Hoping to score yourself a new job? Besides having the best resume that shows your qualifications, you should also have a job application cover letter that features your experiences to demonstrate to your prospective employer that you are fit for the job position.
Employers often ask for a cover letter to be included in any job application. Some request it by mail, while others ask it to be attached on email or be uploaded separately. A well-written cover letter can effectively give you a higher opportunity to get an interview and secure the job in the process.
If you are going to write a job application letter, you need to write the following sections in order:
- Header: lists down your name and contact details
- Short greeting: salutation to the hiring manager if you know their name
- Introduction: explains the reason for sending a job application letter
- Body of the letter: lists down your qualifications and experiences
- Closing statement: provides follow-up details and call to action
- Signature: shows your name and contact details (if not provided in the header)
Below are two job application letter samples that can guide you as you write your cover letter:
Sample 1 – Text
Dear Ms. Jane Doe,
I am writing to you today to apply for the Barista position advertised in The Reading Room’s job advertisement space. As requested, I have enclosed my job application which includes my resume, training certifications, and two references.
Being a barista is my dream job, and I believe that my experience and familiarity with various types of coffee drinks make me the suited candidate for the position. To further support this job application, here are some of my key strengths:
- I continuously try my best to learn more about coffee and experiment on different drinks that are appealing to various consumers.
- I give high-quality customer service, and I try to add little gimmicks to keep the customers entertained.
- I constantly keep myself up-to-date with the latest trends in the industry.
With a Barista Certification from The Coffee Roaster Singapore, I have a clear foundation on managing and keeping up with the busy and challenging tasks in the day-to-day operations. Also, I have experienced innovating and mixing up new flavours for consumers to try out based on their preferences and needs.
Please check my resume for more information and if you wish to learn more about me, you may contact me through my email at johnsmith@mail.com or by phone, 001-000-11111.
Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to discussing with you this unique job opportunity.
Sincerely,
John Smith
Sample 2 – E-mail
Subject: Jane Doe – Web Developer Position
Dear Mr. Smith,
I’m sending you this email regarding my application for the position of Web Developer for your company. I have been developing various web tools and applications to make web browsing secure and efficient for everyone who uses it. Although the websites I developed before were mainly for the e-commerce industry, I believe that this experience can help improve the business websites you are developing for small to medium businesses.
My responsibilities as a web developer include developing applications for websites, troubleshooting web pages, and collaborating with graphic designers to create unique websites for clients.
I always make sure to get to know the clients in order to visualise the websites they want for their shops and achieve overall customer satisfaction. With this, I have collaborated with various graphic artists to design websites to match every clients’ needs. I also reached out to web content managers and web engineers to create interactive online experiences. Moreover, I am very confident in checking site statistics and improving search engine optimisation to assist in achieving business targets.
Based on my experience, it is also crucial to build good professional relationships with everyone involved in the industry. I must say that I can effectively work with any team and collaborate with other departments. With this, I am looking forward to discuss more the job position with you. Please check my resume for more information.
Thank you for your consideration.
Best Regards,
Jane Doe
Conclusion
As a job applicant, you must make sure that your cover letter is well put together to make a difference in your job application. Consider the position you are applying for and review your job history so you will be able to write your cover letter efficiently and coherently. Good luck!
MiddleMe 
It must have been a headache writing these sample letters. I couldn’t imagine this being fun 😂 Your post is very helpful. I had success finding job(s) by submitting a letter along with my bare bones resumé.
I ended up writing letters for a few job applications a couple months ago but I forget where I got the sample letter from. They wanted me to pay a fee to download the sample so instead I wrote it out myself (using their layout) and enhanced it. It saved me SO much time by using a sample letter as a template!
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Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, Hilary. I had problems finding the right sample letters when I was job hunting and I thought wouldn’t it be great if someone has a good sample or a template to inspire me. I thought that now in this pandemic, having these templates may help someone looking for that much needed job.
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Thanks for sharing this, Kally. 🤗
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You’re most welcome! Glad you like it.
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Thank you for sharing
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Thank you so much! I appreciate your comment.
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It’s my pleasure
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Excellent Kally (of course we have come to expect this from you. : -)
I might add the obvious here:
Be as brief as is prudent
Be candid and truthful
DO include references (when they are good ones)
DO include [1] Why you desire the position [2] are well qualified for it (Please see my Resume)
Thank them for their time and the great opportunity
God Be with you,
Patrick
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Thank you so much for dropping in on me, Patrick. Love your advice. Thanks fo sharing your wisdom with us.
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Excellent post and advice! 👏😊
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Thank you so much, Travis! Stay healthy and happy.
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You too!🤗
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Thank you for the samples! It’s always nice to have something to compare with so that I know I’m getting the concepts and format right.
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You’re most welcome. I’m happy that someone finds them useful.
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Nice
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Thank you
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In Germany, except CV/resume, there is ZEUGNIS(confirmation letter of previous company/boss) which are letters written from Boss where you were working before.
In such letters, there are sentences you need to read between the lines as hidden messages.
Usually people do not know about it but bosses or lawyers know.
They immediately understand what kind of Person you are…
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Interesting! This is the first time I’ve heard of it. Got to learn more about it. Is it like a reference letter?
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Thank you for your comment..! I am honored to hear you say first time.
I do not know the exact meaning of reference letter as I have lived only short time in UK but I guess so.
On the letter (usually only one page A4), the boss write everything what she/he did and how she/he was in the company in short summary.
By the way, do you read Japanese..?
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I don’t read japanese but I always use Google translate to read blogs. Language shouldn’t be a barrier to knowledge.
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Thank you anyway..!
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By the way, deepl.com is also good translation.
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Thank you! That’s an awesome tool.
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Hello, I would like to ask what salutation would you use if the company offers no name or who you are applying to in their advertisement ?For example they said “ A top NGO is looking for a …“
So no name was given, just an email to send your cover letter was included
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You can refer as Sir/Mdm, or you can refer as: To Hiring Manager.
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Is “ To whom it may concern “ appropriate?
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Yes, you can do that but personally, I’ll prefer the ones I’ve suggested because it is more personal and directive.
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