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There are two essential parts of your application materials: a resume and a cover letter. A resume gives a brief overview of your skills, experiences, and qualifications, while a cover letter dives deeper into these points and explains them with more context. If you are a student or newly graduated, here are some things to keep in mind when creating your cover letter for internships or your first full-time role.
1. Don’t Skip It
The best thing you can do for your cover letter is actually write it. Some job postings list the cover letter as an optional step, but you’ll benefit from completing it. According to Forbes, nearly a third of job seekers don’t want to include a cover letter in their application. By actually submitting a cover letter, you’ve already put yourself ahead of other candidates.
Cover letters also give the hiring manager more information about your skills and how you’ve developed them. Your resume lists digital marketing as a skill, but the cover letter gives you the opportunity to explain how you used these skills, such as managing a social media account or leading a marketing campaign. A resume explains what your skills are, but the cover letter explains how you used them.
2. Be Authentic (and Human)
AI is consistently being used as a writing tool for both students and professionals, so it’s not surprising that cover letters are increasingly being written by AI. By having a cover letter that is entirely human, you can differentiate yourself from the rest of your peers. Setting yourself apart from AI content doesn’t simply mean you should eliminate the use of the em dash, though. It means that you are coming across as authentic, like a real human.
One way to come across as authentic is to emphasize your personality. You can accomplish this by writing how you would typically speak and injecting your true voice into the writing. Instead of writing “I have strong writing and grammar skills that will help me in this role,” say something like “I have a love for writing that took off in the first grade after reading the Harry Potter series.” The latter makes you sound more human.
Another way to be authentic is to showcase your passion for the industry. Don’t just say you’re passionate about the work, show that you are. Instead of writing “I am eager to learn more about the publishing industry in this role,” say something like “I own more books than I can count, and being a part of the creation of them is an exciting opportunity.”
3. Emphasize Transferable Skills
As a student or recent college graduate, it’s common for your only true industry experience to be an internship. This formal work experience is great to have, but hiring managers may want to see more uses of your skills, which is where transferable skills come into play. Your resume can, and should, include extracurricular activities, such as volunteer work or teams you are involved in. While these experiences likely aren’t directly related to your desired industry, the skills used and learned can still be relevant.
Let's say you are applying for an entry-level editorial position. You completed a summer internship the year prior and have included that experience in your resume and cover letter. In addition, for the past year, you have been volunteering weekly at your local animal shelter. An animal shelter and an editorial role require more comparable skills than you may think. Explain how your time at the shelter has improved your verbal communication skills through speaking with the shelter’s staff and anyone who has come in seeking to adopt an animal. Illustrate that you’re also quite adaptable because the needs at the shelter are always changing, meaning you are doing a variety of different tasks each week—no two weeks are the same. These are all soft skills that are necessary for your future role. It’s easier to explain how these skills connect to your future work in a cover letter versus a resume.
A cover letter is a great tool for elaborating on what makes you a qualified candidate. Utilize this opportunity to write an authentic letter that showcases your transferable skills. These tips will help get you noticed.
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