Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán from Pexels
Cover letters don't need to include your life story, but a little storytelling is *chef's kiss*.
Other than your resume, a cover letter is often the first opportunity you have to make a good impression on employers or recruiters when conducting your job search.
While it might be tempting to write a couple of pages detailing each and every task you have ever completed throughout your career, the suggested length of a cover letter is between 250 and 400 words.
A cover letter is a way to start building your personal brand with a company before you even set foot in their office (or the proverbial office of a Zoom meeting!).
Table of Contents
- The Essentials: What Your Short Cover Letter Needs
- When Do I Need a Cover Letter?
- Short Cover Letter Examples
Psst! Have even more questions about the cover letter? See our Cover Letter FAQs, where we're answering all cover letter questions!
The Essentials: What Your Short Cover Letter Needs
Your cover letter doesn't need to chronicle your entire career. The perfect short and sweet cover letter only needs these four elements.
Your cover letter should include:
- A friendly, professional greeting with the hiring manager's name (make sure it's spelled correctly)
- A direct first paragraph that details your most relevant experience and skills
- Another short paragraph that details your inspiration for applying for this specific role and this specific company
- Your best regards
So, how do you make a big splash in under 400 words? Here are five best practices for writing a cover letter that is brief, precise, and still impressive.
1. Be Direct
Most employers do not have time to read through tons of paragraphs to figure out why you want the job in the first place. The more direct you can be at the beginning of the cover letter, the better.
Don’t hesitate to specifically point out why you are the perfect fit for their company and role. Your opening paragraph is what will either hook the hiring manager or lose them, so be sure to get to the point quickly!
2. Be Enthusiastic
If you get excited at the thought of working for a certain company, share that in your cover letter.
Especially if you have followed them on social media for years or respect a recent decision they made that was covered in the news, sharing that information will let the hiring manager know that you are invested in the well-being of the company.
3. Remove Anything Irrelevant
Editors are important, and now it's time for you to put your editing hat on.
This is where the job description can really come in handy. Cover letters should not be one-size-fits-all, but rather specific to the role you are applying for.
Pick out keywords from the job description and pepper them throughout the cover letter when talking about your work history, biggest accomplishments, or relevant achievements and experience. By doing this, you're more likely to capture the hiring manager’s attention.
4. Use Concise and Active Language
If possible, avoid using passive language and instead use active verbs to immediately engage the hiring manager.
As a quick refresher, action verbs describe a specific task, action, or movement that focuses on the question, “What is the subject doing?” Overall, they help you write more concisely—which the hiring manager will appreciate after reading through tons of cover letters each day.
5. Brag About Yourself
Your cover letter is not the place to be humble. It is your opportunity to shout from the rooftops why you are the right person for the job.
And while bragging is not always a skill that comes naturally to people (but more power to you if it does!), it is a muscle that you need to flex, and there's no better place to do that than in a cover letter.
Did you lead a relevant project in a previous role that increased revenue for your company? Or maybe you launched an internship program with a local community college. Include anything that will help you dazzle the hiring manager.
When Do I Need a Cover Letter?
Most companies will say that a cover letter is optional in their job ads.
But, in our opinion, it never hurts to provide more information about yourself! Your cover letter may be the key to landing your dream job—and impressing your future potential employer with the details that didn't fit into your resume.
A cover letter can help explain a career change and the transferable skills you have, your best career highlights, and any context behind a career gap.
When in Doubt, Just Write the Cover Letter
To be perfectly honest, there are very few times when you should not include a cover letter. Unless there is no space in the job application portal, or if the job post specifically says not to send a cover letter, err on the side of caution and type something up for the hiring manager.
Here are a few things the cover letter can provide:
- More background on you
- Opportunity for storytelling
- Communication of your best character traits
- An occasion to imagine yourself in the role (+ showcase what you know about the company)
Even if it is just in the body of an email or a LinkedIn message, the more background you can provide on why you are the best fit for the role, the better.
A cover letter is also a great supplement to your resume because you can showcase your character by talking about your passions, goals, and more.
It is also the perfect time to mention what you admire about the company and why you can see yourself working there. Besides, it’s just as important for you to want them as much as they want you.
It's your time to shine and stand out from the rest, so next time a company suggests a cover letter as “optional”—get to typing!
Short Cover Letter Examples
Not sure where to start? No need to worry because you have come to the right spot. Below you will find five samples to inspire your next cover letter and get you the job. Use these cover letter templates to get your short and sweet cover letter started.
If You Have Little-to-No Experience
Job Opening: Project Coordinator
Required Skills: Communication and interpersonal skills; analytical and problem-solving abilities
Hello,
I was thrilled to find an entry-level job opening at X company. Over the past few years, I have followed X company on social media and am very impressed with your customer engagement and commitment to diversity and inclusion.
I am reaching out because I am extremely interested in the project coordinator role that you posted about earlier this week. I recently completed a bachelor’s degree at X college, and my internships, coursework, and volunteer experience perfectly align with what you are looking for in a project coordinator. During my internship at X company, I assisted a project manager on a company-wide initiative and helped implement a brand-new process to increase efficiency among employees. Through my work on this project, I was able to grow my communication and interpersonal skills, in addition to my analytical and problem-solving abilities.
I am passionate about project management, and my goal is to earn the Project Management Professional Certification from PMI in the next few years. I am confident that the organizational, communications, and writing skills that I learned during my internship would give me a leg up at X company.
In addition to my professional career, I am also passionate about giving back to my community. Over the past four years, I have volunteered my time with X nonprofit. Currently, I manage different projects using Asana and have experience using other project management platforms as well, such as Basecamp and Hive. I truly enjoy when my passions intertwine and I am given the opportunity to learn new skills that will help me in a corporate environment.
I read on your website that X company has a diversity and inclusion initiative that aims to increase the number of women in leadership positions. I commend you for taking that step, and I would be proud to work for a company that places so much importance on the professional growth and upward mobility of women in the workplace. While my main focus is project management, if you were to hire me, I envision myself helping to implement more kinds of initiatives like that.
I would love the opportunity to contribute my excitement for project management, positive attitude, and enthusiasm to X company. Additionally, I am eager to learn from the experienced professionals on your team and would be honored to help the company continue to grow.
Thank you for considering my application. Please feel free to reach out if you need anything additional.
Warm regards,
YOUR NAME
Required Skills: Communication and interpersonal skills; analytical and problem-solving abilities
Hello,
I was thrilled to find an entry-level job opening at X company. Over the past few years, I have followed X company on social media and am very impressed with your customer engagement and commitment to diversity and inclusion.
I am reaching out because I am extremely interested in the project coordinator role that you posted about earlier this week. I recently completed a bachelor’s degree at X college, and my internships, coursework, and volunteer experience perfectly align with what you are looking for in a project coordinator. During my internship at X company, I assisted a project manager on a company-wide initiative and helped implement a brand-new process to increase efficiency among employees. Through my work on this project, I was able to grow my communication and interpersonal skills, in addition to my analytical and problem-solving abilities.
I am passionate about project management, and my goal is to earn the Project Management Professional Certification from PMI in the next few years. I am confident that the organizational, communications, and writing skills that I learned during my internship would give me a leg up at X company.
In addition to my professional career, I am also passionate about giving back to my community. Over the past four years, I have volunteered my time with X nonprofit. Currently, I manage different projects using Asana and have experience using other project management platforms as well, such as Basecamp and Hive. I truly enjoy when my passions intertwine and I am given the opportunity to learn new skills that will help me in a corporate environment.
I read on your website that X company has a diversity and inclusion initiative that aims to increase the number of women in leadership positions. I commend you for taking that step, and I would be proud to work for a company that places so much importance on the professional growth and upward mobility of women in the workplace. While my main focus is project management, if you were to hire me, I envision myself helping to implement more kinds of initiatives like that.
I would love the opportunity to contribute my excitement for project management, positive attitude, and enthusiasm to X company. Additionally, I am eager to learn from the experienced professionals on your team and would be honored to help the company continue to grow.
Thank you for considering my application. Please feel free to reach out if you need anything additional.
Warm regards,
YOUR NAME
If You Have a Gap in Your Work History
Gaps happen—and they're becoming increasingly accepted, especially since March of 2020. If you have a gap in employment due to caretaking, advancing your education, or re-evaluating your career, use your cover letter to provide context. Tell your story.
Sample Job Opening: Marketing Manager
Required Skills: Leadership; social media experience; copywriting
Hello,
I recently met with NAME at X Company, and they let me know about the opening in your marketing department. They recommended that I reach out to you to discuss the position and my qualifications.
I have a strong marketing background, which is why I am interested in a marketing manager role. My work experience is extensive, including previous roles as a copywriter for an advertising agency, newsletter designer, and social media manager. I am confident that my work history would greatly assist me as a marketing manager at X company.
One of my biggest passions is mentoring others, and I thoroughly enjoyed being in leadership positions at my previous company. In the job description for this role, I noticed that the marketing manager will lead a team of three. Most recently, I led a team of five at a marketing agency and created a variety of learning opportunities for the team that helped elevate their professional skills.
While reading through my resume, you will notice that I recently took some time off of work. I took a couple of years to reevaluate my priorities and plan for the future. And now that I am ready to move forward, I am truly excited about this opportunity. I learned a great deal about myself during that time off, and I would love the opportunity to offer my fresh perspective at X company.
I read on your website that X company empowers its employees to give back to their communities. One project that I took on during my time off was organizing volunteers for a local nonprofit. It was important to me to make valuable use of my time off from work, and this volunteer job helped increase my organizational skills and emotional intelligence. Additionally, I volunteered to help with the nonprofit’s social media pro-bono which helped keep me on top of trends and would assist me as a marketing manager. I would be happy to work for a company that aligns with my values, sees the importance of giving back, and contributes to my career growth.
I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to contribute my marketing and leadership skills to X company.
Thank you for considering my application. Please feel free to reach out if you need anything additional.
Warm regards,
YOUR NAME
Required Skills: Leadership; social media experience; copywriting
Hello,
I recently met with NAME at X Company, and they let me know about the opening in your marketing department. They recommended that I reach out to you to discuss the position and my qualifications.
I have a strong marketing background, which is why I am interested in a marketing manager role. My work experience is extensive, including previous roles as a copywriter for an advertising agency, newsletter designer, and social media manager. I am confident that my work history would greatly assist me as a marketing manager at X company.
One of my biggest passions is mentoring others, and I thoroughly enjoyed being in leadership positions at my previous company. In the job description for this role, I noticed that the marketing manager will lead a team of three. Most recently, I led a team of five at a marketing agency and created a variety of learning opportunities for the team that helped elevate their professional skills.
While reading through my resume, you will notice that I recently took some time off of work. I took a couple of years to reevaluate my priorities and plan for the future. And now that I am ready to move forward, I am truly excited about this opportunity. I learned a great deal about myself during that time off, and I would love the opportunity to offer my fresh perspective at X company.
I read on your website that X company empowers its employees to give back to their communities. One project that I took on during my time off was organizing volunteers for a local nonprofit. It was important to me to make valuable use of my time off from work, and this volunteer job helped increase my organizational skills and emotional intelligence. Additionally, I volunteered to help with the nonprofit’s social media pro-bono which helped keep me on top of trends and would assist me as a marketing manager. I would be happy to work for a company that aligns with my values, sees the importance of giving back, and contributes to my career growth.
I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to contribute my marketing and leadership skills to X company.
Thank you for considering my application. Please feel free to reach out if you need anything additional.
Warm regards,
YOUR NAME
The Really Short Cover Letter:
Sample Job Opening: UX Manager
Required Skills: Communication; project management; app development
Hello,
I was so excited to see a job opening at X Company, especially in the IT department. I am passionate about UX and think I would be the perfect fit for the UX Manager role.
I started following your company ever since you launched the X app, and have been consistently impressed by your extensive research and the quality of your products. I would love the opportunity to contribute to your team.
In my previous role, I worked cross-collaboratively with multiple departments to create an app that increased customer satisfaction rates by 10%. This project played a key part in helping me to develop my communications and project management skills, which are soft skills required to be a quality UX Manager.
I recently listened to a podcast your CEO was interviewed for, and she was advocating that all companies should have parental leave. I appreciate her message and wish that more CEOs would recognize the importance of that benefit. It made me feel proud of a company I have followed and supported for a while, and when this job popped up on LinkedIn, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
Thank you for considering my application. Please feel free to reach out if you need anything additional.
Warm regards,
YOUR NAME
Required Skills: Communication; project management; app development
Hello,
I was so excited to see a job opening at X Company, especially in the IT department. I am passionate about UX and think I would be the perfect fit for the UX Manager role.
I started following your company ever since you launched the X app, and have been consistently impressed by your extensive research and the quality of your products. I would love the opportunity to contribute to your team.
In my previous role, I worked cross-collaboratively with multiple departments to create an app that increased customer satisfaction rates by 10%. This project played a key part in helping me to develop my communications and project management skills, which are soft skills required to be a quality UX Manager.
I recently listened to a podcast your CEO was interviewed for, and she was advocating that all companies should have parental leave. I appreciate her message and wish that more CEOs would recognize the importance of that benefit. It made me feel proud of a company I have followed and supported for a while, and when this job popped up on LinkedIn, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
Thank you for considering my application. Please feel free to reach out if you need anything additional.
Warm regards,
YOUR NAME
If You Want to Add Bullet Points
We love bullet points, formatting, and line breaks.
Anything that makes your cover letter easier to scan and grab the attention of a recruiter or hiring manager (or hey, even an applicant tracking system!) is a good thing.
Here's an example format that will make your brief cover letter stand out. Using bold font and italics to denote important keywords can work in your favor, too.
Sample Job Opening: Human Resources Director
Required Skills: Recruiting; Leadership; Multi-lingual preferred
Hello,
I recently read about your company in Forbes, and I was happy to hear that your CEO gives back to X cause. After reading the article, I was inspired to find a role in your company and was thrilled to see that a position recently opened in your Human Resources department.
Currently, I work at X company where I manage the recruiting teamof 10 employees. I have managed the team for five years, and over those years have accomplished the following:
• Highest offer acceptance rates YoY since 2017
• Contributed to 10% growth of the company
• Upheld positive work culture to help retain 95% of employees over the last five years
• Created a recruitment program that empowered diverse candidates to apply for senior leadership roles
As you can see, I have a strong human resources and recruiting background, which is why I am interested in the open position at your company. I am confident that my previous experience would help me excel in this role.
On your website, I noticed that it says you are planning to expand the business in Europe. I would love to be a part of that expansion and help contribute to your continued growth. I speak Spanish and Italian, so would be happy to help with recruitment in those areas.
Thank you for considering my application. Please feel free to reach out if you need anything else.
Warm regards,
YOUR NAME
Required Skills: Recruiting; Leadership; Multi-lingual preferred
Hello,
I recently read about your company in Forbes, and I was happy to hear that your CEO gives back to X cause. After reading the article, I was inspired to find a role in your company and was thrilled to see that a position recently opened in your Human Resources department.
Currently, I work at X company where I manage the recruiting teamof 10 employees. I have managed the team for five years, and over those years have accomplished the following:
• Highest offer acceptance rates YoY since 2017
• Contributed to 10% growth of the company
• Upheld positive work culture to help retain 95% of employees over the last five years
• Created a recruitment program that empowered diverse candidates to apply for senior leadership roles
As you can see, I have a strong human resources and recruiting background, which is why I am interested in the open position at your company. I am confident that my previous experience would help me excel in this role.
On your website, I noticed that it says you are planning to expand the business in Europe. I would love to be a part of that expansion and help contribute to your continued growth. I speak Spanish and Italian, so would be happy to help with recruitment in those areas.
Thank you for considering my application. Please feel free to reach out if you need anything else.
Warm regards,
YOUR NAME
If You Are Changing Careers
Just like explaining a gap in employment, use this short cover letter to tell your story—and how you landed here
Sample Job Opening: E-Learning Designer
Required Skills: Video editing; learning content creation; critical thinking
Hello,
As a former teacher, I am highly skilled in creating learning resources and content that resonate with different age groups, which is why I am a great fit for the e-learning designer position at X company.
With years of in-class and hands-on experience, I have a deep understanding of what makes certain learning content click for an audience. While in the classroom, I gained organizational skills, knowledge of different e-learning platforms, and the ability to collaborate with others.
Throughout my teaching career, I have grown both professionally and personally. Over the years, I have grown my critical thinking and conflict resolution skills, in addition to learning patience and time management. When I picture myself in a corporate environment, I know I will thrive because of my teaching experience and the skills that I gained.
Although I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a teacher, I am ready for a new challenge. The e-learning designer role at X company excites me because I am passionate about learning resources and content creation. In addition to teaching, I am also a host and producer of a popular beauty YouTube show. Running a YouTube channel helped me grow my technology skills, which would also be a big asset to me in this role. I am well-rounded and always willing to listen, collaborate, and learn.
I read on your website that your company donates a percentage of its proceeds to teachers across the country so they can purchase school supplies. As someone who saw firsthand how challenging it can be to supply enough to your students, I salute your company for giving back, and I would love to be a part of such an impactful company.
I always come to work with a positive, solution-oriented attitude and am extremely eager to learn from experts at X company.
Thank you for considering my application, I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Warm regards,
YOUR NAME
Required Skills: Video editing; learning content creation; critical thinking
Hello,
As a former teacher, I am highly skilled in creating learning resources and content that resonate with different age groups, which is why I am a great fit for the e-learning designer position at X company.
With years of in-class and hands-on experience, I have a deep understanding of what makes certain learning content click for an audience. While in the classroom, I gained organizational skills, knowledge of different e-learning platforms, and the ability to collaborate with others.
Throughout my teaching career, I have grown both professionally and personally. Over the years, I have grown my critical thinking and conflict resolution skills, in addition to learning patience and time management. When I picture myself in a corporate environment, I know I will thrive because of my teaching experience and the skills that I gained.
Although I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a teacher, I am ready for a new challenge. The e-learning designer role at X company excites me because I am passionate about learning resources and content creation. In addition to teaching, I am also a host and producer of a popular beauty YouTube show. Running a YouTube channel helped me grow my technology skills, which would also be a big asset to me in this role. I am well-rounded and always willing to listen, collaborate, and learn.
I read on your website that your company donates a percentage of its proceeds to teachers across the country so they can purchase school supplies. As someone who saw firsthand how challenging it can be to supply enough to your students, I salute your company for giving back, and I would love to be a part of such an impactful company.
I always come to work with a positive, solution-oriented attitude and am extremely eager to learn from experts at X company.
Thank you for considering my application, I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Warm regards,
YOUR NAME
