The body is the meat of a cover letter, situated between the opening paragraph and the closing paragraph. It should consist of no more than three paragraphs that expound on points from the introduction by succinctly detailing your qualifications and explaining why you’re interested in the position and the company.
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How to write a great cover letter body, with examples
Before writing, prepare your content.
Research is the critical first step when writing the body of a cover letter. You have to tell the employer why you are interested in them and explain how your qualifications match the job. Read about the company on their website, via news articles and on LinkedIn.
As you gather information about the company and the team, ask yourself:
- How long has the company been in business?
- What do they sell?
- Who are their customers?
- What are their goals?
- What are their recent accomplishments?
- What’s the culture like?
- Who are their customers?
Then review the requirements for the position, think about your qualifications and brainstorm.
Ask yourself the following:
- Which of your competencies and experiences match the most?
- What are your most important recent accomplishments?
- What are you passionate about?
- How well do you know the industry?
- What excites you about the company and why?
- How do you fit in the team or company culture?
- What is one way you can help the company meet their goals?
Think through each question and write down what comes to mind. Match your answers to the information you gathered about the company and then review, edit and rewrite until you have two or three strong paragraphs that tie into your opening paragraph to create a solid story. Use the examples below as guides.
Pro Tip
Attention-grabbing cover letter body paragraphs:
- Are customized for each job.
- Contain quantifiable achievements.
- Use keywords from the job description.
- Include a mix of soft, hard and technical skills.
If you’re applying for your first full-time job
Keep the focus on your skills if you lack full-time work experience. It’s also acceptable to draw on volunteer experiences, part-time jobs, school projects and classes, internships or community endeavors, as long as they pertain to the job. Emphasize your best attributes! Some entry-level candidates choose to present their qualifications through interesting anecdotes related to the job, industry, or company. Others do well to focus on why they admire the company or chose their particular career.
For example:
“As a recent Honors Graduate from Temple University’s English Department, I have the knowledge and experience necessary to be an adept editorial assistant. I’m well-versed in conducting research and interviews, and I received the National Student Achievement Award for Writing in my junior and senior years. My 8,000-word student thesis, ‘Clearing the Path: Women who Paved the Way for Modern Feminist Writers’ was published in the Pennsylvania Arts Review.
What excites me most about Chapter One is your focus on up-and-coming female authors from diverse backgrounds. Having done extensive research on women in literature and being an aspiring poet myself, I have a deep understanding of the market. My experience interviewing women writers has honed my verbal communication skills and my ability to listen with an open mind. Moreover, my analytical acumen and fine-tuned critical thinking skills would make a great asset to your editorial team.”
If you have steady employment and have been working for at least one year
If you have experience in your chosen field and want to stand out, then talk about your qualifications and interest in the form of a story. Highlight your relevant technical and hard skills and round them out with soft skills that aren’t required but can put you ahead of the competition.
For example:
“I confess that I have always had a passion for video games and a curiosity for how they are developed. When I was a child, I was fortunate to have parents who encouraged my interests and enabled me to indulge in them during my free time. I feel lucky that they saw the value in my love for playing video games (in moderation!), because they believed it developed my spatial and problem-solving skills and honed my curiosity.
It also deepened my desire to become a programmer. I have always been fascinated by how things work and I like to make up stories. So I joined the programming club at school and eventually started the Games Lab at Syracuse University. Fast forward 10 years and I’m architecting and implementing game engine strategies and pipeline technology, testing new hardware, storyboarding, and translating artist specifications while mentoring 5 junior engineers in the studio at XWare Gaming Systems.”
Pro Tip
Include keywords from the job description in the body of your cover, such as required skills and personal attributes, so that applicant tracking systems (ATS), which scan cover letters for keywords that match the job description, can find your cover letter and send it to the hiring manager. Just be mindful not to flood your cover letter with keywords — it can backfire!
If you’re changing careers
Transferable skills — the portable skills that apply to multiple industries — are indispensable on a resume and a cover letter when you’re changing careers. In the body of your cover letter, provide details on the skills you mentioned in your opening paragraph and then expand them to include some not already mentioned. Persuade the hiring manager with quantifiable examples of what you achieved with those skills in past positions and exude confidence in your ability to perform the job but don’t be arrogant. Provide an explanation of why you are changing careers and convey excitement for the new role.
“I’ve enjoyed my career as a customer service support agent for Superior Airlines. Over the last three years, I’ve gained invaluable experience in conflict resolution and interpersonal communication while sharpening my decision-making and active listening skills. Now I’m ready to apply those skills, along with my Associate of Art Administration degree, to a role as gallery coordinator for Laurel Gallery, New York.”
If you’re applying for a managerial position
Even if you have management experience, you have to impress hiring managers with your ability to get results when writing a cover letter for a job in management, so don’t be afraid to talk yourself up. Use the body of your cover letter to highlight your most impressive achievements and include anecdotes that spotlight your managerial aptitude and soft skills, to assure the hiring manager that you’re ready and able to help them reach their goals.
For example:
“Over the last 10 years, I have had the pleasure of coordinating and planning a variety of events for some of the largest companies and nonprofit organizations in the tri-state area. This has given me in-depth experience handling Web and enterprise applications, managing internal and external budgets, organizing large-scale productions, and developing vendor and client relationships.
My most recent successes include:
Organized a fundraising event for the local chapter of YMCA that raised more than $1 million.
Created a campaign for a large corporate event that increased attendance by 200% over the previous year.
Managed budgets of more than $60,000.”
Pro Tip
When you want to show multiple accomplishments, it’s acceptable to show them off with up to five bullet points to make the text easier to read.
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Dos and don’ts of writing the body of a cover letter
FAQ
What is the best greeting for a cover letter?
The best greeting, also called the salutation, is “Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],”. Addressing the hiring manager directly shows that you’re serious about the job and it conveys that you’re willing to go the extra mile to locate that name — an admirable trait for anyone to have. If you dig around and can not find their name, then acceptable greetings are:
- Dear Hiring Manager,
- Dear [Hiring Manager’s Title],
- Dear Human Resources Team,
How do you sell yourself in a cover letter?
Best practices to sell yourself in a cover letter include:
- Match your experience to the job.
- Include measurable achievements.
- Tell the hiring manager precisely how you plan to help them reach their goals.
- Give specific examples of how you have used skills required for the job in the past.
- Write in a confident tone.
- Be enthusiastic about the job and the company.
Should you write about yourself in a cover letter?
Absolutely! It’s crucial that you write about yourself in a cover letter. Just be careful to do so in a way that tells the employer the value you offer. Focus on what you can do for them, not what you want from the job.Best practices to sell yourself in a cover letter include:
Do you send a cover letter or resume first?
A cover letter and a resume are two parts of a whole, so always send them together when applying for a job.
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