Just like your resume, your cover letter must be specific to the job you are applying for. The opening sentence of your cover letter is crucial when you want to catch the attention of a hiring manager. A cover letter should have an opening that is tailored to your company and the role you are applying for.

It can be difficult to come up with something when all you see is a blank screen. It’s possible to even question whether you should write a cover letter for the job of your dreams.

This article will show you how to write a cover letter that grabs your attention and increases your chances of being interviewed. Below are several examples of cover letters that have been successful. We also provide brief explanations of each one. This article contains expert tips to help you get started with your cover letters. It includes how to format your document, address it, and how to greet your audience.

Do we even need cover letters?

Cover letters were in decline not too long ago. This is changing. The use of cover letters nearly doubled between 2020 and 2021. Managers are now reading cover letters more often.

A 50/50 chance that you will get a job offer with a cover letter expected and read. It’s worth having a cover letter on hand, considering these odds. A cover letter can be used to explain any faux pas on your resume, such as employment gaps.

Every candidate should send a cover letter along with any job application, whether it’s for an internship or an executive position. Our track record speaks for itself. We have helped over 30,000 people with their job searches by providing new resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and cover letters. You can have your cover letter ready in no time with a little practice.

Examples of cover letter introductions (from experts).

The best example of a strong opening sentence:

Experts were asked to share their best examples of how to begin a cover letter. they shared the following:

“A senior-level executive with more than 15 years of experience in the telecom industry, I can outpace my competition through strategic planning as well as tactical execution. “

This is a sample cover letter introduction, which follows the same formula as Niki Beaulieu’s:

“As [insert job title/umbrella], I have [# of years] of experience in [industry] [insert a case of how the customer benefits their company] by leveraging [insert one-three key skills related to how they achieve those achievements]. “

A cover letter should complement your resume but it does not have to be the same professional language. It is not recommended to use first-person verbiage on your resume. However, you should use it in your cover letters.

Your cover letter should reflect your passion and dedication to excellence. Hiring managers and recruiters are looking for people who love what they do. Your cover letter will be different than 50 boring, generic letters. These are five more examples of cover letter introductions.

A simple example:

Dear [Hiring Manager],

As a Junior Web Developer, I am excited about the chance to be a part of the Google team. About four years ago, I discovered my passion for web development. Then, I graduated from Stanford with an undergraduate degree in computer science. I also completed a summer internship at Chegg. I was part of the team that helped to dramatically improve and optimize the user interface (UI em>).

Our cover letter openers briefly mention the relevant experience of the job candidate. Even if you don’t have any professional experience, it is a good idea to mention any practical experience such as an internship.

A reference example:

Dear [Hiring Manager],

Alison Lombardi recommended that I contact you about the job opening for a graphic designer. Over the last 9 years, I have completed many projects and received awards for originality and creativity. I would be delighted to interview for this position and tell you how I can help [name of company em]

Successful cover letters can capture the attention of the reader, and help them to keep it. The person could mention a mutual contact. Your cover letter will stand out because the hiring team is likely to be full of busy people. This cover letter example uses that earned attention to highlight professional accomplishments.

This is a good example.

Dear Ms. West,

I was thrilled to see your job opening for a customer service representative and hope to be invited to interview.

My experience includes customer service in both retail and call center environments. My most recent experience was as a customer service representative at Discount-Mart. I handled customer merchandise returns, issued store credits and refunds, flagged damaged merchandise for shipment back, and provided backup cashiering during busy periods.

This example draws the reader into the conversation by calling a real person by their name. Although it doesn’t say, “I’m perfect for this job”, the opening statement allows the audience to reach that conclusion. The first paragraph contains the relevant experience and core skills that directly relate to the job requirements.

A sample from Interview Guys with a friendly, personal tone:

Dear Mr. Sorensen:

I was immediately drawn to the job listing for Production Office Coordinator for “Wonder Kids” and I submitted my resume. I am an enthusiastic, hardworking Production Office Coordinator with more than eight years of hands-on practical experience. I am currently seeking a job in the industry, and believe my skills and experience would make me a great fit for the position.

The specificity of the opening paragraph is what makes it so special. This would not work for any other company. It makes it stand out among the candidates who use the same cover letter to apply for every job position. This ideal candidate instead describes a career goal that is compatible with the company’s culture. In the second sentence, you will find some characteristics that will help you succeed if you are hired. This is a company-specific opener, so you can use the remainder of the letter to highlight more core skills and an accomplishment.

More example

Dear Hiring Manager

With great enthusiasm, I submit my application to the Westeros Castle Project’s Sales Coordinator position. My experience as an administrator with more than ten years’ worth of work means that I will be a valuable asset to the Westeros team.

This cover letter template can be easily modified to suit your needs if none of the examples are suitable for you. If the name has not been advertised, it’s fine to address your letter directly to the hiring manager. You will also find the following information in this sample cover letter: your name, current position, years of relevant experience, and the team you would like to join.

These examples will help you grab the attention of any hiring manager and increase your chances to land an interview.

Once you have chosen which cover letter example you prefer, you can start to write your cover letter. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Starting a cover letter

Cover letters should be written in a professional business format. Your contact information (header) should be included in the cover letter. Your career marketing materials (resumes, cover letters, thank-you notes, etc.) should match your resume. You should use matching fonts, margins, and headers. Include the following information after your header:

• Date
• Address of the company
• Refer to the reference line for adding any job code that may appear in the job title (RE: Job ID#).
• Salutation
• Paragraphs
• Closing

Contact information

To match the contact information in your cover letter and resume, you can open your resume and press CTRL > S/Command > S to save it as a new file. After saving it as a separate file, you can remove everything from the header and begin a new document by adding the date and contact information.

Although the date is obvious, there are many questions about the section about the company address. Most of these questions are about not knowing the company address. It is easy to find addresses online. This is not something you should skip because hiring managers want people who have put in the most effort to find their job openings.

You should include the following information in your company contact information:

• Name of the hiring manager
• Company name
• Street address of the company
• Zip code, state, and city of Company

The reference line

This is a quick way to indicate that your cover letter is tailored to each job. This is a simple thing to do because all the relevant information is in the job description. If your resume and cover letter are being reviewed by another person, such as the Human Resources department, a reference line will ensure they reach the correct hiring manager. A reference line can be especially useful if you are unable to locate the name of the hiring manager to use in your greeting.

The salutation (or “greeting”)

When it comes to the greeting on a cover letter, there are two very common questions:

• Can I use a generic greeting instead?
• What do I have to do?

Make sure to address your cover letter properly and find out the name of the hiring manager. It might take some research to find the name of someone. Sometimes, however, you will see the name of the hiring manager at the bottom of the description of the job. LinkedIn will often give the name of the person who posted the job opening if you search for it.

“To Whom It May Concern” is gone. Sometimes, however, a name cannot be found. “Dear Hiring manager” If it’s impossible to locate a name, a general greeting would be. If you are contacting a recruiter, you could use “Dear recruiter”

The opening paragraph

After you have the header and layout sorted, it is time to move on to the opening paragraph. This is your introduction to the company. This paragraph should not be too detailed.

This paragraph should contain 3 items (plus 1 optional item).

1. Title and description of the position you are applying for: Hiring managers won’t waste their time trying to figure out which position they are applying for.
2. Describe your desire to work at that company: Mention the company name to express a sincere interest in the company. This is, after all a major purpose for a cover letter.
3. Briefly state your qualifications: Giving a high-level overview, such as mentioning your years of experience, will give the hiring manager an idea of why you should be invited for an interview. The remainder of your cover letter can be used to provide more information about how your skills, education, and experience are compatible with the company’s requirements.
4. Name of the person who was referred (optional:) If you have been referred to the job, please include their name in your opening paragraph. Referrals are more effective at attracting the attention of hiring managers than any other method. It is estimated that approximately 85% of U.S. jobs are filled through referrals.

Mistakes when writing a cover letter

In the first paragraph, avoid boring or generic language. Your cover letter should be tailored to the job description and show that you are the most qualified candidate. Your cover letter should not be bland or repetitive. You have the chance to wow the hiring manager by crafting a compelling introduction. This will make you stand out and intrigue them enough to ask for your interview. Always think about what you can do to help the company. Some everyday cover letters are more inward-focused, minus the boredom factor.These are some examples of language to avoid:

• “My Name is Bob. I’d like to apply for the position of manager …” Your name should be the first thing on the page. It’s unnecessary to repeat the same information in the body of the letter. It is not a good idea to repeat the same thing twice.
• I’m writing to express interest in …”. The days of “to whom may concern” are gone. This is one of those phrases that has been so common it’s almost taboo. This phrase will show that you have put in little effort to write a compelling cover letter.
• Please find my resume below …” There are some things wrong with this sentence. Your resume should not be attached to this message. It should be a separate file. It also falls under the Captain-Obvious category. Because you are applying for a job, you will be sending your resume.

These lines don’t provide any information that will help a hiring manager determine if you are the right candidate for the job.

Aimee Duquette is a Human Resources Professional & Resume Writer. She was asked what the worst way to begin a cover letter was. According to her, a cover letter with no personalization is a sign that an applicant has “taken the easy route out”.

Companies want to be able to show that they are hiring people who take initiative. It’s too easy to send the same cover letter to every job. This can instantly turn off a hiring manager.

Last tip: Use your achievements

Your resume can be spiced up by including your career achievements, both quantitative and qualitative. A good rule of thumb is to have at least 5 accomplishment-driven statements for every 10 years of work experience.

• Quantitative achievements can be described with a number ($#, or %). One great example is increasing efficiency by 15% due to the updating of staff training modules after realizing that some incoming team members weren’t as well-informed as they should be.
• Qualitative achievements are accomplishments that have earned you recognition, but not with numbers. Are you ever given a task or completed a project by management that is not part of your job? This would be a great achievement that you can share with your new company. This shows that you aren’t content to just go to work and collect a paycheck, but also that you care about the team’s well-being, even if it means taking on more responsibility.

These achievements should be dispersed throughout the cover letter. However, at least one can go in the opening paragraph.

Summary

Your resume and cover letter should be used to highlight your strengths for a job. You will get more interviews if you highlight your strengths well. You can win more interviews by writing a strong cover letter that introduces you to the company’s hiring manager and highlights your strengths. If you need help highlighting your strengths and achievement in your resume, reach out to one of our experts to enhance your resume and land that dream job.

This article will show you how to write a cover letter that invites the hiring manager to interview you.

Good luck in your job search!