university of bristol cover letter

Study Skills

Academic skills support at University of Bristol

Cover letters written by ChatGPT and other Artificial Intelligence programmes: the results, dangers, and what to do if you’ve submitted one

Please note: this article was been updated in February 2024 to include details for our latest round of advocate recruitment for the 2024/25 academic year.

We’re recruiting! See this blog post for information about becoming a Bristol Futures Student Advocate for 2024/25. Then read on to find out what we’re looking for in a cover letter, a key part of your job application.

We know job applications and cover letters can be difficult to write. Sometimes the pressure and stress leads people to look for shortcuts. In recent months we’ve seen an increase in people using Artificial Intelligence programmes such as ChatGPT to help them write their University assignments. Some may also be tempted to use these programmes to write their applications and cover letters for jobs like the Bristol Futures Advocate roles.

Let’s take a look at some of the potential weaknesses of cover letters written by AI, and think about what you can do to write a successful application yourself instead.

Cover letters written by AI programs can often be:

• Generic: they use similar phrases and sentences, which we then see repeated across multiple cover letters. This results in cover letters which are…
• Impersonal: they do not tell us much about you as a candidate and as a person. Why do you really want to apply for this role? What is it about the job that interests you?
• Unevidenced: they make claims for possessing skills, abilities and experience but don’t give us real examples or show how you gained them.
• Plagiarised: in some instances AI programs copy sentences word for word from the job advert. This leaves an impression of an uncreative and potentially dishonest candidate.

What we look for in successful cover letters:

• Good cover letters are p ersonal. They introduce us to you as a candidate and as a person, telling us about what attracted you to this job, and how it aligns with your skills, interests and experience.
• They are also evidenced, giving us specific examples of where you have gained experience, and actual evidence for the skills that you possess.
• Finally, they are informed: they engage with the themes and elements of Study Skills and Bristol Futures beyond just the summaries given in the job advert. This shows us that you have researched the role: you’ve looked into what we do as a service and what the role entails. Your decision to apply then demonstrates your confidence that you are well suited for the Advocate position.

You can find more guidance on writing good cover letters on this page from the University Careers Service.

What to do if you have submitted an application written by an AI

If you have used an AI program such as ChatGPT to write your cover letter for the Bristol Futures Student Advocate position we strongly urge you to reconsider and potentially resubmit your application. Even if you haven’t used ChatGPT you may find the following steps useful:

• First of all review your cover letter and CV and think about the points we’ve listed above. Are you demonstrating to us who you are as a unique individual candidate? Have you provided specific evidence for your skills and experience?
• You may then want to revise or rewrite your cover letter to make improvements.
• Finally, you are welcome to resubmit your application to us. Please be assured that we will not take this as an admission or indication that you have used AI to write your original application. You will be considered as a candidate on the merit of your latest application alone. We will be accepting applications until 11.59pm on Friday 22 March 2024.

If you have any questions about the Student Advocate role or the application process you can contact us at [email protected] . If you want to further improve your job application skills remember too that the University Careers Service will be very happy to meet with you and provide support.

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Career Toolkit resources

Cvs covering letters and applications, covering letters.

Sending a good covering letter with a targeted CV (speculative application) to relevant employers, is a really effective way of convincing an employer to meet you and potentially create an opportunity for you. Our cover letters section on the Career Toolkit contains all the information you need to create a standout covering letter including:

• covering letter essentials
• what to include
• examples for different work situations
• standard covering letters
• speculative covering letter top tips

Your covering letter is the first thing an employer sees when you apply for a job, and it is important to make a good first impression. The employer will read your covering letter and form judgements about you as a person and your suitability for the job. Always send a CV with a covering letter.

Feedback on your covering letter

Send your cover letter via My Questions to get feedback from one of our Career Coaches within five days.

A well-written CV will show your career interests and highlight your most relevant skills and experience to match the requirements of the vacancy and the employer.

The Career Toolkit has a wide range of resources to help you write your CV, including:

• how to create your CV and what to include
• CVs for different types of jobs
• templates for specific job sectors.

Example CVs

Our example CVs offer a range of content and format options for you to consider.

You can transform your CV and boost your chances of getting through to an interview with CV360 . Our artificial intelligence (AI)-powered CV360 tool can help you build your CV from scratch, select a template or score your current CV to get instant feedback.

CV360 analyses your CV in the same way as the applicant tracking systems used by many recruiters, giving you feedback against more than 50 checks and increasing your chances of getting through the first stage of recruitment. It gives you the chance to have your CV reviewed by one of our professional career coaches. Score 75% or over and submit for review. Our coaches will then provide you with tailored feedback within five working days.

Speculative applications

Not all job opportunities are advertised. In fact, up to 70 per cent of jobs are not advertised. Some employers don't want to generate large numbers of applications or pay for expensive advertising and others already get lots of applications without needing to advertise. Tap into this 'hidden' graduate job market by making a speculative application.

View the Career Toolkit resources on preparing speculative application forms and identifying 'hidden' opportunities.

Applications

A common method to apply for an advertised job opportunity is to complete an application form.

Many companies use online applications forms. When completing the form, ensure that you follow all of the instructions. Fill in each section accurately and provide detailed evidence of how your skills, knowledge and experience match the requirements of the role.

Log in to the Career Toolkit for resources and information on how to make successful applications.

Preparing for interviews

There are different types of interviews – competency-based interviews, panel interviews, technical interviews and telephone interviews – interview preparation is essential.

Our Interview360 tool in the Career Toolkit will help you build confidence and optimise your performance for in-person and video interviews. It gives you:

• mock interviews tailored to specific industries and roles
• a mock interview with specific questions based on the actual content of your CV, simulating a real (human) interview situation
• AI-powered instant feedback providing you with unique insights on your video responses, including: your body language, communication and speech, camera position and voice quality
• an extensive range of over 100 interview training resources, containing the latest employer insights and best practices
• advice on how to answer a comprehensive list of common interview questions. 

Preparing for assessment centres

Assessment centres vary in structure from employer to employer. Their purpose is to create an environment where you and other applicants can demonstrate key skills required in the workplace. Rather than competing against other candidates, you are assessed against a set of competencies and will need to meet a minimum standard to progress to the next stage.

Assessment centre activities include group work exercises, presentations, case studies and assessment tests. View the Career Toolkit assessment tool for all the information you need to help prepare you for the assessment centre including:

• making an impression
• presentation advice
• practice in-tray exercises
• case studies
• what to expect from group exercises.

Psychometric tests and assessments

Find out what graduate jobs may suit you .

Use the Career Assessments on the Career Toolkit to help you gain self-awareness including:

• Self-help diagnostic tools – resources to help assess your skills, interests, strengths and personality and find out what graduate jobs may suit you.
• Personality tests – these look at your preferences or how you are likely to react and behave in different circumstances, and suggests suitable career areas.

Psychometric testing

Psychometric tests give applicants an equal opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities. They show employers how you are likely to perform in a job, particularly if you have little or no previous experience of the job, and give you feedback as to whether the job is really for you. Psychometric tests may include aptitude or ability tests, personality questionnaires or a combination of both.

Psychometric practice tests

Practise numerical, verbal and analytical tests online. Please note: these resources are only available within the UWE Bristol network. Our Graduates First resources are also available to graduates and include Situational Judgement Tests and many other styles of test to practice.

You may have developed skills and attributes that employers are looking for through a variety of sources including your studies, work, volunteering, hobbies or other parts of your life. Use our resources to help learn what employers are looking for and how to demonstrate your own skills and attributes.

Job hunting and networking

Log in to the Career Toolkit to see useful resources to help you build your networking and job hunting skills including:

• building a network
• tips and techniques for networking
• finding network events
• accessing the hidden graduate job market
• networking sites
• finding companies
• using LinkedIn
• job hunting on X (formerly Twitter)
• social networking and graduate recruitment.

Networking is a powerful tool and a valuable alternative route into the job market. In some sectors, such as the creative sector, it is normal practice to network to find opportunities. It is not about asking for a job, but building up relationships and letting people know what you can do so they can help you market yourself and identify relevant opportunities.

Develop your skills

Log in to the Career Toolkit to read all the information you need to build upon and demonstrate your skills and attributes including:

• what employers are looking for
• graduate skills and competencies
• transferable skills from your degree
• skills with LinkedIn Learning
• how to demonstrate employability skills
• how to demonstrate specific skills like commercial awareness, problem solving, communication skills etc.

My Career Planner

My Career Planner combines a self-assessment tool with personalised reporting and a structured workbook helping you to visualise and navigate your career management journey.

Taking the Pulse assessment enables you to assess where you are on your career journey and evaluate your strengths and weakness. Each of the eight sections of your report and linked workbook can help you to understand, develop and harness a different set of skills and attributes needed at each stage in your journey.

As you progress through the workbook not only will you get help with things like understanding and developing your skills, figuring out your career options, getting the experience you want and making a success of it but you’ll also earn points towards achieving your bronze, silver and gold level My Career Planner certificates.

Get the toolkit app

Your very own careers and enterprise team in your pocket – 24/7, 365 days a year. This app helps you finesse your interview skills, build your CV, career test yourself and loads more.

Follow these steps to download the app:

• Download the UWE Career Toolkit App from Google Play or the  App Store .
• Launch the app. Once open, enter your UWE Bristol email address.
• Opening the sent email on the same mobile device: Click the ‘Activate app’ button to launch and verify your mobile device.
• Opening the sent email on another device: Enter the 6-digit verification code and click ‘Continue’.
• Read through the terms and conditions and click ‘Accept term'.

Careers Service Blog

Helping you get to where you want to be when you graduate

Work with us next year!

Each year we recruit a team of current students to come and work with us at the careers service. they are an integral part of our team and work on a wide range of exciting tasks..

From working face-to-face with fellow students to creating content for blogs and our social media channels, supporting the Bristol PLUS Award and getting involved in employer events, and even helping students develop their entrepreneurial skills – we don’t know where we would be without them!

We are excited to say that applications are now open for next year’s team.

All of these roles are part-time and designed to fit around your studies.

You’ll receive full training and will gain valuable, transferable skills through working in a professional environment, such as teamwork, time management, and communication skills. We have also been told, it’s a lot of fun to work with us!

We are currently recruiting for the following roles:

(NB: All roles will begin in September, so you must be a current student as of September to apply.)

• PLUS Award Ambassador
• Employer Events Ambassador  (5 roles available)
• Student Enterprise Ambassador
• Career Peer Support Assistant  (4 roles available)
• Student Marketing and Communications Intern

Follow the links to mycareer to find out more and apply. Applications are open until Sunday 18 June 2023 .

We caught up with some of this year’s team to hear a little more about their roles and why they think you should apply:

Devanshi, career peer support assistant.

“I’m a Career Peer Support Assistant and I triage students as they enter 5 Tyndall Avenue as well as respond to emails and Live Chat conversations. 

The Careers Service team are all amazing to work with and I genuinely look forward to coming in and seeing everyone. I’ve also really enjoyed getting to know more about what the uni offers and making the most of that myself!”

Zubair, Employer Events Ambassador

“Although I was mainly responsible for communicating with external employers to build stronger relationships with them, I ended up doing a lot more than that – I wrote around 5 blogs for the Career Service, moderated several events by top employers including BDO and NHS, and worked at Get Hired which was attended by hundreds of students (where I got free breakfast and lunch!)

I highly recommend applying for a position at the Careers Service as it not only gives you an opportunity to make yourself marketable to employers through this experience but also allows you to support other students and make a difference.”

Hana, Marketing and Communications Intern – Social Media

“I am the Social Media Marketing and Communications Intern, and the face behind all the socials posts you’ve seen this year! As part of my role I plan, create and schedule all the content for our social media campaigns.

This could be taking photos and videos at events, posting and interacting with you on Instagram and planning marketing campaigns with my colleagues.

I’ve really enjoyed working at the Careers Service, as the role is flexible and fits within my university schedule and I’ve learnt loads of transferrable skills that have helped me land a job after graduating!”

Da, Student Enterprise Ambassador

“I work for the university’s start-up accelerator and pre-incubator, the Basecamp Enterprise Team. as a student representative. This has involved a diverse range of work, from running initiatives aimed at tackling barriers faced by traditionally underrepresented groups in the business world, to supporting the running of the University’s New Enterprise Competition.

Working for the Careers Service is ideal because it is linked to the wider world and a great stepping-stone out of academia. You can learn about yourself and are able to personally develop yourself, acquiring transferrable interpersonal and professional skills.”

Sam, Marketing and Communications Intern – Content Creation

“I support the Careers Service in promoting its services and events to students and other key stakeholders. More specifically I prepare the YourCareer newsletter, write and proofread blogs, and help create content like videos for social media.

Above all else, I’ve really enjoyed the diversity of what I do in this job. Every week is different from the last!

Whether that means attending an event, filming a video, or meeting someone new; I love that I’m never bored and always have something new and exciting to get my teeth into.

“The Careers Service is a great place to work as they support you to develop your skills and interests so that you can not only support the Service but also grow yourself. They also support me to feel really embedded within the team and able to play an active part in the Service’s work.”

Thinking of applying?

We have lots of resources to help you :

• Get your CV ready following our three easy steps
• Our covering letter guide  gives details about how to structure your covering letter
• Discover more s u p p o r t on our website

Top tip : Read the job description thoroughly on mycareer, each role asks for a different focus in the cover letter, and some have tasks as well.

If you have any questions, check out the roles in mycareer to see who the contact is.

We look forward to you joining our team!

We are aware of a global phishing scam with employees from companies impersonated across email, WhatsApp, and Telegram. We are confident that no PageGroup system has been breached.  Find out how to protect yourself  and the signs to look out for

Write a great covering letter

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Beginning a cover letter

The first paragraph of your cover letter should detail the job you are applying for, and if relevant, where you heard about the job (for example an advertisement, or personal recommendation)..

Current students

Prove your status as a student at bristol.

You cannot access student status letters from 1 August 2024 until you re-register for the new academic year. Registration opens on 22 August 2024.

You might be asked to confirm you are a student at the University of Bristol. You can generate or request a letter to confirm this.

 On this page:

• Standard student status letter

Extra information

• Bank letter  
• Travel Letter
• Other official documents

Former students

Third party requests.

Reasons you may need to confirm your status include:

• opening a UK bank account 
• proving you are  exempt from paying council tax  
• proving your status as a student for a Schengen visa application.

Create a standard student status letter 

You can generate a student status letter to confirm you are registered here.

It will usually include: 

• your student number
• date of birth
• mode of attendance (full-time or part-time)
• programme of study
• expected end date.

Your letter will be produced as a PDF. 

Create a student status letter  

You can choose to include your address.

If you live in University-managed accommodation, your flat or room number will be included.

However, this does not prove that your address has been checked by the University.

If you need to prove your address, you should do this using another type of approved document.

If your details are incorrect

Your details are from your student record.

If they are incorrect, you should  update your details online  before you create a student status letter. 

In some cases, you may need to confirm details not included in the standard student status letter. Contact Student Services to request a letter. Student services can advise on what can and cannot be added.

Email:  [email protected]   Phone:  +44 (0)117 428 3000  

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 8 pm 

Bank letter 

International students.

If you are an international student, and need to open a UK bank account, generate a bank letter .

Home students

If you are a UK student and your bank needs to confirm your status, use the standard student status letter.

Travel letter (visa/Schengen)

If you are applying for a schengen visa, you will need to prove your status as a full-time student. In most cases, a standard student status letter will be suitable.

Letters addressed to an embassy

In some cases, your letter may need to be addressed to the embassy of the country you are applying to. Check the embassy website to see if this is needed. If it is, contact Student Services, detailing:

• the name of the requesting embassy
• what information they require.

Other official documents 

For a  Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number , or  other visa-related letters  contact the Student Visa team. 

If you need a personal reference, contact your  personal tutor  or supervisor.

Interim transcripts can be requested on the  transcript page .

Documentation for former students may include:

• award verification letters  
• final transcripts
• degree certificates
• visa support letter for graduation ceremonies .

For personal references, contact your  personal tutor  or supervisor. 

If you are not sure which type of letter you need, or do not see it listed above, contact Student Services.

Due to data protection regulations, we are unable to provide third parties with student information. Students need to generate a self-serve letter and share this with you.

If you need more information than is included in the standard student status letter, the student can request it from Student Services.

Academic verification of a former student can be requested via the Request an award verification letter page.

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• Careers and Employability Service
• Application forms

Cover letters

Personal statements.

A cover letter will often accompany your CV when you are applying for a work or study opportunity. So even if you spend lots of time perfecting your CV, your application can still be affected by the quality of your cover letter. It is therefore important that you take time to create a well-structured cover letter targeted to each and every opportunity you apply for. View some examples of cover letters on the Target Jobs website .

The purpose

• To encourage an employer to read the accompanying CV or application form
• To draw together relevant facts from your CV or application form and shape them to the needs of the employer; demonstrating your ability to do the job/course
• If speculative: to explain why you are sending your CV

If you are asked to send a ‘letter of application’, you might treat this as an extended cover letter. The tips provided in these pages will also help you to construct this type of letter.

Preparation

• Research the company or organisation using resources such as the company or organisation's website, recent news articles or their social media.
• Thoroughly research the role/course you are applying for including the main duties and responsibilities of the opportunity are or what modules and projects are available throughout the course
• Identify aspects of the role or course that are most important to you
• The length of a cover letter should be about one side of A4, using a font of no smaller than 11. Using a matching font and style to your CV gives your application a coherent and professional look. If the employer is asking for a lot of information and you can’t fit it onto one side, don’t reduce the font size any smaller – it’s better to go over two sides in a readable font than squeeze your information onto one side
• Occasionally you may be asked for a handwritten cover letter. As handwriting generally is larger than typed text, it is usually OK to go onto two pages

A top tip we can offer is to tailor your cover letter for each application. You can adapt information you cut and paste from previous applications, however be very careful that it is appropriate to the job you are applying for.

When planning, consider the following points:

• What are your key strengths in relation to the opportunity?
• What has motivated you to pursue this opportunity?
• You may need to illustrate how your skills satisfy the requirements (e.g. Leadership, Team work, Communication) so think of some examples of where you will have demonstrated these (such as work experience, university experiences, volunteering, Leicester Award, Internships, interests, hobbies)
• What differentiates this job and company to you from their competitors?

Writing your first draft

Make sure that your cover letter/statement has a clear structure, so that the employer can easily recognise what you are addressing. We suggest using a structure similar to this:

I.C.M.E Structure

I – Introduction: A brief opening to introduce yourself and outlining the position or opportunity you are applying for and where you saw it advertised.

C – Capability: One to two paragraphs that explains why you are suitable for the role. You should refer to the job/course description and demonstrate how you meet the requirements for the opportunity.

M – Motivation: One to two paragraphs that detail why you are interested in the company/institution and the position/study. Make sure you are specific and demonstrate that you have done your research.

E – Ending: A couple of lines that thank the reader for his/her time and state that you are looking forward to hearing from them. Refer back to the specific course or job requirements.

Use subheadings and bullet points to highlight key information and help your cover letter stand out by using direct, positive and appropriate language.

TOP TIP: Expressing things more positively can make the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful application. Below are a few examples:

• “I am a good communicator” rather than “I feel that I am a good communicator”
• “I have excellent communication skills” rather than “Some people have told me I am good at communicating”
• “During this experience I successfully managed seven people” rather than “During this experience I had to manage seven people”

Proof-reading and amending

After all the time and effort you have spent developing your cover letter, it would be a shame to send it before you have proof-read and thoroughly checked it through. To make absolutely sure, get someone else to read it – the best of writers miss mistakes in their own work due to familiarity with the text.

Using MyCareers

How to access MyCareers as a graduate.

Learn more about Linkedin and how you can write a great profile.

Sample cover letter for Internship position at Bristol City Council

Assistant project manager, got the job yes.

Xueqiong Wu (Sidney)

59 Tamarillo House, 62-64 Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2QA

+44(0) 759 2363 485

[email protected]

Dianne Francombe

Chief Executive Officer

Bristol and West of England China Bureau

April 22th, 2016

Dear Ms Francombe:

I am writing to apply for the post of freelancer for Bristol Net-friend Project, which is circulated by Paul Golf, programme director of my MA degree in Chinese-English Translation at University of Bristol.

I believe I am a strong and suitable candidate for this particular role because I see that the role demands extensive ability in cross-cultural communication, great language skills and adaptability and all my previous background and the degree I am doing now is closely connected to this domain, as can be seen in my CV attatched, which has provided me with competitiveness this role requires, thus will lead to offering better service.

I have developed an exceeding talent in language compared to my peers since a very young age, and I always have a great passion in trans-cultural study and understanding cultural differences, which has gradually lead my way into cross-cultural field. Followed my undergraduate degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language which equipped me with greater insights in both Chinese and Western cultures, was my two-year experience working abroad, facing and tackling trans-cultural issues every single day, during which I developed my skills in better interpreting and introducing cultures with the help of getting to know all kinds of people from all over the world with diverse backgrounds. Now in my master degree, I has been pushing my language, cultural understanding and communication skills to a even higher level. I participated in as many cross-cultural gatherings as I can and have worked with other volunteers in arts and language festivals and events in our department, which have also greatly boosted my communication, customer service and organizing skills.

I strongly believe that with my extensive knowledge, great understanding and insight in both cultures and languages along with my profound background in working in this particular sphere, I can offer a more comprehensive perspective in promoting the culture, art and tourism in this beautiful city that I love so much and I would extremely honoured and appreciated if I can take on this precious role and present this wonderful city to all my Chinese friends and family as well as those who are potentially going to fall in love with this place like I did.

I have done some work for the Bristol City Council together with my classmates and I am impressed with the effort the council has put into boosting tourism to this city among Chinese visitors, which indicates great increase in tourism and cultural communication events between UK and China. I am confident that I can bring greater success to this promising project and work with the team to build up reputation for Bristol in this fast-growing China-UK tourism industry.

Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your time and consideration. I am available for interview (if needed) at your convenience. I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours Sincerely

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3 Keys to Writing Cover Letters That Stand Out

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3 Keys to Writing Cover Letters That Stand Out was originally published on Vault .

It's a myth that high quality job openings are few and far between thanks to Covid. The truth is, despite the economic uncertainty created by the pandemic, there are many great openings out there. And to get them—or, at least, have a chance at getting them—you first need to capture the attention of hiring managers. And the best way to do that is to write compelling cover letters. So here are the three keys to writing cover letters that stand out.

1. Convey your personality, quirks and all.

Showcasing your uniqueness and allowing your personality to shine through in your cover letters can magnetize hiring managers, sending instant messages that you might be the candidate they're looking for. The secret to achieving this is to use specific details, rather than vague ones.

For example, the following was recently used by an applicant when applying for a Head of Marketing position (shortly after sending this, the candidate was interviewed and then hired):

“I have a passion for data and analytics. I enjoy spending (a little too much time) geeking out in Google analytics, advertising platforms, and BI tools (Tableau and Looker), digging deep into data to identify opportunities that can be leveraged to drive growth and inform testing strategies for campaigns, websites, and products.”

Now compare the above to the below (which has less personality and fewer details, and thus would likely not stand out):

“I am well versed in data analytics, and I am experienced with Google analytics, BI Tools, and other advertising platforms. I have a proven ability to inform testing strategies for campaigns for websites and products.”

Here's another example of cover letter phrasing that captures the attention of hiring managers:

“I'm rather obsessed with personal organization. I read three organizational blogs on my own time, and I've organized my desktop folders into color-coded sub-categories. My friends laugh at me for saying things like, ‘An organized space equals an organized mind,' but I don't like wasting time looking for things.” 

Now compare that to this less specific phrasing:

“I have a proven track record of being organized, and I have a passion for it. I have a proven knack for keeping files organized on an ongoing basis, and I have put organizational processes and procedures in place for my department. The bottom line is organization is always my highest priority.” 

2. Prove your level of dedication to your profession.

Another way to stand out is to illustrate specific things about your dedication to your field. In the following example, a candidate showcases her dedication to her profession, proves that she spends a lot of time thinking about driving results in her field, and shows that she takes concrete steps in order to be a high quality contributor in her field. All of which goes a long way when it comes time for hiring managers to decide which candidates to interview. 

“I believe that a good marketing strategy requires seeking out the latest trends and staying one step ahead of the competition. I've attended the Traction conference two years in a row and completed the 2018 Reforge Growth Series, a highly credible and exclusive course that only accepts 10 percent of applicants and is built by leaders from Hubspot, Uber, and other firms. Through these professional developments, I've opened my mind to uncommon marketing methods, and I pride myself on thinking outside the box to develop strategies that create sustainable, low-cost customer acquisition loops that lead to long-term positive ROI.” 

Now compare the above to the below, which is less detailed and includes less specific phrasing:

“I have the skills and requirements for this position, and I believe I would complete every task asked of me to the highest standard expected. My background and experience make me an excellent fit for this position for many reasons. I am very interested in marketing, and I think I would be a great asset to the team.”

3. Include concrete, quantitative results that show your value.

In any written application, you'll need to showcase some form of quantitative results to stand out. Note that even if you don't have a lot of shiny results in your career yet (or even any relevant experience—which is okay!), you can still use words to capture someone's attention with what you have done. And if you do have a record of achieving quantifiable results, then by all means include them, like in the below:

“I developed several Google ad campaigns that were worth more than $500,000 and that resulted in high-level customers. Also, through testing and optimization, I increased newsletter sign-ups by more than 200 percent.”

Now compare that to this bland sentence:

“I have experience in Google ad campaigns, as well as experience in testing and optimization.”

A final note

When trying to convey your personality, get across your dedication, or communicate your value, there's a big difference between saying you're a good fit for the job and actually showing it.

So, when writing your cover letters, try to hold these words in mind: I know you (the hiring managers) don't know me, so let me show you exactly why I'm completely invested, committed, and passionate about doing this specific type of work. And let me show you the specific reasons why hiring me, over all other candidates, would be beneficial to you.

If you hold all this in mind, the right details and words will flow right out of you—and into your cover letters.

Natalie Fisher is best known for helping professionals land their ideal roles and achieve explosive salary growth (even with little experience). If you want to dive deeper on the topic of your career mindset and become a person who knows exactly how to land their dream job offer, listen to her on the podcast Get a Six Figure Job You Love .