Recent Graduate Cover Letter Examples (Text Format)
Years of Experience
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Curtis Jones
Software Developer | [email protected] | (123) 456-7890 | 123 Address St., Portland, OR 12345
January 1, 2022
Caroline Matthews
Hiring Manager
Solaris Software Inc.
(987) 654-3210
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Matthews,
As an intern at Portland Technology Inc., I collaborated with a dynamic team of software developers and engineers to design innovative mobile applications for the education industry. While supporting the development of three separate applications, I gained valuable knowledge and training in Agile methodology and software development lifecycles. I believe that my internship and academic experience will allow me to deliver valuable contributions to your organization.
Solaris Software Inc.’s reputation for creating value for users is what draws me to apply for this position. I am confident that my bachelor’s degree in software engineering from the University of Portland and my experience as a software developer intern will allow me to aid your teams in designing scalable applications based on the following achievements from my career:
- Supported the software development team in designing a mobile Android application to aid college students in comparing prices for used college textbooks and subscription services, which garnered over 500K downloads following the launch
- Executed an academic project to design an application platform for users to improve vocabulary across ten different languages by providing a database of common colloquial phrases
- Completed course work in Python, Ruby on Rails, SQL, Jira, and JavaScript, graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction, and achieved a 3.8 GPA
I look forward to speaking with you further regarding how my application development experience can aid Solaris Software Inc. in continuing to create value for users. You may contact me via phone or email at your earliest convenience. I appreciate your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Curtis Jones
Jessica Adams
Financial Analyst | [email protected] | (123) 456-7890 | 123 Address St., New York, NY, 12345
January 1, 2022
Raymond Johnson
Hiring Manager
Cohen Financial Partners
(987) 654-3210
[email protected]
Dear Mr. Johnson,
During my internship with Brooklyn Financial Services, I interfaced with a team of financial analysts to evaluate investment opportunities for a multimillion-dollar firm. Through this experience, I gained valuable knowledge of business models, product use cases, and financial forecasting, which I believe makes me the ideal candidate for the financial analyst position with your company.
Cohen Financial Partners has a reputation for ethical business practices, which strongly aligns with my core values as a finance professional. I believe that I can continue to help your organization to grow your investment portfolio based on my previous achievements from my work experience and academic career:
- Conducted financial analysis of investment opportunities for new products in coordination with a team of economists and analysts, which included evaluating long-term financial outlook, product use cases, and long-term growth potential
- Supported the team in creating financial models and PowerPoint presentations on investments
- Wrote a 15-page research paper evaluating financial projections for the housing market and the impact of Covid-19 on first-time homebuyers
I would like to schedule an interview to discuss further how my experience in financial analysis and risk management can benefit your organization. Feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience with any additional questions you may have about my background. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Jessica Adams
Arthur Morris
Marketing Professional | [email protected] | (123) 456-7890 | 123 Address St., Boston, MA 12345
January 1, 2022
Sarah Taylor
Hiring Manager
New England Marketing Inc.
(987) 654-3210
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Taylor,
As a marketing intern with the Falmouth Marketing Consulting Agency, I coordinated with a team of specialists to enhance social media presence and web marketing for clients. I also attended meetings with creative teams to define brand messaging based on target audiences. Through these experiences, I developed an advanced understanding of social media marketing, which I believe will allow me to thrive in the marketing specialist position with your organization.
New England Marketing Inc.’s reputation for driving customer success is what draws me to apply for this position. I believe that my expertise in brand messaging, and social media marketing will allow me to provide valuable contributions to your organization based on my career achievements:
- Supported the marketing team in executing social media campaigns on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter platforms, utilized HootSuite to schedule posts based on KPIs, resulting in a 500% increase in followership on LinkedIn
- Collaborated with copywriters and SEO specialists to create engaging copy and brand messaging for clients, which resulted in a 10% increase in page views for a customer website
- Served on a student marketing team to manage Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn social media pages for the University of Columbia under the supervision of the Marketing Manager
I hope to speak with you further regarding my expertise in social media marketing and how it can benefit your organization. You may contact me via phone or email at your convenience. I appreciate your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Arthur Morris
Recent Graduate Cover Letter Checklist
A great nursing cover letter has five main elements:
1. Heading. Use a stylized template to help your information stand out. Be sure that your heading includes the following details:
- Your name, title, and contact info
- The date you sent the letter
- The addressee’s details
2. Salutation. Greet the hiring manager by Mr. or Ms. [Last Name]. If you can’t find the hiring manager’s name, use “Dear Hiring Manager” instead.
3. Introduction. To grab the reader’s attention, you need to craft a strong introductory paragraph highlighting one of your defining career accomplishments. Using numbers to enhance the impact of your achievements is an effective strategy, but this can be more difficult for recent graduates due to a lack of industry experience. If you don’t have an internship you can point to, you should instead focus on showcasing academic achievements that demonstrate your qualifications for the job.
4. Body paragraphs. You want to continue to showcase achievements from your internships in the subsequent body paragraphs. If you haven’t had the opportunity to work in your field, you should instead draw attention to your academic projects. Using a list of bullet points to break up the monotony of the text on the page is helpful here, as this will improve the overall readability of your document. It’s also important to mention the organization’s reputation and its relation to your background and experience.
5. Closing section. For your closing paragraph, you want to create a call to action (CTA) that invites the hiring manager to bring you in for an interview. This will send a clear message to hiring managers that you’re confident and engaged during the initial phases of the application process.
Introduction
A strong introduction typically features a defining accomplishment from your career backed with a compelling monetary figure or metric. Integrating numbers can help you tell your story better, but this can often be difficult for recent graduates who have yet to secure an entry-level position. In this instance, you want to focus on drawing attention to coursework that matches the job description or an academic project. Employers value candidates who have qualifications and skill sets that meet their needs, so you’ll want to tailor your cover letter to the job description as much as possible. Below, you’ll find an example to help you craft a strong introductory paragraph.
Good
As a software engineering student at Boston University, I executed various application development projects during my academic career. My proudest achievement was designing a mobile application that enabled users to compare pricing, reviews, and restaurant reservations using Python. I am confident that my software engineering knowledge will allow me to immediately contribute to the fast-paced business environment with Sunset Software Corp.
Bad
I’ve recently completed my degree in software engineering and am looking for the opportunity to start my career in the industry. I’m excited for the chance to work with your team, and I’ve been exposed to various programming languages and application platforms during my time as a student. I’m a hard worker and creative problem solver who has all the skills you’re looking for.
Body Paragraphs
Your body paragraphs should continue to highlight accomplishments from your work experience and academic career. Focus on drawing attention to how your background aligns with the company’s reputation or mission statement. Numbers and metrics are an effective tool for grabbing the reader’s attention, but as a recent graduate, you may need to employ other tactics to differentiate yourself from the competition. In this instance, you should focus on crafting paragraphs that highlight academic projects, coursework, awards, or even volunteerism. You should also consider using a list of bullet points to help break up the text on the page. Below, you’ll find an example to help you craft strong body paragraphs for your cover letter.
Good
As a recent graduate in journalism from the University of Pennsylvania, I’m drawn to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s reputation for reporting and integrity. I believe that I can help your organization to continue this long-standing reputation based on the following achievements from my academic experience:
- Served as the Lead Editor for the UPenn Student Newspaper, coordinated with the head of the journalism department to conduct editing and publishing for 50+ news stories
- Provided constructive feedback to students on writing, tone, word choice, and reporting to enhance the quality of all newspaper content
- Wrote a story detailing the effects of gentrification on local Philadelphia residents, which included conducting interviews with 20+ subjects across various demographics
Bad
Having just completed my degree in journalism from a prestigious school, I have yet to acquire industry experience, but I am confident that I have the skill sets to succeed in this entry-level journalist position with your newspaper. Some of my past endeavors include creative writing in my spare time and avidly reading news stories from various sources. I wrote well for my school’s student newspaper during my time at the university and received high praise from my professor. I am very excited about the chance to join your team and jump start my career.
Closing
To close out your cover letter on a strong note, you need to include a call to action (CTA) that invites the hiring manager to take the next step and bring you in for an interview. You should also use this opportunity to reinforce how your qualifications and experience can create value for the organization. Be sure to thank the hiring manager for their time in the final sentence of the paragraph, as you want to communicate in a polite and professional manner during your correspondence. Below, you’ll find an example to help you craft a strong closing paragraph.
Good
I hope to schedule an interview with you to discuss further how my expertise in brand marketing can help your creative team continue to grow exposure for your new product line. Feel free to contact me via phone or email at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
Jane Doe,
Bad
I appreciate you taking the time to review my application and read my cover letter. This is an exciting opportunity for my career and I can’t wait to hear more about your company, and the position.
Best,
Jane Doe,
