Cover Letter Basics: What To Cover & Avoid [5 Tips]

Whether you’re writing a cover letter for the very first time or for the first time in a long time, a quick refresher on the cover letter basics can help you approach the process with clarity and confidence.

This guide covers the fundamentals of a cover letter, including why your cover letter is important, what to include, how long your cover letter should be, and common mistakes to avoid.

Struggling to land interviews? Try Teal's AI Cover Letter Generator.

‍

Understanding the basics of a cover letter

A cover letter is a document that you submit with your resume when applying for an open position. In your letter, you clearly introduce yourself and the job posting you’re applying to, demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position, and highlight how your qualifications align with the job requirements.

Your cover letter is short (typically under 400 words) and is intended to provide the most standout details that make you an ideal match for a specific position. Think of your cover letter more as a highlight reel than a complete rundown. It should inspire hiring managers to want to review your full resume to learn more about you and your relevant skills.

‍

What is the difference between a cover letter and a resume?

Cover letters and resumes are both formal documents you submit with a job application. There’s one major thing that makes resumes and cover letters alike: they highlight your key strengths, skills, and experiences. 

But that doesn’t mean they’re exactly the same—and you do want to submit both for an employer’s consideration. Here’s a quick look at how your cover letter and resume differ, as well as where they overlap:

‍

What to include in a cover letter

While your content will change depending on the job you’re applying for, there are several distinct parts of a cover letter you’ll always use. 

Your cover letter should include a:

• Header: Your cover letter is formatted like a formal business letter, so this section is where you include important details like your name and contact information, an address block for the employer, and the date when you’re submitting the letter.
• Salutation: Otherwise known as your greeting, this is a single line where you direct your letter to someone specific. Ideally, you can find the hiring manager’s name and address the letter specifically to them. But if not, you can use a general greeting line like “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Hiring Team.”
• Opening paragraph: Knowing how to start a cover letter is crucial for making a meaningful and positive impression. Your opening paragraph will introduce you and the position you’re applying for, demonstrate your enthusiasm, and highlight your most relevant skills.
• Body: This is the meat of your cover letter and should include at least one body paragraph (but you can go up to three paragraphs, if needed). Within your cover letter’s body, include real-world examples of your skills as well as a few numbers to show how you made a measurable impact in previous positions. Doing so will help you present yourself as a great candidate and stand out from the competition.
• Closing paragraph: Your final lines of your cover letter are your last chance to make an impression on the employer. Restate why your skills make you a great fit for the position and include a call to action to encourage the hiring manager to take the next step and schedule an interview.
• Sign-off: After your closing paragraph, you’ll include a professional sign-off (such as “Sincerely” or “Kind regards”), write your name, and include a signature. 

All of the above are must-have pieces of a well-organized cover letter. However, there are other optional elements you can incorporate to expand on your qualifications and convey your interest and expertise—such as a personal anecdote or a mention of a shared connection or referral.

Struggling to check off your cover letter checklist? Teal’s AI Cover Letter Generator will do it for you.

Add your resume, attach a job description, and click “cover letter” in the menu. You can select your length, tone, and specific aspects from the job posting you want to include. Teal will use all of that information to automatically generate a cover letter that you can use. Select “Improve with AI” to adjust aspects of your prompt and further tweak your cover letter.

‍

‍

5 tips to ace cover letter basics

Now that you know what a cover letter is and what to include, here are five more tips to write a cover letter that gets you one step closer to landing the job.

‍

1. Tailor it to the job description

You know you need to tailor your resume to the job description, but the same advice applies when writing your cover letter. You can’t use a generic one for every job.

Closely review the job ad to identify important responsibilities, requirements, personal qualities, and skills the employer is looking for. Those should be incorporated into both your resume and cover letter.

Struggling to surface the key points from a job description? Teal’s Matching Mode can help you save time and stress. Attach a job posting to your resume and click “job matching” in the top menu. Teal will give you a match score along with keywords and skills you should include.

‍

‍

2. Keep it concise

While it’s tempting to tell your entire career story, it’s crucial to keep your cover letter concise. Hiring managers are reading your cover letter to get a general sense of your experience and qualifications rather than a complete rundown.

Wondering how long a cover letter should be? In general, it’ll be between 250 and 400 words and fit on one page.

With Teal’s AI Cover Letter Generator, you can select the length you want to use for your cover letter. Teal will create a cover letter that calls attention to your most impressive skills while staying under 400 words and on a single page.

‍

‍

3. Start and end on a high note

Your entire cover letter matters, but your opening and closing paragraphs deserve the most focus so you can start and finish strong.

Use your opening paragraph to introduce yourself, explain your interest in the position, and discuss your most crucial skills. In your closing paragraph, restate what you offer the employer and include a call to action to inspire the hiring manager to take the next steps.

You can make the writing process easier on yourself with Teal’s AI Cover Letter Generator, which will automatically craft your cover letter (including strong opening and closing paragraphs).

‍

4. Address the letter appropriately

Ideally, you want to address your cover letter directly to the hiring manager. Do some research on LinkedIn to see if you can find the hiring manager’s name on the employer’s company page.

If you can’t find the hiring manager’s name, you can also address your letter using:

• The name of the manager of the department you’re applying to
• A general salutation such as “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Hiring Team”

Avoid a generic opening like “To whom it may concern” and, if you do include the name of a person, triple-check to ensure you haven’t made any spelling errors.

‍

5. Use consistent formatting

Your resume and cover letter should look like a complete, branded package. Use the same header, font, and consistent formatting across both documents to make your application look more polished and professional.

Teal’s AI Cover Letter Generator will automatically apply your resume’s header to the top of your cover letter so that your two documents look like a perfect match.

‍

Common cover letter challenges (and how to overcome them)

Cover letter basics sound…well, basic. But there are still a few sneaky cover letter mistakes to watch out for. Here are three of the most common ones and how you can steer clear of them.

‍

Challenge: Being too long-winded

Solution: Use Teal’s AI Cover Letter Generator to set the ideal word count of your cover letter (every option is under 400 words) and generate a professional, metric-driven cover letter that fits on one page.

‍

Challenge: Focusing on your needs over company needs

Solution: Teal will use your resume and the job description to craft your cover letter and ensure the focus is on the value you can add to the company—rather than solely on the reasons why you want the job.

‍

Challenge: Errors slipping through

Solution: Teal’s AI Cover Letter Generator will generate a completely error- and typo-free cover letter. If you add in your own content and make a mistake, Teal will underline those blunders in red so you can fix them before exporting to a PDF.

Cover letter with spelling error example

‍

Write a cover letter that goes beyond the basic with Teal

Knowing how to write a cover letter starts with knowing the basics. With Teal’s AI Cover Letter Generator, you can check off the basics and then go far beyond them to craft a cover letter that presents you as the most qualified candidate and gets you one step closer to landing the job. Sign up for Teal to generate a free cover letter in seconds.