What To Include In A Cover Letter (With Examples)

Cover letters are the first introduction to you as a person and potential employee. While resumes cover your work experience and skills, the cover letter explains why you, specifically, should get the job. It’s where you can showcase your writing skills, why you want the position, and highlight your relevant skills and qualifications.

If you’re looking to write up a cover letter for a job you’re applying to, or if you want to see if your letter checks all the boxes, then this article will help you out. While a hiring manager may not select you entirely because of your cover letter, giving it that extra bit of shine could push you into the top candidate slot.

Key Takeaways

• Your cover letter should include:

  • Your contact information and the date

  • The employer’s contact information

  • A greeting

  • Body paragraphs

  • A closing paragraph

  • A sign-off

• You should customize your cover letter to every position you apply to.

• Focus on what you can add to the company in your cover letter.

• Work keywords from the job description into your cover letter.

What to include in a cover letter

Cover letters, like every business communication, have a set of rules that you’re expected to follow. They should be short, confident, and include information relevant to the job. The format of a cover letter determines what goes where, meaning that you won’t have to spend long organizing your letter.

With that in mind, here’s everything you need to include in each part of your cover letter:

1. Your Contact Information and the Date

   The very first key element your cover letter is going to be a header that includes your contact information. You’re going to list your name, your address, your phone number, and your email address. Feel free to include your LinkedIn contact information or a link to your online portfolio.

   Make sure you create a professional email address if you don’t already have one. Something like FirstNameLastName@emailaddress.com. It’s another way to make a good first impression on the hiring manager.

   Lulu Paige
   333 First Street
   Los Angeles, CA, 90001
   (000) 111-2222
   lulupaige@address.com

   January 1, 2023

2. Employer’s Contact Information

   Even though most cover letters are submitted online nowadays, it’s still a rule of thumb to include the company’s contact information. Google the company to find their local address and list it beneath your own contact information.

   If you can’t find out the company’s local address, don’t sweat it — but if you can find it, include it just for tradition’s sake.

   Adam Smith
   Recruiter
   TopNotch Company
   111 West Street
   Los Angeles, CA 90001

3. Greeting

   How you address your cover letter is more important than you might think. Try to avoid greetings like “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir or Madam.” While there’s nothing inherently wrong with either, they’re seen as out of date and impersonal.

   Hiring managers value it if you show you’re willing to put in the extra effort to find out who to address the letter to. Put effort into finding out the name of the person who’s going to be reading your cover letter. Call the company’s front office or review their website to find their hiring manager’s name.

   Acceptable addresses include:

   • Dear Chris Rogers,

   • Dear Mr. Rogers,

   • Dear Mr. Chris Rogers,

   • Dear Hiring Manager,

   • Dear Human Resources Manager,

   While conventional wisdom states that using the person’s title (in this case “Mr.”) is preferable and more polite, be very careful about assuming someone’s gender. If their honorific is Dr., then it’s safe to include, but unless you know what the hiring manager’s preferred pronouns are, it’s best to just use their full name.

4. Body Paragraphs

   The body of your cover letter is the most important part. It tells the employer what job you’re applying for, why they should bring you in for an interview, and how you’re going to follow up.

   1. First paragraph. This is your cover letter introduction. It’s where you’re going to grab the employer’s attention and make them want to read the rest of your cover letter.

      Let’s not waste any time in this paragraph — go ahead and tell them which position you’re applying for and how it relates to your background, and show them that you’re excited about the opportunity.

      I am interested in applying for your Social Media Manager position that I saw advertised on Zippia.com. After contributing to the growth and success of my last employer’s presence on Facebook and Instagram, I am seeking new challenges with a company that is looking for someone with exceptional leadership and management abilities.

   2. Second paragraph. This is where you’re going to tell the hiring manager what you have to offer. Use this paragraph to list your qualifications, give examples from your work experience, and quantify any of your achieved results.

      I know my proven leadership skills, strong commitment to growing a social media base, and flexibility with regard to assignments would allow me to make a significant contribution to TopNotch Company. I welcome the opportunity to discuss how my qualifications could benefit your company’s continued success.

      Pro tip: Go into more depth on your relevant qualifications, but make sure not to copy your resume word for word. Use your cover letter to highlight the most important reasons why you’re the ideal candidate.

   3. Third paragraph. Discuss what you know (and like) about the company. This is your chance to impress the employers even further by showing them that you care enough to do some background research on the company, and how you can contribute to their mission.

      TopNotch’s commitment to a sustainable future aligns with and inspires my own values of environmental consciousness and stewardship. Even as a digital marketer, I found ways to reduce my office’s carbon emissions by 11%, and I’d be thrilled to work for a company that values and prioritizes such changes.

      Feel free to mention any current events, information about the company’s history, their core values, or their mission statement.

5. Closing Line

   The final paragraph is where you’re going to close your cover letter. Summarize what you could bring to the position and request an interview or a phone call.

   I’d like to thank you again for taking the time to review my application and resume, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications with you in detail.

6. Sign-off

   Picking an appropriate and successful sign-off is trickier than you might think. A cover letter is a professional document, so you have to be strategic with everything you write.

   With that in mind, here are some sign-offs to choose from that hiring managers respond well to:

   • Best regards

   • Respectfully

   • Sincerely

   • Thanks in advance

   And here are some sign-offs you should avoid at all costs:

   • Best wishes

   • Cheers

   • Affectionately

   • XOXO

   • Love

   • Bye

   • Sent from my iPhone

   You get the idea. Pick an appropriate sign-off, sign your name, and then you’ve got yourself a cover letter!

Example cover letter

Cover letter tips

Knowing all the parts of a cover letter is essential, but that’s not the only trick to writing an excellent cover letter. Putting in a bit of extra effort will make your cover letter stand out from the rest, and will therefore make you more likely to get an interview.

1. Customize each cover letter. When you’re sending out applications to multiple companies, it’s essential to tailor each cover letter and resume for the job. Your resume customization may just take a few strategic keyword changes and emphasizing different parts of your experience.

   Your cover letter customization, however, should be much more thorough. Hiring managers and recruiters can spot a generic cover letter a mile away, so be sure to talk specifically about why you’re interested in the company and what particular value you’d have for the company.

2. Find the hiring manager. In the spirit of customization, try your best to find the hiring manager or recipient’s name. Review the job posting for contact info, research the company’s website, and look on LinkedIn if you’re stuck. Or just call the company’s HR department and ask.

   If you’re still stuck, “Dear Hiring Manager” or one of its alternatives will work.

3. Don’t copy your resume. Instead of repeating every point from your resume, pick one or two bullet points to really emphasize. Think about what accomplishments you can quantify since those are the most compelling evidence of your past success.

   Also, your cover letter should answer the “how” and “why” of your career, so discuss how you achieved those awesome results and why you enjoy doing things your way.

4. Always focus on the company. A cover letter is your chance to sell yourself, but that mostly means highlighting how the company will benefit from your skills, methodologies, and contributions.

5. Steal keywords from the job description. Highlight keywords from the job description like skills, qualifications, and attributes, and then incorporate some of those words throughout your resume and cover letter. That way, it’s super easy for a recruiter or hiring manager to see how your experience matches up with the job requirements.

6. Match the company culture. Spend some time researching the company on their website and scouting employees on LinkedIn. If you can match the tone of the company’s written communications, you’ll be in good shape for presenting as a solid cultural fit.

7. Let your personality shine. Resumes are boring, but cover letters are your chance to showcase who you are as a person as well as a professional. Don’t go overly formal (unless you’re applying to a conservative firm).

   Hiring managers want to know what kind of person you’re like to work with, and while the interview will inform them more fully, your cover letter is meant to whet the reader’s appetite so they want to call you in for an interview in the first place.

8. Open and finish strong. Cover letters are generally skimmed, so you really want to make your opening and closing lines count. Open with an attention grabber and finish with a strong call-to-action and reminder of your awesomeness and enthusiasm.

9. Keep it short. Cover letters should never be more than 400 words, but we recommend aiming for a 200-300 word count. As we said, recruiters usually skim these things, so make it easy for them.

10. Review and edit. Never send a cover letter without a proofread, a spellcheck program, and, if possible, a trusted confidant to read it over. Another pair of eyes might catch things you didn’t notice re-reading it over and over again.

11. Email cover letters. If you’re emailing your cover letter directly (as opposed to attaching it or mailing it physically), be sure to include a descriptive subject line.

    Often, employers will tell you how to label your email in the job posting, so follow any directions there. If not, a subject line that includes your name and the position you’re applying for is a safe bet.

    For an email cover letter, don’t include contact information at the start. Instead, put your contact information after your signature (you can skip your physical address) and leave out the company’s contact information entirely.

What not to put in a cover letter

Knowing what to avoid putting in your cover letter can be just as helpful as knowing what to put in it. Here are a few items you should leave out:

• Lies (even little white ones or stretched truths).

• Anything about salary.

• Negativity about your current job.

• Information about your personal life.

• Long-winded paragraphs.

• Unneccessary or irrelevant information.

• Grammatical errors.

• Misspelled words (including names).

• Unprofessional email addresses or file names.

• Puns.

• Jokes.

• Polarizing or controversial hobbies or opinions.

Final thoughts

Cover letters are one of your most valuable tools when it comes to applying for jobs. They let you go into detail about your qualifications, demonstrate your communication skills, and show that you’re interested in a specific company.

When you write your cover letter, make sure to include your professional contact information, go into detail about your relevant skills, and show that you’re motivated to help the company achieve its goals. Show the hiring manager why you’re the best person for the position, and you’re on your way to getting the job of your dreams.

Cover letter FAQ

1. Do you need a cover letter?

   Whether or not you need a cover letter will depend on the application’s requirements, but they’re highly recommended. Unless the instructions explicitly state not to send in a cover letter, it’s recommended to include one.

   Cover letters allow you to focus on skills relevant to the job that may not fit into your resume. It also lets you show that you’ve looked into the company by mentioning something about its culture, knowing the hiring manager’s name, or mentioning key skills.

2. What should you include in a cover letter?

   A cover letter should include:

   • Your contact information. Include your name, address, phone number, and email address.

   • Company’s contact information. This should include the name of the company, their phone number, email address, and physical address if you can find it.

   • Salutation. Do your best to address this directly to the hiring manager that will be reviewing your application.

   • Introduction. This is the part where you say who you are and why you’re applying.

   • Body. This should be one to two paragraphs that cover your relevant skills, why you think you’d be a good fit for the job, and show your interest.

   • Closing line. Make sure to thank the hiring manager for their time. It’s also recommended to include a call to action, such as saying “I look forward to hearing from you.”

   • Sign off. Make sure to end with a professional closing, such as “Sincerely,” and then your full name.

3. How do you format a cover letter?


   Cover letters should be formatted in standard business format. That means that it should use a 10 or 12-point legible font, such as Times New Roman, have double spacing between paragraphs, and be no longer than a page.

References

1. Harvard Business Review — How to Write a Cover Letter

2. National Careers Service — How to Write a Cover Letter

3. University of Wisconsin-Madison — Writing Cover Letters

Author

Maddie Lloyd

Maddie Lloyd was a writer for the Zippia Advice blog focused on researching tips for interview, resume, and cover letter preparation. She's currently a graduate student at North Carolina State University's department of English concentrating in Film and Media Studies.

Expert

Matt Warzel, CPRW, CIR

Matt Warzel a President of a resume writing firm (MJW Careers, LLC) with 15+ years of recruitment, outplacement, career coaching and resume writing experience. Matt is also a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing Focus) from John Carroll University.