Cover letters can be a great asset, but they can also be a liability if you don't have every detail correct. Here's a checklist to help you know what to include, what to omit, and how to structure your letter to make the best first impression.
2. The Perfect Cover Letter
Peanut butter and jelly. Milk and cookies. Resumes and cover
letters. Some things are just better together.
Now, it may not be delicious or sweet—or even very good to eat—
but a cover letter is still one very important half of a perfect pair
when it comes to applying for jobs. A cover letter is a short, one-
page letter that you send along with your resume when applying
for a job. It allows you to showcase your skills, interests, and
intent, and it is used to expand upon the information in your
resume, particularly as it relates to your work experience.
3. Crafting the perfect cover letter is extremely important because
it gives you the opportunity to explain, in detail, how and why
you are the perfect fit for a particular position. It also gives you a
chance to show your personality and demonstrate to the
employer why the company would benefit from hiring you.
4. The Cover Letter Checklist:
What to Include
• The same full contact information as in your resume. Include
your name, mailing address, phone number, email address, and a
link to your LinkedIn profile or, if you have one, your personal
website.
• A consistent look. Make sure that your resume and cover letter
match in style and presentation.
5. Paragraph sections. Include a salutation, opening (one paragraph),
main body (one to two paragraphs), and closing (one paragraph).
o Salutation: This is your greeting (such as Dear Ms. Meya
Fransson). Try to get an exact name instead of using To Whom It
May Concern.
o Opening: Briefly introduce yourself. State the position for which
you are applying and why you are a great fit. Demonstrate your
strengths to the reader in a few powerful lines.
6. o Main body: Get to the nitty-gritty about how and why you are
the best candidate for the job. Look at the qualifications,
experience, and skills outlined in the job description, and show
the reader how you match these. Explain some of your greatest
past accomplishments. Focus on the company's requirements;
try to do so without the use of "I" statements. When writing this
section, always keep the following question in the back of your
mind: Why should we hire you?
o Closing: This should be a quick summary of what you talked
about in the body to reiterate what you offer. Thank the
employer and suggest a meeting. Sign off in a polite and
professional manner.
7. The right amount of white space (not too much or too little).
A length of about half a page (one full page, including your contact
information and that of the recipient).
No spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors.
Personalization. The letter must include a salutation and be addressed
to the right person.
Your key skills as they relate to the position for which you are applying,
written in the same way as they are written in the job posting to
increase your chances of making it through the applicant tracking
system (ATS).
8. The reasons why you would be best for the position. Include
knowledge, skills, and experience as they relate to the job posting.
o NOTE: Each cover letter you write must be tailored to a specific
job and employer. You cannot reuse a cover letter or work from
a template, simply changing words occasionally. The more
customized your letter is, the greater your chances will be of
making it through the system, getting your letter read by the
hiring manager, and getting an interview.
9. What to Omit and Avoid
Avoid clichés, such as:
"To Whom It May Concern"
"My name is . . ."
"I am writing to express my interest in . . ."
"I'm probably not the best candidate, but . . ."
"I am applying for the role of [title] at [Company] . . ."
10. Never reuse a cover letter. Start fresh every time. It's okay to use
a guideline, but never use the same cover letter twice.
Don't be vague. Be specific, especially in outlining your skills as
they relate to the position.
Don't repeat your resume. Instead, discuss your work history, and
emphasize any major accomplishments that relate to the position
for which you are applying. Expand on certain aspects in detail to
tell a story about your accomplishments, but don't tell the reader
what he or she already knows.
11. Design Elements
Be consistent. Make sure that your resume and cover letter match in
style and presentation.
Keep it short. Write one page, at most (about 250–350 words). The
hiring manager will admire your ability to be concise.
Keep it succinct. Try to use short sentences instead of long ones, and
try to keep each paragraph to five lines or fewer.
Use numbers and metrics. These really make your accomplishments
stand out and help draw the reader's eye.
12. Use boldface instead of
underlining or italics if you
want to emphasize
something.
Avoid graphics, pictures,
images, tables, etc.
Use a common document
type. Unless the employer
asks for a specific format,
prepare your cover letter
as a Word document (.doc
or .docx). Word
documents, as opposed to
PDFs or other file types,
are the most common and
are therefore the easiest to
be attached to emails,
opened, and read.
13. Format appropriately. Use a standard business letter format,
listing your name and address, the date, and the recipient's name
and address first, followed by the salutation and substance of the
letter. The main body of your letter will vary from industry to
industry, but a rough outline looks like this:
1) Opening
o State the position for which you are applying, including any
job posting numbers.
o This is where you hook the reader in.
2) Main body
o This should be one or two paragraphs in length.
o How do you fit in? What do you bring to the table? How do
your skills match those required for the position?
3) Closing
o Thank the reader.
o Show enthusiasm for the position.
o Restate the best way(s) to contact you (phone, email).
o Ask for an interview.
14. Include white space (or negative space). This refers to margins
(the areas between the main content and the edges of the
page), gutters (the vertical space between columns), and the
spaces between lines. Maintaining a balance between white
space and content will keep your cover letter from looking
cluttered.
Use an appropriate font style, size, and color. Use a font that is
easy to read and that doesn't distract from your message. Fonts
such as Arial, Calibri, Verdana, Times New Roman, Georgia,
Lucida, Tahoma, or Trebuchet were designed for the web and
are commonly accepted. The font size should be between 10
and 12 point, and the color should be black and consistent
throughout.
Use one-inch margins all the way around your cover letter. This
will ensure that no information gets cut off if a paper copy is
printed.
15. Spelling, Grammar,
and Punctuation
Attention to detail. Spelling and grammar are
important indicators of a candidate's attention to
detail; they highlight defects instead of spotlighting
qualities. It is nearly impossible to recover from
spelling errors in your cover letter.
Action words. Use words that convey action, such as
“advised,” “examined,” “oversaw,” “prepared,”
“resolved,” and “compiled.”
Consistency. Be consistent with your punctuation
throughout. This includes using only single or double
quotation marks, using the serial comma
consistently, and using only straight or curly quotes.
Acronyms. Always make sure to spell out any
acronyms in full upon their first use, followed by the
acronym in parentheses.
16. Editing. Make sure to take the time to thoroughly edit and
proofread your cover letter. Even the smallest spelling mistake can
have a disastrous effect, so pay extra attention when reading
through this document. You may even want to use a professional
editing service such as Scribendi.com to have an extra set of
professional, discerning eyes catch any errors you may have
missed. A hiring manager who sees mistakes in your cover letter
won't take you seriously and will think you are lazy, which also
makes it more likely that your application will be rejected.
Punctuation. Make sure to use punctuation marks properly. Know
the difference between a hyphen (-), an en dash (–), and an em
dash (—); when and how to use a semicolon (;); how to use a
comma properly (,); and that a period (.) goes at the end of each
complete sentence.
17. Capitalization. Capitalize words correctly. Do capitalize names;
proper nouns; names of cities, states/provinces, and countries;
languages; company names; brand names; and months. Do not
capitalize job titles (unless they come before a name);
college/university majors; important-sounding career words that
aren't proper nouns; seasons; or directions.
Style. Be formal in your letter, but don't be afraid to let your
personality shine through. Be true to yourself in your language
and tone.
18. Bonus Tips for an
Awesome Cover Letter
Get to know the company's culture (read its website; look at its
LinkedIn page) so that you can write like one of the team members
and show that you'd be a perfect fit.
Regardless of whether you're fresh out of university or 10 years into
the workforce, try to focus on your work experience, not your
education.
19. If possible, tell a story. Explain how you came to learn
about this company; what brought you here? Try to
connect in a way that makes you stand out from the rest.
Show your future employer that a) you're going to excel in
the position, b) you're friendly and likable and get along
well with others, and c) you're going to be a great fit.
Write like a real person—don't be robotic and overly
formal, but also don't be super excited and so over the top
that you seem disingenuous.
20. Read the company's website and
try to write in its "voice."
Show interest and enthusiasm
about what you have to offer
and what the company can offer
you.
Stay positive, and focus on your
strengths. Don't apologize for
not having the right experience
or exact educational
background.
Use the active voice instead of
the passive voice.
Be yourself, not fake or too
formal. You want to appear
sincere, approachable, and real,
so make this come through in
your writing.
21. So there you have it: the ultimate cover letter checklist.
Remember, the cover letter is to the resume what peanut butter
is to jelly or cookies are to milk—you can't just submit one
without the other when applying for a job. And, as you can see,
the cover letter is a necessary (even mandatory) part of the job
application process. Your resume isn't enough, and most
employers require that you submit a cover letter along with your
resume to expand on your skills and to show how you'd be a
perfect fit for the position.
Taking into consideration things to include, things to avoid or
omit, design elements, and spelling, grammar, and punctuation,
you should be well on your way to crafting your best cover letter
yet. But before you hit "Send," make sure the cover letter is
clean and error-free by having it edited by the professionals at
Scribendi.com. You're just a click away from landing that dream
job!
22. Looking for more resources that will help
you craft the perfect job application?
Check out Inklyo.com's Ultimate Resume Checklist to make sure your
resume is just as polished as your cover letter!
Then, follow Inklyo.com on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for more
great tips about job hunting.