What should be included in the body of a cover letter? This is where you can expound on areas of your resume that you’re particularly proud of, or that you feel are especially relevant to the job you want, according to Stanger.
“You can choose an accomplishment, a skill or a project that you believe will catch the recruiter’s eye professionally. But make sure you’re not just repeating your resume. This is the place to mention if you have a particular interest or area of expertise that will be a good fit,” Stanger says.
Include why you would be an asset to the company, the unique things you have to offer and how they would benefit from having you on their team. You should also highlight relevant experience and expertise and important information that would be of interest to hiring managers — like if you worked for their largest competitor for 10 years — as these are things that entice a hiring manager to contact you for an interview, says Alyssa Gelbard, founder and president of Resume Strategists.
This is also an appropriate place to mention if you’re sending your resume and application at the request of someone at the company. “You should lead with this information; this gets noticed quickly by whoever’s reading your letter, and will help you stand out,” Gelbard says.
Finally, while you can be less formal than in your resume and allow some of your personality and even sense of humor shine through, Stanger says under no circumstances should you adopt a ‘hipper-than-thou’ attitude or be a smart aleck – that’s a sure way to get your resume rejected.