I hate cover letters. They add so much stress to the already uncomfortable and grueling job hunt. Every time I’m writing one, I find myself wondering: Do people even read these?
Unfortunately, the answer is “yes.” But, there are some ways to make the process a little less terrible. I asked Amy Gallo, Harvard Business Review editor and author of “How to Write a Cover Letter,” for her advice. From doing the research, to starting off strong, to emphasizing your value — Gallo taught me exactly what I need to do to get my cover letters noticed by hiring managers. I even wrote a new cover letter that has her blessing. (Scroll down if you’re in need of an expert-approved example.) at How to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You (and Gets Noticed)
Subscribe to HBR Ascend on YouTube for more videos on work, life, and everything in between.
Transcript
ELAINY MATA: So you want to know how to tackle the cover letter. I do too. I actually really hate cover letters. I hate cover letters. I hate cover letters.
But the cover letter is important. It’s time to face our fears, and just figure out how in the world we are actually going to write it at How to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You (and Gets Noticed).
We’re going to work through this together; I got you. These pointers are going to make the process more simpler for you. So stay put and keep watching if you’re prepared to handle the cover letter.
In front of me right now are three cover letters that I’ve written in the past, for three different jobs. And I’m just embarrassed. I’m embarrassed to read these at How to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You (and Gets Noticed).
This sounds like I’m — this doesn’t sound like me at all. I think you want me to talk this way. Here we go like. Hire me.
I talked to Amy Gallo, an HBR editor, and the author of one of our most popular articles, “How to Write a Cover Letter.”
AMY GALLO: First of all, you’re not alone. I write about how to write cover letters, and I also hate them.
ELAINY MATA: She’s done the research. She’s talked to the experts. And I’m going to tell you exactly what she told me at How to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You (and Gets Noticed).
Make it one page
ELAINY MATA: So how long does a cover letter actually have to be? Just one page, one.
AMY GALLO: Don’t play with the font, and make it like eight point font, and like make your margins really wide. Just really figure out what is the most essential things that need to go on one page.
Do research, find a name
ELAINY MATA: This should be a no-brainer, but let’s get specific. Let’s say you’re applying for a job here, at Harvard Business Review. Go on the company’s website, go to their “About Us” section, and read what they’re about, see their mission statement, see their tone, see what that company is actually looking for, and what they stand for at How to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You (and Gets Noticed).
So you’ve got the broad stuff, but let’s dig a little bit deeper. What is the company that you’re applying for talking about now? You should actually go into their LinkedIn, their Twitter, see what they’re sharing, see who are they’re talking to, see what they’re talking about, so you can get a sense of what is currently happening. Lastly, find that hiring manager. It is so much better to address your cover letter to an actual person and a name rather than, to whom it may concern. So I have to kind of creep a little bit, and be like a private investigator at How to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You (and Gets Noticed).
AMY GALLO: Yeah, creeping is definitely part of the process. Usually, with LinkedIn, you can see who’s posted the job, who is sharing it with their network. You may not know for sure that that’s the hiring manager, but at least it’s a little more personable. Sometimes, I’ve heard people just reach out and say, “Who’s the hiring manager for this job? I’d like to address my cover letter to that person.”
Start strong
ELAINY MATA: You’ve probably written this 100 times before. “Hi, my name is this. I’m based here, and I’m applying for this job.” No, no, no, no, don’t do that. The hiring manager has a stack of cover letters. So you have to write yours to grab their attention. Amy, can you please give me an example of a strong, bold, opening line for cover letter. I promise I won’t steal it at How to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You (and Gets Noticed).
AMY GALLO: You’re allowed to steal it. Anyone should be able to steal it:
“I saw your listing on this website, and I was thrilled to see it, because it’s exactly the kind of job I’ve been looking for to apply my skills in X.”
Write something that’s short, to the point, but shows both enthusiasm, as well as experience that’s relevant to the job.
Emphasize your value
ELAINY MATA: Figure out what problem the company is facing. They’re hiring for a reason. Figure out what that reason is, and how you can best solve that problem. Amy also found the top two qualities that people generally look for is adaptability, and the ability to learn quickly at How to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You (and Gets Noticed).
How about if I just got out of college, and I’m looking at these jobs that are asking for three to five years or more of experience. How can I write a cover letter if I feel like I don’t have enough to write about?
AMY GALLO: Yeah, so that’s a good question, because the cover letter shouldn’t be focused so much on the past. That’s the resume’s job. The cover letter is really about the future. So how are you going to take what’s in that resume, your past, and apply it to where you’re going at How to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You (and Gets Noticed).
Convey enthusiasm, not desperation
ELAINY MATA: This is really hard to balance. You want to show them that you’re excited to work there, and that you’re going to bring a lot of energy to the team. But don’t be too strong, because over eagerness can actually work against you.
Find a proofreader
AMY GALLO: Write the letter you want to write. Then share it with someone else, someone who knows you well, but someone who also will tell you like it is. We’re not good judges of our own writing at How to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You (and Gets Noticed).
ELAINY MATA: So getting a second pair of eyes will help you look for any errors, typos, and most importantly, they can tell you if you make sense.
Amy, this sounds like a lot. Is there even like a sort of a shortcut to this, or a sort of scalable way that I can do this for multiple different jobs?
AMY GALLO: I mean, you’ve probably heard the phrase looking for a job is a full-time job. It does take a lot of time. You’re tweaking some things. You’re not writing a whole new letter. So you’re going to have a template. Write your best cover letter for the first job you apply for. Share that with your friend to check the tone. Do the research on the company, right? Do that the first time. Then and adjust the cover letter accordingly. Does that seem more reasonable?
ELAINY MATA: Yes, much more reasonable.
So my task is to apply for a job here at HBR, and to write a new cover letter using the advice that Amy gave me. Let’s do it at How to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You (and Gets Noticed).
This is hard. I never said it was going to be easy, maybe easier than what you were doing before, but definitely not easy.
AMY GALLO: You did well on length. It is very short. That’s good.
ELAINY MATA: My gosh.
AMY GALLO: I read this, I’m like, that first sentence is spot on. And then it gets a little bit stilted. And then it goes into what’s probably on your resume. And I want a little more personality.
The final draft
ELAINY MATA: So Amy, after many back and forths — How do you think I did?
AMY GALLO: All right. So I’m looking at it right now. And I think you did a really good job at How to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You (and Gets Noticed).
You’ve got the main components here. There’s some personality in it. There’s some flattery in it about the company you’re applying to, but it’s not like over the top. I have to tell you, I would have you in. I think it’s a great letter.
ELAINY MATA: That’s it for me. I wrote the cover letter. You got to see the whole process. And I feel like I definitely have a better outlook on how to approach it. These are not easy to write, so good luck out there. Watch as many times as you can. Practice makes perfect. I’ll see you soon at How to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You (and Gets Noticed).