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How To Write An Effective Cover Letter When Applying for Jobs in 2021

Unless you have been living under a rock this past year, which may actually be the best socially-distant place there is, you would be no stranger to the far-reaching effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the different facets of life, including work.

The pandemic has exposed the fallacy of the ‘ideal employee’ as per traditional beliefs and brought to light the qualities modern employees must possess in order to navigate an unpredictable and fast-changing business world. You can therefore expect the process of job hunting in 2021 to be a lot more different than in previous years.

To keep up with the times, one of the many things you will need to do when applying for jobs in 2021 is to take a new approach when writing cover letters. If you are looking to write a compelling one highlighting your qualities and achievements that will stand in your quest to land your dream job this year, you have come to the right place.

What Is a Cover Letter?

A cover letter, which is essentially a single-page letter that is normally sent to prospective employers together with CVs and resumes, can make or break your job application. It is a document that provides employers with additional information on your educational background, work experience, and job-related accomplishments, which can either get your application noticed and shortlisted or thrown out. It is therefore important to devote time and effort to draft an effective cover letter that will, without fail, impress recruiters.

▪ Cover Letter for Content Manager (SEO)

▪ Do we still need a cover letter in 2020?

How Should an Effective Cover Letter Be Structured?

Despite the shift in employers’ expectations of employees, the structure of a cover letter should remain more or less the same.

Salutations

Start off your cover letter with a polite greeting.

If you know the name of the recruiter, write:  “Dear Mr/Ms [Name]”

If you do not know the name of the recruiter, write:  “Dear Sir/Madam” /  “Dear [Company Name] team”

Introduction

Introduce yourself to the recruiter and let him/her know the reasons you are writing to them, which is to apply for the position in their company that you are interested in. Include a sentence or two briefly highlighting some of your core strengths that communicate your ability to carry out the responsibilities of the position.

Show What You Have to Offer

Highlight some of your most notable work in your current and previous roles as well as the results you have accomplished, and relate them to the position you are applying for, demonstrating to the recruiter that you have the skills and experience to meet the demands of the role.

Illustrate Your Knowledge of the Company

It is important to show the recruiter that you did your research on the company. One way you can do that is to share a piece of information that struck a chord with you and explain why it makes you want to be part of the company. If you are impressed by its vision, for example, you can write about what you can contribute to propel the company forward on its path to realizing it.

Summary & Call-To-Action

When ending your cover letter, it is best to provide a short summary of what you can bring to the table and inform the recruiter of your availability for a call or an interview.

Thank the recruiter and finish off with a formal closing that includes “sincerely” or “yours truly” as well as your name and/or signature.

▪ Cover Letter for Recent/Fresh Graduate

▪ Cover Letter for Internship

What Should You Highlight in Your Cover Letter in 2021?

As the dynamics of the workplace has drastically changed in the past year, employers’ expectations of employees have changed along with it. It is therefore important to highlight in your cover letter some of the qualities pertinent to maneuvering the effects of the pandemic in 2021.

Strong Interpersonal Skills

Despite the world becoming increasingly digitized, COVID-19 has shown businesses the importance of human connection, which is exactly why strong interpersonal skills will be in demand in the workplace in 2021. Having a high emotional intelligence—which is the ability to be conscious of, control, and express one's emotions, and to manage interpersonal relationships wisely and empathically—is a great trait to have in 2021.

Strong Communication Skills

Since many employees continue to work from home in 2021, it is important for employees to communicate effectively with their team via email and Zoom meetings like they do face-to-face in the workplace. Great communication skills maintain trust and high productivity levels.

Outside-the-box Thinking

The pandemic has proved that creativity and innovation are not only reserved for marketers and web designers, but required for all professions. As challenges arise, which are frequent occurrences in a pandemic, employees must be able to quickly identify them, analyze the situation, think outside-the-box to formulate strategies, and implement them to solve the problems at hand.

Critical Thinking &  Problem Solving Skills

Critical thinking and problem solving skills are equally as important as outside-the-box thinking for tackling challenges. Being able to think logically and rationally is crucial to make well-informed decisions, especially in tough and time-starved situations.

Digital Literacy

With the ‘new normal’ involving fewer human interactions and more virtual experiences, digital literacy has almost become a must-have skill this year. Depending on your industry, being knowledgeable in computer programming, coding, and data analytics to name a few will give you a competitive edge.

▪ How to answer the most common job interview questions?

▪ Best Tricks & Tips on How to Successfully Win a Phone Interview

One of the best things you can do when drafting your cover letter is to ask yourself, “What is the recruiter looking for in an ideal candidate?” and answer the question as objectively as possible. Doing so will not only give you an idea of what to write in your cover letter, but it will also help you realize whether or not you are a suitable candidate for the position.

We wish you all the best on your job search!

This article is either written or edited by Jobsdb HK and the author. If you would like to publish on other website or publication, please contact us by email:  [email protected] . Jobsdb and the author reserve the right to take legal action against any person that infringes the copyright.

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Cover letter templates

Robert Half's cover letter samples and templates are designed to support you in finding and securing the perfect job. Whether your job application is submitted by mail or electronically , your cover letter is the first document that most employers read, and acts as a sort of appetiser to your resume. It is critical that your cover letter captures the best parts of your resume without being a duplication of this document, and that it is personal, tailored and convincing.

Download our free cover letter templates below:

• Accounting cover letter template
• IT cover letter template

Here are our top tips on how to best use these cover letter templates, no matter what role you’re applying for.

Be strict with the length

Stick to one page. Whether you’re using a cover letter template as a receptionist applying for their first job or because you’re a senior executive trying to secure the top job, cover letters should never be much more than 300-350 words, or about four paragraphs. You improve your chances of persuading an employer to read your resume if you’ve kept your cover letter equal parts impressive and brief. However you adapt it, be tough on yourself when it comes to cover letter length. It is better to give the employer a taste of the rest of your application rather than risk wearing them down with too much information.

Get the details and facts straight

If you’re going to address specific employers at an organisation, make sure you get their names, titles, addresses and emails correct. Even a modest error in title or name could give the impression that your cover letter lacked effort and attention, and that you failed to the take the time required to research and find the correct details. Assuming you’ve obtained the correct details, err on the side of caution when using them, particularly titles and names. If in doubt of the correct usage, always opt for the more formal title followed by surname format. For example, “To Mrs Verberne”, or “To Dr. Tengku”.

These days, most job applications are submitted online, so often an office or mail address is unnecessary, but including it can show you’ve gone to the effort of finding it, verifying it and including it in your cover letter.

Personalise your cover letter

This is the fun part. While your resume tends to be fact, outcome or accomplishment based in a way that the critical information is easy to identify and comprehend, your cover letter is the place where you can tell a prospective employer a little more about yourself. In your cover letter you can include information about the qualities you possess and what you are uniquely positioned to bring to the organisation to improve both its process and people.

You could also imbue these cover letter examples with personality by including a short anecdote explaining how you became passionate about project management, or briefly reference a quote or insight from a financial sector leader you admire. Unlike your resume, your cover letter is the perfect place to include these elements and show that in addition to all your practical work and success metrics, you’re an ambitious and dedicated worker that will be a great cultural fit and likeable colleague.

Your cover letter is not your resume

While personalising and tailoring these cover letter examples, remember that it’s not just a process of copying the information that resides in your resume. In fact, sometimes writing a cover letter can be the most challenging part of completing a job application, as you have to promote yourself, detail your ambition and express your enthusiasm for a new role and organisation in a way that is distinct from your resume, but still complementary. It’s a delicate balancing act, but if done right, you can be sure you’ll impress employers.

Always include a thank you or courtesy

Use the courtesies in our examples or come up with your own, but whatever you do, make sure they are always included at the conclusion of your letter. This gesture shows a politeness and gratitude that is both expected and welcomed by employers when they’re reading through, often, hundreds of applications - so always allow room for this.

Proof read and spell check

This is step is a no-brainer, though for a number of reasons it can often be overlooked. Always run an electronic spelling and grammar check over your cover letter and if possible, get a friend, family member or mentor to read over the document before submitting it. This process only takes a few minutes and you’d be amazed at what a second set of eyes can pick up.

Robert Half’s cover letter templates can be used as they are, or simply as a source of inspiration for designing your own impressive letter that employers won’t be able to ignore. However you decide to use them, remember that your cover letter plays a vital role in engaging hiring managers and progressing you to the next stage of recruitment – so make it perfect!

Take a look at our cover letter guide page for more cover letter writing tips and examples.

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7+ Top Cover Letter Examples (2024)

January 03, 2022

What if I told you that you could speak directly to hiring managers, convincing them to hire you – even before they view your resume ?

Truth is, you can.

A well written cover letter helps you do just that! A cover letter explains your career narrative , essential skills you bring to the table, and why you’re a great fit for the job. It gives you one chance to communicate with hiring managers.

Give your best shot when writing it!

To guide you, here are some of our favourite cover letter examples. They are actual cover letters from our past clients who have landed interviews at some of the most selective firms. Think Dymon, AirBnB, and even Facebook!

You could also land a role at companies like these!

Follow our examples below. Dive deep into how to write cover letter with our Ultimate Cover Letter Guide . Or engage our writing consultants to craft an extremely personalised cover letter in your voice.

CL Sample Download Form – Blog Article

List of Cover Letter Samples:

• SMB Marketing Manager (Facebook Cover Letter)
• Health and Safety Security Manager (Airbnb Cover Letter)

Sales Director Cover Letter Sample

• Regulatory Risk and Compliance

Finance Manager Cover Letter Sample

• Returning Mother To The Workforce

Investment Manager

Smb marketing manager.

This was a letter written by our team for a client who landed an interview with Facebook’s Small & Medium Business (SMB) Marketing team. It’s got the right amount of humour and professionalism for Facebook’s culture. It’s definitely one of our favourite letters written to date.

Dear Mr. Hans,

I’m thrilled to be applying for the role of SMB Marketing Manager. With 4 years of marketing experience across Hong Kong and Indonesia, both as at an SMB (ad buyer) and agency (ad seller), I’ve come to understand both buyers and sellers of Facebook Ads.

• For the last 2 years, I’ve been head of digital marketing for a small handmade jewellery e-commerce store based in Hong Kong. Our craftsmen in Bali made the most beautiful bespoke bracelets and necklaces. Everyone who saw our designs loved them. There was just one problem – we needed more customers.With a tiny marketing budget of just 2’000 USD a month, we invested all our resources into the Facebook Ad platform. I’d glad to report that it paid off handsomely. The ability to zero in on our target customer (through the demographics tool) and test different marketing campaigns to see which one resonated the most (A/B testing tool) allowed us to gain a massive ROI on our shoestring budget. Our revenues are now over 10 times larger thanks for the clients we’ve acquired on Facebook.
• Prior to the sparkling jewellery stint, I spent 3 years at Grey Advertising’s digital arm based in Jakarta. Here, I supported 15 different accounts across 6 industries, being responsible for all their online marketing spend. We were on every platform – Adwords, Facebook, Yahoo Ads, Twitter etc. While each platform had it strengths, I personally found Facebook to be most effective at driving sales conversions, which is the only metric that mattered to our customers.Working at such a large agency, I learnt so much about the scientific approach to advertising. Every decision we made was driven by data. It fundamentally changed my approach to advertising when I later ran marketing for the jewellery SMB.

Having been on both sides of the table – running ads for an SMB and selling ads to large companies, I’ve developed an insider’s understanding of both parties. I’ve understood what key factors drive their decision making.

Facebook’s mission is to connect the world. Most assume it means connecting friends, but to me, Facebook is the best way for brands to connect with their audiences. And this applies to brands of all sizes, from large Fortune 500 companies to tiny startups. Facebook has democratized advertising. Every company with any advertising budget can now compete.

I’ve spent hours looking at videos on your website and reading employee reviews on Glassdoor. Everything I read about your company matches my own personal values. Facebook feels like the home I’ve been looking for. I think we’ll be great together.

So, shall we add each other on Facebook?

Sincerely, Mike Hartono

Health and Safety, Security (HSSE) Cover Letter

This cover letter was written for a client who was interested at a role at Airbnb. Tech companies are often the most selective amongst employers hence the need for creative cover letters like these.

Security Role

Dear Mr. Royston,

I’m really excited to be applying for the Regional Safety & Security Officer position. With my prior work stints within the hospitality (Fullterton Hotel) and design (IKEA) industries, I feel I’ve garnered a good mix of experiences to make a great addition to the Airbnb Team.

Here are my top 5 reasons why I think I’d be the perfect next hire for your team:

• #1 – A mission that resonates: While I’m happily employed as a Safety and Security manager for IKEA, seeing the job post for Airbnb stopped me in my tracks. It’s so exciting seeing what Airbnb is doing for the sharing economy – giving travelers a chance to live in real homes as opposed to sterile hotel rooms. It’s a mission I really want to be a part of.
• #2 – Regional experience: Over the past 3 years, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to craft safety policies for IKEA’s regional stores in Thailand, Hong Kong & Malaysia. It was a phenomenal learning experience, tailoring our safety protocols around the nuances of each local market. It required plenty of research and a deep empathy for differing cultures. It’s a skill set I’m eager to hone further in Airbnb’s regional role.
• #3 – Strong safety record: While I’m not one to boast, I have had a perfect safety track record with no security infringements for the last few years. This includes leading IKEA Hong Kong to comply with all audit requirements in 2015, their first successful compliance in 7 years.
• #4 – Crisis trained: As a former member of the elite Special Duties Unit (Hong Kong’s SWAT Team), I’m well trained in hostage incidents, bomb threats and close quarter battles. While I’ve never had to call upon these skills since I’ve left the police force, it does bring my colleagues comfort knowing I’m trained to remain calm in tense situations. (My firearm training also makes me a good candidate to have around in a zombie apocalypse)
• #5 – Creative industry experience: The past 3 years at IKEA have thought me so much about being creative. It’s difficult to summarise in a paragraph, but there is a distinct difference in a creative organisation’s culture. It’s opened my eyes to thinking more empathetically and always placing the user first. Skills which I believe will be useful at Airbnb given that both of your firm’s founders are design trained.

Funnily, I’ve noticed plenty of Airbnb homes use furniture from my current employer, IKEA. It always puts a smile on my face when I recognise a particular desk of drawers in a picture on an Airbnb listing.

With my wide range of experiences and strong safety track record, I’m sure I can keep a tight ship running at Airbnb. I’ve spent hours reading employee reviews online and on your website. Airbnb really feels like a great place to work. It’s a place I want to work.

I’m looking forward to hearing more about how we can work together to make Airbnb more awesome!

Best regards, Kelvin

Regulatory Risk & Compliance Cover Letter

This was a letter written by Linda Xie when she was applying to a role at Coinbase, a leading Bitcoin startup. Despite the role being way out of her league, Linda managed to snag a job offer which led to 2 happy years at one of Silicon Valley’s fastest growing unicorns.

Regulatory Risk & Compliance

Dear Ms Niejadlik

I am currently an Analyst at AIG in New York where I have worked in the risk management department since 2012. While I have not actively been seeking new employment, I cannot pass up the opportunity to apply for the Regulatory Compliance Analyst position at Coinbase. I am extremely optimistic about the future of Bitcoin and I see Coinbase as playing a central role in it’s widespread adoption. The recent Mt. Gox bankruptcy filing not only made me realise that my background in risk and regulatory compliance is highly relevant to Bitcoin markets as they become more mainstream, but motivated me to look into opportunities at Coinbase. I am eager to switch industries and join Coinbase for a few reasons:

• I philosophically support Bitcoin as a decentralised, alternative currency and have been closely following cryptocurrencies since 2011
• Coinbase provides the single most convenient method for Bitcoin adoption
• The Coinbase operation is run by highly experienced people who are experts in their respective fields.

I support one Managing Director and three Directors at AIG with risk analytics and presentations. As a result, I am highly proficient with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Matlab. I have also worked closely with AIG’s internal databases as well as Microsoft Access. With only two years at AIG, my work representing our $400 billion portfolio are trusted to be sent directly to AIG’s senior management. I hope you agree that my background is a strong match with the Regulatory Compliance Analyst Position and I welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications in more detail. Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, Linda Xie

For personnel in sales, it’s all about the sales targets you’ve hit. Be sure to emphasise that repeatedly and quantify it with clear, substantiated numbers. Here’s a sample I’ve written for an imaginary client.

Dear Mr. XXX,

Re: Application for Position of XXXXX

My name is Joseph Tan and I’m a veteran sales director within the IT industry. Over the past 15 years, I’ve consistently exceeded my sales targets at bluechip firms such as HP, Microsoft and most recently, Salesforce.

As a senior sales director, my role is more strategic in nature. I focus on identifying macro trends within the software industry, identifying key customer pain points, our unique product selling points and generating suitable marketing materials and sales scripts to empower my sales teams.

Besides empowering my staff, I’ve also honed my skills in hiring the right talents to build high performance sales teams. My years of hiring have enabled me to create unique rubrics for identifying talent which are a right fit for the organisation. Due to the high paced nature of the IT industry, I value quick learners who can adapt to ever shortening product cycles.

Here is a brief history of my work experiences:

• In my current role as APAC Director with Salesforce, I’m charge of growing our CRM solution sales for Medium and Large clients within the retail space, across APAC. Over the past 3 years, my team and I have increased our revenues from this segment by 400%. We’ve captured a monthly recurring revenue of over 40 million USD thereby cementing our position as the market leader.
• In my previous role as Regional Director (MS Dynamics) for Microsoft, I once again specialised in leading teams to penetrate the CRM market focusing on Enterprise clients within South East Asia. After building a team of 20 from scratch, we exceeded our sales targets by 140% consecutively for 7 quarters.

I’m deeply passionate about the IT segment in Asia and believe the wave is just starting. I bring years of experience, honed from best practices at the of biggest tech companies in the region.

Attached is my resume with several customer referees. These are all excellent executives who I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Do feel free to contact them.

I’ve spent some time studying your market segment and your positioning. I see two untapped opportunities currently not being exploited by your firm. Firstly, around inbound content marketing. By crafting solution case studies and posting it online, we can foster more user trust and generate inbound leads from prospects searching online. The second area of opportunity lies in strategically placing advertising in business trade journals. I’ve previously achieved excellent ROI by using this method to penetrate new markets including Indonesia and Thailand, where our products had no brand awareness. I have detailed execution roadmaps which we can discuss in person should you select me for this interview.

I look forward for an opportunity to meet and discuss further. Thank you for your time in considering my application.

Yours faithfully, Joseph Tan

Finance Manager Cover Letter Sample (For Mothers Returning To The Workforce)

If you’re a mother returning to the workforce , a cover letter will make a huge difference in assisting you to secure an interview. Employers have consistently found that mothers make better employees. Be proud of the family you’ve started and use it to your advantage.

I’m writing to apply to the Finance Manager position open at your firm. With over 8 years of experience both as finance manager at GE Capital and an auditor at KPMG, I’m confident of excelling at the role open at your organisation.

Having come from an audit background, I posses a unique ability in seeing both sides of the (accounting) table. This enables me to better spot control weaknesses, implement new best practices and install processes for continued smooth operations.

• In my last role as Finance Manager with GE Capital, I oversaw accounts for the leading commercial loans, leases and middle market finance solutions provider. Along with a team of 4, we managed over 2 billion USD in accounts. A key facet of my job was ensuring all reporting were as per US GAAP and SOX 404 requirements.
• In my previous role as Senior Auditor for KPMG, I worked with a broad range of clients in the finance industry. Here, I analysed accounts, identified regulatory violations and worked with client management teams to devise strategies to ensure compliance moving forward.

Since 2012, I’ve been on sabbatical attending to my newly born twins. I felt it was necessary to be there for them during their formative years. Now that they’re all grown up, I feel rejuvenated and eager to re-enter the job market. I’m aware that I’ve been away for a long period of time, hence my desire to enter at a more junior role, to ease myself back into the workforce. Rest assured, I’m not looking for an easy ride, I’m keen to maximise my talents and apply myself fully at your organisation.

Yours faithfully, Diana Chan

The finance sector remains one of the highest paid, and most sought after industries to work in within Hong Kong. That means that competition is incredibly stiff. You’ll be up against some of the best.

The finance industry is a little more upright than the tech industry. As such, your cover letter needs to come across as being more measured.

Dear Mr. Yong,

Re: Application for Position of Vice President (Investments)

It is with great enthusiasm that I submit my application for the position of Vice President of Investments at Dymon Asia. Through my 5-year career, I’ve come to specialise in mergers and acquisitions, and have led a wide range of M&A projects across multiple industries. Indeed, I’m highly familiar with the entire M&A process from pre-deal due diligence to negotiation through to post-deal operations. I’ve been able to leverage on my experience, generating close to USD500M in total revenue throughout my tenure in various MNCs and boutique funds alike, and I am confident that I will be able to continue securing and leading lucrative deals for Dymon Asia.

Presently, I am a Senior Manager of Investments with JP Morgan Chase, where I am responsible for managing all financial-related matters within the Group, with an emphasis on the analysis and monitoring of our financial results. In addition, I led the development and implementation of our corporate business strategy, advising the Managing Director on long-term strategic plans for the development of the Group.

Amongst my various achievements during my tenure, I am most proud of having spearheaded negotiations for the acquisition of several key companies (which are now our subsidiaries) and securing marine asset financing worth a combined total of USD 370M amidst a regional financial downturn.

Dymon Asia is regionally known for its Asia Macro Fund, which has consistently ranked amongst the top macro funds globally. My background in finance, trading, and portfolio management, coupled with my practical experience in macroeconomic analysis and strategic development will allow me to contribute effectively to Dymon’s continued growth and performance, particularly by designing new investment strategies and generating new investment theses that will thrive amidst the rapidly changing investment climate we are facing today.

I am thrilled at the possibility of being part of such a renowned firm, and would love the opportunity to meet with you and discuss the value that I can bring to the Dymon Asia Group. I appreciate your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to contact me at any time via mobile at +852 9999 9999 or by email at [email protected].

Yours sincerely, Phil, CFA

These Cover Letters were used in actual job applications to score interviews at some of the most competitive firms.

You could learn from them while writing your own!

Download the cover letter samples that inspire you, study them, and write your best cover letter for your next job application!

If you need more cover letter writing resources:

• Read our step-by-step guide on how to write a Cover Letter to understand the key components that make up a Cover Letter, and why you absolutely should write a Cover Letter (even if the job listing doesn’t say that it’s necessary).
• Browse our series of Cover Letter Samples & Templates , which cover most industries and professions. If you’d like to see a Cover Letter sample for a specific industry or role that’s not listed here yet, drop us an email !
• A Resume or CV and Cover Letter go hand-in-hand. Uncover our secrets to writing a standout resume  – these are our tricks of the trade, the actual techniques we use to train our own team of professional CV writers 😉

And finally, if you need a hand with writing your CV and Cover Letter, don’t struggle in silence!

Reach out to us for help. Our team would be happy to help you improve your CV and Cover Letter according to your own career and unique job search objectives.

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