[greeting, ex. Dear Last Name,]

[first paragraph] A cover letter for a job tells a story to the interviewing committee why they should proceed to the resume. The first paragraph is the opener, the why you’re interested, what you do now, how it relates and transition to the next.

[second paragraph] The second paragraph is the what you do now, how it connects to the post you’re applying to and transition to third paragraph. Give some detail here but keep it concise and light as you still have two more paragraphs to contend with in your one-page cover.

[third paragraph] The third paragraph expands on your previous latest experience and how it relates to the position you’re applying for. Give examples, give range of values and companies/ organizations, ex. managed programs in x dollars, or contracts ranging from $x to $xxx at y companies/ organizations. This third paragraph needs to translate and fit squarely to the position and the one interviewing committee members will be trying to rate you the most on.

[fourth paragraph] The final paragraph expresses your enthusiasm for the position, and how you look forward to meeting the committee to expand in more detail. The goal here is to convince the committee to interview.

[salutation] Very sincerely,

[paragraph 1/ blank space]

[paragraph 2/ blank space]

[paragraph 3/ blank space]

[paragraph 4/ signature] your signature should be the 4th paragraph down after your salutation–use HelloSign or similar to sign and PDF (freemium service)

[paragraph 5/ signature] your printed name should be the 5th paragraph down

Caveat:

  • cover letter should aim to be one page and mirror the example above
  • use a large, memorable font for your name and put in the header
  • in smaller font put your home/ mailing address, phone, email in either the header (underneath name), sidebar or footer
  • hyperlink your email, links to LinkedIn, etc. and test them to yourself by emailing the PDF to your email on your phone to ensure they work correctly
  • keep job description, resume and cover letter copy, folders organized in one place for reviewers and avoid technical debt and duplication
  • the pace of layoffs in 2023 don’t seem to be slowing down into 2024… always be ready
  • ask your business mentor or career coach if they’d review it before sending it off… remember, the more you write the more you’ll get better

David Molina is an American entrepreneur, founder, and blogger. A son of Mexican immigrants, a former farm worker and high school drop-out, he went on to be the first in his family to attend and graduate from a university and earn an Officer Commission in Infantry. Molina has been a founder, co-founder and launched a wide range of companies and organizations including a veterans nonprofit, featured in multiple news outlets including The Bend Bulletin, Portland Business Journal, Univision KUNP-TV, Humans of Tech, and The Seattle Times.