Categories

  • Get the Job
  • Get Ahead
  • Career Paths
  • Students
  • Job Descriptions
  • Salary Insights
Career Trend
Career Trend
  • Get the Job
    • Resumes and CVs
    • Applications
    • Cover Letters
    • Professional References
    • Interviews
    • Networking
    • Professional Licenses and Exams
  • Get Ahead
    • Get a Promotion
    • Negotiation
    • Professional Ethics
    • Professionalism
    • Dealing with Coworkers
    • Dealing with Bosses
    • Communication Skills
    • Managing the Office
    • Disabilities
    • Harassment and Discrimination
    • Unemployment
  • Career Paths
    • Compare Careers
    • Switching Careers
    • Training and Certifications
    • Start a Company
  • Students
    • Internships and Apprenticeships
    • Entry Level Jobs
    • College Degrees
  • Home »
  • Get the Job »
  • Resumes and CVs

How to Write a Resume Cover Letter for Free

By Nicki Howell; Updated July 05, 2017

Sending a cover letter with a resume is a good idea for job seekers, even if an employer does not request it. A cover letter summarizes your skills and qualifications and persuades the reader to learn more. Creating your own cover letter is completely free. But it's important to create one that addresses the employer’s needs.

Tell the hiring manager which position interests you. Hiring managers might be filling several positions, so specifying the position of interest saves them time. You might say, for example, that you heard about the marketing associate position through a friend who works for the organization.

Talk about your background briefly. Review the job description. Make a list of skills, accomplishments or assets most important to the employer and address those items in the cover letter. For example, if the job description requires a candidate with proven sales ability, think about your experience in that area. Your persuasion skills might have closed a deal that secured a large contract for your company. Or, your ability to build strong client relationships might have swayed a customer to bring additional business to the company. Concrete examples entice the reader to review your resume.

Include all information the hiring manager requests. If he or she asks for your salary requirement, for example, mention it. Omitting that information could annoy the recruiter, landing your application materials at the bottom of the pile.

Write a call to action. The final paragraph of your cover letter should invite the hiring manger to request an interview. Briefly say why you think the opportunity is a good fit. Think about the employer’s needs, stay away from self-serving statements and include your next plan for action. Say you will follow up in a week to answer any questions about your application materials.

Tip

When answering the salary requirement question, consider including a salary range instead of an exact number to prevent you from being eliminated early in the process based on salary alone.

Warning

Update your resume. Avoid sending out generic resumes. Each resume should be tailored to the specific job posting. This will make your application materials stand out.

References

  • Purdue University: What is a Cover Letter?

Find a Job

Job Search by ZipRecruiter

About the Author

Nicki Howell started her professional writing career in 2002, specializing in areas such as health, fitness and personal finance. She has been published at health care websites, such as HealthTree, and is a ghostwriter for a variety of small health care organizations. She earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Portland State University.

More Articles

  • What Is the Difference Between a Solicited Application Letter & an Unsolicited Letter?
  • Information in a Cover Letter
  • Duties of a Bookkeeper
  • Description of Resume Organizational Skills
  • What Is a Functional Summary on a Resume?
  • How to Write a Character Reference

Continue Reading in Get the Job

Resumes and CVs
Applications
Cover Letters
Professional References
Interviews
Networking
Professional Licenses and Exams
Cite this Article A tool to create a citation to reference this article Cite this Article
Choose Citation Style
Howell, Nicki. "How to Write a Resume Cover Letter for Free." Career Trend, http://careertrend.com/how-6491172-write-resume-cover-letter.html. 05 July 2017.
Howell, Nicki. (2017, July 05). How to Write a Resume Cover Letter for Free. Career Trend. Retrieved from http://careertrend.com/how-6491172-write-resume-cover-letter.html
Howell, Nicki. "How to Write a Resume Cover Letter for Free" last modified July 05, 2017. http://careertrend.com/how-6491172-write-resume-cover-letter.html
Note: Depending on which text editor you're pasting into, you might have to add the italics to the site name.

Related Content

How to Make a Free Cover Letter
Television News Reporter Job Description

Related Occupations

Job Growth: -0.3% 2014-2016
Food Preparation Workers $21,440
Job Growth: +7.9% 2014-2016
Customer Service Representatives $32,300

Popular Articles

How to Write a Resignation Letter
Good Resume Headline Examples
Get the Job
Resumes and CVs
Applications
Cover Letters
Professional References
Interviews
Networking
Professional Licenses and Exams
Get Ahead
Get a Promotion
Negotiation
Professional Ethics
Professionalism
Dealing with Coworkers
Dealing with Bosses
Communication Skills
Managing the Office
Disabilities
Harassment and Discrimination
Unemployment
Career Paths
Compare Careers
Switching Careers
Training and Certifications
Start a Company
Students
Internships and Apprenticeships
Entry Level Jobs
College Degrees
Career Trend
  • About Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Find a Job
Copyright 2018 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved.
AdChoices