How to Write an Advertising Cover Letter

Advertising is an exciting, fast-paced, and constantly-changing field.

To set yourself apart from other applicants, you’ll need to show your cover letter writing chops. That’s why we’ve put together this list of tips for writing your advertising cover letter. Use these along with LiveCareer’s Cover Letter Builder to create a cover letter that will make advertising professional want to meet with you, and give you the best chance of competing for–and winning–your dream ad job.

• You want the cover letter to draw attention to you and get the hiring manager to take your resume seriously. Make the content unique, i.e., do not reiterate what’s in the resume. Use it to promote yourself, your specific advertising skills and why that should be important to the company.
• Avoid being too wordy. The resume will detail your experiences, but your advertising cover letter should be short and sweet as possible. Get to the point because hiring managers are busy people and don’t have time for elegant prose.
• Try to demonstrate that you not only know advertising, you know the agency in question and their brand. Let the hiring manager know why you’d like to work there both personally and professionally.
• Summarize your experiences succinctly in ways that relate to the position you’re applying to. Let the hiring manager see you’re the perfect fit through what you’ve done, what you’re doing and what you can bring to the table.
• If there are any major projects or key clients you’ve associated with, feel free to mention them without getting into specifics. (Leave that for the resume.) Relevant experience is vital in advertising.
• We cannot stress this point enough: avoid hyperbole. Don’t say you’re a team player. Show it. Anyone can say it (and as hiring managers know, many do).
• I look forward to hearing from you. and I hope to hear from you soon. are clichés. Advertising is all about calls to action. Use one when you close out the advertising cover letter. I appreciate your time and I’m excited about this opportunity. Let’s set up an appointment and talk at your convenience.

Remember, the resume has to be constructed of facts. The cover letter can be personal. Use it to illuminate your personality. Fill it with positive energy and enthusiasm and set yourself apart from the mass of static and boring cover letters out there.

If you apply these tips to your writing, you’ll create a strong advertising cover letter that will get attention. To take your letters to the next level, use LiveCareer’s cover letter tools, like Cover Letter Builder and Cover Letter Examples,to give yourself the competitive edge you need to win the job!