Cover letters that get read

A cover letter won't get you hired, but a good one can get you read — and a bad one can get you cut. The mistake almost everyone makes is restating the résumé in paragraph form. A hiring manager who's already seen your résumé has no reason to read it twice.

The structure that works

• Open with why this specific role and company — one genuine, specific sentence.
• Give one concrete story that proves you can do the core job, with a result.
• Connect your experience to their stated needs, in their words.
• Close with a confident, low-pressure call to talk.

Keep it to under 200 words. The person reading it is busy, and brevity signals respect for their time.

Specific beats impressive

"I increased weekend covers 20% by rebuilding the reservation flow" beats "I am a results-driven team player." Numbers and specifics are believable; adjectives are not.

The fast path

Sloan drafts a cover letter for each role in the job's own language, leading with your most relevant win — so you start from a strong, specific draft instead of a blank page, and edit rather than agonize.