Writing a perfect cover letter

Plus: AI tool that automates your writing

Author

Michael Ly
12 Dec

Read Time: 6 min

Hi networkers,

It’s holiday party week at the office, the time of the year when you can wind down and have fun…just not too much “fun” unless you want a call from HR.

So for anyone on work terms or co-ops, take it easy at those all-you-can-drink socials.

🏁 Here’s the route for this week’s run:

🎙️ My 3-Step Cover Letter Process

🤖 AI Tool to Automate Writing

👉 Get my Cover Letter Template

📍 Go-To Networking Events

TOPIC
My 3-Step Cover Letter Process

In a previous article, I broke down my approach to creating resumes that match job descriptions.

And as much as I would love for resumes to be enough, jobs often ask for cover letters.

We can all agree writing cover letters is a pain because unlike a resume, they don’t have clear guidelines.

That’s why a good cover letter to one recruiter may come off as a bad one to another.

But after writing dozens of them, I’ve nailed down a 3-step approach.

By following it, I was able to speed up the process of rewriting them for multiple applications and get consistent responses.

Here’s the approach with examples from my last cover letter that got me an interview offer:

I. The Hook

Dear Hiring Team at [Company],

Being a finance & economics student, I used to have the presumption that I would end up in a typical role such as accounting. However, through my co-ops, I was able to discover my passion for working on project-based roles and playing a crucial part in driving business process improvements.

The first step is the most important.

Recruiters scan over cover letters so if you don’t grab their attention here, the other steps won’t matter

Takeaways:

  • Empathize how the company, or role, stands out for you

  • Then, relate the company/role to your passion

  • Give work examples of you showcasing this passion

II. The Body

In my most recent role, I was involved in 4 wealth technology projects. One of which, was the development of Scotiabank’s newest trading platform, Trade Pro: from documenting process maps and discussing user stories, to testing MVP features. Most notably, I was responsible for the successful transfer of over 1.6 million watchlists of our clients from the old trading platform, FlightDesk, over to Trade Pro, all without a single line of code needed.

The body is no more than 2 paragraphs. This is where I highlight a work achievement in great detail

Takeaways:

  • Mention relevant experience and contacts

  • But don’t waste time talking about your role

  • Instead, cut to the chase on what you achieved

III. The Closing

Outside of work, I constantly aim to improve my skills by competing in case competitions. In my last event hosted by The Ted Rogers School of Business Management, my team and I presented to judges from New Balance. We were successful in articulating our digital transformation solution in which we explained how New Balance could integrate e-commerce tech into their brick-and-mortar stores, which won us 1st place nationwide.

This paragraph is the last one before your conclusion. The purpose is to give personality - make your cover letter unique to you.


Takeaways:

  • Talk about something you do outside of work

  • Make sure it’s still relevant to the job in terms of skills

  • Again, emphasize the achievement, not the experience

After step 3, list your contact info and thank them for their time.

Hope this helps! Feel free to reword the examples to fit your cover letters. And if you’d like a fully outlined template, check out the referrals below!

TIP/TOOL OF THE WEEK
AI Tool to Automate Writing

Now that we’ve talked about the fundamentals of writing a cover letter. We can take things up a notch by adding a bit of automation.

This week’s tool is Grammarly.

Aside from being a popular Google extension for auto-correction, they also have an AI cover letter generator!

It’s free, has unlimited uses, and doesn’t require an account to login.

I found the results pretty good, try it out here

Actionable Steps

  • Write a cover letter for a job description using the 3 steps

  • Test out Grammarly’s tool and compare the quality to your own

Until next time! ⛸️

-Michael Ly

ANNOUNCEMENT
My Cover Letter Template

Want a clear example of a cover letter? Check out my template!

The template includes:

  1. My personal cover letter that’s landed me offers

  2. A blank version for you to fill out

  3. A page with key tips and tricks

If you’d like to view it, refer this newsletter to just 2 people you think would benefit from reading!

If they agree to join, fill out this form with their email and you’ll receive the template within 24 hours.

For more info, check the bottom of this article. 🙂 

Go-To Networking Events
📍Checkpoints📍 

Arcteryx Co-Op Information Session for May 2024

  • Time: Dec 20, 12:00 - 1:30 pm PST (Virtual)

  • Detail: Join us to learn more about the brand, who is eligible for our co-op program, what you can expect during your co-op placement, and tips for applying for your dream co-op experience!

  • Register here 

Discover IBM: Consulting Internship Info Session

  • Time: Jan 8, 12:00 - 1:05 pm EST (Virtual)

  • Detail: A career in IBM Consulting is rooted by long-term relationships and close collaboration with clients across the globe. Join us to learn more about our Consulting Internship roles for May 2024.

  • Register here 

Canadian Tire’s Ultimate Marketing Challenge

  • Time: Jan 10, 4:00 - 5:00 pm EST (Virtual)

  • Detail: Are you a student looking to kick-start your career in marketing? Join us on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, from 4-5 p.m. EST to learn about Canadian Tire Corporation’s Ultimate Marketing Challenge.

  • Register here 

REFERRALS
Share The Leap Sprint

1 Referral - Resume Template
2 Referrals - Cover Letter Template
3 Referrals - Notion Template

You currently have 0 referrals, only 1 away from receiving Resume Template.

Reply

or to participate.