Week 29: Cover letters driving you crazy?

Week 29: November 1, 2025

Cover letters driving you crazy?

Does your cover letter need a refresh? Read on for some quick tips to update your cover letter heading into the New Year (and beyond)!

The 100 Week Sprint team

To-do's this week

Got 5 minutes? Download our cover letter templates (template 1, template 2).

Got 30 minutes? Take your resume and highlight specific bullets with accomplishments that fit the criteria that organizations are looking for.

Got an hour? Take some time to refresh your cover letters!

Break it down

What specific qualities is the organization looking for? To help organize your cover letter, structure your cover letter in a thematic way that showcases how you've demonstrated those traits in your career. Review your resume for accomplishments that showcase those qualities.

For instance, consulting firms will be looking for variations on 1) teamwork, 2) analytical skills, 3) communication skills, and 4) results orientation/impact. Identify results and accomplishments from your resume that you could incorporate into your cover letter sections.

Click here for a template with an example of the format described above.

Looking for a different structure? Click here for another cover letter template that groups information differently.

Additional tips

Keep it succinct: limit your cover letter to one page.
Include a short anecdote: have there been memorable experiences that attracted you to the organization? Is it related to a personal goal? If so, include these short details in the introduction.
Include names: list the people from the organization who you connected with (and the context where you talked to them).
Keep consistent: use the same header and font as your resume.
Get the names right: if submitting multiple letters, make sure the company name is right. It's worth triple-checking!
Submit a PDF: this retains your original formatting.
Make sure you're the document owner: click here for a tutorial on how to change the author of your documents (especially if you've used a template).

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