Intro:
- First sentence: state intention. Which position are you applying to and in what group/company?
- Then a general sentence or two on how your past experience applies to the position.
- Then add a sentence referring back to why you'd be great for the position.
Middle paragraph(s):
You can do this in two main ways...
- By skill, where each paragraph talks about a skill in important areas of the work (for example, if you're in marketing, a few important skills that aren't obvious might include managing a budget or project management).
- By sequence, where you would walk the reader through a sequence of your positions, listing a seminal experience in each of them (do not list them like your resume - the reader likely already has that!).
Last paragraph:
Summarize your education/certifications, any relevant coursework specific to the position. Then close it off with one or two sentences about how your experience and/or coursework is relevant to the specific position. This is also a good place (or the intro) to talk about how your personal passions align with the position if applicable.
Then add a sentence before the closing that conveys confidence and eagerness to move forward such as: "Thank you so much for considering me for the ZZZZ position at YYYY, I look forward to speaking with you soon.