Sample Cover Letters

Getting an excellent job that’s actually going to make you happy will generally be an uphill battle, as those “dream jobs” are in very high demand in a country with 300 million people. To get that job, you’ll need something to set yourself apart from the rest; you’ll need an awesome cover letter.

Now, writing a cover letter may not be your specialty, but there are ways to make yourself a good one without being an expert in the matter. First thing you’ll need to have is a real understanding of what a cover letter is and why you need one.

Simply put, a cover letter is a formal message accompanying your resume when you submit an application for employment. The message should serve to identify yourself as a potential candidate, explain your qualifications, and just simply make them aware of the fact that you are very much interested in setting up an interview. Shameless self-promotion isn’t what you’re after, but a statement of why you’re a good potential employee is what you’re after.

A cover letter isn’t the hardest thing in the world to write, but it can get confusing for a lot of people, and it’s really the most important part of getting in the door. When a potential employer is trying to sift through hundreds of applications, the cover letter is the first line of elimination. It’s your first impression, and your first test to pass. Of course your resume and qualifications are important, but the “cover letter round” can make or break your chances of getting the job.

There are a number of ways to learn how to write a cover letter that will do the job required of it, but seeing as you probably don’t have time to take a bunch of classes or seminars on the subject, I’ll let you in on a little secret.

One of the all-time best ways to learn almost any process is to learn by example. Taking what others have done, analyzing it, and coming up with your own applications is a long-tested system for achieving excellence in almost any subject, and cover letter writing is no different.