As much as 94% of hiring managers state that cover letters influence their decision, with 1 in 4 emphasizing that they are very important. That’s why you need to learn how to tailor a cover letter for each job to grab their attention and maximize your chances of getting an interview invite.
This article will provide you with tips for writing a great cover letter, along with five simple steps on how to tailor it. The steps are straightforward and repeatable, helping you customize any
letter in under 30 minutes.
Key Takeaways
To tailor a cover letter for each job, you should first decode the job ad and research the company.
Quantify the achievements you include in your cover letter and connect them to the company's needs.
Addressing the reader by their name is one of the simplest and most effective cover letter tips that can ensure they focus on your writing.
Keep your cover letter brief, proofread the final draft, and avoid overreliance on AI; use it only for final checks.
How Can You Tailor a Cover Letter for Each Job in 5 Steps?
A generic cover letter often does more harm than good, as it shows a lack of diligence and interest in the role. Customizing a cover letter for different jobs is mandatory if you want to impress the hiring manager and stand out from the competition.
These five steps will help you tailor your message, demonstrate your value, and secure more interviews.
Step 1: Decode the Job Description
Before personalizing cover letters for job applications, you should decode the job description to establish a solid foundation and maximize the efficiency of each subsequent step.
How can you highlight mission-critical keywords and phrases?
A simple method of highlighting critical keywords is to copy the job advertisement into a cloud document, like Google Docs, and use the “find” function. Keep note of every verb and noun that repeats 3+ times. The more a word or phrase repeats, the more important it is to weave it naturally into your writing two to three times.
This practice of tailoring a cover letter to the job description is crucial for helping you pass the ATS screening. Specifically, 98% of large organizations use Applicant Tracking Systems to parse resumes and cover letters to filter through candidates efficiently. This means that, in most cases, your cover letter won’t even reach human eyes unless it passes this tool.
What’s the best way to separate “must-haves” from “nice-to-haves”?
Once you have a list of keywords and requirements from the job advertisement, you should separate them into two groups: mandatory and preferred. Cover letters are brief documents, and you might not always have enough space to include everything that you want, especially because most hiring managers skim through cover letters in under 30 seconds.That’s why you want to prioritize the phrases from the mandatory group.
Skills | Mandatory | Preferred |
Description | Marked as “required” or “must have” in the job ad | Marked as “nice to have” or “a plus” in job ad |
How to Include Them in a Cover Letter | Mention at least two directly and connect them to your achievements | Highlight at least one if relevant to show you exceed requirements |
Spot the employer’s pain points and goals
Analyze the job ad to understand specific challenges and obstacles that the employer faces. Phrases like “seeking to reduce churn” and “looking to scale internationally” highlight the company’s pressing goals at the moment.
You can then frame your achievements as solutions to those pain points. The goal is to demonstrate that you’re not just a qualified professional, but the best person for the specific role that you’re applying for.
Step 2: Research the Company Inside-Out
After deciphering the job ad, thoroughly researching the company will help you emphasize authentic enthusiasm.
Scan websites, social feeds, and recent news for cultural clues
Here are the three sources you can browse first to understand the company better:
Three Sources to Start With
Career pages on the company’s website (e.g., “About Us” or “Mission) can provide insight into its values.
LinkedIn posts can help you understand the tone (e.g., is it formal and corporate or creative and casual).
Press releases will showcase the company’s strategic initiatives, recent endeavors, and current objectives.
You can pull a single and compelling data point from your research (e.g., a new product launch) and include it in the introduction of your cover letter to show that you went the extra mile.
Identify current projects, challenges, or growth areas
Leverage online resources and search engines to discover the company’s current projects, the obstacles they are facing, and spaces in which they are growing. A simple way to do this is to use Google News and search for reports from the last six months.
Once you discover relevant information, you can use it to match the company’s challenges with your skills and work experience. This will help you show that you’re not just interested in the current job, but in the company’s future and long-term success.
How can you mirror the company’s tone?
While researching the company, look for adjectives they use to describe their efforts and culture. Phrases like “innovative,” “customer-centric,” and “people-first” will give you a solid idea of the company’s values and public-facing tone.
You can then mimic this language when writing your cover letter to demonstrate alignment with the company’s principles. However, be careful not to overuse the same phrase and jargon, as you need to be authentic. Otherwise, hiring managers may think that you’re only trying to say what they want to hear.
Step 3: How Can You Link Your Achievements to Employer’s Needs?
One of the best tips for tailoring cover letters is to use quantified achievements to turn vague claims of competence into solid proof of skill and experience.
Choose two impact stories using the STAR method
The STAR method establishes a concise framework you can use to demonstrate your qualifications by describing endeavors from your previous employment. To structure the story using the STAR method, include the following:
STAR Method
Situation: to briefly describe the context.
Task: to highlight your responsibilities.
Action: to point out the steps you took.
Result: to quantify the outcome of your efforts.
If possible, you should pick one technical and one soft skill to corroborate them with brief 2–3 sentence stories (70% of employers prefer short cover letters, not longer than half a page). This will help you present yourself as a well-rounded professional.
How can you quantify results with numbers that mirror job priorities?
Add numbers and statistics to your achievements to quantify the results. This adds measurable value to your qualifications, making your cover letter more impactful and memorable.
Generic Claim | Quantified Achievement |
|---|---|
“Improved team efficiency.” | “Improved team efficiency by 25%, saving 15 work hours per week.” |
“Managed customer accounts.” | “Managed 120+ customer accounts, maintaining a 98% retention rate.” |
Leverage transferable skills for career changers
If you’re an experienced professional changing careers, you can use your cover letter to highlight the transferable skills you possess. These skills can help you emphasize competence even if you don’t have experience in the role you’re applying for.
Identify some of the most sought-after universal skills relevant in your industry, like data analysis or leadership prowess, and include them in your cover letter along with achievements that prove them.
For instance, if you’re an event planner applying for a project manager role, you can emphasize your organization, communication, and people skills.
Step 4: Personalize the Opening and Closing Lines
Personalized openings and closings help cover letters capture the reader's attention and leave a more lasting impression.
Address the hiring manager by name and hook with relevance
Greeting the hiring manager by name significantly boosts the chances that they’ll read the entire cover letter. A personalized salutation followed by a strong hook in the opening sentence helps you write a targeted cover letter that will pique the reader’s interest.
Let’s see that in an example:
Opening Example
“Dear Ms. Alvarez,
As a healthcare marketer who grew patient sign-ups by 40%, I was excited to see an opening…”
The easiest way to find the name of the hiring manager is to look at the company’s website or LinkedIn profile. If you do thorough research and can’t find the name, you can address a cover letter to a specific department, or you can use the hiring manager’s title.
Show genuine enthusiasm for the role or mission
The best way to show genuine enthusiasm when applying for a job is to include something specific about the company that inspired you to join them. This can be a recent milestone, the launch of a particular project, or even your alignment with the company’s values.
Your commendation should be brief and condensed to one sentence. Moreover, you should avoid generic flattery. It can indicate that you didn’t research the company, and you can even appear dishonest.
End with a clear call to action and tailored sign-off
A brief call to action toward the end of your cover letter capitalizes on its content and significantly improves your chances of a positive outcome. You can use it to suggest hiring managers invite you for an interview, take a closer look at your resume, and more.
Here’s a simple but professional template you can use:
Closing Example
“I welcome the chance to discuss how my [notable skill] can help with your [company goal]. Can we schedule a call next week?”
Following that, you want to conclude your cover letter with your signature and one of the established closings, such as:
Best regards
Kind regards
Sincerely
Step 5: Polish for Keywords, Tone, and Brevity
Polishing your cover letter to make it concise, improve its tone, and incorporate relevant keywords can transform good writing into exceptional.
What’s the best way to insert ATS-friendly keywords naturally?
The keywords you discovered while doing research should be implemented organically throughout your cover letter. Even the most important keywords shouldn’t be included more than a couple of times. One of the biggest cover letter mistakes is keyword stuffing, which can reduce your ATS score.
Keyword Stuffing Example | Natural Integration Example |
|---|---|
“I am skilled in project management. Project management is my best skill. Project management is essential.” | “My project management experience includes leading 12 projects that finished ahead of schedule and under budget.” |
PRO TIP
To ensure accuracy, run the final draft of your cover letter through online ATS simulators that can review the document, score it, and provide suggestions for improvement.
Trim to one page or 400 words and remove filler
Since 70% of employers prefer short cover letters that are under one page, brevity is key. That’s why you should cut all unnecessary content and redundant sentences. Delete needless adverbs (such as “very” and “really”) and replace passive voice with active voice.
Proofread, read aloud, and use AI only for final checks
Finally, proofread your cover letter and read it aloud at least once before submitting it to ensure accuracy. This will help you determine whether you need to make final corrections to your grammar or writing. Additionally, use AI only for subtle adjustments. Overreliance on artificial intelligence can result in generic phrasing.
Want to tailor your cover letter quickly and effortlessly?
Use our AI-powered cover letter builder!Final Thoughts
Now that you know how to tailor a cover letter for each job, you can leverage this document to get an upper hand on the competition. Don’t forget to do your research, link your achievements with company needs, and personalize the writing.
Don’t forget to use our cover letter and resume builder, packed with professional resume templates, to streamline the creation process. However, always proofread the final result to make sure the writing is compelling and in your style.
How to Tailor a Cover Letter for Each Job FAQ
#1. Can I reuse one cover letter template for different industries?
You can reuse one cover letter template for different industries, but only for its structure and format. Always rewrite the keywords, include achievements relevant to the role, and emphasize your interest in the company. That way, your letter will pass the ATS scan and grab the reader’s attention.
#2. How can I tailor a cover letter in under 10 minutes?
To tailor a cover letter in under 10 minutes, focus on three key areas: address the hiring manager by their name, include at least two position-specific keywords from the job ad, and highlight one aspect about the company that motivated you to apply to them.
#3. What is the safest way to use AI tools without sounding generic?
The safest way to use AI tools without sounding generic is to use them to brainstorm ideas and write the initial draft. After that, you should revise your AI-generated cover letter and resume examples to include details about yourself and the company and to personalize the writing to match your style.
#4. Should I write a different cover letter for remote roles?
Yes, you should write a different cover letter for remote roles to emphasize relevant soft skills and software knowledge. Highlight proficiency in collaboration and job-specific tools (e.g., Asana, Slack, Trello), and accentuate abilities like communication, organization, and self-management.
#5. Are video or infographic cover letters worth it?
Video and infographic cover letters can be worthwhile when applying for creative roles in industries such as design, marketing, and media, particularly when a job ad requests them. However, you should also submit a traditional cover letter, as ATS typically can’t parse videos and images.
