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Add a Matching Resume to Your
Cover Letter
We mentioned that a cover letter is a supplemental document that supports and expands on your resume. You can use matching templates to give your application a seamless, cohesive look. Well-written, spell-checked and cohesive documents can show you have strong attention to detail.
Let’s see how a pair of mismatched documents compare to a set of matching application materials.
Mismatched
If you’re willing to dedicate such attention and care to a job you don’t have, this can really influence a hiring manager to give you strong consideration. You can compare the following two job seekers to see how matching templates can boost your application. See our complete collection of resume and cover letter templates.
Matching
Don’t Forget to Review Your Cover Letter
Writing a cover letter can be daunting, but you don’t want your careful research and enthusiasm for a job opportunity to fall away because of a misplaced period or an incorrect homophone (i.e., there, their and they’re). To write a cover letter for a job application, make sure you take the following steps before submission:
Spell-check.
Take a break and walk away from your letter. When you come back with fresh eyes, reread it. Run it through an editing program like Microsoft Word spell-check, Grammarly or our Cover Letter Builder. Ask a friend to proofread your letter.
Double-check the recipient.
While you should always tailor each cover letter you write to the job you seek, we understand it’s a numbers game.
If you reuse a cover letter, double- and triple-check that you updated not only the recipient’s contact information but any mention of them or the company in the body of your letter. The worst thing you could do is refer to Ronald from a competitor’s company when you apply for an open position elsewhere. You probably won’t hear back.
Check the date.
Ensure you’re sending an updated cover letter with a recent date — most hiring managers won’t consider you if they think you’re lazily using the same cover letter with outdated accomplishments from two years ago.
Do a test email.
This advice might sound unusual, but try emailing your resume and cover letter to yourself before you upload them to an application. Some mailing servers or operating systems may reformat your downloaded files — what looks like a matching set of documents on your screen may download poorly on a different desktop. Test multiple file formats before submitting your application to see which files remain true to your initial design.
How to Write a Cover Letter FAQ
How do you write a good cover letter?
You can learn how to make a good cover letter using various tools. We like to use the following cover letter aides to help us write meaningful and effective cover letters.
- Cover letter examples: Every job and industry is different — these cover letter examples help you identify what skills and experiences are necessary to succeed in a role. Pro tip: these professional samples give you exclusive access to insider terms and shorthands related to unique industries.
- Cover letter templates: We cover helpful formatting rules that can help you write a well-structured cover letter, but these pre-formatted templates reduce the amount of time and work you need with straightforward, fill-in-the-blank designs
- Cover Letter Builder: What’s better than writing a cover letter from scratch than using an AI-powered tool to help you write a first draft? Our builder suggests pre-written templates based on your experience and the most frequently requested skills for your goal job.
How do you write a cover letter if you don’t have experience?
To learn how to write a cover letter with no experience, we must define expertise. Even if you never had a formal job, you have job-relevant experience thanks to school, family commitments or community service. If you took college courses, you already know how to keep to a schedule and complete tasks within a specified time period — so let’s discuss how we translate that experience into job-related skills.
To write an effective cover letter with no formal job experience, focus on transferable skills like:
- Teamwork includes group projects with high grades or after-school sports with favorable win rates.
- Time management is related to juggling multiple classes or after-school activities.
- Customer service related to volunteering for bake sales and fundraising.
- Basic math skills such as math courses or cashing handling experience.
- Physical stamina related to P.E. or after-school sports.
- Tutoring skills related to your academic courses and volunteering.
How can you make your cover letter stand out?
Let’s discuss how to make your cover letter stand out — you want hiring managers to know that you carefully read and researched the needs of the job. To do this, review the job description carefully and look for “resume keywords.” You can find these keywords by looking for repeated phrases or highlighted responsibilities throughout the job advertisement.
These words or phrases are used by applicant tracking systems (ATS) and hiring managers to rate applicants — strategically placing them throughout your cover letter and resume reassures hiring managers that you carefully read the descriptions and thoughtfully consider what qualifications you feature.
How do you write a cover letter for an internship?
You might wonder how to write a cover letter for an internship. To write an effective internship cover letter, provide transferable skills based on your academic training or previous experience.
For example, this second-year business student advertises their data analysis and business strategy knowledge to conceptualize a potential marketing campaign their employer might use. This strategy demonstrates how this intern applicant is already applying their education training to benefit their potential employer.
“As a business management student, I am excited to apply for New Wayve’s summer internship program. I look forward to applying my data analysis knowledge and developing a business strategy based on the exciting developments you and your current product team are creating. I look forward to working with your team and my fellow summer associates to draft an aggressive product marketing campaign you can adopt soon.”
Can using a cover letter builder help your job application?
Our Cover Letter Builder can help your complete a job application by:
- Saving time with pre-formatted and professionally designed templates.
- Helping you adopt a professional tone with pre-written text templates.
- Adopting the professional voice of fellow job seekers.
- Suggesting unique skills and responsibilities based on your experience.
- Prioritizing job-relevant skills and accomplishments based on current hiring trends.
- Helping you write a matching resume.