A Cover Letter is a one-page letter that describes your professional experience and interest in a position. This document should elaborate on the points made in your resume, therefore explaining why your qualifications and experience make you a good fit for the role. A crucial part of the application process, a cover letter can make or break your application. In this Union Kitchen Guide, we’ll show you how to craft a cover letter that gives you the best chance to succeed.
3 Parts of a Cover Letter
Introduction:
This part should list the position you are applying for, the company you are applying at, and your interest in the position. Your introduction should be short, but it should grab your reader's attention. To do so, express your interest in the particular position and briefly explain why you are a great candidate for the role.
Body:
Here, you should describe why your education, professional history, skills, and qualifications make you a great candidate. Don’t just repeat what you have written in your resume. Give examples of your past work that are relevant to the role that you are applying to.
Conclusion:
As the last part of the Cover Letter, the conclusion should wrap up and summarize everything that was said before. Here, you should thank the reader for reviewing your application, summarize why you are a great candidate for the role, restate your interest in both the role and the company, and ask for a follow-up.
Cover Letter Dos and Don’ts
Do
- Research the company to find out what challenges they face and write about how you can address these challenges.
- Re-read the job description to find any desirable skills that you can write about.
- Expand on what you wrote about in your resume by giving specific examples that describe your achievements.
Don’t
- Include any personal information (family, religion, sex, gender).
- Include salary information (former salary or salary expectations).
- Ask specific questions about company benefits or job expectations that could be addressed in an email.
- Copy and paste information directly from your resume.
What to Write About in a Cover Letter
Professional
- Did you exceed targets for production, sales, revenue, profit, customer satisfaction, or any other business metrics?
- Have you received compliments from management or colleagues at work?
- Have you received awards for your work?
Education
- What studies have you completed?
- What did you study?
- What was your motive for studying?
Personal
- What studies have you completed?
- What did you study?
- What was your motive for studying?
Cover Letter Checklist
Introduction
- State the position that you are applying to.
- State the company that you are applying to.
- State your interest in the position.
- Explain why you are a great candidate for the position.
Body
- Describe your professional experience with examples.
- Summarize your academic background.
- Describe your skills and qualifications that will help you succeed in the role.
Conclusion
- Thank the reader for reviewing your application.
- Recap why you are a great candidate for the position.
- Restate your interest in the role and in the company.
- Express your interest in continuing the conversation (via email, phone call, interview, etc.)
A cover letter is one of the trickiest parts of the application process. It can be tough trying to fit everything to a single page or two. Luckily by following the format outlined in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to crafting a great cover letter. In a tight race between applicants, this could very well make all the difference. For more helpful guides like this, be sure to check out Union Kitchen’s Resource guides.
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