The world is changing fast, but the need for excellent communications is one thing that is set to remain steady. However, with so many evolutions in technology and how our world operates, the bar for top communications positions is becoming higher and higher.
You’ll need an excellent communications cover letter to be in with a chance of landing your dream position.In this cover letter guide, along with the corresponding communications cover letter sample, we’ll cover the following topics to help you write the best cover letter possible:
- How to choose the best cover letter format and what paragraphs the cover letter should include
- How to maximise the effect of each cover letter paragraph (header, greeting, intro, body and conclusion)
- What approach to take when writing your cover letter
- What mistakes to avoid when writing your communications cover letter.
If you’re still looking for inspiration on communicating your professional worth to the hiring manager, check out our library of cover letter examples for inspiration.
If you’re looking for additional inspiration for cover letter writing, you can check out our related cover letter examples:
Best format for a communications cover letter
The format of your cover letter plays just as important of a role in the letter writing process as the content itself. As a communications professional, you know this all too well. The vehicle is just as important as the message.
The format of a communications cover letter should contain the following elements:
- The cover letter header
- The greeting / salutation
- The cover letter intro
- The middle paragraphs (body of the letter)
- The ending paragraph of your cover letter (conclusion and call-to-action)
Dear Mrs Quigley,
I am writing to apply for the advertised role of Communications Account Manager. As a seasoned communications professional, I understand the importance of having an account manager who understands the process of the services you offer. I believe I would be an excellent fit for your team on this point and thanks to my experience and skill in client liaison.
After a successful start to my career in advertising, I wanted to have more involvement in the entire creative process. I, therefore, started as a junior PR consultant at Jibes Media Consulting in 2020. In my first year in the role, my ideas for press engagement helped to improve clients’ reach by an average of 500%. This resulted in client products becoming available for sale with national retailers, a 5% increase in market shares, and a significantly improved quality of public perception.
For the last two years, I have managed several client accounts across the consultancy. My role is client-facing and requires strategic thinking as I plan and lead the relevant teams in the execution of each project.
A recent campaign for a beauty client showcased the convergence of my varied skill set. In leading the communications for the launch of the brand’s new lipstick, I designed and project-managed the digital campaign. This resulted in national press coverage and the product selling out on launch day. The cherry on top was that the campaign’s cost per click was 50% lower than the industry average.
My plethora of skills in digital and traditional media is something I would love to bring to the advertised role at Forest Marketing. I admire the fact that you bring an innovative approach to traditional industries and hope to be able to discuss my application further with you in an interview.
Sincerely,
Carl Bert
Cover letter header
The cover letter header is where you put all of the most important information for the hiring manager to get in touch with you. It should be clearly visible at the top of the document. Remember to include your full name and contact details.
If you do a great job at writing your cover letter, the hiring manager might just want to call you on the spot. Don’t make it difficult for them to get hold of you to organise an interview!
According to a 2023 report by the Public Relations and Communications Association, 80% of respondents stated that communications were “very important” for strengthening their brand’s reputation.
This is a significant increase from their last report, meaning decision makers are gaining a better understanding of the value of your work as a communications professional.
Cover letter greeting
Making an excellent first impression is the first step to communicating your professional worth. Build a strong foundation to your case by erring on the side of formality. A simple “Dear Mr/Mrs [insert hiring manager’s last name]” is the best way to go when applying for a communications role.
Don’t fall into the trap of writing “Dear hiring manager” or “To whom it may concern”. A few minutes of extra work could make the difference between being invited to interview and not.
Cover letter introduction
The opening paragraph of your cover letter sets the scene for the hiring manager. As a communications professional, you know the importance of a strong hook. This paragraph should be short and communicate your most valuable attributes so the hiring manager can decide in an instant whether or not it’s worth reading on.
There will be plenty of space in the cover letter body paragraphs to go into more detail on your background in communications. Our cover letter sample content below should get your creative juices flowing on how best to position yourself in your cover letter introduction.
Dear Mrs Quigley,
I am writing to apply for the advertised role of Communications Account Manager. As a seasoned communications professional, I understand the importance of having an account manager who understands the process of the services you offer. I believe I would be an excellent fit for your team on this point and thanks to my experience and skill in client liaison.
Choose your words carefully
Every word should be scrutinised for your cover letter introduction. You are a communications professional, after all. Remember to mirror the language used in the job description and include those keywords in the first paragraph if they ring true to you.
Cover letter middle part (body)
The middle paragraphs of cover letters are among the last to be read, but they are the most important. If you make a good impression in your cover letter opening, then you’ve probably convinced the hiring manager to read on. Make sure to fill in the important gaps on the most relevant points of your professional profile.
You have around three paragraphs to make an impression. A good cover letter shouldn’t extend beyond a page long - busy hiring managers simply won’t have time to read that. So, take those most important points you identified in the job description for this particular communications role.
Next you can reinforce why they apply to you with concrete examples. You can choose to do this in a number of ways:
- Highlight your top relevant achievements in the communications field and quantify them with numbers
- Break down a relevant accomplishment using the STAR method (explain the Situation, Task, Action, and Results).
- Highlight relevant recognition or even awards that you have gained from your work in the past. Make sure you can back it up with proof such as references, media clippings, or certifications.
Our cover letter sample content below should give you some ideas to start your own brainstorming.
After a successful start to my career in advertising, I wanted to have more involvement in the entire creative process. I, therefore, started as a junior PR consultant at Jibes Media Consulting in 2020. In my first year in the role, my ideas for press engagement helped to improve clients’ reach by an average of 500%. This resulted in client products becoming available for sale with national retailers, a 5% increase in market shares, and a significantly improved quality of public perception.
For the last two years, I have managed several client accounts across the consultancy. My role is client-facing and requires strategic thinking as I plan and lead the relevant teams in the execution of each project.
A recent campaign for a beauty client showcased the convergence of my varied skill set. In leading the communications for the launch of the brand’s new lipstick, I designed and project-managed the digital campaign. This resulted in national press coverage and the product selling out on launch day. The cherry on top was that the campaign’s cost per click was 50% lower than the industry average.
How to close a communications cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)
Keep the conclusion of your communications cover letter short and sweet. Thank the hiring manager for their time. Remind them about your enthusiasm for the role and that you think you’d be an excellent fit. It doesn’t hurt to let them know you’re available to discuss your profile further in an interview.
Finally, sign-off with a simple “Sincerely” followed by your full name to seal the deal.
My plethora of skills in digital and traditional media is something I would love to bring to the advertised role at Forest Marketing. I admire the fact that you bring an innovative approach to traditional industries and hope to be able to discuss my application further with you in an interview.
Sincerely,
Carl Bert
Communications cover letter with no experience
Communications is a popular sector for emerging professionals with limited prior experience or who are transitioning careers. So, if you don’t yet have any job titles under your belt matching the one you’re applying for, there’s no need to panic. The key is showcasing your excellent communications skills by pivoting the angle on your past experience.
Remember to think about the transferable skills you’ve shown through roles in other industries. Or, if you’re totally new to the workforce, do the same exercise for any studies, volunteering, and/or extracurricular activities. Think about the times you’ve shown the skills necessary for the job in question. Now reframe the examples that demonstrate those skills for an audience — that is, the hiring manager — who come from a communications background.
Think of yourself as your very first case study in rebranding yourself and marketing your professional profile to a new target market!
Key takeaways
- The world is changing quickly, but the need for talented communications professionals is more important than ever.
- Echo keywords from the job description to have the best chance of winning over the hiring manager.
- Build some compelling arguments on why you’re the person for the job. This should be the content for the main bulk of your communications cover letter.
- Entering into the communications field can be overwhelming. But your communications skills are the trick to rebranding your professional profile to exactly what the hiring manager wants to see.
A well-presented document is the cherry on the cake of a well-written cover letter. If you’re more of a words person, you can take the visual design off of your hands by considering using one of our field-tested cover letter templates.
