How to Write Cover Letter Opening | Job Resources

The opening paragraph of a cover letter is often called “the hook” because it has the power to either grab the hiring manager’s attention or turn them away immediately. It’s your first opportunity to entice them to learn more about you, so start with a bang! Read on for best practices to create a compelling cover letter opening.

CREATE YOUR COVER LETTER

How to write a great cover letter opening, with examples

Before writing, do your research.

Starting off your cover letter armed with knowledge about the company and its people conveys your interest while allowing you to point to the specific reasons you want the job and show why you’re a good match. Take the time to learn about the company, its products, the hiring manager and the team. Scour the company website, LinkedIn profiles, online news articles and public relations stories.

Look for these key points:

How long has the company been around?
Have they made any big announcements recently?
What are their recent accomplishments?
Do they have a mission?
What are their values?
What are their short- and long-term goals?
What’s the culture like and how do you fit?

Then match your qualifications:

Pick out a specific need the company or team has and jot down how you can help them.
Highlight noteworthy information, such as a new product, expansion, or award — such tidbits can be great ice breakers for a cover letter.
Review the job description and make a list of skills, attributes and experiences you have that match the job.
Jot down what you’re most passionate about and how you can align it to the company’s mission, values and goals.
Write down a past accomplishment — something you can measure — that you’re proud of and that is relevant to the job or company.

Once you’ve got all these written out, then you’re ready to piece them together into a solid, attention-grabbing cover letter opening paragraph. Use the examples below as guides.

Pro Tip

An attention-grabbing cover letter opening paragraph:

Conveys excitement.
Has a confident tone.
Is customized for each job.
Is customized for each job.
Focuses on the company.
Is concise and compelling.
Conveys passion.

If you’re applying for your first full-time job

When you lack professional work experience, play up your passion for the industry or for activities relevant to the job right out of the gate. Personal anecdotes from childhood, lessons learned from internships, interests that grew from volunteer work, community activities, or school projects make excellent cover letter openers when tied to the job.

For example:

“I remember it like it was yesterday. I was five years old, standing on a stepstool next to my grandma in her kitchen. She was making dough for homemade pasta and I was her ‘assistant chef.’ I can still feel the dough between my fingers: squishy and gooey and soft. I was filled with wonder as I watched grandma turn it into delicious noodles before my eyes — it was magical! That was the day I knew I wanted to cook for a living.”

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If you have steady employment and have been working for at least one year

If you’ve been working for a while and you have consistent job experience, then open your cover letter by highlighting your interest in the company. You might focus on your respect for its values and show how yours match, or show how you can help them achieve their current goals. Emphasize relevant skills or give an example of a measurable achievement. If the job requires a specific amount of experience and you meet those requirements, then mention it, too.

For example:

“As a lifelong environmental advocate and Wildlife Action Group supporter, I was excited to learn about your organization’s need for a social media manager to support its rapid growth. I’d love to apply my 8 years of experience in social media strategy and my successful track record of creating award-winning marketing campaigns in the nonprofit sector to help you achieve your goals.”

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Pro Tip

Help applicant tracking systems (ATS) find you. This software scans cover letters for keywords that match the job description closely. When sent with an ATS-optimized resume, a cover letter that contains high-ranking, relevant words from the job description can help raise your resume’s ranking and increase the chance a recruiter or hiring manager sees your application.

If you’re changing careers

The best way to start your cover letter if you are applying for a job with a new title or in a different industry is to tell the hiring manager who you are and what you can offer the new position. Point to the technical and soft skills you can apply to the new job, and highlight some of your transferable skills — the portable skills that apply to multiple industries. Add related volunteer experience, school or community projects to further emphasize your qualifications and then state your interest in the position.

For example:

“I’m an administrative assistant with four years of experience in merchandising. My goal is to pursue a career in marketing, so I’m excited to be applying for the open marketing coordinator position at Ambiance Boutique. My background has set me up for success in this role. As an administrative assistant, I have honed my organizational and time management skills, and my background in merchandising has given me the analytical acumen, interpersonal communication, and consumer awareness necessary to excel in retail marketing. I’m confident that I can be a valuable asset to your team.”

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Pro Tip

Think of your cover letter as a companion to your resume. Use it to expand on, rather than repeat, your work experience and skills, and take the time to explain your reasons for switching careers with confidence and passion.

If you’re applying for a managerial position

Whether or not you have management experience, hiring managers will want to learn more about you if you open your cover letter with an impressive, measurable accomplishment, especially if it demonstrates your managerial aptitude. If you have previous experience, state it.

For example:

“I’ve been a happy Willow and Ivy customer for more than 10 years, so I jumped at the chance to apply for your open warehouse manager role. Since my promotion from operations administrator to manager for House and Home’s 1 million square foot distribution center four years ago, I have received high accolades every year for efficiency, safety and superior customer service. Just last month, I achieved a 35% reduction in delivery delay time. I’d be thrilled to apply my dedication, drive and commitment to help Willow and Ivy exceed their warehouse operations goals.”

Pro Tip

Explaining a job gap in your cover letter can be beneficial, but don’t bring it up in your opening paragraph. Work up to it before making brief mention of the gap in the body of your cover letter.

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Cover letter opener do’s and don’ts

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.
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.