The Perfect Cover Letter Outline

1. Header

The header sits at the top of your page. You should include contact information so the recruiter can easily see how to reach you. This means sharing your full name, phone number, street address, city, state, and ZIP code. Besides these, it’s good to share a professional email address, like a Gmail account, and relevant links to social media and LinkedIn profiles.
Following your contact information, include the contact details of the hiring manager or recruiter, missing out their name if you do not know it.

2. First paragraph: Start strong.

Begin with a salutation or greeting that is professional and polite. If you know it, it’s always better to address the hiring manager by name: “Dear Mr. Adam Smith” instead of saying “Dear Hiring Manager”, for example.
The opening paragraph needs to quickly establish that you are a serious, viable candidate. As such, you should try and hook the reader with a strong opening that summarizes your career highlights. This short opening is essentially a sales pitch, a condensed overview of why they should consider you as a candidate. You can focus on specific skills, professional experience, or industry-specific expertise with enthusiasm that conveys a passion for the work.
If you heard about the job through a referral, we advise mentioning this in your first paragraph.

3. Second paragraph: Expand on your qualifications, skills, and experience.
Next, write more about how you are suitable for the role in the middle paragraph. If you are questioning what to highlight, you can look at the job title, job description, and job posting for inspiration as to what the employer is looking for. You can use this to shape what you write.
This should not go overboard, filling in every little detail of your career to date. Whatever you share should be relevant and honed to focus on the strengths that align you to the advertised role.
This section is also an excellent opportunity to show why you chose their company above others. Do some research on the company’s website about their direction, ambitions, and objectives as a company and make reference to this here – evidencing your research shows that you are keen.

4. Third paragraph: call to action
In your final paragraph, you should encourage action on their part. Restate your interest in the position before reiterating a summary of your strengths. Then, press the employer to contact you and take the next step. Thank the recruiter for their time, but say you look forward to further discussing the role, perhaps in a phone call or interview. You should also make your potential employer aware that there is an enclosed resume for a more detailed look at your credentials.

5. Sign-off
The complimentary closing should be short and sweet, as professional and polite as your opening. Some examples include: “Best Regards”, “Sincerely”, and “Thank you for your consideration”. Follow this with your signature and printed name.