What Is the Purpose of a Cover Letter?
The purpose of a cover letter is to work in tandem with your resume to explain why you’re the perfect candidate for a job. Read on to discover why cover letters are important and effective writing tips.
What’s the purpose of a cover letter, and why are they important?
The purpose of a cover letter is to support your resume by providing further detail on how your skills and experience align with the job at hand and ultimately win you the role.
Cover letters will:
- Introduce you to employers before they dig into the details of your resume.
- Highlight your skills and qualifications for the job.
- Showcase your communication skills and personality.
- Share why you’re motivated or enthusiastic about the specific role.
- Support the details listed in your resume by telling a story about them.
Why are cover letters important?
Research shows that 83% of recruiters say that a well-written cover letter will benefit you because it allows the candidate to demonstrate that they are a great fit for the job.
Many recruiters use cover letters as the deciding factor between candidates with similar credentials, making it a good idea to include one with every resume you send out!
Writing a cover letter from scratch requires effort, but sending one benefits you!
If you want a faster, easier way to create your document, check out our Cover Letter Builder. It’s a fully automated tool that walks you through the writing process step-by-step, offering industry-specific content you can customize.
When should I send a cover letter?
Send a cover letter with your resume when applying for a job — after all, the purpose of a cover letter is to help convince a potential employer to hire you.
Do send a cover letter if:
- The job post requires one.
- You’re serious about a role and want an edge over other candidates.
- Someone within the company has recommended you for the role so that you can mention them.
- There are things you want to explain about your resume, like why you’re changing careers or if there are gaps in your work history.
- You’re applying to a high-level position, like manager or executive.
- You are prospecting or inquiring about a job that has yet to be advertised.
Don’t send a cover letter if:
- The job post says explicitly not to.
- You’re using an online application portal without a field to upload a cover letter or additional files beyond your resume.
How to make your cover letter fulfill its purpose
Next, we’ll provide tips to make your cover letter more effective at reaching its purpose of convincing an employer to interview and hire you.
Use a cover letter template to look sharp
An easy way to ensure that your document looks sharp and professional is to use a cover letter template.
A template is a preformatted cover letter design that allows you to skip the formatting and go straight to writing. Graphic artists created all of the templates in our library to follow the proper cover letter format.
That way, you know your document will look great, and you can focus on writing!
Explain your interest in the role
Unlike your resume, your cover letter gives you the window to explain why you want the role. Doing so will help you connect with the hiring manager because they’ll understand your motivation and passion for the opportunity.
For instance, someone hoping to land a serving position at a Japanese restaurant could mention how much the cuisine matters to them after living in Japan for a year.
You could also mention if the company’s mission or culture appeals to you for any number of reasons. For example, “[Company Names]’s focus on organic and sustainable ingredients is very close to my heart as a dedicated practitioner of holistic living.”
The more you convince employers you have specific reasons for wanting to work for them, the more likely they are to hire you!
Sell yourself as the perfect candidate
Your cover letter provides extra space beyond your resume to prove you’re a good fit for a role.
The best way to do this is by carefully looking at the job post or ad before you write. Use this to identify keywords describing the most vital skills and qualifications an employer seeks.
Then, mention these skills in your cover letter. The middle paragraph is the perfect place to outline how your skills led to a great business or career success!
Address any red flags an employer may see
You may have some “red flags” on your resume that give employers pause to hire you.
These red flags include:
- A lack of experience. If you’re a recent graduate or looking for your first job, your sparse work experience may harm your chances. The way to overcome this is by using your cover letter to express your passion, eagerness to learn and skills you’ve developed outside of work.
- Changing careers. If you’re changing careers, you want to mention the positive reasons for making this leap. Otherwise, employers may think you’re unhappy at your old job and want anything new. Explain why you’re transitioning and showcase the transferable skills you’re carrying from your previous industry — these can be project management, communication or organizational skills, for example.
- Long gaps in your employment history. Explain why there’s a gap in your work history. Otherwise, employers may suspect that no one wants to hire you. Focus on positive reasons, like returning to school, dedicating yourself to personal development, starting a family or caring for a relative.
4 cover letter writing tips
Here are four tips for making a cover letter that impresses employers and best serves its purpose and you.
- Personalize your cover letter to each job.
Your resume should also be unique to each job, but with a cover letter, it’s even more important! Your cover letter should speak a bit about the company you’re applying to and why it appeals to you.
Mention specific details about the company and role that shows hiring managers you’re paying attention and did your research!
For instance, you may mention a company’s involvement in a cause or mission, such as donating 5% of its profits to provide clean water access or sponsoring a local annual event.
Here’s an example:
[Company Name]’s emphasis on global equity and social responsibility is very close to my heart. Your generous contributions to providing clean water access are inspirational, and I hope to contribute.”- Keep your cover letter to one page.
Your cover letter should be one-page maximum to respect a hiring manager’s time and keep their attention. That single page should contain three to four paragraphs and under 400 words.
Review some cover letter examples for inspiration on delivering a powerful message.
- Address the hiring manager by name.
Your cover letter will be more effective if it speaks to someone directly. Researching and finding the hiring manager’s name shows motivation and attention to detail that will benefit you.
Ways to find out the hiring manager’s name:
- Search the company website.
- Research on LinkedIn.
- Email or call the company to ask.
Then, just put it in the standard greeting format: Dear [Manager’s Name].
In some cases, it may be impossible to find a hiring manager’s name.
To address a cover letter with no name, these are safe options:
- Dear Hiring Manager,
- Dear Recruiting Manager,
- Dear [Department Name] Manager,
- Dear [Company Name] Hiring Team,
Avoid the generic and dated greetings ‘To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir or Madam.”
- Proofread your cover letter.
Your cover letter is more likely to impress employers if it’s error-free. So, carefully proofread your letter and run it through a spelling and grammar check before you send it!
Read it out loud to ensure it flows. Having a trusted friend or family member review your letter is also a good idea to ensure it’s straightforward and easy to understand.
Taking these proofreading steps will help your letter maximize its effect on employers.
Key takeaways
To recap, here’s what the purpose of a cover letter is:
- To help win you a job by serving as a complementary document to your resume.
- Highlighting skills, qualifications and motivation to convince employers of your suitability for the job.
- Expressing interest and aligning yourself to the role and company.
- Selling your experience by telling a story that shows your skills in action.
- Putting your best professional foot forward.
Applying these strategies can significantly enhance your cover letter’s effectiveness in securing interviews and advancing your job search efforts.
Next, if you’re ready to start crafting your document, check out our Cover Letter Builder! It provides the following benefits:
- Effortless creation: Our fully automated tool guides you through the process step-by-step, saving you valuable time and effort.
- Personalization: Access a database of prewritten text tailored to various job roles, allowing you to customize your cover letter content based on the specific position you’re applying for.
- Professional templates: Choose from 25+ professionally designed templates, ensuring your cover letter looks polished and stands out to hiring managers.
- Send your cover letter in minutes: With our Cover Letter Builder, you can shave the writing process down to just 15 minutes, giving you more time to focus on other aspects of your job search.
How we reviewed this article
Over the past 15 years, we’ve helped more than 10 million job seekers build stronger cover letters, discover their career paths, interview confidently, and boost their chances of finding the right job faster. Review our Editorial Policy to learn more about our process.
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