A cover letter allows a candidate to outline their specific qualifications, skills, and experience that make them an ideal fit for a job, internship, or other professional opportunity. Customization is crucial when writing a cover letter. The cover letter should supplement your resume by highlighting the specific skills, education, and experiences that are most aligned to the employer and the position.
Content
We recommend that you tailor your cover letter by highlighting your most relevant skills and experiences in detail. The employer will see the breadth of your skills, education, and experience when reading your resume. The cover letter provides an opportunity to tell stories about the most relevant parts of your background that make you a good fit. Generally, cover letters follow the format below:
- Introductory Paragraph – self-introduction, note position you are applying for and excitement for role.
- Body Paragraph(s) – outline most relevant skills, education, and experience that match the job description.
- Closing Paragraph – reiterate key skills and fit for position.
Want to stand out?
- Highlight any connections or added knowledge that increased your interest in the employer (employees you have met or heard in presentations, research you have done, etc.).
- Show exactly how you can meet their pain points (what they are seeking based on the job description).
AI for Cover Letter Writing
AI can be used to customize your cover letter for each job or internship. One way to align your cover letter is to summarize your experience based on the job description. Some example queries are listed below:
- What are the top 10 skills or experiences being requested in this job description?
- Using that job description, how would you summarize the match with my resume?
- Please provide suggestions for rewriting my cover letter to demonstrate alignment of my skills and experience to the job skills listed in this job description.
Remember to write your cover letter in your own words – employers can often tell if your cover letter was written using AI. Learn more about applications of AI tools and ethical best practices for using AI in the career process here.
Samples + Reviews
Sample cover letters (with corresponding job descriptions) can be viewed below.
You can also test out an AI resume & cover letter reviewer here!
Students can learn more about cover letter writing by attending the workshop series events hosted by the Career & Professional Development team. If you have questions about cover letter writing or would like to have your cover letter reviewed, please schedule an appointment with the Career & Professional Development team.
