Sample Cover Letter for a Job Application

Sample Cover Letter for a Job Application. What’s the best way to write a letter to apply for a job? Your letter should detail your specific qualifications for the position and the skills you would bring to the employer. Your job application letter is an opportunity to highlight your most relevant qualifications and experiences. An effective cover letter will enhance your application and increase your chances of landing an interview.

Unless an employer specifically requests a job application letter sent by snail mail, today, most cover letters are sent by email or attached as a file in an online application tracking system.

Sample Cover Letter for a Job Application

What is a Job Application Letter?

A letter of application, also known as a cover letter, is a document sent with your resume to provide additional information about your skills and experience. The letter of application is intended to provide detailed information on why are you are a qualified candidate for the job you are applying for. Effective application letters explain the reasons for your interest in the specific organization and identify your most relevant skills or experiences.

Your application letter should let the employer know what position you are applying for, what makes you a strong candidate, why they should select you for an interview, and how you will follow up.

What to Include in Your Letter

As with all cover letters, the body of this job application letter is divided into three sections: the introduction, which should include why the application is writing; the body, which discusses relevant qualifications; and the closing, which thanks the reader and provides contact information and follow-up details.

Sample Job Application Letter

John Donaldson
8 Sue Circle
Smithtown, CA 08067
909-555-5555
john.donaldson@emailexample.com

Date

George Gilhooley
XYZ Company
87 Delaware Road
Hatfield, CA 08065

Dear Mr. Gilhooley,

I am writing to apply for the programmer position advertised in the Times Union. As requested, I am enclosing a completed job application, my certification, my resume, and three references.

The opportunity presented in this listing is very appealing to me, and I believe that my strong technical experience and education will make me a very competitive candidate for this position. The key strengths that I possess for success in this position include:

• I have successfully designed, developed, and supported live use applications.

• I strive for continued excellence.
• I provide exceptional contributions to customer service for all customers.

With a BS degree in Computer Programming, I have a full understanding of the full lifecycle of a software development project. I also have experience in learning and excelling at new technologies as needed. Please see my resume for additional information on my experience.

I can be reached anytime via email at john.donaldson@emailexample.com or my cell phone, 909-555-5555.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to speaking with you about this employment opportunity.

Sincerely,

Signature (for hard copy letter)

John Donaldson

Sample Email Letter of Application

Subject: FirstName LastName – Web Content Manager Position

Dear Contact Person:

I’m writing to express my interest in the Web Content Manager position listed on Monster.com. I have experience building large, consumer-focused health-based content sites.

While much of my experience has been in the business world, I understand the social value of this sector and my business experience will be an asset to your organization.

My responsibilities included the development and management of the site’s editorial voice and style, the editorial calendar, and the daily content programming and production of the website.

I worked closely with healthcare professionals and medical editors to help them provide the best possible information to a consumer audience of patients. Also, I helped physicians learn to utilize their medical content to write user-friendly, readily comprehensible text.

Experience has taught me how to build strong relationships with all departments at an organization. I have the ability to work within a team as well as cross-team. I can work with web engineers to resolve technical issues and implement technical enhancements, work with the development department to implement design and functional enhancements, and monitor site statistics and conduct search engine optimization.

Thank you for your consideration.

FirstName LastName
Email Address
Phone Number

How to Send an Email Application Letter

If you’re sending your cover letter via email, list your name and the title of the job that you are applying for in the subject line of the email message. Include your contact information in your email signature, but don’t list the employer’s contact information. Skip the date, and start your email message with the salutation. Here’s an example of a formatted email cover letter.

Tips for Writing a Strong Application Letter

A cover letter can either help or harm you. In order to ensure that your job application supports your resume, rather than detracts from it, follow these tips:

• Get off to a direct start: In your first paragraph, explain why you are writing. Mention the job title and company name, and also where you came across the job listing. While you can also briefly mention why you are a strong candidate, this section should be short and to-the-point.
• Offer something different than what’s in your resume: It’s rare to send an application letter without also sending a resume. Your application letter, therefore, should not duplicate your resume. Your language can be a bit more personal than in resume bullet points — you can tell a narrative about your work experience and career.
• Make a good case. Your first goal with this letter is to move on to the next step: an interview. Your overarching goal, of course, is to get a job offer. Use your application letter to further both of these causes. Offer details about your experience and background that show why you are a good candidate. How have other jobs prepared you for the position? What would you bring to the position, and to the company?  Use this space to emphasize your strengths.
• Close with all the important details. Include a thank you at the end of your letter. You can also share your contact information. If you’d like, mention how you will follow up.

Need More Help?

Follow these guidelines on how to get started writing a letter of application for a job, including more details on what information to put in and what to leave out, how to select an appropriate font size and style, and letter spacing and formatting.