Resume and Cover Letter Tips, Tricks, and Examples

Cover Letter Examples: Quickly Write The 3 Types of Cover Letters

Christa Reed

Content Creator


Right next to resumes, cover letters are the backbone to the job searching process. At times your cover letter can make or break your chance to land a job, internship, or network connection. There are three different types of cover letters, and each serves its own purpose. If having to write cover letters are a nightmare for you, then you are in the right spot. Below we have some tips, cover letter examples, and cover letter templates to make writing cover letters easy.

How to Write a General Cover Letter Example

Application Cover Letter

Resume and Cover letter example - both together make a complete application

What is it?

An application cover letter is a cover letter that typically accompanies a resume when applying for a job or internship. This type of cover letter is most popular among graduates and job searchers looking for entry level work.

Your application cover letters should help sell you as the ideal candidate and should be very specific for the job you are applying for. It should include examples of how your skills and experience allowed you to succeed in the past and how that can carry over into the role you are applying for.

Your cover letter template for cover letters that will accompany your resume should have five major parts.

  1. A Proper Greeting
  2. An Introduction – Introduce who you are, what position you are applying to, and what experience you have.
  3. Highlight Your Past Achievements – Highlight some of your best measurable achievements and skills. Briefly mention how the those skills and achievements are relevant to the role you are applying for.
  4. Why That Company – Include a brief section to expound on why that company is a great fit for you and your skills.
  5. Thank them

Application Cover Letter Template

Dear [Person Whom You Are Writing To],

My name is [Your Name]. I have recently entered the job market after [insert previous experience or education if you just graduated]. I am writing to apply to [insert position]. [Insert reason why you want to apply to this job and work for this company].

In your job posting, you mentioned that you want to hire a [Insert position] that [Insert skills and tasks described in the job description]. During my time at [Company or University], I was able to [Insert experience] where my responsibility was [Insert brief job description]. This job title depended heavily on building, developing and using [insert skills].

Within the first [Insert time period], I was able to [Insert measurable results that you were able to achieve while at the position]. *This can be in paragraph or bullet points*

When I saw the job opening and researched the company, I knew this was the perfect opportunity. I love [Insert something you love about the company]. I also know that, with my skillset, I can make an immediate impact by [list 2 or 3 ways you can make an impact]. I have include my resume to show more about my background and previous experience.

Thank you for your time and consideration. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me [insert contact information].

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Application Cover Letter Examples

APPLICATION COVER LETTER EXAMPLE 1: Harvard University Sample Resumes and Cover Letter Samples

APPLICATION COVER LETTER EXAMPLE 2: University of Virginia Cover Letter Samples

APPLICATION COVER LETTER EXAMPLE 3: NovoResume Cover Letter Samples

Prospecting Cover Letter

Prospecting cover letter example
Job Searching means that sometimes, you will have to make the first move.

What is it?

A prospecting cover letter is different from an application cover letter in that a prospecting cover letter is written to a specific company to inquire about open roles at that job. If you see a company whose culture seems to align with your values, it is beneficial to write a cover letter to show your interest and potentially gain some connections even if they do not have any open positions at that point in time.

You could also use a prospecting cover letter to reach out to good recruiters that you may want to help you with you job-seeking process. Either way, your prospecting cover letter template should have these six parts.

  1. A Proper Greeting
  2. An Introduction – Tell the recruiter or company who you are, where you previously worked, and what role you were employed in. Also explain that you are now searching for new opportunities.
  3. A Brief Outline of the type of job role you’d be interested in applying for – Take a couple of sentences to detail the job role you are hoping they have an opening for.
  4. Reasons why you would like to work for the company – Before writing a company, be sure to do your research. Being able to explain why you are reaching out to that company in particular will help give purpose to your cover letter and make it more meaningful.
  5. A closing summary of what you would be able to offer the company – brag on yourself… but just a little bit. Outline some of your measurable achievements and skills that may be useful for the company and the role you want to inquire about.
  6. A call to action and a thank you – leave your contact information and elude to the fact that you will be hearing from them soon. Also, don’t forget to say thank you.

Prospecting Cover Letter Template

Dear [Person whom you are writing to],

My name is [Your Name]. I previously worked at [Company Name] as a [Role]. Currently, I am in the process of searching for new employment opportunities. I read about/heard about/researched [Company Name and Role] and would like to inquire about the possibility of job openings. I am interested in a career in [Interested Career Field] and am willing to relocate to [City, State]. I would love to hear more about your company and available opportunities.

I have a [Degree Type] and [Number of Years] experience as a [Previous Role]. In addition, I completed two internships and a certificate for _________. At one of the companies I received [mention any awards or measurable results]. I hope to continue in this career field as a [Desired Role] or something that is closely related to it.

[Insert desired position] has always been a passion of mine, and the opportunity to work for your company is a long-time aspiration of mine. [Based on the research, tell why you admire the company – you could have related morals/values, they could be a great fit because of their employer brand, or maybe some other reason]. I also feel like my skills are a good fit because I can [insert how you may be able to help the company]

My resume, which is enclosed contains additional information on my experience and skills. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss job openings further. I can be reached at [insert contact information].

Thank you for you time and consideration. I look forward to speaking with you.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Prospecting Cover Letter Examples

PROSPECTING COVER LETTER EXAMPLE 1: Oregon State Prospecting Cover Letter Example

PROSPECTING COVER LETTER EXAMPLE 2: Towson Prospecting Cover Letter Example

PROSPECTING COVER LETTER EXAMPLE 3: Slide Share Prospecting Cover Letter Example

Referral Cover Letter

What is it?

Your referral cover letter could also be a prospecting or application cover letter. What makes a referral cover letter a referral letter is the fact that you include a reference in the beginning of the letter. The name of the reference you mention is the person who referred you to the job. Mentioning your reference’s name early will quickly get the employer’s attention.

Referral Cover Letter Template

Dear [The person whom you are writing to],

My name is [Your Name] and I currently am in the process of looking for new employment opportunities. I was referred to you by [Reference Name], whom I met [When and How you met]. [Reference Name] shared with me that [Company Name] is in the process of reviewing applications for [Role you are applying for]. I have enclosed a resume and a summary of my qualifications for your review.

My degree is in [Degree Qualifications], and I have gained invaluable experience in [Your Field]. This has helped me [State your previous experience, what you’ve learned, and at least two positive measurable results].

I would love the opportunity to meet with you to discuss this job opening. I will call later in the week to arrange for an interview. In the meantime, if you have any questions or if you would like any other references, please do not hesitate to call or email me at [insert contact information]. I look forward to hearing back from you.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Referral Cover Letter Examples

REFERRAL COVER LETTER EXAMPLE 1: UMass Lowell Referral Cover Letter Example

REFERRAL COVER LETTER EXAMPLE 2: Live Career- Templates for Opening Paragraphs for Referral Cover Letters

Conclusion

Writing a cover letter for a job doesn’t have to be difficult. Follow the cover letter examples above to help write your cover letter in less than 15 minutes.

Happy Job Searching!

2 Comments

Write A Comment

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.