Back to Basics: Cover Letter

There’s a ton of discourse on LinkedIn and other professional platforms questioning if a cover letter is still a necessary part of your application. There is less, however, about how to actually write one and what you should include. Let’s fix that.

If a resume is your evidence of professional capability, a cover letter is your opening statement. Unlike a resume which is written in the third person, a cover letter is a first person (I, we, us) introduction of yourself to a prospective employer. There are a variety of ways to organize a cover letter, I’m going to suggest two which I have successfully used in the past. They both, however, use roughly the same structure of:

Greeting + Opening Statement + Body + Closing Statement + Sign Off

Let’s get into the meat of each of these.

Greeting: You can never go wrong with a “To Whom it May Concern”. I’ve seen “Dear hiring manager” and “Dear [company]”, both of which strike me as clunky. If to whom it may concern seems too old timey or formal to you, a simple “Good Afternoon” will work.

Opening Statement: I like to cut right to the chase with a brief introduction of who I am, and why I’m contacting them. Ex. “I’m John Doe, a rising senior studying mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan, and I am seeking to apply to the Drive Train Engineering Intern position at Ford Motors” or “I’m Jane Smith, an current Software Engineer III at Google looking for my next challenging professional opportunity in AI”.

Body: This is where the two ways to organize a cover letter diverge. Although the organization is different, the material should largely be the same: Your professional highlight reel. You want to feature your best professional and academic work and accomplishments here, curated by what you think would be the most relevant to your target employer. Make sure not to limit yourself to the technical, and include interpersonal skills and accomplishments as well.

Body (Chronological): In this layout, you’re going to take your professional or academic experience, and break it into three sections. If you’re still in school this could be by year, by internship, or by competition team. If you’re a more seasoned professional, you could break this up by employer, project, or role/promotion. Fit the points you want to discuss into each of these 3 sections.

Body (By topic): In this structure, you’ll have those same 3 paragraphs, but this time break them up by topic or specialty. These topics or specialties could be technical skills, soft skills, or hands on skills. For example, once upon a time I was applying to a certain three letter agency, and I broke my cover letter into sections focusing on technical acumen, foreign language skills, and leadership/service. 

Closing Statement: This your final chance to pitch yourself, your brand, or leave a lasting impression. “I am a reliable welder passionate about improving any team I’m on, and I hope to be able to bring that passion to Boeing.” “I’m excited to finish my biomedical engineering degree to start serving the patients of tomorrow, and would love the opportunity to explore if Medtronic is the right fit to do that.”

Sign off: Respectfully/Sincerely/Thank you for your (time/consideration), [Name].

If you really want to stand out, personalize the cover letter you submit to the job you’re applying to.

Are you a believer in cover letters, or do you think they’re a thing of the past? Let me know at YourSTEMMentorBlog@gmail.com!