Cover Letters
Last updated on 2023/09/24
Why Cover Letter?
While your resume will highlight and summarize your most relevant skills and experience, your cover letter will emphasize your most important qualifications and your personality.
An effective cover letter should convince the recruiter that you possess relevant skills and the right attitude that adds value to the company. It's also a chance to show your excitement and interest in the company before the interview.
Companies that get a very large number of applicants usually focus on seeing your resume. While applications may have an option to include a cover letter, the recruiters will likely not see your cover letter. It's best to send a cover letter to smaller companies that don't get many applicants.
Presentation
Since your cover letter acts as a compliment piece to your resume, it should have the same design as your resume.
The header of your resume where your name, contact information and websites (Linkedin, Github, portfolio) should be the same on your cover letter. The margins and the font of your cover letter should also be the same as your resume. Finally, your cover letter should be at most one page long.
Content of your Cover Letter
Header
Your header should look the same as the header on your resume as mentioned above. It's more professional and consistant when you look at your entire application.
Date
The date of the cover letter should match the day you submitted your job application.
Employer's Info
You must include the employer's name, their job title, the name of the company, and the address of the workplace. You might need to do some research regarding the employer and the company because the required information may not be in the job posting. If you can't find some of the information even after researching, then it's okay to just include the name of the company. But include as much information as you found.
Salutation
The formal way to start a saluation is with "Dear". If you know the full name of your employer, then use the employer's first and last name in your salutation. If the name of the employer is not given, then you can refer to them as "Hiring Manager" or "Recruiter".
Introduction
This section of your cover letter is the most important section. Your introductory paragraph will determine whether the reader will read the rest of your cover letter or not. Thus, it's very important to grab your employer's attention in this paragraph.
Here are some ways you can grab your employer's attention:
- Discuss your passion for working with the company and why you're excited
- Briefly highlight your most relevant skills and experiences
- Demonstrate your knowledge of the company by mentioning their products and services
When expressing your interest in the position you're applying for, it's very important that you talk about how the company will benefit when they select you rather than what you can gain from the job. The employers will always prioritize the success of the company and will select applicants based on that.
Middle
This paragraph (or two) will go into detail regarding the relevant skills and experience you mentioned in your introductory paragraph or on your resume. This is where you prove you are the perfect candidate for the job.
You do this by demonstrating you understand the role and what will be required from you in the workplace. Do not try to go over everything on your resume. Discuss one or two relevant experiences (work, volunteering, projects, etc) that relate to the requirements and skills the employer is asking for.
Conclusion
This final paragraph should summarize your relevant skills and interests. You should thank the employer for taking the time to review your application and express your interest for an interview. You should end off with "Sincerely" or "Regards" followed by your first and last name. Don't forget to include your signature.
Sample Cover Letter
Here is a sample cover letter that you can use as a blueprint for your future cover letters:
Date
Company Name
Workplace Address
City State/Province Postal Code
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am in [Year of Study] at [University Name] majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Finance. I was excited to learn about the CME Group Summer Data Science Intern position as advertised on Handshake, and I would value the opportunity to work for a company that uses technology to impact global markets. I believe my fluency in Java and Python, along with my background in data analytics make me a strong candidate for this position.
As the Open Source Website Development Intern at Loyola, I have spent this past academic year creating a website, from inception to production deployment, using JavaScript and HTML in order to track prices of products on Amazon.com over time. I also wrote RSpec tests to ensure that site functionality was maintained during development and to prevent the inclusion of regression bugs. In addition, as a Research Assistant to Dr. Kalchthaler in the Loyola School of Education, I researched the use of computer software in Chicago Public Schools and analyzed data using SPSS-X software. Using Java and Python, I programmed a specialized database to track findings, and I presented research results to Dr. Kalchthaler and two PhD-level interns at weekly meetings.
Through my computer science coursework at Loyola, I have gained additional programming skills in languages such as SQL and C/C++, as well as applied knowledge of operating systems such as Linux. My passion for financial markets has led me to minor in finance, through which I’ve learned about commodity and derivative markets, and become increasingly interested in global economics.
I would love the opportunity to join CME Group as a Data Science Intern this summer! Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
(Handwritten Signature)
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