Cover letters: an honest take, free templates, and career changes
Cover letters are less useful than ever, at least in my opinion. Most of them now are the resume and the job posting dropped into an AI, sometimes with instructions to sound like the person, then copied and pasted. That isn't the person, and it doesn't show value.
But plenty of applications still ask for one. I don't know if the best move is to take the time to stand out and write it yourself, being you, or to fold into the 99% and move on. I lean toward fitting in: write a solid, short one, then spend your extra energy finding another way to get noticed. Usually that means a person. Networking is where I'd put the extra hour.
Good luck though!
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- The free stuff
If you write one, keep it short
Three or four short paragraphs. Say what role you want and why this company. Tell one specific story that proves you can do the part of the job they care most about. Close with how to reach you. That's it.
The one thing a cover letter can do that a resume can't is explain. Why this job, why now, why the gap, why the move from one field to another. If your letter doesn't explain anything, it's a second copy of your resume.
If you use AI, give it something true to work with
The generic version is what everyone else is sending. If you want a draft, feed it your own story first:
Write a short cover letter (under 250 words) for the job posting below. Use this true story as the main example: [two or three sentences about something you did and what changed because of it]. Use only facts from my resume and that story. Don't invent numbers or claim skills I haven't listed. Keep it plain and direct.
[paste your resume]
[paste the job posting]Then read it out loud. If it sounds like nobody in particular, change it until it sounds like you.
Changing careers
A career change story works when it's honest about the gap and specific about what carries over. Map what you've done to the tasks in the new role (My Next Move is good for this), then say it plainly: here's what I've done, here's why it applies, here's what I'm learning to close the rest.
Don't pretend the gap isn't there. Showing you know exactly where it is, and what you're doing about it, reads better than a stretch. The free training page has places to close it.
The free stuff
Start here4
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Indeed cover letter templates
Free cover letter templates in Word and Google Docs, plus samples by job title.
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Ask a Manager
Alison Green has answered reader questions about cover letters, resumes and job hunting since 2007. Search the archive for almost any situation you're in.
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My Next Move
A free Department of Labor tool for career changers. Explore 900+ jobs, see what each one involves, and find where your skills transfer.
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CareerOneStop toolkit
Government-run tools for exploring careers, matching skills to new fields and finding training.
Worth a look1
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freeCodeCamp's career change guide
A long, free guide for people moving into tech from another field.
The catch: Only useful if tech is where you're headed.
Questions people ask
Do I still need a cover letter?
If the application asks for one, send one. If it's optional, a short, specific one won't hurt, but I'd put more effort into reaching a person at the company.
How do I address a cover letter if I don't know the hiring manager's name?
"Dear Hiring Manager" is fine. So is addressing the team, like "Dear Finance Team." Nobody rejects a candidate over the greeting.
How long should a cover letter be?
Under a page. Three or four short paragraphs is plenty.
How do I explain transferable skills when changing careers?
Pick the two or three tasks in the new role you've already done in some form, and give one concrete example for each. Then say what you're learning to cover the rest.