The time of dorm parties, meeting new people every week, and neglecting your responsibilities is over. Get a suit on, you’re writing a graduate cover letter.
Many people go to university because they don’t know what else to do. Then, they get the job they are given, because they can’t get a job they want.
Not you.
This guide will show you how to write a graduate cover letter to secure the job of your dreams.
In this guide you’ll find:
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Meet India, applying for a graduate program at an investment bank right out of school. She has only typical experience of school and one internship, but leverages that along with private achievements to build a solid picture of her potential.
Indy F. Killian
3486 Bicetown Road
New York, NY 10013
917-415-0929
india@killian.com
New York, Jan 25, 2021
Gertrude Employer
Hiring Manager
Whitewood Finance
1 Main Avenue
New York, NY 10013
Dear Gertrude,
I want to express my excitable interest in the Associate program you are offering at Whitewood Finance. As a fresh Finance & Management graduate from the University of Montgomery, I hold a 3.75 GPA and have made the Dean’s List every semester, setting me up with a solid foundation to get a taste of real finance at Whitewood.
During my time at UofM, I came top of the class in Financial Instruments, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, all while performing the duties of the President of the Financial Society, organising 30+ events, and 2 conferences per semester with a £50,000 budget to manage. I am the owner of a thriving online watch store, turning over £35,000+ a year in sales, and I have invested my money in a portfolio that I manage, based mainly on blue chip stocks, which have yielded a return of 5.2% in 2018, and 7.3% in 2019. During my last summer at UofM, I finished a six-week internship at Global Finance, during which I performed support and analysis duties for two multi-million dollar investment projects.
I believe I manifest the correct drive, initiative and skills, to be a successful banker at Whitewood Finance. I/m convinced I have an approach to certain things that some of my older colleagues will find refreshing, while I in turn will be able to learn a lot from them.
When could we schedule a call or a meeting for me to tell you about how I diversified my private portfolio in 2019 to secure a record yearly return?
Best Regards,
India F. Killian
917-415-0929
india@killian.com
You can be sure Indy will have no time to consider doing a Master’s soon. She used quantified impact to show exactly what she can do with limited resources, allowing her employer to see what she could do with theirs.
Let’s write your own graduate cover letter.
Let’s face it. The person reading your graduate cover letter may not consider you fully adult. You are fresh. Unformed, unshaped. Don’t let them see that. Let them believe you are the one straight-edge student unadulterated by modern civilization.
Start with a professional business cover letter format:
Next, let’s talk about what things to include in your cover letter.
This is the easy part. First, make sure the header of your cover letter matches your CV header.
Underneath your details, leave a line, enter city and date, another line, and the person you are addressing to. If you don’t know who you’re writing to, use LinkedIn, or just call them up.
Make sure you have these details down:
[ Your Full Name]
[ Your Job Title ] (Optional)
[ Address ]
[ Phone Number ]
[ Email Address ]
[ LinkedIn Profile ] (Optional)
[ City and Date ]
[ Hiring Manager’s Full Name ]
[ Hiring Manager’s Position ]
[ Company Name ]
[ Company Street Address ]
[ City and Zip Code ]
Expert Hint: Use the 3-paragraph graduate cover letter format even if you’re emailing your cover letter.
If you’re applying for a graduate program, or a position that requires only a degree and not much else, there’s going to be thick competition, and a lot of disorganisation. Don’t waste people’s time. Address your cover letter by first name. Starting your cover letter, right away state the position you’re applying for.
You only have a few seconds to grab someone’s attention—so give them a good reason to keep on reading, like listing one of the key requirements of the job and supplying a metric that proves your aptitude in this branch. Think achievements, awards, numbers.
Start with this:
Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],
When I saw that you are recruiting a [Target Position Name] at [Target Organisation Name], right away I knew there was no time to be wasted. Having graduated from [Your University] with a [X] GPA in [Major Name], I would be a solid candidate—but also having [relevant experience] that allows me to do things like [significant achievement] makes me the perfect candidate.
Expert Hint: Don’t write generic cover letters. It’s the fastest way to show you don’t really care.
Double your impact with a matching CV and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter builder and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There’s 18 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
Many graduate cover letters will be overflowing with unnecessary information, ego, megalomania, promising to change the world, unrealistic ambition, and lack of direction.
Not yours.
Provide a quantified figure, estimate, or projection for every point you have regarding your suitability to the role. Make it easy for them, don’t hide behind big words and empty statements. Demonstrate your impact—and preferably, communicate it in the language of money.
Like this:
Your [Target Position Name] position calls for a candidate with a degree in [refer to the requirements of the job]. I not only fulfilled that requirement, but for the duration of my study maintained a [X] GPA, and excelled in [your best coursework]. In my job as [Previous Position that has relevant experience] I gained transferable experience in [relevant experience]. I can easily translate those skills to help me better perform my duties as a [Target Position Name].
Sure, there are tens of thousands of jobs for graduates. You have to play the numbers game to get a chance. Unfortunately, you also have to make the hiring manager feel like this is the only one you want.
Fortunately, this is easy. Spend 5 minutes and research the company thoroughly and find out exactly what, and how they do it. See if you can’t find an old alumnus of your university to ask about their company goals and values.
Fill in the [blanks]:
Joining [Target Organisation Name] would be not only a perfect opportunity for me to grow by benefiting from your know-how and [what they do], but also an instant and seamless culture-fit that would benefit everyone as [something you found out about their values] is something that is important to me personally.
Be decisive. A lot of graduate cover letters show inexperience by using such turn-off phrases as:
“I look forward to hearing from you.”
“Thank you for your time.”
“I look forward to working with you.”
Strike the right balance between decisive and humble. Sign off your cover letter professionally, but just before you do, ask for a call or a meeting. And explain exactly what’s in it for them.
Like this:
When would be a good time to have a call or a meeting to discuss how my [your best, most relevant skill/experience/their most important requirement] experience can help [Target Organisation Name] achieve [something important to this employer]?
Best Regards,
[Digital Copy of Your Handwritten Signature]
[Your Full Name]
[Phone Number]
[Email Address]
With ResumeLab’s CV builder you’ll write your CV in a flash. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Improve your CV in our CV builder now.
Nail it all with a splash of colour, choose a clean font, highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You’re the perfect candidate and we’ll prove it. Just pick one of 18 CV templates and get started now.
As you write a cover letter as a graduate, remember to:
Do you have any more questions about writing a cover letter for graduates? Did you find our fresh graduate cover letter examples helpful? Leave us a comment, I’ll be more than happy to hear from you!
At ResumeLab, excellence lies at the heart of our values, underpinning our promise to provide outstanding career resources. Our team of career experts meticulously assesses each article in line with our editorial guidelines, guaranteeing our content's high quality and dependability. We consistently engage in original research, illuminating the nuances of the job market and earning acclaim from various influential news outlets. Our commitment to delivering professional career advice draws millions of readers to our blog annually.
Dave is a career expert whose articles cover various topics related to job applications. He created numerous advice pieces for ResumeLab UK to help readers improve their chances of landing great jobs using well-researched, data-driven tips.
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