What the Heck is a Cover Letter?

There are resumes, there are interviews and then there are cover letters.

It's kind of crazy how many people I talk to either don't turn in cover letters with job applications or don't know what they are in the first place.

Once you get the hang of it, writing cover letters can be pretty simple. They can also be pretty fun to write. But before we get to the mechanics of how to write a cover letter, we have to ask ourselves: What the heck is a cover letter?

IS the perfect place to explain some of the things on your resume.

Maybe you have a weird gap on your resume or you listed a one-of-a-kind skill. Your cover letter is the perfect place to explain those little things. Maybe the gap is from an impromptu trip you took your Junior year to travel the world. Now you can let employers know about your awesome trip where you learned to speak fluent Spanish and play the guitar.

IS NOT a replication of your resume.

Don't repeat information. They already know about your job history and accomplishments, so why would you tell them again? Don't waste an employer's time.

IS a chance for you to tell employers your story.

Your cover letter is the perfect time to tell your future employers about the time you wrote your own book when you were seven years old or how a trip to a museum in High School made you realize you wanted to be a curator. Your cover letter is the perfect time to show employers who you are.

IS NOT a chance for you to write a novel.

Everybody loves a good story, but a cover letter shouldn't be any longer than one page (even one full page is pushing it!) So keep it short and sweet.

IS a place to tell the employer how awesome they are.

Show that you know what job you're applying for. Show that you know the company like the back of your hand. Talk about the article they wrote on their blog that helped you be more awesome or talk about an art exhibit they hosted that changed your life. Talk about how much you love them. This is about them, not you.

IS NOT the same for every job you apply for.

Every job that you apply for needs to have a different cover letter. Can it be the same format? Sure. Can it be the same words? Nope. Sit down and write a new cover letter. It's worth it.

IS one of the most important things you can submit with your job application and resume.

Your cover letter does a few things. First, it shows an employer who you are. Second, it allows you to show your love for a company. Third, it allows you to tell a company why you would be perfect for the position you are applying for.

IS NOT optional.

Don't even think about applying for a job without a cover letter. Sadly, many people don't submit cover letters and 50% of the people that do just copy and paste information off of their cover letter or the internet. Take the time to craft a personal cover letter and you will have a huge leg up on the competition.


Now that you know what a cover letter is, it's time for you to write one. One of the best resources I've found for writing cover letters is this article by Alexandra Franzen. If you don't know how to start writing a cover letter, that article is the perfect place.

I'm going to touch more on cover letters and exactly how to write them later on, but for now...

Have you ever written a cover letter? If you haven't, what stopped you? 

Talk about it in the comments below!