what is the main purpose of a cover letter

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How and Why to Write a Great Cover Letter

A cover letter is a one-page business letter that you submit when applying to a job, along with your resume. As a piece of persuasive writing, your cover letter will aim to convey to the employer why you’re a great candidate for the role.

What is the purpose of a cover letter?

Your cover letter complements your resume by making it easy for the employer to see how your experience and interest connect to the position. Your goal is to convince the employer to interview you.

With your cover letter, you’ll aim to:

• Highlight your qualifications:  You’ll show how your skills and experience relate to the employer’s needs for a specific position.
• Showcase your motivation: You’ll demonstrate your enthusiasm for the specific position and the organization.
• Reflect your voice and written communication skills: You’ll give the employer a sense of your personality and writing style.

When should I write a cover letter?

Not all jobs require cover letters. So, how do you decide whether to submit one?

Submit a Cover Letter when…

• The posting explicitly requests that you do so
• You’re applying to an opportunity at a mission-driven organization
• You think that doing so could provide important information to the employer that they wouldn’t get from your resume

Consider Submitting a Cover Letter when…

• It’s marked “optional” in an application, and you have the bandwidth to do so
• You have content that you can easily recycle or repurpose into a tailored cover letter

No Need to Submit a Cover Letter when…

• A posting specifically tells you not to submit one
• There’s no way to submit one in an application portal, and doing so would require a serious workaround

If you’re applying to several similar opportunities, creating a draft cover letter in advance, geared toward that type of opportunity, can be a helpful way to save time in your actual application process.

How do I write a cover letter?

Your cover letter should articulate your qualifications and motivation for the position. Read the job description closely and research the organization. As you craft your cover letter, use examples that demonstrate your relevant skills, knowledge, and interests. The cover letter should be concise, clear, and well-organized.

Before Writing

Research the employer.

Learn enough about the organization to articulate why you are a strong fit for that firm. 

• Review the firm’s website and LinkedIn page.
• Speak with current or previous employees.
• Read articles and social media for current news.

Analyze the job description

Look for skills, duties, and qualifications of the job so you can design your letter to match these as much as possible.

Reflect on your experience and motivation

Identify skills and personal qualities you have developed which will be useful in this role. Ask yourself:

• What attracts you about this role/company/industry?
• What have you have done in your work experiences, classes, internships, activities, projects, volunteer work, travel, etc., that is similar to the duties required of the job? 

Cover Letter Structure

As a business letter, the cover letter should include:

• Heading: Include your name and contact information in the same format as your resume
• Salutation: Address your letter to the specific individual who can hire you, if this is known. If the name is not included in the job description, address the letter to the Hiring Manager or title mentioned in the job description.
• Body Paragraphs:  Discuss your experiences, interests, and skills to show the employer how you can add value to their team. See the section below for more guidance.
• Signature Line: Include a closing and your name.

The cover letter should be one page, about three or four paragraphs, and single spaced. Use 10-12 point font and one inch margins. 

When applying online, upload your cover letter as a PDF file, unless another format is specified. When sending your resume and cover letter by email, you may write a short note or paste your cover letter in the body of your email (without the address header) and also attach the PDF file.

Cover Letter Content

Your cover letter should answer who, what, when, where and why you are applying for the opportunity. 

Introduction

State the position for which you are applying. If you have a referral or spoke with someone from the company, you can mention it in the introduction. Provide some basic information about yourself; this can include your class year and what you’re studying at Columbia. Briefly outline why you’re interested in the organization and what you bring in terms of relevant experience and skills. 

Body Paragraphs

These paragraphs will highlight your qualifications and strengths that are most relevant to the organization and position. Use the job posting and your research as clues to determine what the employer is seeking in a candidate. Have your resume beside you and reflect on what you want the employer to know about you. Are there experiences you want to expand upon that demonstrate your understanding of the role and ability to do the job requirements?

Structure the paragraphs based on relevance, not chronology. Lead with your most relevant skill or strongest experience.

Start each body paragraph with a clear topic sentence.  This can highlight a key skill set, a transferable experience, or a core area of knowledge you’ve built through your studies. Walk the reader through a project or experience, integrating the relevant skills you used and qualities you demonstrated. Provide details about your accomplishments and impact. Connect how these experiences have prepared you for this role and why you are motivated to do this job. There is no need to apologize if you feel you lack experience; focus on the accomplishments that you have.

Recap what you would bring to the organization and your interest in the position. Thank the employer for their consideration. Keep your tone positive and enthusiastic. 

Check out our example of how to structure your cover letter content . 

Editing Tips

Use our  Cover Letter Checklist to make sure your format and content is in line with best practices. 

• Ensure that the content reflects the requirements in the job description
• Keep the cover letter concise, at one page or less
• Correct any errors in grammar, sentence structure, and spelling
• Use the active voice
• Avoid beginning too many sentences with “I”

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What Is The Purpose Of A Cover Letter In An Application

In This Guide:

What's the purpose of a cover letter?

How cover letters can help explain employment gaps

What are the basic parts of a cover letter, what to leave off your cover letter.

Quick Answer: A cover letter is an extension of your resume. It provides a more personalized introduction to show the company why you're the best candidate for the job, and gives you the opportunity to explain any employment gaps. A cover letter should include your personal information, relevant qualifications, values and goals, and a call to action. Make it personal, engaging, and professional.

Everyone says you don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. And all of those unnamed people are completely right. First impressions are essential, especially when you’re looking for a job.

So you made a great resume, with a unique template, one that covers all the important past experiences and how you’re the best employee that would grace us with its presence on this planet.

But how can you make this even better?

This is when cover letters step in.

Even if you’re not required to write one when you apply for a certain position, it can only help.

In this article, we will show you all the benefits of sending a cover letter, the basic outline that you can follow, some common mistakes, and many other cover letter tips.

Let’s dive in.

What's the purpose of a cover letter?

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Cover letters are an extension to your CV or resume that will dive even deeper into your professional and personal qualifications, showing the company why you are the best candidate for the job.

It’s something that a lot of candidates skip when they apply for a certain position, so if you have a cover letter, you are already a couple of steps ahead of the competition!

These letters are a great way to properly introduce yourself in a more personalized way by addressing the points they care about the most.

Take it as something that would add a personal touch to all the facts and data you’ve already included in your resume, enticing them to read further and really get to know you.

It will show that you have put the time into researching the job you’re applying for. You know what they need and you will give it to them.

Before you start writing, take a look at some effective cover letters  so that you can see how the candidates tailored the content to fit the company and how they expressed themselves.

Employment gaps can easily turn off an employer and give a bad impression of your consistency and work ethics. And the bad thing is, there is no space on the resume where you can explain them.

This happens most often when you use the chronological type of resume. If you’re still wondering which type of resume will suit your needs best, take a look at our resume guide .

So, if you’ve decided to use the reverse chronological resume , all your gaps will shine bright like the sun, and there is no space left where you can clarify the circumstances that surround them.

Cover letters give you the freedom to do just that. Use it to tackle any controversial topics head-on and don’t leave anything to the imagination of your potential employer.

Don’t try to hide those gaps or other pieces of information such as only working in a company for 2 months. The best tactic is to be upfront about everything so you can win their trust even before the interview.

Of course, you can always find employers that would be hesitant to hire someone with long employment gaps, regardless of the explanation. However, those are companies you don’t want to have anything in common with.

And remember, the goal of a cover letter is to get you an interview. Don’t over-explain yourself, 1 or 2 sentences per gap would be enough. If the recruiters need more information, they can just ask you during the interview.

Then you will have the chance to go in-depth and make the best impression since you can look at their reactions, analyze their behavior, and see how they react to certain pieces of information.

Introduction

It’s best you start with an opening section that includes your personal information such as full name, address, email, phone number, etc. You can also insert a link to your professional profile, for example, LinkedIn.

Pay special attention to the email. It needs to look professional. No matter how long you’ve used your high-school email, “ [email protected] ” will not impress your future employers, unless you’re applying for a band.

Next is the greeting. Usually, the job offer includes the name of the hiring manager and if it doesn’t, take your time to research them. It will make a great impression if they see you made the effort to learn the contact names.

Still, it needs to be respectful. Say the name of the hiring manager is Josh. Don’t start with “Hey Josh” or “What’s up Josh?”. A simple “Dear Josh” would be great. Or, if you have a full name, use it – “Dear Mr.Smith”.

Representation of your qualifications

Now that you’ve finished with the presentations, it’s time to start advertising yourself.

Start with how you found out about the position and the things that motivated you to apply for it. Briefly explain how your qualifications and skills are related to the job, making sure you’re using the ones they specified in the ad.

If they are looking for someone who can manage multiple projects at a time, include it. See what they need the most in their candidates and if it’s something you’re confident in, don’t forget to put it in.

This part needs to be very engaging, it will determine whether they will continue reading or stop in the middle, throwing your resume and letter away for good.

Be specific about your achievements and responsibilities. “I was proofreading documents” is not as nearly as effective as “I was the main proofreader for all the legal documentation for the Accounting department”.

Be confident when you talk about what you’ve done but be careful not to appear cocky and arrogant. Simply highlight your accomplishments and let them speak for you, instead of saying how great and unique you are.

Values and Goals

The next section should include arguments about why you’re such a unique fit for the company, how they can benefit from someone with your personality, and how enthusiastic you are about applying for this position.

Take some time to explain about your hobbies, about you as a person. Show that you’re not a mindless robot, but a unique human being with their own passions and desires.

Share with them your dreams and what you expect to accomplish both as an employee of their company and in life in general.

If you’ve spent time volunteering, this is the perfect place to mention it and what it gave to you as a person and a professional.

End your cover letter with call to action

Now that you’ve listed all your amazing achievements, experience in the field, and personal qualifications, it’s time to finish off and entice the recruiting manager to contact you for an interview.

Remind them about the resume you’ve attached along with the cover letter and let them know the best way to contact you.

Thank them for the time they spent on your application and how you’ll be waiting in anticipation for the reply.

The recruiters shouldn’t doubt how much you want this job so make sure to remind them again. A simple “Eagerly waiting for your positive reply”, should do you just right.

Still not sure what to include? Take a look at some  cover letter examples  that have secured impressive job positions in no time!

Just as there are important things that would attract your future employers, there are some phrases that are a definite turn-off and should be avoided.

Let’s go through the main ones.

“Thank you for reading my resume.”

You can’t assume they’ve already read your resume. Chances are they haven’t and the cover letter is the first thing they go through.

“I will be an excellent fit for your position.”

Let your achievements and qualifications speak for you. And by saying “I will be”, you already assume they hired you, which is quite arrogant.

Instead, rephrase it to – “I believe I can be a great asset to your team/department/company.”

 “Dear sir, or madman”

Since cover letters include more written content than resumes, any punctuation and grammar errors will be easily noticed.

An inconsistent and incorrect writing style will make a really bad impression and everything else you’ve put as accomplishments and experience will be of no importance.

Proofread a few times. We recommend that you use an online tool like Grammarly or Enhancv’s Content Analyzer .

Be careful when you choose the font, make sure it’s professional. A cover letter entirely written in Comic Sans will throw off any sane, intellectual human being on this planet.

Cover letters are an extremely useful addition to your resume. They bring character and soul to the factual CV or work resume.

Most companies look for people that would add value to their business and a cover letter should be used to show them just that.

How you can give them exactly what they need and much more.

Still, cover letters can be quite difficult to pull off. Do your research, both for the company itself and for all the things a cover letter should include, as well as the recommended writing style, and much more.

Don’t use the same cover letter template for each company. Make it personal, show them you care.

For your convenience, we have gathered our years of expertise in a number of useful articles that will help you with your  cover letter .

• Cover Letter Guides

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Is an Application Letter the Same as a Cover Letter: A Comprehensive Guide

• Career Advice

• Posted On: 2024-09-01
• Posted By: Shacara

1. Definition and Purpose

2. content and structure.

• Introduction: The application letter usually begins with a formal greeting, followed by a statement indicating the position you are applying for and where you found the job listing.
• Body: The body of the letter is where you detail your qualifications, work experience, and relevant skills. You should also explain why you are interested in the job and how your background makes you a suitable candidate.
• Conclusion: The application letter ends with a polite closing statement, expressing your enthusiasm for the opportunity and a request for an interview. You should also include your contact information and indicate that your resume is attached.
• Introduction: Similar to an application letter, a cover letter starts with a formal greeting and a statement of the job you are applying for. However, it is generally shorter and more concise.
• Body: The cover letter’s body provides a brief overview of your qualifications and experience. It is not as detailed as an application letter but focuses on highlighting the most relevant aspects of your background that match the job requirements.
• Conclusion: The cover letter concludes with a polite request for consideration and a mention of your attached resume. You can also express your eagerness to discuss your qualifications further in an interview.

3. Length and Detail

4. tone and style, 5. when to use each.

• Specific Job Applications: When you are applying for a specific job that has been advertised, an application letter is appropriate. It provides the detailed information an employer needs to assess your suitability for the role.
• Formal Job Inquiries: If you are reaching out to a company with a formal inquiry about job openings, an application letter is more fitting as it shows your commitment and interest.
• General Applications: A cover letter is ideal for more general applications, where you may be submitting your resume to a company without a specific job listing in mind.
• Networking and Referrals: When applying for a job through networking or referrals, a cover letter can be a better option, as it allows you to briefly mention the person who referred you and explain your interest.

6. Examples

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