Cover Letters

Cover letters are a way to create a personalized statement that explains how you as the applicant meet the needs of the employer. This is about marketing yourself and telling your story. It goes with your resume, which is a summary of your experiences, skills and accomplishments. Each cover letter should be tailored to match the specific position and employer.

View videos about cover letters on our Youtube.

Cover Letter Samples

View sample Cover Letters.

Sections of a Cover Letter 

Personal Contact Info

Required: Name, Address, Phone, Email
Optional: LinkedIn, Online portfolio

Date

Employer's Contact Info

Name, Department, Company, Address. If no specific person's name use position title or department name. If there is no known address, use an email address with city/state.

Greeting

Try to address your cover letter to a person. If there is no specific name, use "Dear Search Committee,", "Dear Hiring Manager," or "To Whom it May Concern:"

Beginning Paragraph

Introduce yourself and express your interest in the position. Possible subjects include:

  • Who you are - year in school, university, major.
  • The specific job title.
  • How you heard about the job and, if appropriate, the person who told you about it.
  • Why you're interested in the position (be specific!).
  • Why you're qualified. This should be a brief one sentence summary of why you are a good fit for the position (similar to a thesis statement).

Middle Paragraph(s)

Describe 1-3 of your experiences/projects that show your job-specific skills and qualifications. Make sure to:

  • Show how you make a good fit with the position/organization.
  • Focus on what you will bring to the organization and why they should hire you. Go into more detail then your resume - don’t just restate your bullets.
  • Break up the paragraph into smaller sections if it is too big. Smaller paragraphs are more readable.

Ending/Summarizing Paragraph

Final interest and fit statement in which you:

  • Include your availability, and how you will follow through with the application. Tell the reader what is the best way to reach you and how to reach you.
  • Thank the employer for their consideration.
  • Add any other practical remarks - e.g. if you have not completed a certification yet but are scheduled to take the exam, or if you will be relocating or will be visiting the area soon

Closing Signature

"Sincerely", "Best Regards", "Yours", Hand-written signature AND Typed name. Best to hand-write signature but if you are unable to scan document you can use script-like font instead

A cover letter is an important tool to use when applying for a job because it:

  • Introduces you to the prospective employer
  • Highlights your enthusiasm for the position
  • Describes your specific skills and qualifications for the job or internship, and clearly explains why you are a good fit

You should always include a cover letter when applying for a job unless you are specifically told not to by the employer. We recommend that you write a cover letter after you have created your tailored resume or curriculum vitae (CV) for a particular position. When applying online and limited to uploading one document, you can create a single PDF document that includes both your resume and cover letter.

For advanced degree positions, see Developing Application Materials for Academic Jobs or Developing Application Materials for Non-Academic Jobs. 

Tips on Using AI for Cover Letters
You can use AI to assist you, but you always want to create a specific, unique prompt and edit the results so that what you submit to the employer is in your authentic voice. AI is a helpful tool to use, but not meant to replace your own writing in job applications. See our recommendations for incorporating AI for cover letters here.