what is a cover letter accompanying a resume

Cover letter examples

12 cover letters to ensure your CV gets opened by recruiters

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A cover letter for your CV, or covering note is an introductory message that accompanies your CV when applying for a job.

The purpose of the cover letter is simple… Persuade the reader to open your CV.

Learn how to write a cover letter properly, and you will hugely increase your chances of getting responses and landing job interviews.

This guide, with 12 annotated cover letter examples will show you everything you need to know about creating a winning cover note.

CV templates

How to layout a cover letter for your CV

This annotated example of a cover letter shows you how you should structure your cover letters, and the type of information you should be including.

You should always write your CV in the body of your email (or j ob site messaging system) so that it can be read instantly. Never attach it as a separate document, or the recipient probably won’t open it.

Example CV cover letters

These 11 example CV cover letters from a range of industries should give you some good inspiration for creating your own cover letter.

Admin CV cover letter

This cover letter is aimed at administrative roles , so it highlights the candidate’s abilities in efficiency, report writing and meeting deadlines, whilst demonstrating the types of environments they have worked in.

Learn how to write a cover letter step-by-step here.

Customer service CV cover letter

This customer service cover letter briefly explains the candidate’s length of experience in the field and highlights some of the more important customer service skills such as call handling, order taking and complaint resolution.

This gives the reader an excellent introduction to the candidate and should certainly encourage them to open the CV.

See our full customer service cover letter guide, sales assistant cover letter example and waiter/waitress cover letter example .

Finance CV cover letter

As a finance professional, it’s important to highlight your specialisms within finance, the types of companies you’ve worked for, and high level functions you’ve carried out within your cover letter. This will give the hiring manager a good overall feel of your abilities, and if it’s well tailored to the role, should provide them with enough info to excite them about your CV.

Quick tip: Use our job application tracker spreadsheet to track your applications and follow up with employers who don’t respond.

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Events CV cover letter

This events manager candidate has done a great job of summarising the type and size of events they manage, along with details of core skills such as leadership, project delivery and stakeholder management.

This certainly provides enough info to create a buzz around the CV attached and encourage the recipient to open it.

Executive assistant CV cover letter

Executive assistant cover letter example

This executive assistant CV cover letter provides a good high level intro to the candidate showing the reader key business support knowledge in areas such as admin, diary management and document management. It also shows that the candidate is confident supporting senior business figures.

Graduate CV cover letter

As a graduate , your cover letter will need to be a little longer than an experienced candidates, to compensate for your lack of experience and really sell yourself.

This candidate speaks in lots of detail about their education, qualifications, and extra-curricular work which relates to the roles they are applying for.

IT CV cover letter

As an IT candidate, it’s important not only to highlight your technical skills, but also show how you apply those skills in the workplace to translate real benefits for your employer.

This candidate gives a good overview of the candidates technical abilities and the types of projects they apply them to, along with results they achieve.

Marketing CV cover letter

This marketing cover letter provides readers with a summary of the candidate’s core marketing abilities such as media planning, brand awareness and cost reduction. It also explains the types of marketing campaigns and companies they have experience with – a great high-level intro.

Warehouse Operative cover letter – Training Contract cover letter – Cleaning Job cover letter – Nursery Assistant cover letter – Recruitment Consultant cover letter – Dental Nurse cover letter –

Chef cover letter – Editorial Assistant cover letter – Aircraft Mechanic cover letter – Biomedical Science cover letter – Cabin Crew cover letter – Finance Assistant cover letter – Hotel Receptionist cover letter – Asset Management cover letter – Assistant Psychologist cover letter – Beauty Therapist cover letter – Cafe Worker cover letter – HR Administrator cover letter – NQT cover letter – Quantity Surveyor cover letter

More cover letter examples

Academic cover letter
Account Manager cover letter
Accountant cover letter
Accounting cover letter
Accounts Assistant cover letter
Acting cover letter
Admin Assistant cover letter
Administrator cover letter
Apprenticeship cover letter
Architecture cover letter
Assistant Manager cover letter
Banking cover letter
Bar Staff cover letter
Barclays cover letter
Barista cover letter
Bartender cover letter
Business Analyst cover letter
Business Development Manager cover letter
Car Sales Person cover letter
Care Assistant cover letter
Career Change cover letter
Catering Assistant cover letter
Civil Engineer cover letter
Computer Science cover letter
Consulting cover letter
Copywriter cover letter
Cyber Security cover letter
Data Entry Clerk cover letter
Data Scientist cover letter
Delivery Driver cover letter
Digital Marketing cover letter
Electrician cover letter
Engineering cover letter
Estate Agent cover letter
Event Manager cover letter
Exam Invigilator cover letter
Executive Assistant cover letter
Fashion Designer cover letter
Finance cover letter
Financial Analyst cover letter
Google cover letter
Graduate cover letter
Graduate Engineer cover letter
Graduate Scheme cover letter
Graphic Design cover letter
Health Care Assistant cover letter
Hospitality cover letter
HR Assistant cover letter
HR cover letter
Interior Designer cover letter
Internal Position cover letter
Internship cover letter
Investment Banking cover letter
Investment Manager cover letter
IT Support cover letter
Journalist cover letter
JP Morgan cover letter
Lawyer cover letter
Legal Assistant cover letter
Legal cover letter
Library Assistant cover letter
Manager cover letter
Marine Engineer cover letter
Marketing Assistant cover letter
Marketing cover letter
Marketing Intern cover letter
Marketing Manager cover letter
McKinsey cover letter
Mechanical Engineer cover letter
Medical Receptionist cover letter
Medical Writer cover letter
Model cover letter
Nanny cover letter
Nurse cover letter
Nursing cover letter
Office Assistant cover letter
Office Manager cover letter
Operations Manager cover letter
Optical Assistant cover letter
Paralegal cover letter
Part Time cover letter
PE Teacher cover letter
Personal Assistant cover letter
Personal Trainer cover letter
Pharmacist cover letter
Pharmacy Assistant cover letter
PHD Application cover letter
Photographer cover letter
Placement cover letter
Private Equity cover letter
Product Manager cover letter
Production Assistant cover letter
Production Operator cover letter
Project Coordinator cover letter
Promotion cover letter
PWC cover letter
Quantity Surveyor cover letter
Receptionist cover letter
Research Assistant cover letter
Researcher cover letter
Retail Assistant cover letter
Retail cover letter
Retail Manager cover letter
Sales Advisor cover letter
Sales Executive cover letter
Sales Manager cover letter
Scrum Master cover letter
Security Officer cover letter
Ski Season cover letter
Social Media Executive cover letter
Social Media Manager cover letter
Software Engineer cover letter
Speculative cover letter
Student cover letter
Support Worker cover letter
Teaching Assistant cover letter
Team Leader cover letter
Trainee Dental Nurse cover letter
University cover letter
UX Designer cover letter
Volunteer cover letter

Project manager CV cover letter

A project manager’ s cover letter needs to quickly explain to recipients the types of projects they lead and the technical expertise they bring to the projects. It’s also important to describe level of experience, seniority and background.

See full project manager cover letter example + writing guide

Operations manager cover letter

This operations management CV provides a brief introduction to the types of operations the candidate manages and the firms they work for.

They also touch upon some core operations skills such as efficiency, logistics and ROI improvement.

Sales CV cover letter

As a sales candidate, this cover letter shows the types of business this person can generate and the size and scale of the impact they create by highlighting some sales results.

It also mentions some core sales skills like business development, presenting, working under pressure and closing deals.

Cover letter templates

Teacher cover letter

This teacher cover letter does a great job of introducing the candidate, and showing the recipient the key facts they will be looking for, such as; the age group they teach, subject specialisms, and the results they have achieved.

The cover letter is brief and gets to the point quickly, so that readers will instantly look to open the attached CV .

How to write your CV cover letter

Now that you’ve seem good examples of cover letters to accompany your CV (or resume if you are in the USA) this guide will show exactly how to write your own, and the content that needs to be included .

Send your CV cover letter in email format (when possible)

When applying for jobs online you usually have 2 choices…

1) Send a message via the job website’s messaging system

2) Send the recruiter an email directly

If you can find an email address for the recruiter, then I would always recommend sending an email directly because it gives you more control.

When you send a message through a job website, it will transfer into an email with basic formatting and an auto-generated headline , which will look like this when the recruiter receives it.

If you cannot find an email address for the recruiter on the job advert, then try searching LinkedIn or the company website to find the relevant contact.

You may not always be able to find an email address, but when you can – always send a job application by email .

Make your subject line appealing

As you can see in the picture above, a bad subject line can kill your chances of actually having your email read in the first place.

Your subject line should stand out and give the recruiter a reason to open your email.

When recruiters look into their inbox, they are looking for one thing; a candidate who can do the job they are advertising – so give that to them in your subject line.

Your subject line should be a short summary of your experience that relates directly to the job you are applying for.

The following are good subject line examples;

KS2 Teacher with 5 years experience

Front End Web developer with HTML, HTML & JavaScript experience

Junior Graphic designer with 1st BA Hons Graphic Design

If your subject line shows that you have one or two of the most important requirements for the job, your email should get opened every time.

Address the recruiter by name

To get the relationship off on the right foot, you should try to address the recruiter by name if you can.

Often the recruiter’s details will appear on the job advert but sometimes you may have to check out the company website or do some digging around on LinkedIn.

If you really can’t find the name, then it’s not the end of the world – just start with a simple friendly opening like “ Hi ”

(If you applying to a more traditional organisation such as an academic post for a university, you may want to use something a bit more formal like “ Dear sir or madam ”)

Use a friendly yet professional tone

It’s important to sound professional when writing a cover letter but you also need to demonstrate your ability to communicate with other people and show some personality.

If your email is too casual and written in an over-familiar tone, then you will come across us un-professional.

But on the other hand, if your email is too formal and shows no signs of rapport building, you risk appearing as somebody who lacks social skills.

So when writing your cover letter, try to strike a nice balance of professionalism and friendliness.

Opening with a line such as “ hope you’re well ” is a nice way to breathe a bit of personality into your cover letter.

Ensure that your spelling and grammar is perfect throughout your cover letter because sloppy mistakes are a huge red flag for recruiters.

Quick tip: If you struggle with spelling and grammar, try our quick-and-easy CV Builder

Keep it brief

Unless the job advert specifies otherwise; keep your cover letter short and sweet.

Recruiters and employers receive hundreds of job applications per week, so they don’t want to read a 2 page cover letter.

Depending on the role, around 2-4 sentences should be enough for the content of the cover letter.

You just need to write enough to persuade them to open your CV – It should roughly contain the same amount of information as your CV profile or personal statement.

Show how your skills match the job

To ensure that recruiters open your CV, you simply need to explain how your skills and experience match the job requirements from the advert.

Scan the job advert to discover what the most important candidate abilities are, and show how your previous experience has prepared you to cover these.

In particular, look out for any requirements that are essential to the job .

Focus on what you have to offer at this stage and not what you want.

At this stage, your covering letter is simply a means of getting the recruiter to open your CV, so it’s too early to talk about salary demands etc. Save that for your initial conversation with the recruiter.

Include a professional signature

End your cover letter with a friendly salutation such as “Regards” and a smart signature which includes your name and most direct contact method (usually mobile phone for most people)

A professional email signature will show recruiters that you understand business-email etiquette and ensure they have a means of contacting you – even if they can’t open your CV for any reason.

Writing a CV cover letter

Hopefully this guide has given you everything you need to create a winning cover letter that will ensure you CV gets opened every time you send it.

Just remember to keep it brief, be friendly, tailor it towards your target role, and give recruiters some good reasons to be interested in you.

Good luck with the job hunt!

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what is a cover letter accompanying a resume

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Cover Letter Examples

Cover Letter Samples

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The Ultimate Cover Letter Writing Guide

The complete guide to writing an effective cover letter.

Any of these sound familiar? The simple answer is yes, having an effective cover letter is completely necessary and highly recommended and we’ll tell you why you need a cover letter as well as a resume!

When you’re applying for a job, whether it be for an entry-level position after graduating or for a high-level executive vacancy with a professional resume , a cover letter is essential to make your application stand out .

Without this extra introductory letter, a resume alone could easily be discarded by a hiring manager. CareerBuilder estimates you’re 10% more likely to miss out on an opening if you don’t include a cover letter.

Writing a good cover letter it’s not a skill many many people master, but that doesn’t mean it’s an impossible feat!

With our complete cover letter guide , you’ll learn how to write a cover letter that will attract the hiring manager and convince them to read your winning resume.

What is a cover letter?

A cover letter is an extension to your job application. It is not obligatory but including a well-written cover letter is strongly advised by all human resource experts . By definition, a cover letter is an accompanying, explanatory letter.

All jobseekers need a sales pitch of sorts, they need to hook the reader and demonstrate to the hiring manager why they are the right person for the vacancy on offer. This style of self-marketing for a job application must come in the form of a winning resume and cover letter combination that complement one another.

A simple cover letter is an introduction to the candidate behind the qualifications and experience. The aim is to show a prospective employer how you can take on the role and what you can offer the company in question.

Cover letters generally follow a basic structure and can be in either hard or digital format, that is to say, either printed and sent via regular mail or as a document scanned and attached to send digitally, or written directly in an email cover letter .

Why include a cover letter on a job application?

If you want to stand any chance at all of catching the eye of a potential employer , it is imperative to include a cover letter with your job application.

Simple – even if you create an effective, outstanding resume , using all the right keywords and qualifications etc. it’s possible there are candidates more qualified than you or with more experience so it’s necessary to add a cover letter to back up your resume and allow the hiring manager to see more of your personal side that is relevant to the vacancy.

The cover letter demonstrates your communication skills.
The cover letter serves as an introduction to the resume.
The cover letter can be used to emphasize certain skills, or mention skills that you couldn’t fit on the resume (it serves as an addendum).
The cover letter is what you customize for each position, to show why you are the right person for “That” role, as opposed to the resume which stays pretty much the same for all applications.

A cover letter is the added value that you need in a job application to ensure the call-back you’ve been waiting for.

To create a unique, tailor-made job application , each candidate should use a cover letter to highlight their strengths and elaborate on relevant achievements that demonstrate their ability to take on the new responsibilities.

Is it practically always sensible and appropriate to write a cover letter to accompany a resume for a job application that should be customized for the role you’re applying to including any explanations of information that might be missing from the resume, such as employment gaps, traveling, periods of study etc.

The only time it is acceptable to not include a cover letter in your job application is if the job listing specifically requests that you do not.

Advantages of Writing a Cover Letter

A cover letter directly adds to the likelihood that you are called in for an interview and gives you a better chance of being hired .

If you’re successful in writing an effective cover letter , it will offer you the following advantages:

Hiring managers will see your added effort
Demonstrates you put in the time to learn about the company
It will add a personal touch to your application
It shows your enthusiasm for the opening
Hiring managers will become acquainted with your best qualities

Knowing exactly what is in a cover letter will ensure that it gives you a major advantage over the other applicants.

What are the 3 Types of Cover Letters?

Adding a cover letter is almost always essential, but choosing the appropriate letter will also be key. Depending on the job post you are applying for, you will need to select the best type of letter to send along with your resume.

There are 3 types of cover letters that you can send to a hiring manager. The 3 types are:

Application cover letters
Letters of Interest
Email Cover letters

The letter you write is influenced by whether you are going to apply for a job directly , citing a referral, or asking about vacancies that are not advertised.

Whatever the case may be, ensure that the cover letter is specific to the job vacancy . It’s always important to avoid making a generic cover letter for every single job you apply for.

So, what are the 3 types of cover letters you should consider sending to a job recruiter?

Application Cover Letter

This is your classic cover letter that you send to a hiring manager when you spot a company advertising a job opening. When you want to directly apply for a position, it is mandatory to send this, unless you are specifically asked not to.

Using this letter, you can mention why you want to work for a specific company and why you are the perfect candidate for the position.

Letter of Interest

Say you notice a company that you would really like to work for. It fits your sector, and you know it offers great benefits and good pay. However, you can’t find any openings that match your skill set.

If that’s the case, you don’t need to sit around and wait for the company to have a job vacancy. You can take action with a letter of interest. This type of cover letter states your interest in being employed by a company that isn’t currently advertising any vacancies.

This type of letter goes by a couple of other names, such as:

Letter of intent
Statement of interest

Of course, since there is no vacancy there is no role you can specifically mention, which is the major difference between a letter of intent and a traditional cover letter. Your objective will be to advertise yourself well enough that an employer will just have to interview you.

Email Cover Letters

Over the years, the job application process has shifted to a nearly 100% online hiring process . Due to this, it may be necessary to send your cover letter in an email as part of your job application.

While applying, there may not be an option to upload your cover letter. Or maybe you would just like to send it in the body of your email along with your resume . You can send it in one of two ways, in the body of your email or as an attachment (in PDF).

How to write a cover letter

A cover letter, although short in length generally, can take time to elaborate as it is important to get it right. Sometimes, due to the scarce space for writing, candidates find it difficult to know what to include in a cover letter and what to leave out .

However, knowing how to do a cover letter can make all the difference to your job application and be the just the thing to capture the attention of a hiring manager.

A professional cover letter should be well-formatted, following a structure with a header, an opening paragraph, a second main paragraph, a final closing paragraph and a closing with signature/electronic signature.

To begin writing a cover letter for a job application , candidates should analyze their skills, qualifications, accomplishments and experience to decide which are the most fundamental aspects to include in their personalized cover letter.

Next, each jobseeker will have to select the most job-relevant of these elements to include by comparing them with the required or desired qualifications and experience in the job description.

Finally, the applicant should choose some memorable examples which demonstrate evidence of each element included in their cover letter, aiming to tell a story which shows their aptitude concerning each skill or qualification.

Jobseekers should also ensure to explore how to make a cover letter for their specific role or industry because, similarly to resumes, each cover letter should be tailored for the vacancy and company to which it will be sent.

It is vital for candidates to consider several factors when it comes to writing their professional cover letter . A jobseeker must review their resume work history section as well as any skills and honors included to find the most pertinent experiences that can be explored further. Detailing examples of when a candidate demonstrated certain abilities or expertise is how a candidate can convince a hiring.

One way to create a winning cover letter is to use an online cover letter creator or take advantage of cover letter templates as a stepping stone as well as checking out cover letter examples that can serve as a great source of inspiration for you to make your own unique cover letter .

Our cover letter builder forms part of our resume builder and allows jobseekers to create a more complete job application. Users can write their cover letter with pro tips and design help thanks to our pre-designed templates. Read our cover letter writing guide to get to grips with cover letter writing techniques and tips before using our online cover letter builder!

How to Structure a Cover Letter

The structure and layout of a cover letter is essential to make sure the letter displays each point that you wish to get across clearly and concisely . This means it’s necessary, in general, to follow a commonly-accepted format for an effective cover letter.

Similarly to a resume format , designing and writing a cover letter has certain rules which should be adhered to in order to convey the necessary information in a brief and to the point introductory letter.

Check out some of the cover letter best practices as advised by human resources experts below:

It’s imperative to begin a cover letter with a header , including the candidate’s name and contact information as well as the date. This primary cover letter section can also include the job title, website and other relevant personal information.

Following this, the letter should include the details of the company and person to whom you are writing, with the full name, job title or team, company name and address.

The main body of a cover letter should be divided into three sections : an introduction, a bullet list of accomplishments followed by a paragraph highlighting skills, and a closing paragraph inviting the hiring manager to contact you. By using bullet points when detailing your achievements and capabilities, you can make sure that recruiters will be able to quickly pick out key information. This is especially important as studies have found that recruiters spend very little time reading each individual application.
Finally, the letter should be electronically or physically signed with your full name in a formal manner.

The universally-accepted cover letter length is no longer than one letter page, which in total has about 250-300 words for the main body of text.

Don’t repeat information or be too detailed because hiring managers simply do not have the time to read it all and will simply skip to the next one. Resumes that run over 600 words get rejected 43% faster and cover letters can easily fall into this trap too.

Keep your cover letter short and sweet and to the point!

Get more cover letter formatting advice in our guide on how to format a cover letter with tips and information about all aspects of a good cover letter structure.

Cover letter advice

The importance of including a cover letter with your job application is often overlooked by jobseekers of all categories, however this can seriously reduce your possibilities of getting an interview with a prospective employer.

Therefore you need not ask yourself when to write a cover letter because the answer is just that simple – it is always appropriate to include a cover letter in your job application , unless the listing explicitly requests that you do not.

Check out the following expert cover letter tips to create a winning cover letter that will convince the hiring manager to give you a call:

We may be quite repetitive with this one but the sheer quantity of resumes and cover letters that are disregarded simply for forgetting this vital and basic rule is incredible: USE A PROFESSIONAL EMAIL ADDRESS for your contact details and that does not include your current work email but a personal, suitable email address.
It is essential to remember to maintain your focus on the needs of the company you’re applying to and the requirements and desired abilities of the ideal candidate for the role. Do not focus on how you can benefit by becoming a member of their team, but on how the team can make the most of your experience and knowledge.
Remember to highlight your transferable skills , especially in cases where you may not meet all the required qualities in the job description such as in student resumes and cover letters.
Each cover letter for a job application, cover letters for internships , for further study or even volunteer experience should be tailored to their specific organization and position with the pertinent keywords.
Use specific examples to demonstrate the candidate’s individual capacity to take on the role and tell a story with your cover letter to convey more of your personality and passion towards the sector or profession.
Towards the end of a cover letter , each candidate should write a convincing finish to entice the hiring manager and in sales terminology “ seal the deal ”.
Finally when you have completed your polished cover letter, potentially one of the most important steps in the process is to PROOFREAD . Candidates should request that a friend, mentor, teacher or peer takes a look at their cover letter for not only grammatical and spelling errors but also any unwanted repetition or unrelated information .

Some jobseekers doubt whether a cover letter is necessary or not , but as most human resource professionals agree without a well-written cover letter, candidates lose the possibility to demonstrate different aspects of their profile from those included in their resumes which could easily be the deciding factor in your application!

An easy and fast way to write an effective cover letter for a job application is to employ an online cover letter creator that will offer advice on how to complete a cover letter with examples and HR-approved templates.

Cover Letter FAQs

What do employers look for in a cover letter, can a cover letter be two pages, what is the difference between a cover letter and a resume, should you put a photo on a cover letter.

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