By Ellie Santonato (she/her) 

Do I need a cover letter? 

I always hear this question when working one-on-one with students, alums, and faculty who host me for an interactive Q&A presentation in their classrooms. 

The honest answer? Not always. For instance, when applying for a job through an online application system that doesn’t provide an option to attach a cover letter, or when the job posting explicitly states that a cover letter is not required, you can skip this step. 

Cover Letters are a powerful tool to leave a lasting impression on a potential employer. While not every application you submit will require a cover letter, it can significantly enhance your chances in certain industries. For instance, creative fields like marketing, advertising, public relations, journalism, writing, and design, as well as sectors like healthcare, finance, and law, often expect cover letters, particularly for entry-level or specialized roles where demonstrating a strong understanding of the field is essential.

When you need to write your next required cover letter or want to promote your skills, experiences, and interest for the next role, you want to follow these three best practices, and you will be on your way to a stand-out cover letter. 

#1: Addressing the Cover Letter

Always address your cover letter to the hiring manager or the recruiter who either posted the job or is the direct contact for the role. You can figure out who the hiring manager is quickly. If the job description tells you generically who that job reports to, you can typically use LinkedIn or the company employee page to figure out their name. If that doesn’t reveal it, you might need to make an educated guess if you have tried searching for a name of who to address it to, at minimum, address it to the name of the organization’s hiring team. For example: “Dear Career Center Hiring Team,“

#2: Balancing writing about their needs vs your abilities 

You should never talk about your skills and experiences, only in the cover letter. There must be a balance between writing about yourself and the organization’s needs. I recommend you follow the 80/20 rule, where 80% of your cover letter should be about how you can meet the organization’s needs, and 20% about your skills and experiences. When an organization looks for someone to fill a role, they want to satisfy a business need. They want to find someone to help them solve problems, cut costs, grow profits, expand into new markets, etc. In other words, they want you to discuss how you can fulfill their needs as your priority. Your future employer will care greatly about your work once you’ve established yourself as a valuable candidate or employee. Still, you have to make it about them at those more manageable stages of the interview process!  

#3: Writing a strong close to your cover letter 

Let’s wrap this cover letter up strong. The key with your close is to create something that ties everything together without being pushy or cliche. Here’s an easy formula that you can use for your cover letter close. Number one, show confidence and enthusiasm. Two, briefly sum up why you think you’re a great fit. Third, express gratitude for their time and consideration. And four, ask for an interview. Try to use this space to claim that you are uniquely qualified or the perfect fit for this job.

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