Microsoft, and a few Wall Street firms on top of my own research. Then I cross referenced that information with the several hundred cover letters that have come across my desk at Cultivated Culture.

After all was said and done, here are the 7 most common mistakes people make on cover letters that will cause recruiters to throw out their application:

1. Typos, grammatical errors, and general sloppiness

This is the most obvious and most common issue. Over 70% of recruiters noted that they would automatically toss a cover letter with some type of spelling or grammatical error. The good news is that it’s also the easiest mistake to fix.

Before you submit your cover letter, make sure it’s reviewed by at least two other parties. You might want to consider hiring a professional editor/proofreader as they’re not too expensive for a short document and they will pick up on things most people would miss. It’s easy enough to find one on Upwork .

Another trick you can use is including an obvious mistake about 75% of the way through. If you have “catching Justin Beiber’s sweaty t shirt at a concert” sitting in there and someone doesn’t call you out, you know they probably didn’t read it very carefully.

2. Going over a single page

99% of the resumes and cover letters I receive are over a single page. Funnily enough, 99% of the recruiters I speak to tell me that they absolutely hate resumes and cover letters that are more than one page.

The ideal length for a cover letter is 3-5 paragraphs. Changing the margins, font, and font size are all fair game – just keep things on one page, ok?

3. Regurgitating your resume in a slightly different format

Your cover letter is a space for you to truly differentiate yourself. If you’re just taking the bullets on your resume and turning them into full sentences, you’re missing out on a HUGE opportunity.

Use the cover letter to show a little personality and share something that people wouldn’t know if they just scanned through your resume (more on that in a sec).

Remember, this is a tie breaker. If your cover letter isn’t holding people’s attention it’s probably going to lose out.

4. Focusing on training or arbitrary credentials instead of results

Many of us feel unqualified for the jobs we want. As a result, we try to twist our experience to match the traditional qualifications for our target role.

The problem with this approach is that you are competing against people who qualify for the traditional credentials, no matter what role you’re applying for. If you try to beat them at their own game, you’re going to lose 9 times out of 10.

Am I saying you should forget about trying to spin your experience to position yourself well? Absolutely not. However, adding that business class on your resume when you’re 4-5 years out of college isn’t going to help much.

Instead, focus your time outside of work on building tangible results that you can showcase in your cover letter (and resume). If you want to be a developer, take a few coding courses and build something cool. If you want to be in digital marketing, land a few clients and run their ads for them.

Telling a story about how you took proactive steps to build experience in a field will beat traditional credentials in most cases. Companies love to see that you’re hungry to learn.

5. Not addressing your cover letter to an actual person

I die a little bit inside when I see cover letters addressed as “Dear Hiring Manager” or “To Whom It May Concern.”

Anyone who reads that is immediately going to mentally bucket it as impersonal. It’s far better to address your cover letter to an actual human, even if it doesn’t end up in their hands. Here is my strategy.

Let’s say I’m applying for an Account Manager role at Google:

I’m going to head over to LinkedIn and start by working to find the specific person who would manage the role I’m applying for. If I can’t find them, or I’m unsure, then I’ll aim for the most senior person that my target role would fall under.

The ladder for Account Managers typically follows with Senior Account Manager, Account Director, and VP. I’m going plug in “Account Director” under LinkedIn’s title filter to cover all of the bases there. Then I’m going to add “Google” in the company filter and “Greater New York Area” in the location filter:

That search is going to bring up a slew of people that I could address directly in my cover letter:

Regardless of who reads your cover letter, they’ll know that you did your research. On top of that, your cover letter might even make it into the hands of the person you addressed it to!

6. Failing to showcase any personality

As mentioned earlier, your cover letter is one of the few opportunities for you to truly differentiate yourself from the competition. If you’re applying for jobs online (which I don’t recommend), the only thing you have to sell yourself is your resume, your cover letter, and your application.

Instead of rehashing the experience on your resume, tell a story about how you got that experience.  Make it unique and personable. I had the most success when I talked about how I transitioned from a job in medicine to the tech world by starting a side business generating leads for real estate agents. I’d speak openly about the challenges I faced, the mistakes I made, and why I went through it all in the first place.

Use this space to tell your story. Remember, people don’t buy what you do – they buy you why you do it.

7. Writing about an uncomfortable situation

While we’re on the topic of telling stories, there is one thing you want to avoid – talking about something extremely uncomfortable. What might have worked for your college essay isn’t going to work here.

You want to keep things professional. It’s okay to talk about business-related mistakes and challenges, but try to steer away from deeply personal stories. They are far more likely to hurt than help.

If your cover letter doesn’t violate any of the rules above, you’re off to a good start!

The Anatomy Of A Highly Effective Cover Letter

When I was job searching, one of the most frustrating things was trying to get a clear picture of what to include in my resume/cover letter/application. There is so much conflicting “expert” advice online it makes you feel like you’re shooting in the dark.

When I started Cultivated Culture, I began tracking how different factors influenced the success of my students. After working with hundreds of job seekers over the past few years, I’ve found a strong correlation between the following factors and a high rate of successfully landing interviews:

1. Capitalize On Your Cover Letter’s Header

Most people don’t realize that when they hit “submit” on their app, their cover letter gets scanned by a robot that’s looking for specific words and phrases.

One of the major keywords the look for is a matching or relevant job title. If you’re applying for a Project Manager role, are you including Project Manager, Project Management, PMP, or something similar in your cover letter? That’s what the robot is looking for and the header is a great place to inject it. I recommend dropping it in right below your name.

Once you get past the robots, your cover letter is going to end up in the hands of a real human.

We want to make it as easy as possible for this person to learn more about us and get in contact if they want. I always recommend that you include the following right at the top of your cover letter:

Email Address – Make sure it’s simple and professional. 76% of applications are rejected for having unprofessional email addresses. Also, don’t forget to hyperlink it! You want the employer to be able to click and get in touch.

LinkedIn Profile – A recent study showed that applications that include a link to a comprehensive LinkedIn profile increase their chances of hearing back by 71%!

Phone Number – If they like what they read, make it easy for them to pick up the phone and dial.

Relevant Links – Your header is also a great place to share links to things like Github, relevant social profiles, personal websites, your blog, etc.

Finally, a lot of people ask me about including a location. I don’t recommend adding your location when writing a cover letter unless the application requires it.

Your address and location are private, personal information and putting them on a resume or cover letter that you're upload across the internet is a major risk. You're putting yourself at the mercy of the company's data practices and, if they don't follow good data security practices , you could end up doing your best Jason Bateman impression chasing down data thieves in Florida.

2. Tell A Story In Your Opening Paragraph

This is an overarching theme that you want to include in each section of your cover letter.

Science has proven that people are more likely to remember information (or candidates in this case) when it’s delivered in the form of a story. Stories also help build a positive psychological association with the reader (or recruiter/hiring manger here).

Remember Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code ?

It was a novel about cryptic clues in some of Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous paintings leading to to holy grail. While the book itself is fictitious, the artists, pieces, and much of the history behind them is accurate.

Now, if you asked most people about their opinion on art history, they’d tell you it was boring. They’d also groan in disappointment if you tried to get them to read a book on the subject. However, Dan Brown’s novel skyrocketed to the top of the New York Times bestseller list and became an international sensation. In fact, it caused applications for art history degrees to jump up 25% in the years following its publication.

Why were all of these people suddenly interested in field previously considered to be “boring?” Because Dan Brown fed historical facts in the context of an interesting story!

We’re aiming to do the same in our cover letter – specific examples below.

2. Talk About Why You’re Interested In The Company

In the first section of your cover letter, you want to briefly talk about why you are interested in the role and the company. Remember, we want to drive the message through a story.

When I was applying at Google, I wanted to work there because they were a household name that was focused on cutting edge technology, but they also cared about impacting lives. Here is the story I used to drive that point home:

I wanted to recount a story from my referral [Name]. He’s in the education vertical and spends a significant amount of time at rural schools. When he was down in South Carolina, a teacher asked him about the possibility of getting wifi for the town and its students. [Name] said he would do his best and upon returning he asked around. He sent an email to Astro Teller who responded and they discussed the feasibility of implementing project Loon in the area. I don’t think it panned out but the fact that the communication took place over a tiny town in South Carolina sold me. That’s the kind of stuff I want to be doing.

If you don’t have a story that immediately jumps to mind, the best way to get one is by talking to people who work at the company. Look up the company’s mission or their core values beforehand and ask that person to tell you about the best example they’ve personally experienced.

You can check out this article if you want to know how to find someone’s corporate email address.

3. Highlight What You Bring To The Role

The second section of your cover letter should showcase what you’re going to bring to the role by talking about your past achievements. Be sure to use measurable metrics (actual numbers and quantitative results) to support your points.

If you’re coming from a non-traditional background (and don’t feel like you’re “qualified”) this is the time to address that objection. Here is another excerpt from my Google cover letter that addresses my background using measurable results:

You might notice that there isn’t much “traditional” digital experience on my resume. That is because, coming from a scientific background, I needed to take a different path. In an effort to gain experience, I created my own agency called OpenWater Analytics. I specialized in using AdWords to generate real estate leads for private communities. I managed the entire sales process from cold outreach, to closing, to servicing the accounts on your platform.

Most recently, I helped a community in South Carolina sell every listing on their site (about 15 homes) in less than 6 months. Our cost per lead was half of the competition and we did it all for less than the commission the realtor would have made on a single house (including ad spend).

When I wrote this, I didn’t have much digital experience to speak to. Rather than trying to spin what I had, I went out and built the experience myself by starting a digital marketing firm. Again, if you feel like your experience is lacking, get out there are create your own!

4. Reference Your “Value Validation” Project

If you’ve read my article on How To Get A Job Anywhere With No Connections , you know that I always advocate for creating what I like to call a “Value Validation Project.”

This consists of having a conversation with someone at the company you want to work for and identifying their largest challenge or upcoming initiative. You then use that information to research on your own and come up with several solutions/suggestions for your contact.

In the final section of your cover letter you want to mention this project and include a call to action to discuss it. It could look something like this:

In hopes of learning more about [Company], I had a meeting with [Name]. She told me that her team’s largest challenge was upselling customers into the company’s new, complementary platform. She noted that, despite the platform increasing retention and lowering costs for clients, the upfront cost to onboard was a major obstacle.

In my previous role, we dealt with a similar situation. Our clients were receptive to adopting a new platform despite the data showing that it would be beneficial for all parties. I spearheaded an initiative where we tested and analyzed several revenue models that maximized adoption rates and profit margins. In the end, we increased adoption rates by 30% without impacting revenue.

Using the information that [Name] gave me, I outlined the process in detail as it relates to your platform. I believe that your team could implement these strategies immediately and see similar results. If you’d like me to send it to you, please let me know! My email is [email protected].

This section is incredibly powerful because it shows that you are not only interested, you went ahead and proved out the value you could bring to the team. Additionally, the call to action can lead to conversations with the very people who will make the decision to hire you!

Cover Letter Templates – Steal The Exact Cover Letter I Used At Google, Microsoft, & Twitter

At this point you should have a solid understanding of the science behind writing a killer cover letter. You should also have a good handle on what mistakes to avoid so your cover letter makes an awesome first impression.

Now we need to apply all of that to ink on paper! In order to make that easy for you, I’m including a copy of the cover letter templates that I used to land an interview at Google so you can see exactly how I wrote it.

Context For The Template

Before we dive into the exact cover letter template, I want to give you some context so you can better understand the content of the letter.

I was applying for a Digital Advertising Sales Account Manager at Google’s offices in New York. I started by doing some research on LinkedIn to find who I believed to be the hiring manager (her name was Emmy).

I knew that my non-traditional background was a big red flag for most employers so my goal was to proactively address it in my cover letter by calling it out, talking through what I’d done to build the right skills, and highlight the results I’d achieved from those efforts.

Finally, I had spoken to several Google employees who all told me that “Googliness” (cultural fit) was a huge factor in the company’s hiring decisions. If I wanted to have a chance, I needed a compelling narrative around why I wanted to work for them and why I was a good fit.

With all of that in mind, here’s the cover letter I wrote:

Austin’s Cover Letter Template

Dear Emmy Anlyan,

I grew up with Google. When I was seven years old, I used to sneak down to my Dad’s office at five in the morning to play video games. I still remember opening the browser and seeing the bright, multi-colored letters above the search box for the first time. I’ve always been interested in the tech space and, while my background has mainly been in the sciences, I’m ready to dive head first into the digital world.

I believe I would be a great fit for the Digital Advertising Sales Account Manager role because I have a deep understanding of the businesses that partner with Google and how they define success.

Understanding how these small businesses worked was critical to my success, and I believe those skills will help Google acquire happier, more successful customers who are inclined to spend. In addition, I’ve done some research on your team and have come to understand that your largest challenge is around successfully growing smaller accounts at scale. Based on my experience, I’ve put together a few suggestions below this letter – I’m happy to chat through them in more detail if you’d like.

I wanted to close with a quick story about Google that solidified my choice to apply. My referral, [Name of Referral] , works in the education vertical. He services the southeast and many of his accounts are rural. On his last visit down there, in a South Carolina town of 1,500 with no wifi, a teacher asked him if Google could help bring the internet to them.

When [Name of Referral] made it back to the office, he emailed Astro Teller asking about the potential for Project Loon to help bring this town in the 21st century. To his surprise, Astro wrote him back within the week mentioning that he’d look into it.

While things didn’t pan out, the fact that director of Google’s moonshot project division wrote back an employee about an elementary school in South Carolina blew me away. That is the kind of work I want to be doing.

Thank you for taking the time to read my note, I’m incredibly excited to have the opportunity to be considered for this position.

Best, Austin

Download A Free Copy Of Austin’s Cover Letter Template

If you want a copy of that cover letter template with the header included and everything formatted, here’s a link to a copy on my Google Drive.

After you click through the link, just hit File > Make A Copy > Organize to add it to your own Google Drive! You can also download it in a variety of formats.

If you still have questions or thoughts about writing an awesome cover letter, drop a comment below — I’m happy to reply with an answer!

Want the inside info on landing a dream job regardless of your background and without applying online?

Click here to get the 5 free strategies that my students have used to land jobs at Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and more without applying online.

I teach people how to land jobs they love without traditional experience and without applying online. Connect with me and follow along on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abelcak/

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Career and Professional Development

Myth vs. Fact: Cover Letters Like Myth Busters… but for career advice!

October 13, 2020

Watch the Peer Career Advisor IG LIVE conversation on this topic on @chapmanucareer IGTV

So now that you have finally finished updating your resume (and hopefully have gotten it checked), now comes the next (often, dreaded) part… the cover letter. Here are 10 assumptions about cover letters you should review and understand before submitting your application.

1. I don’t need to submit a cover letter if they don’t mention anything about one: MYTH

Courtesy of GIPHY

When possible, always submit a cover letter to supplement your application. It never hurts to let the company know why you want the position and what you can uniquely bring to the table. Unless they don’t have a place to upload a cover letter or they explicitly say they are not taking them, always have one ready to submit!

2. Each of my cover letters should be different: FACT

Courtesy of Hollywood.com

Yes, even if you’re applying to different positions within the same company – show some effort! Many students make the mistake of uploading the same cover letter to everything they apply to. You may be the same person with the same skills and experiences each time you apply, but the companies and their departments are different! Make sure to tailor your documents with that in mind. Each company has different values and objectives. They can also differ in the way they look at applicants. Your cover letter for one position/company might highlight a particular set of skills like teamwork and communication. In contrast, a cover letter for another position/company might underscore the ability to take initiative and learn on your own. Read the job descriptions for each unique opening and tailor your cover letter accordingly!

 3. My address goes on the top right-hand side: MYTH

Courtesy of tenor

Employers no longer require your address on cover letters. Chances are, you have filled out that information on the application or will later be asked for it to continue the hiring process. This information was a common feature on cover letters when people physically mailed them in the past (because it followed the traditional business letter format). However, there is no longer a dire need to include your address with the new age of technology. We still recommend including the COMPANY’S contact information though.

4. The header of my cover letter should match the header of my resume: FACT

Consistency is key! Make it easier for employers to correlate which resumes and cover letters go with each other. Two wildly different formats on your documents may be confusing, and you definitely want to streamline the process of getting your application to the top of the stack. Keep your header clean, clear, and consistent across all documents! Information like name, contact info, links to your portfolios, or LinkedIn is a great thing to include.

 5. Always address the letter “To Whom It May Concern:” MYTH

There are many other ways you can address your cover letter. Instead of ‘To Whom It May Concern” you can use “Dear Hiring Committee,” the name of the person you are writing to (if known), the department, or the company itself. If you do know the name of the person who will be reading your application, always address it to them.

 6. I should try to address the letter to an actual person: FACT

Read number 5.

 7. The length of a cover letter doesn’t matter: MYTH

Courtesy of The Midnight Alliance

As a general rule of thumb, keep your cover letter to a maximum of one page. The human resources department didn’t sign up to become professors or admission counselors, so stay away from writing an entire essay about yourself! A solid cover letter takes up about 75%-100% of the page. If you don’t have enough to write, make sure you’ve elaborated on your experience and what you’ve learned. Consult a Career Educator, Career Advisor , or Peer Career Advisor for assistance!

 8. I should be careful about font sizes and types: FACT

It’s probably not exactly the most fun reading 50+ applications as it is, so make it easy on the eyes! Point 8 font to fit what you want to say on one page? Please don’t… you can definitely afford to cut some of the fluff out. Point 18 font to fill up the page?… You know better than that. Want to try a cute cursive font? Make a post on your social media instead; cover letters (and resumes) are not the place! Keep your professional document fonts sized 10-12 with clean, standard fonts like Calibri, Times New Roman, Arial, etc.

 9. I can make things up to make myself more appealing: MYTH

Courtesy of Flare

Definitely brag about yourself, show employers what you’re capable of! BUT don’t lie!!! Sooner or later, the truth can come out, so better to just be upfront with your experiences and skill set. Everyone has different strengths they bring to the table, and that’s what employers want to see: What’s different about you that they don’t have on their team? Not: I can do the exact same things as everyone else in the company. Companies hire to fill a void or grow, and marketing yourself as a carbon copy of what they already have might not be the most ideal. Don’t confuse being similar to others as having the same values as them. You can have the same values as a company and still bring unique personality traits, skills, interests, and ideas to the table!

 10. I should sign my name at the bottom of the letter: FACT

Whenever you can, definitely DO sign your name at the bottom of a letter (in blue ink if possible), and I mean more than just typing your name. Hand signing your name can give that subtle but personal touch. You can either print out your document, hand sign and scan it back to send, or electronically hand sign using platforms like DocHub, picture editing on your computer, or random sites you find via Google.

Now go rock that application and kill that interview! Don’t forget your business professional!

Courtesy of the Chapman University Office of Career and Professional Development

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Land your dream job, the curious history and future of the cover letter.

Many jobs require applicants to submit cover letters, but why? Over at The Atlantic, Stephen Lurie explores the history of the cover letter , tracing its origin to the early 20th century when the United States began adding more white-collar jobs and the service-sector grew:

"Why would the cover letter be appropriate for a service-sector economy? Unionized manufacturing workers were human cogs in complex systems, talented at their specific task but not required to come face-to-face with clients. It’s reasonable that the growth of services would correspond with the mainstreaming of cover letters, if their purpose is indeed to qualify the person behind the accomplishments…

In its original incarnation, the “cover letter” provides an explanation for what can’t be found in the raw substance. Dotted throughout the 30’s and 40’s are other examples of the “cover letter” as in introduction to business, economic, or political matters—particularly between associates. Much like today’s cover letters, the original intent was to paint a picture that might not easily emerge from the denser material that was, well, under cover."

Of course, as jobs change over time, the usefulness of the cover letter is called into question. Stephen argues that employers are beginning to view cover letters as a performance and are increasingly relying on examples of real work to determine a candidate’s fit.

"Google, it’s said, often prefers to see the coding already being done by individuals before reaching out to them—skipping the cover letter entirely. Some social media companies now require tweets as proof of competency, not long-form writing. For companies those that do still require cover letters (in whatever sector), many have simply stopped looking at them. Jobs that don’t deal in formal letter writing—let’s say 95% of them—can find better surrogates elsewhere in samples of a candidate’s work."

Read the rest of his essay on The Atlantic .

About The Author | Allison Jones is a Former Editor and Creator of  Idealist Careers , a publication of  Idealist.org . Follow me on Twitter  @ajlovesya .

Explore Jobs on Idealist

The Cover Letter: A Short History of Every Job-Seeker's Greatest Annoyance

In the last 50 years, they've become ubiquitous. It's only now that some companies are realizing that the cover letter is more of a performance than a useful projection.

Leonardo da Vinci created some of the most resonant objects of our time -- the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper, the giant crossbow -- but perhaps his most inescapable legacy, the invention you might come across every few weeks, is the résumé. According to legend, da Vinci is said to have created the first CV when applying for a job from the Duke of Milan.

Five hundred years later, his invention is the currency of human resources departments and the bane of many job prospects. But it is nothing compared to the other half of the white-collar-job application: the cover letter.

Never quite defined, but always somehow crucial, the cover letter is now the subject of both anxiety and punditry. A recent opinion from an employer in Slate summarized the cover letter’s preeminence: “If I hate a cover letter, I won’t even look at a résumé.” But there is also evidence that cover letters are nothing but adornments. A survey conducted by reCareered found that 90% of hiring contacts surveyed simply ignored every cover letter sent to them.

Da Vinci’s invention is durable because it is so practical. Understanding a prospective employee’s past is a reasonable way to predict his or her future success. But the purpose of the cover letter is murkier. It is, ostensibly, to introduce the human being behind the accomplishments—yet, using the formal letter as the method to represent the modern applicant might obscure more than it reveals. Some employers are starting to see that and moving to alternate ways to evaluate candidates. But the vast majority of white-collar jobs still require one-page personal statements.

Where did cover letters come from, how did they become so commonplace, and why they might they be falling out of fashion after 50 years of dominance? This story begins centuries after da Vinci, in the 1930s. It’s not a cute legacy.

*          *          *

First, a bit of word history.

Google Ngram, an algorithm that searches the texts of Google Books, traces the rise of “cover letter” to the second half of the 20 th century. The U.S. was transitioning away from manufacturing toward a service-sector economy. The percentage of white-collar jobs in the economy nearly doubled .

Why would the cover letter be appropriate for a service-sector economy? Unionized manufacturing workers were human cogs in complex systems, talented at their specific task but not required to come face-to-face with clients. It’s reasonable that the growth of services would correspond with the mainstreaming of cover letters, if their purpose is indeed to qualify the person behind the accomplishments.

There are more clues to be found in newspaper archives—particularly as employment sources—that contain the first printed instances of “cover letters.” Starting in the 1930s, the idea of a “cover letter” became popularly used for a descriptive document that would precede some form of previously unaccompanied data. An early example of the usage, in the article “Banks and Their Bonds” in the Wall Street Journal of December 23, 1936, describes the “value to an investment consultant of a cover letter from a bank that is seeking an outside opinion of its investment policy.” Describing this cover letter, it suggests that:

“Cover letter provides much needed information,” it concludes.

In its original incarnation, the “cover letter” provides an explanation for what can’t be found in the raw substance. Dotted throughout the 30’s and 40’s are other examples of the “cover letter” as in introduction to business, economic, or political matters—particularly between associates. Much like today’s cover letters, the original intent was to paint a picture that might not easily emerge from the denser material that was, well, under cover.

Yet, for nearly 20 years, we have no record of the cover letter, at least in name, being sought for employment. The first use of “cover letter” in the context of employment is on September 23, 1956. It’s in a New York Times classified ad for Dutch Boy Paints for an opening to be an industrial paint chemist (a position rather perfectly suited for da Vinci himself).

From this origin, the term was slow to replace both the more common vagaries of “particulars” or “background & experience.” After Dutch Boy, only a couple other firms—like a “First-rate American cosmetic company” and a “Leading Jersey City manufacturer”—would initially start using the term. The first instance where a cover letter was found in two different ads in the same paper was for an accountant position with the manufacturer and a sales opening with the cosmetic company. From the New York Times of October 6 th 1957:

In 1958, the near simultaneous occurrence of the “cover letter” term in the four major newspapers—NYT, WSJ, Chicago Tribune and LA Times—suggests it was catching on. That ad, for an unspecified “Grocery Sales Executive,” was certainly for a company looking at national expansion.

And the first true sign that cover letters were mainstream enough to cause job applicants some anxiety was an advertisement in 1965, in the Boston Globe :

If the cover letter’s origins seem mysterious, so does the art of writing them. Erwin Vogel’s How to Write Your Job-Getting Resume and Cover Letter , published in 1971, is still available for purchase online . But the 1990s were the heyday of cover-letter hysteria (as you can make out in the Ngram above). Book after book offered best techniques for bearing one’s soul efficiently on an 8.5-11” slip of paper. The milquetoast advice books have been replaced by milquetoast websites – and even more terrible slideshow s -- all purporting to give advice on what is the very best in cover letter practice.

Getting a job in the U.S. didn’t always require such a performance. At the end of the 19 th century, more more than 40 percent of the country worked on farms. At the end of the 1940s, more than one-third worked in manufacturing. Those were simpler times, arguably, when the labor market was divided into so many sectors and subsectors that required particular skills. Job-hunting, resume-revising, and cover-letter-crafting are new skills for a fragmented economy.

Unlike da Vinci’s simple CV, the cover letter is mostly a performance, and some companies are picking up on the act, particularly tech firms that can test specific employee skills. Google, it’s said, often prefers to see the coding already being done by individuals before reaching out to them—skipping the cover letter entirely. Some social media companies now require tweets as proof of competency, not long-form writing. For companies those that do still require cover letters (in whatever sector), many have simply stopped looking at them. Jobs that don’t deal in formal letter writing—let’s say 95% of them—can find better surrogates elsewhere in samples of a candidate’s work. Whether it is a writing sample relevant to the industry, a Github repository or other specific tasks, employers and candidates would be better suited to another test. That’s a good sign for us all. Our government, corporations and non-profits will invariably be stronger when they get the best-matched talent available—not just those who’ve mastered an irrelevant art.

Indeed, if we are to best serve the da Vincis of the 21 st  century we need to adapt our own new application tools. After all, who knows where we’d be if Leonardo had to use LinkedIn?

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83 Must-Know Resume Statistics: 2024 Data on Length, Cover Letters & Valuable Skills

Job hunting is challenging on any occasion but more so now because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 on employment is felt worldwide; many people are worried about losing their jobs and many more have lost their sources of income. But this 2021, employers are looking to hire workers. In that case, job seekers should always be ready with their resumes.

Resumes may sound like a thing of the past because of LinkedIn and online application forms in the best applicant tracking systems . The majority of Fortune 500 companies use ATS but resumes (and cover letters) remain essential. The resume statistics below discuss how it can impact a job applicant’s chances of getting an interview and being hired.

Must-Know Resume Statistics this 2021

Resume length statistics, job-hunting and resume statistics, valuable skills, cover letter statistics.

How lengthy a job applicant’s resume is and how many sections it has can impact a person’s chances for an open position. At a time when 39% of workers feel less secure in their current jobs than they did three months ago because of the pandemic, it has become doubly crucial to pay attention to resume length and content. The resume statistics below can give job seekers insights into what makes a good resume and what they can do to make their own more attractive to potential employers.

• An ideal resume needs 475 to 600 words. (Cultivated Culture, 2021)
• But 77% of resumes fall short of the ideal length. (Cultivated Culture, 2021)
• One study shows that the average resume has 489 words. (Zety, 2021)
• 380 words is the single-page resume cutoff point. (Zety, 2021)
• Median resume length is 369 words. (Zety, 2021)
• Recruiters prefer two-page resumes and are 2.9 times more likely to pick a candidate that meets the standard for managerial roles. (Zety, 2021)
• Hiring professionals are 1.4 times more likely to pick candidates with two-page resumes for entry-level roles. (Zety, 2021)
• A resume that is longer than two pages would set off 17% of hiring professionals. (The Motley Fool)
• Resumes over 600 words are good for certain professions. But in business, long resumes make job seekers 72% less hireable. (TalentWorks, 2019)
• 51% of resumes have irrelevant buzzwords, cliches, and wrong pronoun usage. (Cultivated Culture, 2021)

A proper resume is divided into several sections. Each section is supposed to have an ideal number of words to make it more attractive to recruiters. Professional resume writers can help with that, but if not possible, there are resume templates to guide job seekers.

• A Key Skills section with 15 to 20 words can help a job seeker’s chances of getting an interview. (LiveCareer, 2020)
• But the skills section is present only in 89.81% of resumes analyzed in a study. (Zety, 2021)
• The personal information section is standard and is found in 99.85% of resumes. (Zety, 2021)

Apart from standard sections, 66% of job seekers like to add other sections (Zety, 2021).

• 31% – languages
• 27% – certificates
• 21% – additional activities
• 19% – interests
• 18% – software
• 16% – references
• 11% – courses
• 5.5% – licenses
• 5.3% – publications
• 4.7% – conferences
• 4.7% – legal clauses

Covid-19 was a huge blow to everyone around the world. The pandemic displaced millions of workers in many countries. But this 2021, the job outlook is becoming positive, as 82% of employers say they are planning to hire .

• 24% of hiring managers spend fewer than 30 seconds looking at resumes in general. (CareerBuilder, 2019)
• 75% of resumes are rejected by applicant tracking systems. This means only a quarter gets seen by human eyes. (TopResume, 2021)
• 56% of professionals consider a good resume to be more important now than they did three months ago. (Jobvite, 2020)
• 56% of workers view a good resume to be important than they did in the past three months. (Jobvite, 2020)
• This perception of the importance of the resume could lead to lying about their resume. Ten percent of job applicants admitted to doing so during interviews with recruiters. (Jobvite, 2020)
• 85% of recruiters agree that job applicants inflate their skills and competencies on resumes. (Monster, 2019)
• Candidates who hired professional resume writers have a 32% higher chance of getting a job. (Talent Inc., 2019)
• 68% of job seekers with professionally crafted resumes found jobs within 90 days. (Talent Inc., 2019)
• 25% of black candidates received callbacks when they whitened their resumes compared to 10% who left ethnic details. (LiveCareer, 2020)
• 21% of Asian candidates received calls due to their whitened resumes versus the 12% who left information regarding their ethnicity. (LiveCareer, 2020)

To have better chances of hearing (or reading) the words “You’re hired!”, there are some aspects of the resume you need to pay attention to.

• 54% of job applicants do not tailor their resumes to each position or employer. This signals a red flag to recruiters. (CareerBuilder, 2019)
• 84% of job seekers do not personalize the salutation on cover letters. Doing a little research and finding out the name of the hiring manager is always a good idea. (CareerBuilder, 2019)
• 35% of employers reject applicants with unprofessional email addresses. So it might be a good idea to change your email address before sending applications. (The Motley Fool)
• Around 77% of hiring professionals put resumes in the reject pile if they have typos or grammatical mistakes. (The Motley Fool)
• Professionally written resumes boost earning potential by 7% (TopResume, 2021). But since not everyone could afford that, a proper resume builder could be a huge help.
• 34% of hiring managers pass over resumes with little to no measurable results. Thus, applicants should do their best to quantify their achievements. (Knowledge Enthusiast, 2021)
• Candidates only included 51% of relevant keywords when those could increase their chances of an interview. (Cultivated Culture, 2021)
• Personal pronouns on resumes have a 55% negative hit. (TLNT, 2019)
• Using the words team player can hurt a job seeker’s chances by 51%. (TLNT, 2019)
• A career objective in a resume would have a 29.6% negative impact. (TLNT, 2019)

Certain modifications can give resumes a huge boost (TLNT, 2019):

• Action verbs increase the chances of an interview by 140%.
• Industry buzzwords give a boost of 29%.
• Leadership-oriented words can enhance a resume by 51%.

Source: TLNT, 2019

With innovative technologies and AI becoming more ubiquitous, the skills that employers are looking for are also changing. However, despite the availability of job seekers, only a few actually meet the skills requirements of organizations. Fortunately, employers and job applicants themselves can learn new skills and knowledge through learning management systems .

• 87% of employers struggle to find the right employees because of a skills gap. (Monster, 2021)
• 54% of workers apply to jobs even if they do not have all the skills listed as requirements. (Jobvite, 2020)
• 72% of job applicants believe that employers value specific skill sets, which helped them get jobs. (CareerBuilder, 2019)
• 62% of job descriptions list leadership and management as skills they are looking for in applicants. (CareerBuilder, 2019)
• 45% of open positions are requiring job seekers to have innovation and creativity. (CareerBuilder, 2019)
• 61% of employers value soft skills as much as they do hard skills. (Knowledge Enthusiast, 2021)
• A job opening description has 21.8 kills on average. (LiveCareer, 2020)
• 13 is the average number of skills job seekers include on their resumes. (LiveCareer, 2020)
• Only 47% of job applicants believe that job descriptions list actual responsibilities. (LiveCareer, 2020)

Employers search for the following skills on resumes (Knowledge Enthusiast, 2021):

• 37% – problem-solving
• 32% – the ability to deal with complex situations
• 31% – communication

Unfortunately, not many resumes meet the standard for both hard and soft skills (LiveCareer, 2020):

• They match only 59% of hard skills.
• Resumes match only 62% of soft skills.

Moreover, recruiters find that job seekers are lacking in the following technical and soft skills:

Technical skills

• 37% – trade skills
• 25% – engineering skills
• 16% – medical skills
• 12% – data analysis skills
• 10% – science skills

Soft skills

• 29% – critical thinking
• 23% – problem-solving
• 17% – creativity
• 16% – adaptability
• 15% – communication

This is as important as the resume itself. Unfortunately, 45% of job seekers do not include a cover letter with their resume .

• 48% of giant tech companies require cover letters. (Ladders, 2019)
• 55% of medium-sized companies and 65% of fast-growing startups demand cover letters. (Ladders, 2019)
• 49% of hiring managers believe that attaching cover letters to resumes is the primary tactic that job applicants should apply. (LiveCareer, 2020)
• Another survey shows that 53% of employers prefer candidates who have cover letters with their resumes. (Cultivated Culture, 2020)
• But 74% of hiring professionals do not actually read cover letters. (Cultivated Culture, 2020)
• One survey revealed that only 10% of hiring managers actually take time to read cover letters. (Cultivated Culture, 2020)
• 47% of recruiters like candidates with cover letters because it shows motivation. (GetCoverLetter, 2021)
• 30% expressed that it offers more information about a job seeker. (GetCoverLetter, 2021)
• 23% said that cover letters show an applicant’s personality. (GetCoverLetter, 2021)
• 70% of recruiters agree that cover letters should not exceed 250 to 300 words. However, 30% of cover letters go over the ideal length. (GetCoverLetter, 2021)
• 26% of cover letters have bad formatting, making them unreadable. (GetCoverLetter, 2021)
• While a cover letter is an introduction to a resume, it should not copy it exactly. But 41% of cover letters commit that mistake. (GetCoverLetter, 2021)
• On top of that, 44% do not showcase or discuss a job seeker’s skills. (GetCoverLetter, 2021)

Are Cover Letters Still Relevant?

Source: Cultivated Culture, 2020; GetCoverLetter, 2021

Make Attractive Resumes

As the numbers above show, the best and most attractive resumes have certain characteristics. If you are a job seeker and you follow the data, then you can increase your chances of getting an interview. And if you nail a difficult job interview in a challenging recruitment process , then you can look forward to a new job.

To recap, you need to pay attention to the length of your resume. Contrary to popular belief, recruiters actually prefer two-page resumes. In some industries like education, three-page resumes are acceptable. It is also important to outline the skills you have, which would be helpful in the position you are applying for. But take care not to overuse buzzwords like team player, because it can actually hurt your chances of getting invited to an interview.

Additionally, do not forget to include a cover letter. Sure, many recruiters do not actually read those but they are still essential because they do scan those. And they look out for important things like length and salutation.

Lastly, do not forget to check current resume trends . Keeping yourself up to date with these can make your resumes more attractive to hiring managers.

References:

• Belcak, A. (2021, January 25). We analyzed 125,000+ resumes, here’s what we learned . Cultivated Culture .
• Tomaszewski, M. (2021, April 12). Resume statistics 2021 (Analysis of 133,000 documents) . Zety .
• CareerBuilder. (2019, March 3). How to create the perfect resume . CareerBuilder .
• Elmers, D. (2021). The job-search statistics all job seekers should know . TopResume .
• Backman, M. (2018, September 16). 5 resume stats all job seekers should know . The Motley Fool .
• Jaja, C. (2019, January 10). The science of the job search, part VIII: Your chances of an interview plummet if your resume is too long . TalentWorks .
• Jobvite. (2020, May 12). 2020 job seeker nation report . Jobvite .
• Monster. (2021). The future of work: 2021 global outlook . Monster .
• Monster. (2019, October 29). Monster recruitment survey highlights . Monster .
• Talent Inc. (2019, March 26). TopResume study confirms: Job seekers with professionally written resumes land new jobs sooner and earn more money . Talent Inc .
• Royse, M. (2020, December 16). Must-know resume statistics to stay competitive in 2021 . Knowledge Enthusiast .
• Sullivan, J. (2019, February 25). Why you can’t get an interview – Explained using job-search science data . TLNT .
• Sjoerdsma, D. (2020, September 22). Resume and cover letter stats and insights every job seeker should know . LiveCareer .
• Ladders Contributor. (2019, June 19). Do cover letters still matter? Here’s what data shows . Ladders .
• Belcak, A. (2020, August 7). How to write a job-winning cover letter [5+ free templates & examples] . Cultivated Culture .
• Harkusha, S. (2020, November 23). 2021 HR statistics [Trends, hiring, recruiting & interviews] . GetCoverLetter .

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Nestor Gilbert is a senior B2B and SaaS analyst and a core contributor at FinancesOnline for over 5 years. With his experience in software development and extensive knowledge of SaaS management, he writes mostly about emerging B2B technologies and their impact on the current business landscape. However, he also provides in-depth reviews on a wide range of software solutions to help businesses find suitable options for them. Through his work, he aims to help companies develop a more tech-forward approach to their operations and overcome their SaaS-related challenges.

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Resume Statistics: Cover Letters and Common Mistakes in 2024

Top resume statistics : editor’s choice, resume formatting statistics , resumes and social media statistics, facts about resumes, resume statistics related to cover letters, resume rejection statistics,   resume statistics : the takeaway, frequently asked questions.

Competition in the job market is robust, which is why you will need a solid resume and cover letter to get noticed. Resumes and cover letters are the foundation of any job search. It would also be helpful if the candidate knew how much it costs to hire someone, the average number of applications per job, the keywords that would help them describe their expertise, and how long their resumes should be.

After extensive research, we’ve gathered the most powerful statistics that will help you craft the perfect resume and tap into the professional network much faster.

• The average resume length is 489 words.
• The average time spent reading a resume is 6–7 seconds.
• Around 63% of recruiters like to get resumes personalized to the job position.
• A shocking 88% of resumes are rejected because of a photo on the resume.
• Only 2–3% of sent resumes result in an interview.
• Around 10% of job seekers have applied for 50 or more jobs without hearing back.
• Only 35% of candidates who apply for a job are qualified.
• More than 40% of recruiters say that applicants lack the necessary soft skills for the job.

Since recruiters and hiring managers don’t spend much time reading each resume, it’s crucial to build a simple, customized, and easy-to-read resume.  Usually, a single-page resume would be a cutoff point, but if you’re a seasoned worker, you might want to consider crafting a two-page resume.

1. The personal information section is found in 99.85% of resumes. 

Resume statistics for 2022 demonstrate that the skills section is present only in 89.81% of resumes analyzed in a study. However, job seekers love to add other areas as well, including:

• languages (31%),
• certificates (27%),
• additional activities (21%),
• interests (19%), etc. 

Furthermore, the ideal length of the critical skills section would be 15–20 words.

2. The average resume length is 489 words.

This is a standard deviation of 310 words. The median resume length is 369 words. This means that a typical resume should have a maximum of 380 words. Data indicates that the average job seeker tries to keep their resume one page long.

However, most recruiters nowadays prefer two-page resumes—they are 2.9 times more likely to choose a candidate who sends a two-page resume for managerial positions, while 1.4 times more likely for entry-level positions.

3. The average time spent reading a resume for 2022 is 6–7 seconds.

The amount of time recruiters spend on reading a resume usually depends and varies from company to company. Some companies want to thoroughly scan a resume, while others may skim it for a few seconds. Additionally, the number of job applicants may also affect this assessment.

If there are only a few applicants, the company may thoroughly review each one of them. Still, if there are a lot, the employer may decide to use an automatic resume scanning system for resume analysis or hire another recruiter.

4. The most efficient resume approaches include starting sentences with action verbs (140%).

When a recruiter or hiring manager reviews a resume, candidates have a limited amount of time to make sure they leave a great impression. They often skim through a lot of applications, so it’s prevalent for them to see the standard verbs and words used on most resumes. 

The above resume statistics for 2022 suggest that it’s essential to stand out—and the best way to do that is to include power words (action words) in your resume. You can use them to highlight your skills and experience, which will increase your chances of moving to the next step in the hiring process. 

5. The average time to hire a job applicant worldwide was 38 days in 2018. 

Data for the average time to hire by industry in 2022 is currently not available. However, we found that the average time to fill a position was 36 days in 2017. Each company is different, and they may hire for various roles; therefore, the length of the hiring process will vary.

For example, some industries have long interview processes (government, aerospace and defense, energy and utilities, biotech, and pharmaceuticals). In contrast, restaurants and bars, private security, and supermarkets have the shortest interview processes. 

6. According to job application statistics , 63% of recruiters would like to get resumes personalized to the open position.

Recruiters complain that there aren’t enough suitable candidates for the positions. So, job-seekers don’t customize their resume to match the job ad, sending a generic resume instead. Therefore, it’s best to create a new resume for each job application. 

7. According to CV statistics , 76% of CVs are ignored if candidates have an unprofessional email address.

Sometimes it’s very easy to make mistakes, even after spending hours drafting a flawless CV. If you keep getting rejected by companies, you might need to reassess your CV and look for potential silly mistakes and errors that might affect your job application.

The importance of resumes is immense— your style and tone of writing can play a huge role in why you’re not invited to job interviews . For example, 43% of CVs are excluded because they’re written in the third person or have many spelling or grammatical mistakes. 

8. More than 40% of hiring managers and recruiters reported that applicants lacked the role’s competencies and necessary soft skills.

Resume trends for 2022 suggest that filling your resume with soft skills is one of the most critical trends candidates should pay attention to. HR professionals say that the lack of soft skills makes the recruitment process much more difficult. However, other studies investigate whether this is a skills gap or job seekers cannot communicate their skills effectively.

To prevent this, job seekers should carefully inspect job ads and postings to include the appropriate information to help them land their roles.

Social media profiles are a vital part of the job application process, especially if the company processes resumes through an ATS system and sends it to a recruiter or hiring manager. Therefore, social media profiles should be up-to-date and complete because many recruiters use these networks to find new talent.

9. 89% of talent say they’d accept a job offer faster when contacted by a recruiter.

LinkedIn statistics for job seekers also suggest that 94% of them say being contacted by a prospective manager can make them accept a job offer faster. Speed is essential in today’s hiring world, so companies should consider finding ways to speed up their hiring process to keep their best candidates and make them accept their offers quickly. 

Moreover, job seekers are willing to talk to someone besides HR, so companies should consider hiring a recruiter to help candidates accept the position faster. Recruiters can inform them about the job and offer them feedback. 

10. Most recruiters (100%) use LinkedIn to seek job candidates.

Most hiring managers use social media sites to scan the social media pages of their applicants. Some of the most often used platforms are Facebook (75%), Twitter (63%), Instagram (53%), etc. These sites create an online identity, so candidates must have a professional image online to help them stand out when applying for a job.

11. Job searches from mobile devices now exceed 1 billion per month.

With the wide use of mobile devices, mobile recruiting is thriving more than ever before. Almost 90% of job seekers now use a mobile phone when looking for a new opportunity. This has paved the way for several resume trends .

Mobile phones are very convenient to use, so most recruiters and job seekers use them to check emails. The only disadvantage is that it may affect the resume layout, so it’s crucial to make job search tools mobile-friendly.

A resume is a formal document that job seekers need to create to land their dream job. This document needs to include a list of qualifications for a specific job role. It is often accompanied by a cover letter in which the candidate emphasizes the essential details of their resume.

Here are some interesting facts about resumes.

12. Around 88% of the resumes are rejected due to a photograph on the resume.

Resume fun facts for 2022 suggest that you are most likely to face rejection if you include a picture of yourself in your resume/CV. But why is this so? According to a job site, The Ladders, a photograph might distract recruiters from the resume’s actual contents.

Their findings suggest that if a resume includes a photo of an applicant, their future employers will be looking at the photograph itself 19% of the time. Considering that recruiters spend only 6–7 seconds per resume, this interesting fact about resumes is quite understandable.

13. Around 75% of companies use ATS (Applicant Tracking Software).

Many companies use an applicant tracking system to screen and filter candidates. Resume facts suggest that 98% of Fortune 500 companies use this bot to select or eliminate candidates. Therefore, candidates should avoid using resume templates available online because they’re most likely to be dismissed by this system.

Your resume must be well optimized and highlight all specific abilities and accomplishments rather than being overly generic to stand out.

Cover letters are a vital part of every job search process, so if candidates want to ensure job search success, they need to write them. Most recruiters will usually reject a candidate who hasn’t included a cover letter along with their resume.

14. Cover letter statistics indicate that you’re more likely to be set aside if your cover letter doesn’t include a list of skills (35%)

On the other hand, 36% of resumes are rejected for being too generic, while 32% copy a lot of content from the job description itself. Candidates are also most likely to be dismissed if their cover letter or resume includes typos (58%), doesn’t include exact dates of employment (27%), or is printed on decorative paper (19%).

15. Around 67% of recruiters are looking for job experiences in resumes.

Resume facts indicate that not every detail will matter on your resume. Recruiters review only specific sections and information on a resume. Despite work experience, other areas that recruiters are looking for include: 

• cultural fit (60%),
• cover letters (26%),
• the prestige of college (21%),
• grade point average (19%).

Additionally, they want a resume for job seekers tailored to the open position, skills set listed first on the resume, and included links to personal blogs, portfolios, or websites.

Most companies will scan resumes through an applicant tracking system (ATS) in their hiring process. And unfortunately, most resumes don’t make it to the next stage—being seen by human recruiters. Resumes are most likely to be rejected because of impersonality, no Thank You note, and lack of customization. 

16. Most hiring managers (61%) think that a customized resume can improve their job chances. 

Further statistics about resumes suggest that other strategies include: 

• attaching a cover letter to the resume (49%),
• addressing the letter to the hiring manager or recruiter by name (26%),
• linking to the applicant’s online portfolio, blog, or website (21%).

However, most candidates (90%) apply with their standard resumes without customization. This indicates that a resume will probably be rejected because it’s not customized to the job.

17. Only around 35% of candidates who apply for jobs are qualified for the role.

Resume statistics suggest that for any given job position, there is an average of 118 applicants that apply for the post. But only a tiny percentage of them have the necessary qualifications and skills for the job. This suggests that people should apply for jobs on their level because otherwise, they’re wasting the time of recruiters and HR managers. 

Moreover, it’s important not to lie to get a job interview because lies would probably not work in securing a role.

18. Statistics about resumes suggest that only 2–3% of sent resumes result in an interview.

Considering that the average online job posting gets around 250 resumes, only a small percentage of those candidates get an opportunity for an interview. Most companies interview only or less than ten candidates for a position; however, there are exceptions. 

The chances are higher if a job is not posted online or the candidate found it through networking or talking to the employer directly. Moreover, if someone recommends you to the hiring manager, your chances are more significant. 

19. Around 10% of job seekers have applied for 50 or more jobs without hearing back.

Resume statistics suggest that some people have never heard back after sending their email with a resume attached or online job application. This is a frustrating experience for many job seekers, but it also affects the company’s reputation. However, further studies illustrate that almost 50% of people applying for a given job simply aren’t qualified.

Additionally, most large companies implement talent-management software to screen resumes, removing up to 50% of applications before they even get to a recruiter or HR manager.

As a job seeker, it’s inevitable to have a winning resume to stand out in the job market. Resumes are an integral part of every hiring process—it’s the first thing any employer sees about you.

In a corporate world where most companies use applicant tracking software to screen your resume, it’s essential to learn how to make a great impression. But how can you do that if recruiters do not see your resume first? We hope that the above statistics helped you keep up-to-date with the latest resume requirements when searching for a new job.

How important is a resume ?

A resume is an important document to showcase your top skills and qualities. It serves as a bridge between the job applicant and recruiter, as it’s the top requirement companies request. Why is a resume so important?

A well-structured, clean and precise resume shows self-awareness and professionalism—these things make for a great first impression. This document reaches the recruiter’s office even before you, so it’d do half of the work for you. A resume summarizes your qualifications, skills, and achievements and speaks a great deal about you as a professional. Your resume could also convince prospective recruiters that you’re the most suitable candidate for the position. In addition, the purpose of the resume is to get you an interview. But in today’s market, you need to be careful because many companies use resume-tracking programs. Despite having to impress your future employer, you must find ways to impress the computer as well.  

What do employers look for ?

Impressing a future employer doesn’t need to be complicated. However, there are some details that employers look for when hiring employees. Trying to work things out for yourself means that you can easily spend hours or even days, so we reviewed some resume requirements that employers look for.

To make sure your resume matches employers’ expectations, it needs to be written in a reasonably sized, legible font with normal-sized margins. Make it easy for employers to find keywords, job titles, and significant experiences that demonstrate you’re the right fit for the job. Showcase relevant job qualifications and give them a sense of your achievements. Avoid typos, poor word choice, and bragging, and keep formatting consistent throughout the document.

How long do employers look at resumes ?

The average recruiter and hiring manager spend about six seconds reading a resume. Not a lot, right? Well, that’s exactly what they do—look at bolded or highlighted words, big titles, dates, and maybe a bit of the actual content. This can be frustrating for many job seekers because they usually spend hours and hours crafting the perfect resume. So, what exactly can you do to stand out?

You’ve got only a few moments to make a lasting impression, so you want to make sure your resume makes it to the next stage. Things like proper formatting, role-appropriateness, evidence of business impact, job history, and complimentary online portfolio matter the most for the first impression.

However, the number of job applicants can also influence the recruiter’s decision. For example, if there are only a few applicants, the recruiter may review all of them in more detail. But if there are many, the company may hire a hiring manager or a resume scanning system.

How should a resume look in 2022 ?

The path to a new job is paved with a winning resume. However, most job seekers don’t know that a resume design is as important as the content. A great resume stands between your dream job. Here’s how to make sure your resume will get hired managers to invite you to interviews.

Pick the proper format and layout and mention your personal and contact information. Make your header bold and easy-to-read, and choose a clean, reasonably sized font. Put your best content at the top to showcase your most impressive skills and achievements. Personalize your resume, especially the skills section, for every job application you write. Wording your resume precisely is crucial because many companies use ATS systems to scan for keywords and remove unqualified candidates.

Include one page on your resume, even if you have a lot of experience. Double-check that the resume format is consistent because it will help the employer find the information they need. You may include optional information such as an online portfolio, LinkedIn URL, or social media.

We hope that these resume statistics and tips will help you land any job you apply for.

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A cover letter (US), covering letter (UK), and sometimes called an application letter, is a one-page letter that accompanies your CV.

First impressions always count

You’ve heard the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”. Many people spend a lot of time on their CV and then rush through their cover letter. This is a mistake because your cover letter is often the employer’s or admissions officer’s first impression of you.

What your cover letter needs to do:

• Introduce you
• Demonstrate you know something about the company and the position
• Provide two or three solid examples of how your skills and experience match the job requirements
• Share your enthusiasm for working for this particular company or attending this particular university
• Provide a little insight into your personality
• And you need to do it in one page!

Likability outweighs skills

In international surveys, hiring managers repeatedly report that likability is more important in hiring decisions than skill level. Employers hire people they like – people they think will fit into their company culture and be easy to work with. Your cover letter is your first chance to show your personality and demonstrate that you are someone they would like to see at work every day.

One way to do this is to be aware of the tone of your cover letter. You want to show that you understand business letter formality and conventions but also that there is a human behind the letter. Here are some examples of wooden, old-fashioned phrasing. Instead, use natural language and speak directly to the recruiter

One page isn’t much space to do all of the things a cover letter needs to do. Don’t waste space with meaningless words such as herewith, therein and aforementioned.

Watch for clichés that no longer serve a real purpose. ‘Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further information.’ Why would they hesitate? Isn’t it safe to assume you’ll give them more information if they request it?

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