What to write in a cover letter when you don’t have experience

Don’t know what to write in a cover letter when you don’t have experience? Keep reading to find out the three things you NEED to mention in your cover letter.

I still remember the first time I wrote a good cover letter — it took less than 30 minutes and I got an almost immediate response from the hiring manager. She said she wanted to meet with me! Here’s the thing you should know…I didn’t have very much relevant experience.

So what was it about my cover letter that garnered an almost immediate, positive response? Well, here are the three main things I wrote about in my cover letter and what you need to write about as a career switcher or new graduate.

Three main points to write in a cover letter when you don’t have experience

1.Why you want the job

Explaining why I wanted the job was crucial for the hiring manager to know because I didn’t have much relevant experience and I wanted to demonstrate my dedication to the role.

Why this matters:

This is also important for you as a new graduate or career switcher because employers want to hire someone who is genuinely excited about the role. And if given the opportunity to choose between someone who is going to be dedicated to the role and someone who has the experience but thinks of this role as just a paycheck, who do you think they’ll choose?

What you can do:

Write down why you are interested in the role and why your reason should matter to the person reading it.

2.Why and how your experience makes you qualified for the role

Because I didn’t have much relevant experience, I wanted to be sure the hiring manager knew that I could talk about how my experience, while not directly relevant, is still of value.

Why this matters:

A resume talks about your qualifications. But it doesn’t give you the opportunity to truly portray what you have to offer. Luckily, your cover letter is the perfect place to explain why you have what it takes to do the job well.

What you can do:

Highlight one of your experiences and explain why this experience makes you qualified to do the job.

3.Why you are a good fit for the company

Fit for a role and company are important because employers want to find the candidate who will stay.

Why this matters:

This matters because it takes more than just qualifications to succeed in a role. Explaining your fit for the company is important because a person needs to be able to get things done within the company culture.

What you can do:

Write down why you think you are a good fit for the company and role and why this should matter to the employer

Next steps

So how exactly do you string all three of these points as well as hit on the basics (company name, job title, and call to action)? Lucky for you, I put together a workbook on how to create a captivating cover letter. Learn more about this workbook here.