By | Regina Borsellino | www.themuse.com
Let’s say you just wrote the best cover letter ever conceived by any mortal being. But no matter how amazing it is, this genius creation is completely and utterly useless if after a hiring manager or recruiter reads it, they can’t reach out and invite you to an interview or find out anything more about you. And hiring managers are busy people, so you want to make that all as easy as possible by including a clear, professional cover letter heading.
Here’s what to include in a cover letter heading, answers to some common questions, a template, and three examples of what your end product should look like.
Your cover letter heading should always include your:
- Full name
- Location: No need to include a street address. City and state alone usually does the trick nowadays. If you’re applying from out of the area (and it’s an in-person role or remote job that requires you to be in specific states, for example) you might add “Relocating to:” or whatever describes your situation so the hiring manager knows you didn’t make a mistake.
- Email address: Keep it professional and don’t use your current work email.
- Phone number: Personal cell or home number, please!
You might also include the following depending on the situation:
- Pronouns: If you’re comfortable sharing.
- LinkedIn URL: If you have a LinkedIn profile (and in most cases you should), add it to your heading so hiring managers can easily learn more about you.
- Other relevant URLs: If you have a personal website or portfolio that’s relevant to the job you’re applying to, go ahead and link it right on your resume. You can also add links to social media profiles if they’re professional and help show you’re qualified for the job.
Traditional business letter formatting dictates that you also include the name and address of the recipient in your heading. Since no one sends cover letters through the mail anymore, you typically don’t need to worry about this. However, Smith says, it “could be relevant if you’re applying to a traditional, formal company.”
