But writing a cover letter is hard. Many applicants would skip them if they could. You may not know how to start, or the idea of writing about yourself might overwhelm you.

The more focused you are in your job search, the more time you’ll have to write a cover letter that can be a great asset in your job hunt. Here are six ways to make your letter more inspiring: 1.

If your cover letter were a meal, your opener would be a plate of appetizers. Want hiring managers to ask for more (i.e., a meeting with you)? Then don’t put out what everyone else is serving.

In his 1958 cover letter to the Vancouver Sun, a 21-year-old Hunter S. Thompson wasn’t shy about broadcasting his abilities—”I can write everything from warmongering propaganda to learned ...

Not all positions will request a cover letter, but we suggest you always include one with your application materials, when possible. When application instructions are to email your resume, consider ...

We've talked about writing an excellent cover letter before, but your letter could be ignored if you are attaching it to an email. Instead, write the cover letter as part of the email ...

The takeaway? Write a cover letter—even if you think you don’t need to! I talked to Max Woolf, a career expert at ResumeLab who’s passionate about helping people land their dream jobs. He ...