
What Does the Best Cover Letter Look Like in 2023
Not sure what a cover should look like? Confused by all the contrasting guidelines? Here’s an article that will straighten out all your queries once and for all.
Everyone has heard of one, but what is a cover letter for a job and what does it do? Here’s a simple explanation plus a full toolbox of cover letter advice.
Here’s a brief roundup of what a cover letter for a job is:
Though it is personalized, a cover letter for a resume should also be clean and visually organized.
Here is a cover letter sample created with our cover letter builder.
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Sample cover letter for a resume—See more cover letter examples and create your cover letter here.
See that? This resume cover letter presents the candidate in a memorable way telling stories that show his skills and experience match what the employer seeks. It’s also well-organized and long enough.
The difference between a resume and a cover letter is clear: a resume is a list of specs and a cover letter is a full-blown marketing campaign. Yes, it still mentions facts and figures, but it puts them out the in the form of a story.
You can find more in-depth information on how to write cover letters in our dedicated guides:
Now, let’s discover why cover letters are still a thing nowadays.
Ever wondered why it’s called a cover letter? Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, people submitted job applications on paper. The cover letter served as the actual cover page for the resume.
It doesn’t work like that today of course. Now it’s just a smart way to provide context to your application, convey motivation, show your personality, etc.
Regardless, you still need a cover letter and it’s still important. Here’s why:
The purpose of a cover letter is to provide additional background information about your application. The goal of the cover letter is to highlight your best qualifications, explain what's missing from your resume, and show a bit of your personal story. It shows your commitment to the potential job, as it requires extra time on your part to write one.
Pro Tip: Do you always need a cover letter? It is important in four cases: if the job ad requires it, if the recruiter requests it, if you're applying directly to a person and know their name, or if someone has referred you for the position.
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, our free resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.
Is there anything we didn’t cover? Still not convinced you need a resume cover letter? Hit us up in the comments section. We’d love to help.
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Not sure what a cover should look like? Confused by all the contrasting guidelines? Here’s an article that will straighten out all your queries once and for all.
Learn about what a resume really is and how it can help your job search. The more informed you are, the better the outcome will be.
Having trouble putting thoughts to paper? Take the guesswork out—our cover letter outline will make things super simple.