{"id":3932,"date":"2025-11-28T09:27:44","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T09:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/how-to-write-a-proper-cover-letter\/"},"modified":"2025-11-28T09:27:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T09:27:44","slug":"how-to-write-a-proper-cover-letter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/how-to-write-a-proper-cover-letter\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write a Proper Cover Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let me tell you, I used to hate<\/em> writing cover letters. Like, full-on staring at a blank Google Doc at 11 PM with a half-empty Dunkin\u2019 cup sweating on my desk, wondering if anyone actually reads these things. (Spoiler: They do. And the wrong approach cost me a job I really wanted back in 2018. Oof.)<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the thing: I treated cover letters like a formal obligation \u2014 robotic paragraphs stuffed with \u201cI\u2019m a team player\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m excited to apply\u201d clich\u00e9s. Then my buddy Jared, who hires for his startup, told me over beers, \u201cDude, your resume tells me what you did. Your cover letter? That\u2019s where I decide if I like<\/em> you.\u201d Lightbulb moment.<\/p>\n

The turning point?<\/strong> I started treating cover letters like Tinder bios for jobs. Not the cringey \u201cI like long walks\u201d kind, but the version where you actually show<\/em> personality. Like that time I mentioned rebuilding my \u201997 Jeep Cherokee in my garage (true story) when applying for a project manager role. The hiring manager later told me it stood out because it proved I could troubleshoot chaos. Who knew?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what worked for me \u2014 no fluff:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Ditch the \u201cTo Whom It May Concern\u201d<\/strong> if you can. I\u2019ll stalk LinkedIn for 10 minutes to find the hiring manager\u2019s name. No luck? \u201cHey [Team Name]\u201d feels less stiff.<\/li>\n
  2. First sentence = mic drop.<\/strong> My go-to: \u201cI didn\u2019t think my obsession with spreadsheets would ever be useful until\u2026\u201d or \u201cThe first time I [relevant story], I knew I wanted to\u2026\u201d<\/li>\n
  3. Connect dots THEY care about.<\/strong> Example: Instead of \u201cI managed social media,\u201d try, \u201cI grew a DIY Instagram page to 10K followers using Canva and dad jokes \u2014 let\u2019s talk engagement strategies.\u201d<\/li>\n
  4. End with a question.<\/strong> My last line\u2019s usually something like, \u201cCan I brainstorm how my Jeep-tinkering grit could solve [specific challenge they mentioned in the job post]?\u201d Makes replying easier.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Oh \u2014 and the rookie mistake I still cringe at?<\/strong> Sending the same generic letter to 20 jobs. Tailoring sucks, but guess what? Spending 15 minutes tweaking each one got me 3x more interviews. (Coffee helps. So does a Google Doc template with swappable bullet points.)<\/p>\n

    You\u2019re probably thinking<\/strong>, \u201cBut what if I\u2019m not quirky?\u201d Relax. Authenticity > quirkiness. My friend landed a corporate finance gig by writing about teaching her kid to budget with Monopoly money. It\u2019s about showing why<\/em> you care, not performing stand-up.<\/p>\n

    Wrap-up? Do this: Write like you\u2019re explaining to a friend why you\u2019re weirdly perfect for the job. Then delete the stuff that sounds like a dictionary wrote it. Hit send before the self-doubt creeps in.<\/p>\n

    And if you get stuck? Picture me in sweatpants, hopped up on cold brew, cheering you on from my couch. You\u2019ve got this.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Let me tell you, I used to hate writing cover letters. Like, full-on staring at a blank Google Doc at 11 PM with a half-empty Dunkin\u2019 cup sweating on my desk, wondering if anyone actually reads these things. (Spoiler: They do. And the wrong approach cost me a job I really wanted back in 2018.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1756,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-content"],"modified_by":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3932"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3932\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}