Fun is not something typically associated with writing a cover letter. However, with a few tweaks, writing one doesn\u2019t have to be a burden.<\/p>\n
The cover letter examples below demonstrate that it is<\/em> possible to have a little fun with your job search \u2014 and maybe even make yourself a better candidate in the process.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n It may be true that only 35% of recruiters admit that cover letters do not materially influence the hiring process for them<\/a>, but that doesn’t mean yours has to contribute to that statistic. In fact, it might be that cover letters are deemed insignificant because so few of them stand out. Here’s an opportunity for you to exercise your creativity at the earliest stage of the recruitment process.<\/p>\n Personalization, after all, goes beyond replacing the title and company name in each letter you send to recruiters.<\/p>\n Before you can get started writing your cover letter, there are a few components you must have.<\/p>\n Greeting:<\/strong> A simple, but pleasant greeting to address the recruiter or hiring manager.<\/p>\n Opener:<\/strong> Write a catchy introduction that explains why you\u2019re interested in the role.<\/p>\n Summary of Skills\/Qualifications:<\/strong> This is the heart of your cover letter. It outlines your relevant experience and why you\u2019d be a great fit for the role. You can highlight special skills, experiences, professional achievements, or education to help make your case.<\/p>\n Closing:<\/strong> In this paragraph, provide a call-to-action by expressing interest in an interview. Provide your contact information and sign-off.<\/p>\n In addition to showing off your skills and qualifications, cover letters give you the opportunity to present a clear, concise, and compelling writing sample that shows off your personality and ability to convey ideas. Check out our template below to see how you should organize the content of your cover letter.<\/p>\n <\/a>What does that look like in practice, and how can you make your cover letter stand out? We found six examples from job seekers who decided to do things a bit differently.<\/p>\n By the way \u2014 We’re hiring<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Note: Some of these cover letters contain real company names and NSFW language that we’ve covered up.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Download our collection<\/a> of 5 professional cover letter templates to help you summarize your professional journey and land your dream job \u2013 whether it’s at your first or fifth company.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve already covered the importance of addressing how you\u2019ll best execute a certain role in your cover letter. But there\u2019s another question you might want to answer: Why the heck do you want to work here?<\/p>\n The Muse<\/a>, a career guidance site, says that it\u2019s often best to lead with the why \u2014 especially if it makes a good story. We advise against blathering on and on, but a brief tale that illuminates your desire to work for that particular employer can really make you stand out.<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2019s another instance of the power of personalization. The author of this cover letter clearly has a passion for this prospective employer \u2014 the Chicago Cubs \u2014 and if she\u2019s lying about it, well, that probably would eventually be revealed in an interview.<\/p>\n Make sure your story is nonfiction and relatable according to each job. While we love a good tale of childhood baseball games, an introduction like this one probably wouldn\u2019t be fitting in a cover letter for, say, a software company. But a story of how the hours you spent playing with DOS games as a kid led to your passion for coding? Sure, we\u2019d find that fitting.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re really passionate about a particular job opening, think about where that deep interest is rooted. Then, tell your hiring manager about it in a few sentences.<\/p>\n This example demonstrates how effective personalization can be. The writer is passionate about the employer, drawing from her own childhood experience to communicate her enthusiasm.<\/p>\n This cover letter example is a special one because it was submitted to us here at HubSpot. What does the letter do well? It makes a connection with us before we’ve even met the letter’s author.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “Content Marketing Certified” indicates the applicant has taken the content marketing certification course in our HubSpot Academy (you can take the same course here<\/a>). Our “records” indicate he\/she did indeed give an interview with us before \u2014 and<\/em> was a HubSpot customer.<\/p>\n The cover letter sang references to a relationship we didn’t even know we had with the candidate.<\/p>\n The letter ends with a charming pitch for why, despite him\/her not getting hired previously, our interests complement each other this time around.<\/p>\n (Yes, the applicant was hired).<\/p>\n This cover letter example does an excellent job of building rapport with the employer. Despite not getting hired for previous roles they applied for at HubSpot, the writer conveys exactly why they are right for this role.<\/p>\n HubSpot has a lot of H.E.A.R.T. \u2014 Humble, Empathetic, Adaptable, Remarkable, Transparent. Our Culture Code<\/a> is the foundation of the company’s culture, the driving force behind our mission to help millions grow better<\/a>, and serves as the scaffolding for our hiring practices. Recruiters at HubSpot look for applicants that demonstrate how they embody the Culture Code and job description, paying extra attention to cover letters that are super custom to HubSpot.<\/p>\n In another HubSpot submission, a HubSpot applicant writes about how she found out about HubSpot, why she likes the company, and how her professional experience aligns with H.E.A.R.T.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n HubSpot’s recruiting team was impressed with her dedication to the company and how she went beyond what was asked for by linking her portfolio in her closing paragraph.<\/p>\n In 2009, David Silverman penned an article for Harvard Business Review titled, \u201cThe Best Cover Letter I Ever Received.<\/a>\u201d That letter contained three complete sentences, as follows:<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n One might argue that this particular letter is less than outstanding. It\u2019s brief, to say the least, and the author doesn\u2019t go into a ton of detail about what makes him or her qualified for the job in question. But that\u2019s what Silverman likes about it \u2014 the fact that the applicant only included the pieces of information that would matter the most to the recipient.<\/p>\n \u201cThe writer of this letter took the time to think through what would be relevant to me,\u201d writes Silverman. \u201cInstead of scattering lots of facts in hopes that one was relevant, the candidate offered up an opinion as to which experiences I should focus on.\u201d<\/p>\n When you apply for a job, start by determining two things:<\/p>\n Who might oversee the role \u2014 that\u2019s often included in the description, under \u201creports to.\u201d Address your letter to that individual. The key to this standout cover letter is research \u2014 by looking into who you\u2019ll be reporting to and learning more about that person\u2019s leadership style, you\u2019ll be better prepared to tailor your cover letter to focus on how you provide solutions for them.<\/p>\n Basha Coleman<\/a> began her cover letter with a short story. The goal of this short story is two-fold:<\/p>\n Detail the experience she already has with the organization. You’ll notice that her short story follows a typical narrative arc: It has a conflict\/obstacle, a turning point, and a positive outcome, all created with a goal to emphasize a theme or point. In this case, Coleman is emphasizing her existing affinity with the brand and her triumphs within the program so that she can continue on her career path.<\/p>\n Like the second example in our list, this cover letter does an excellent job of conveying the applicant\u2019s existing affinity for the brand. If you are applying to a company you love, don\u2019t be shy about showing it and explaining why.<\/p>\n In today’s job market, cover letters aren’t always necessary. Even though many recruiters won’t ask for or even read them, cover letters can still be effective and convey personality to a reader. Writing a strong cover letter can help you better convey your interest in the position and company.<\/p>\n This template from The Balance Careers<\/a> puts together the essential components of a short cover letter: excitement about the position, your qualifications, and a call-to-action for the recruiter to follow up with you. Combining these central aspects in a well-written, compelling narrative will go a long way in convincing readers to hire you.<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n This letter is organized and concise. The inclusion of bullet points to highlight key skills and help the recruiter skim the document is a nice touch.<\/p>\n In this cover letter, Amanda Edens<\/a> is following the instructions the hiring manager gave by forwarding an email with resume and writing samples attached.<\/p>\n Edens knows that the body of the email is prime real estate to get the hiring manager’s attention, but she also doesn’t want to overwhelm the recipient with too much information since a cover letter was not requested. This short cover letter is the result. You’ll notice that she uses casual and breezy language to convey personality and enthusiasm, and she keeps her paragraphs succinct.<\/p>\n Not only does Amanda provide links to relevant writing samples that are live on the web, but she also closes with a strong final paragraph that:<\/p>\n Summarizes the expertise she has relevant to the posting In this cover letter the candidate, Brenda, plays up her prior music industry experience to build a connection with Epic Music Group. If you have specific industry experience for the role you are applying for, be sure to highlight that.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s clear that she\u2019s passionate about not only the music industry, but Epic as a whole. She\u2019s done so much research on the company that she knows what software programs they use, and happens to be proficient in it to help convey value to the hiring manager.<\/p>\n This example further illustrates the importance of research. Make sure you understand the culture of the company to which you\u2019re applying before you send a completely unfiltered cover letter \u2014 if you don\u2019t, there\u2019s a good chance it\u2019ll completely miss the mark.<\/p>\n In just three short paragraphs, the applicant uses their company research to drive home why they are the perfect fit for the role \u2014 emphasizing industry experience as well as software knowledge specific to the company. All of this communicates that she\u2019d be able to start with very few hiccups getting up to speed.<\/p>\n Maybe you\u2019re just getting started in your career and looking to land the right internship to gain experience in your field. In this case, you\u2019ll need to highlight more of your educational background and transferable skills since you won\u2019t have as much professional experience to highlight.<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n The cover letter above is a great example of how to emphasize your skills and accomplishments when applying to internships or entry-level positions. A few things the applicant does well:<\/p>\n Highlights relevant extracurriculars and affinity networks. In this case, the applicant is applying to a business analyst position, so mentioning their involvement in a FinTech group makes sense. This cover letter example illustrates how you can leverage your education and background to get the gig even when you don\u2019t have much working experience. Highlighting previous internships or experience in related fields can go a long way in convincing hiring managers you\u2019re the perfect candidate for the role.<\/p>\n Then, there are the occasions when your future boss might appreciate honesty \u2014 in its purest form. Livestream CEO Jesse Hertzberg, by his own admission, is one of those people, which might be why he called this example \u201cthe best cover letter<\/a>\u201d (which he received while he was with Squarespace):<\/p>\n Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n As Hertzberg says in the blog post elaborating on this excerpt \u2014 it\u2019s not appropriate for every job or company. But if you happen to be sure that the corporate culture of this prospective employer gets a kick out of a complete lack of filter, then there\u2019s a chance that the hiring manager might appreciate your candor.<\/p>\n \u201cRemember that I’m reading these all day long,\u201d Hertzberg writes. \u201cYou need to quickly convince me I should keep reading. You need to stand out.\u201d<\/p>\n The applicant did their research on the company\u2019s culture and executed this cover letter flawlessly. It\u2019s funny and shows off the applicant\u2019s personality all while demonstrating why they are a good fit for the role.<\/p>\n Making a career switch? Your cover letter can be an excellent opportunity for you to explain the reasoning behind your career change and how your transferable skills qualify you for the role.<\/p>\n In this cover letter example, the applicant is pivoting to a career in UX. Not only does she make the case for why she should be hired, she shows the recruiter by using a simple, but effective design scheme that shows off her skills. It\u2019s clean but effective.<\/p>\n Since the role she is applying for is more visual, it\u2019s important to both show and tell why you\u2019re a good fit.<\/p>\n This cover letter strikes the perfect balance between creativity and simplicity in design while putting the applicant’s career change into context. The copy is clean, with a creative font choice that isn\u2019t distracting from the content, but still demonstrates the applicant\u2019s knack for design.<\/p>\n When applying for more creative roles, the design of your cover letter can say just as much as the words on the page. Take the graphic designer letter example below.<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s on a cover letter?<\/h2>\n
What does a cover letter look like?<\/h3>\n
Best Cover Letter Examples<\/h2>\n
Featured Resource: 5 Free Cover Letter Templates<\/a><\/h3>\n
1. The Cover Letter That Explains ‘Why,’ Not Just ‘How’<\/h3>\n
Why This Is A Great Cover Letter<\/h4>\n
2. The ‘We’re Meant for Each Other’ Cover Letter<\/h3>\n
Why This Is A Great Cover Letter<\/h4>\n
3. The Cover Letter with H.E.A.R.T.<\/h3>\n
Why This Is A Great Cover Letter<\/h4>\n
Short Cover Letter Examples<\/h2>\n
4. The Short-and-Sweet Cover Letter<\/h3>\n
\n Figure out what problems this role is meant to solve for that person. Then, concisely phrase in your cover letter how and why your experience can and will resolve those problems. <\/p>\nWhy This Is A Great Cover Letter<\/h4>\n
5. The Short Story<\/h3>\n
\n Stand out to the hiring team. <\/p>\nWhy This Is A Great Cover Letter<\/h4>\n
6. The Bare Bones Cover Letter<\/h3>\n
\u00a0<\/h3>\n
Why This Is A Great Cover Letter<\/h4>\n
7. The Breezy Follow-Up<\/h3>\n
Why This Is A Great Cover Letter<\/h4>\n
\n Emphasizes that she doesn’t want to simply get a job but rather help the organization accomplish their goals
\n The reader gets everything they need in an organized and thoughtful manner. <\/p>\n8. The Administrative Assistant Cover Letter<\/h3>\n
Why This Is A Great Cover Letter<\/h4>\n
9. The Internship Cover Letter<\/h3>\n
\n Previous internships in relevant fields: Our applicant points out that they\u2019ve previously interned as a Business Analyst at another firm. Pointing out that they\u2019ve done the role previously will help make their case for fit.
\n Highlight other useful skills: This applicant is fluent in both English and German. If an international company or an organization needs bi-lingual support, knowing multiple languages is an asset. <\/p>\nWhy This Is A Great Cover Letter<\/h4>\n
Creative Cover Letter Examples<\/h2>\n
10. The Brutally Honest Cover Letter<\/h3>\n
Why This Is A Great Cover Letter<\/h4>\n
11. The Pivot Cover Letter<\/h3>\n
Why This Is A Great Cover Letter<\/h4>\n
12. The Graphic Design Cover Letter<\/h3>\n