you need to write a better cover letter by Alison Green on November 13, 2018 For employers, picking the best candidate for the job isn’t just about skills and experience. If it were, they wouldn’t ask for cover letters at all — hell, we might not even need interviews. We could just hire based on resumes alone. But of course, other things matter, too — things like personal traits, work […] Read the full article →
how to write a great cover letter by Alison Green on May 29, 2018 I’ve read a lot of cover letters in my career – thousands of them, maybe even tens of thousands. (If you’re thinking that sounds like really boring reading, you’re right.) And in them, I’ve seen job seekers make the same basic mistakes over and over. In fact, bad cover letters are so prevalent that they’re […] Read the full article →
these are bad ways to start your cover letter by Alison Green on January 25, 2018 People often really struggle over how to start a cover letter, and as a result they often end up with lines that are overly salesy, gimmicky, or just very tired. Here are popular opening lines that you should purge from your cover letters. * “If you are seeking…” — as in, “If you are seeking a […] Read the full article →
here’s another real-life sample of a great cover letter by Alison Green on October 25, 2017 I regularly get asked for examples of good cover letters, and I’m always nervous about sharing them because PEOPLE STEAL THEM. But a reader sent me a great one and gave me permission to share it, and I thought it was a good example of how to write a letter that talks about what differentiates you, […] Read the full article →
how to write a cover letter that will help you get an interview by Alison Green on June 19, 2017 When you’re applying for jobs, your cover letter can be the determining factor in whether you hear nothing from an employer or whether you get called for an interview. And yet job seekers regularly give their cover letters short shrift – writing deadly dull missives that make hiring managers’ eyes glaze over or using them […] Read the full article →
if you’re not getting interviews, here’s how to fix your resume and cover letter by Alison Green on May 1, 2017 I did a version of this post in 2012, and it’s become one of the posts that I link people to most frequently, so I figured it was time to update it. I talk to a lot of people who aren’t getting interviews and who can’t figure out what the problem is. They tell me […] Read the full article →
where’s the line between necessary self-promotion and overconfidence in cover letters? by Alison Green on February 9, 2017 A reader writes: My question is a little woolly, but one I was hoping you could shed some light on: In cover letters, where is the line between necessary self-promotion and overconfidence? I’m looking for jobs right now as a soon-to-be-graduate, and I’m finding it really hard to hit the right note to convince a […] Read the full article →
whoever told you to be creative in your cover letter has led you horribly astray by Alison Green on August 16, 2016 A reader sent me this real-life cover letter that she received from a job applicant: Hi. This very professionally-beginning cover letter should immediately alert you to my easy-going and comprehensive approach to task completion while making it strikingly obvious that I am both interested in and capable of performing HR duties with sophisticated exactitude. The […] Read the full article →
should you attach your cover letter or put it in the body of the email? by Alison Green on May 20, 2016 A reader writes: When applying to a job via email, do you attach your cover letter or do you paste it in the body of the email, or both? Either one is fine. No one really cares, seriously. I mean, people who hire may have individual preferences, but no one is going to penalize you over doing […] Read the full article →
here’s another example of a great cover letter by Alison Green on May 3, 2016 I often get asked for examples of good cover letters, and a reader recently sent me a great one that I want to share. One thing I like about this one is that it’s shorter than others I’ve previously shared and so is a good demonstration of how you can go shorter and still be […] Read the full article →