Starting your cover letter

For the majority of professionals, writing something longer than an email or a PowerPoint slide/deck is not a routine practice. So, here are a few tips on how to start putting together your cover letter.  Each person's unique experiences in combination with each position should also be taken into consideration when putting together the cover letter.  This is just a generic format for getting your first draft started:

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...

1. 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).
2. 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.