What is a cover letter's purpose and how do you write one?

With a job market full of resume tips, you might be wondering if adding a cover letter actually helps you stand out. This handy guide will explain why it does, and how to write a cover letter. Although perfecting your resume is important, adding a cover letter to future job applications can improve your results almost as much.

What is the purpose of cover letters?

It's helpful to think of it as your sales pitch, informing employers why you'd be a great fit and to express your admiration for the company. It should help prepare a recruiter to read your resume and encourages the person to contact you. A cover letter normally takes up only one page and contains a greeting, followed by:

• Work experience relevant to the job's requirements
• Your current career situation and reason for applying
• An anecdote or success story
• A polite call to action

According to a CareerBuilder survey, 40% of hiring managers claimed they are more likely to pay attention to a job application that includes a cover letter, so the added effort could make all the difference. When you upload a resume to a job-hunting network, perfecting your cover letter format is worth doing before sending your first resume. With the format nailed down, you can briefly tailor a convincing letter to each job application you send.

How to write a cover letter

Professional address and salutations

Since it's a letter, you'll need a professional format with your contact information in the upper margins, followed by a greeting to the recruiter. Be sure to get the accurate name and avoid general salutations like "To whom it may concern." If you don't know anyone in the company even after doing some research or the closest position who is probably in charge of the job.

Introduce yourself

Your first paragraph should introduce who you are. The hiring managers might be in charge of filling multiple positions, so be clear about the position you're applying for. You can add another sentence or two that introduces your biggest strengths and accomplishments related to the job, as well as how the job fits well with your career goals.

Recent job situation

While the first paragraph was more general, the second paragraph is a chance to preemptively answer some tough interview questions, such as "Why are you interested in this job?" or "Why did you leave your last job?" Then, you can transition from what brings you to contact the recruiter into your motivations for working with the company. Hiring managers like the idea of a person who feels inspired by their brand or business. It's always more appealing than someone who applies to every major player.

Conclusion, thanks, and call to action

Finally, your last paragraph should briefly thank the hiring manager for reading your cover letter and resume, ending with a call to action like "Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you by phone or email about this opportunity." Try not to be pushy or very specific about contacting you a certain way; it's better to come across as approachable and flexible. From there, sign your name and you're done.

Compared to taking a shotgun approach and applying to tons of jobs with no cover letter, people who prepare, research, and compose the perfect resume and letter for one or two positions at a time will have a much higher success rate. You'll be able to get a great new job after fewer applications and interviews, and as you can see above, the steps are simple enough to create a reliable template, which you can then tailor to multiple jobs.

Can you add more sections to a cover letter?

About 70% of hiring managers agree that cover letters should not exceed 300 words. A cover letter is meant to better prepare someone to read the rest of your job application and understand what you have to offer, so it's wise to keep it brief. That's even more true if your cover letter is sent as a plain email. Try to take extra topics, like research projects for a researcher job application, and turn them into a special section for your resume rather than letting them bog down the cover letter.

There's no denying that you need a great resume attuned to your potential new job, but not as many job seekers consider cover letters important. Think of a well-researched cover letter as a way to help people remember you in the sea of other applicants. You can put a spotlight on the most important parts of your resume, namely your most relevant skills, your accomplishments, and why you want to work at the company.

Advice for your cover letter:

Don't give away your entire story in your cover letter, and what to do instead.

Looking for a marketing job? Check out a sample cover letter for marketing professionals.

Read our cover letter tips to land your dream job.

Start at the beginning with our crash course on cover letters 101.