The role of a supervisor is essential in today’s increasingly complex business landscape. As companies and organizations grow, the need for competent individuals who can manage their staff and operations increases. However, the demand for these jobs is also high, so you’ll need a strong supervisor cover letter if you’re to come out on top.
Still, creating a tailored representation of your skills and experience can be challenging, especially if you’ve never done it before. That’s why we created a step-by-step guide that will lead you through the entire process, from adding your name and creating a catchy intro to highlighting your qualifications and including a CTA.
Key Takeaways
The business letter format is the best one for a supervisor cover letter.
The heading should feature the sender and recipient’s contact details along with the date of writing.
A catchy introduction paired with a strong call to action in the final paragraph will maximize your chances of getting an interview.
Your cover letter and all your skills and experiences should be tailored to the job that you’re applying for.
The Best Way to Format a Supervisor Cover Letter
The best way to format a supervisor cover letter is to use a business letter structure. It’s the proven arrangement of sections that will show hiring managers what they want when they want it.
The good thing is that this format is the same for everyone, regardless of whether you’re writing an entry-level supervisor cover letter or an experienced field supervisor cover letter. The information in the document should be organized in the following way:
Cover Letter Format
Contact information goes at the top, in the header of your cover letter.
A formal greeting follows contact information and serves to address the reader and introduce them to the writing.
An introductory paragraph is similar to a resume summary in that it should be catchy and packed with valuable details.
The body of the letter should be 1–3 paragraphs long and go into detail about your skills, qualifications, and experiences.
A closing paragraph should include a call to action to increase your chances of getting an interview.
A formal closing with your signature wraps up the writing and concludes it neatly.
Apart from the structure of your supervisor cover letter, you also need to be mindful of its layout. A layout is a visual aspect of your document. Your goal is to create a pleasant cover letter that’s easy to read. Here’s how you can achieve that:
Cover Letter Layout
Your cover letter should be one page long, between 250 and 400 words.
Use a professional font for your cover letter (e.g., Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman).
Set font size between 10 and 12 pt.
Margins should be at least 1 inch on all sides.
Use one-line spacing between paragraphs.
Supervisor Cover Letter: Fundamental Parts
Before we get into the specifics of writing a cover letter for a supervisor position, here’s a visual blueprint to help you out:
#1. Heading
The heading is reserved for contact information, which is a simple section. That’s a good thing because you just need to list the following details in a factual manner:
Cover Letter Heading Information
Your name
Job title
Address
Phone number
Email address
(Optional) Relevant social media pages
After that, you should include the location and date of writing before adding the recipient’s details. Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Heading Example
Margaret Jett Retail Supervisor 257 Pallet Street New York, NY 10004 914-404-9576 margaret.jett@example.com linkedin.com/ln/margaretjett Portland, 06/11/2023 Michael Duncan Hiring Manager Big Sale Retail 4447 Linda Street Portland, PA 97205
#2. Greeting
Don’t let the brevity of a formal greeting trick you into thinking this part isn’t important. It’s a vital part of your cover letter that can help you build important rapport with the recruiter or hiring manager right off the bat. To do that, you should address them by their name. Research the company to find out who will read your cover letter before addressing them personally.
Here’s an example:
Greeting Example
Dear Mr. Duncan,
If you can’t find the name of the recipient, you can use their title.
#3. Introduction
The introduction is all about convincing the hiring manager to keep reading your cover letter. Grab their attention from the start by highlighting your most relevant qualifications, whether those are your skills, years in the field, or notable accomplishments.
Let’s see that in an example:
Introduction Example
I am eager to apply for the position of retail supervisor at Big Sale Retail, as advertised on your website. With 3 years of experience working as a retail manager and an additional 5 working as a retail supervisor, I am confident that my proven track record of increasing ROI and reducing turnover can help your organization.
#4. Skills, Qualifications, & Experiences
The central part of your supervisor cover letter should be all about your competence. In 1–3 paragraphs, you should show hiring managers and potential employers that you’re the best person for the job. This is the place to go in-depth about all those abilities and experiences that make you a skilled professional they need to have in their ranks.
Here’s a good example:
Skills, Qualifications, & Experiences Example
During my previous employment as a retail supervisor at All Things Home, I successfully managed a team of 17 to exceed sales targets and increase ROI by 11%. My proficiency in inventory management helped me automate the supply order processes to reduce the instances of running out of popular stock to 0.
#5. Reasons for Applying
One of the best ways to stand out among the competition and show true commitment to the role that you’re applying for is to mention specific reasons for applying to the company. Mention something that you truly like about their organization, and you’ll show that you’re already invested in their endeavors.
Here’s an example:
Reasons for Applying Example
The main reason for my application at Big Sale Retail is your reputation for outstanding customer experience. I’ve been following your work for a while, and what particularly impressed me was your innovative approach to management and marketing. I believe my competence and experience can contribute to your forward-thinking methods.
#6. Call to Action
A call to action is a written encouragement for the hiring manager or potential employer to invite you for an interview, check out your supervisor resume, and more. You should include it toward the end of your supervisor cover letter, like in the following example:
Call to Action Example
I appreciate the time you took to review my application, and I’d be thrilled to discuss further how my qualifications align with your goals over an interview.
#7. Conclusion & Sign-Off
Signing off a cover letter for a supervisor position is even simpler than writing a cordial greeting. You should simply include one of the many amiable closings before including your name.
Here you have an example of this part:
Conclusion & Sign-Off Example
Sincerely, Margaret Jett
When you apply everything we've learned so far, your supervisor cover letter should resemble the one in our example.
3 Best Strategies for Creating a Supervisor Cover Letter
Now that you know how to write a cover letter for a supervisor position, let’s learn some expert tips on how you can polish it to perfection:
Cover Letter Tips
You should meticulously proofread your cover letter. Supervisors, in general, need to pay strong attention to detail, and mistakes made while writing your resume or cover letter might send the wrong kind of message. For additional safety, you can ask a friend to give your writing another look before submitting it.
Your cover letter should be tailored to the job description. Firstly, that ensures that your letter features skills and accomplishments that hiring managers want to see. Further, it can help you pass the ATS scan, as many of these software programs are set up to look for specific keywords in the form of skills and job titles.
Your cover letter should feature a mix of hard and soft skills. Hard skills are role-specific (e.g., an operations supervisor cover letter might mention knowledge of specific operational principles and policies) and necessary for the job. However, many hiring managers will focus more on soft skills, such as leadership and management.
Final Thoughts
Supervisor and management jobs are projected to grow faster than average for a period between 2022 and 2032. On the other hand, job seekers are getting increasingly skilled at grabbing recruiters’ attention with their resumes, which is why you want to use every weapon in your arsenal to gain an edge over them.
One of the most potent weapons is your supervisor cover letter, and now you know how to make it exceptional. By following the tips and directions outlined in this article, you’ll end up with a cover letter that is bound to secure you an interview. From there, you’re just a few steps away from your next job!
