Parts of a cover letter

How to structure your cover letter, what to think about when writing it, and how to get noticed by recruiters.

Contact details

• Put your name in big letters, exactly as it is on your CV. Think of your name and contact details as “company letterhead” and make them consistent on both documents. It is not necessary to have the title "Cover Letter" on your cover letter since employers will know that this is your cover letter.
  
• You should save your cover letter as a pdf file before sending it to the employer or uploading. Word documents are “working files” that may be edited whereas a pdf document signifies it is complete.
  
• When you save your cover letter, it's a good idea to name the file with your name and the word cover letter. By having your name first, it helps to enhance your brand. This also ensures that both of your documents will be saved together in the recruiters filing system.
  Example: AndreasDahlin_CoverLetter.pdf
  
• Remember to be consistent when saving files. Save your CV using the same format as you did with your cover letter.
  Example: AndreasDahlin_CV.pdf (Not for example: CV-ADahlin.pdf)

Today's date

• Make sure to date your letter. Although digital files contain the date, it is generally accepted that a typed letter should include a date to indicate that the document is updated and current.
  

Reference line

• The purpose of the reference line in a letter is to indicate why you are writing, like a subject line in an email.
  
• Use the reference line to help market your skills to the recruiter by including concise details about your work ethic, your education and perhaps a few words about any related work experience that can be beneficial for the job you are seeking. Think of the skills or unique qualities you possess that you want the recruiter to know about you.
  
• Include the job’s reference number if there is one. This is usually found in the job posting.
  

The greeting

• The greeting in English is always Dear + the person’s first and last name, followed by a comma.
  Example: Dear Emma Björk,
  
• You may wish to include the person’s professional title (Dr. or Professor) but avoid personal titles like Mr., Mrs., or Ms.
  
• If you don’t know the name of the person you should address, it is acceptable to write “Dear Madam/Sir,”. This is preferable to writing “To Whom It May Concern,” which is considered old-fashioned. Some sources recommend “Dear Hiring Manager,” as a more modern alternative.
  
• The first word of the first paragraph after the greeting should always start with a capital letter as any regular sentence would. The greeting always end with a comma, but the line under it is not a continuation of the sentence.
  

Overview of what to include

Besides the contact detail and the date, you will also need to include some content to explain why the company should hire you. Since your cover letter should be short and concise, try to keep it to 4 paragraphs. They should include the following:

1. A brief introduction of why you are interested in working for the company and this position
2. Your hard skills: Education and Work Experience
3. Your soft skills: Professional qualities and unique selling points relevant for the position
4. Thank you and ask for an interview

These four paragraphs will be explained in more detail below.

First paragraph

• The goal of the first paragraph is to introduce yourself and your interest in the job. This is often done by telling of values you share with the company. When you share values with the company, you are more likely to fit into a company’s corporate culture, enjoy working there and thus remain employed longer.
  
• Don't start your letter with "Hi, my name is [your name] and I am [your age] years old." The reader already knows your name because it appears at the top of the page and your age is irrelevant to how capable you are. Instead, try to create interest by clearly telling why you are interested in the position/company and what you can contribute.
  
• Companies like to hire people they "know". If it's possible, mention a mutual contact who can vouch for your competence. If you have met a representative from the company at a job fair, you may want to mention that person in the first paragraph as well.
  
• Resist the temptation to tell an employer that this position is your “dream job”. Companies don’t exist to provide workers with their dream jobs, and they will feel that you only care about yourself as opposed to the goals of their company. Write with the attitude of how you can help their company, not “what’s in it for me”.
  

Second paragraph

• The second paragraph, should show your hard skills. Tell how your education and work experience is relevant to the job to which you are applying. Give examples that prove that you can do what you say you can do.
  
• Limit your examples to two or three. You don't have enough space to tell the reader everything, so make sure that you give the best examples that illustrate your skills that specifically relate to the job you are seeking.
  
• Don't simply repeat text from your résumé. Instead, reword those tasks and responsibilities to demonstrate what you learned and how you affected the company.
  
• You should refer to the keywords from the job ad, but don’t copy them word-for-word. If the job ad says they are looking for someone who is creative with strong social skills. Don’t simply write “I am creative and have strong social skills.” Give examples of your creativity. Give examples explaining how your social skills have helped you achieve a goal. Think of different ways to show the reader you can do the job they are expecting you to do.
  

Third paragraph

• In the third paragraph, tell about your soft skills. These are the personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.
  
• They can include:
  
  • work ethic
    
  • leadership skills
    
  • interpersonal skills
    
  • communication skills
    
  • time-management skills
    
  • language and intercultural skills
    
  • how you deal with challenges
    
• Don’t simply list your soft skills. Be sure to support your statements with concise examples about where or how you gained those skills.
  

Fourth paragraph

• Recruiting costs a company a lot of time and money. It is a good idea to thank the reader for taking the time out of their busy schedule to read your application. The reader may have 50-100 applications to read on top of their normal 40 hour/week workload, so it's a very nice gesture to, at the very least, thank them for their time.
  
• After that, you want to invite the reader to contact you for an interview.
  
• There should be no mention of your personal life, what you do in your spare time, your home life, your marital situation, your living arrangements or your hobbies (unless they are somehow relevant for the job). Your private life should bear no impact on how effective you can perform your job. Employers do not need to know about it and many even consider it unprofessional to mention it in the cover letter.
  

The closing

• The most common professional closing is "Best regards," followed by a comma. "Sincerely" and "Yours truly" can seem outdated in some countries.
  
• A letter that includes your signature tends to look more complete.
  
• How to add a signature:
  
  • Save the document as a pdf
    
  • Open the pdf in Preview
  • Go to the toolbox and create a signature, using your mouse or track pad
    
  • Add the signature to the document.
    
• Under your signature, you should type out your name in full.