What Should a Great Cover Letter Say?

 1. What Should a Great Cover Letter Say?

A perfect cover letter for your resume is made of the following four parts:

    Salutation: A professional greeting that addresses the hiring manager by name
    Introduction: An attention-grabbing opening paragraph that introduces yourself, your intention to apply for the open role
    Body paragraphs: At least two paragraphs describing your relevant professional experience, achievements, skills, and education
    Closing paragraph: A cover letter ending that contains a call to action (CTA), asking the hiring manager to invite you in for an interview

The cover letter example below describes how to write each of these key sections:

 
Salutation

Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],
Opening Paragraph (Introduction)

Your cover letter opening should contain a self introduction. Write about who you are, where your expertise lies, where you found the job posting, and why you want to apply for the job.
Body Paragraphs

The second paragraph of your cover letter should respond directly to the job description written by the hiring manager. Describe how your previous job experiences, skills, and abilities will help you meet the company’s needs. To make that easier, you should include exact words and phrases from the job descriptions in your cover letter.

    You can include a bulleted list of your accomplishments
    Make sure to use numbers or percentages to emphasize your bullet points (e.g. Increased online revenue by 13%)

Do some research about the company and find out what their current activities and goals are. Explain how you can help them achieve those goals.
Closing Paragraph

Your cover letter closing is the call-to-action portion of your cover letter. Inform the hiring manager that you’d love to go in for an interview. Provide your email address or other contact information and tell them that you’ll reach out in a week if you don’t hear back. Thank them for spending their time reading your cover letter.

Sincerely,

Your Name