There is no blueprint for a perfect team leader. Their personality along with the people in their team will dictate how they steer people through the trials and tribulations of the workplace.
As each employer will have a differing outlook on leadership, so each team leader application should be tailored accordingly. These subtleties are hard to convey in a CV, so a thoughtful team leader cover letter will do a lot of the influencing work.
Telling your career story with a team leader cover letter is a tall order. But, by following a simple structure, you can easily get the job done. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place.
Team leader full text-only cover letter example
Dear Mr. Warrington,
It is my firm belief that great team leaders achieve the best results when they make a group feel heard. It's the attitude I've relied upon at McDonald's and the same one that I'd bring to the marketing team leader role at Co2 Communications.
With six years of experience working in the brand development team at McDonald's, I feel that my extensive knowledge and talents overlap with Co2's portfolio of nationally-recognised food brands.
As a team leader, my staff members know I am both approachable and zero-excuse. I expect the best of my people while being there to support them every step of the way. I am friendly, but can also deal with conflict and ensure that targets are continuously achieved. For these reasons, I was promoted twice over the course of my first three years with the company.
I admire Co2's commitment to positive marketing opportunities, and I feel that I could help your business grow exponentially.
I would welcome the chance to meet in person to discuss my qualities in more detail and how they might best be put to work as a Co2 team leader.
Yours sincerely,
Jamie Young
Sections of a team leader cover letter
Before you start working on your team leader cover letter, you need to know what sections to include. Let’s break them down so you can see the main structure:
- Cover letter header. Towards the top of your cover letter, you can include a header. This is where you list your basic contact details.
- Greeting. Make the right impression on the hiring manager by using a formal greeting. Since this is a professional letter, you need to set the tone from the beginning.
- Introduction. Start your cover letter with a strong statement that speaks to the reader. The idea is to grab their attention from the offset.
- Body. Explain why you are the perfect candidate for the job. You should also align yourself with the business at hand.
- Conclusion. As you come towards the end of your team lead cover letter, include a positive statement and a call to action (CTA).
- Signature. End your letter with a formal signature that shows respect.
You should ideally be aiming for a one-page cover letter here. Since the hiring manager doesn’t have loads of time to spare, your aim is to grab their attention and keep it.
If you need some more inspiration, check out our related cover letter examples, such as:
Learning how to write a cover letter can be challenging. However, you need to ensure that you have one solid message running throughout. Consider what your unique selling proposition (USP) is ahead of time and use that as your central argument. You can then detail each of the sections that we will cover in this guide.
Introduction of a team leader cover letter
When you’re starting a cover letter, you need to pique the reader’s interest. You may want to kick things off by talking about the results that you can offer a business. Remember that everything you include in your cover letter should be based on your value. What are you bringing to the table? Get straight in there and give the reader a reason to care about you.
Dear Mr. Smith,
As a dedicated team leader with a proven track record of results, I would relish the chance to join Wilsons. Previously, I have improved team efficiency by 15% and can bring those key results to this new role with your ever-expanding business.
Hi Dev, I want to apply for the role of team leader. As you know, I am a real people person and I love being the centre of attention. I’m sure you have a lot of applicants but I can assure you that I am the best.
If you can add evidence to your claims, now is the time to do so. In the example above, adding in the percentage shows exactly the type of results you can gain.
When it comes to the tone, always be professional. It doesn’t matter if you are going for an internal position or whether you know the hiring manager, you need to use a formal approach.
Dear Mr. Warrington,
It is my firm belief that great team leaders achieve the best results when they make a group feel heard. It's the attitude I've relied upon at McDonald's and the same one that I'd bring to the marketing team leader role at Co2 Communications.
Team leader cover letter body
In the body of your cover letter, you should follow this simple template:
- Highlight your skills, experience, and results
- Show how your expertise aligns with the business to which you’re applying
- Conclude with a strong statement that the reader will remember
- Finish off with a punchy call to action
First body paragraph: your suitability for the role (skills & experience)
In the first part of your team leader cover letter, you need to showcase your suitability for the role. Every part that you include here needs to play a significant role in landing you the job. With that in mind, here are some things you may choose to include:
- Achievements. List your achievements as a team leader. It is best to focus on the personal impact that you have made on those around you. Consider how you helped a mentee, for example, or the way you led a team towards success.
- Your projects. Set yourself apart from the other team leaders in your industry by talking about rare projects and genuinely stunning achievements (as long as they are relevant for your future employer).
- Career stories. Stick to a maximum of two career stories and try to pick out the aspects that you have not been able to include in other parts of your application.
- Your approach. How do you motivate a team to work hard? Detailing the leadership skills you use is a nifty way to help the reader get to know you. Explain what approach you use, why you use it, and how it works.
- Special skills. Do you have any unique skills that set you apart from the crowd? Now is not the time to be shy. You need to use everything in your arsenal to succeed. Talk about how you have used these skills and the results that they have got you.
Second body paragraph(s): alignment with the organisation
When you have covered the above points, it’s time to align your team leader cover letter with the organisation. Unleash your inner Sherlock Holmes and do some investigative work here.
One of the best approaches is to visit the company website. This can be a treasure trove of information. For example, the McDonald’s website lists the following values:
- Serve
- Inclusion
- Integrity
- Community
So, if you’re going for a job beneath the Golden Arches, you might want to weave these values into your cover letter. Talking about your readiness to serve customers or your love of the community is a good place to start.
With six years of experience working in the brand development team at McDonald's, I feel that my extensive knowledge and talents overlap with Co2's portfolio of nationally-recognised food brands.
As a team leader, my staff members know I am both approachable and zero-excuse. I expect the best of my people while being there to support them every step of the way. I am friendly, but can also deal with conflict and ensure that targets are continuously achieved. For these reasons, I was promoted twice over the course of my first three years with the company.
I admire Co2's commitment to positive marketing opportunities, and I feel that I could help your business grow exponentially.
Call to action & conclusion: Finish off strong
Finish your team leader cover letter with impact. You might want to take the chance to ask the reader to contact you and arrange an interview, for example.
Getting your tone right is a must here. You need to sound positive, professional, and optimistic. Let the reader know that you are a natural leader and you have what it takes to succeed.
I would welcome the chance to meet in person to discuss my qualities in more detail and how they might best be put to work as a Co2 team leader.
Yours sincerely,
Jamie Young
How to write a team leader cover letter with no experience
Do you lack the leadership experience that you need? Don't let that hold you back when applying for team leader positions. Instead, touch upon the following subjects:
- Clubs and societies. You may not have held a leadership position at work, but have you done so elsewhere? Perhaps you were the president of a club or society at university.
- Voluntary work. Have you spent your free time volunteering? Now is the time to shout about it. Highlight any experience you may have in this particular sector.
- Your talents. Are you an all-around people-person? Can you support those around you? Do you have a passion for finances? Whatever your unique talents are, you can weave them into the narrative.
- Company knowledge. What do you know about the company to which you're applying? What research have you done? Now is the time to show it off.
The content of the cover letter is equally important as how it looks, so a well-designed cover letter might just make the difference. Have a look at our varied cover letter templates.
Key takeaways
When writing your team leader cover letter, focus on your team as well as yourself. Share the projects where your team has excelled, thanks to your intervention.
Quantify your examples to offer context wherever possible, and adopt a positive tone. Check out our team leader cover letter sample for ideas on creating a great page layout.
Check out our cover letter builder to get started with your next application now.
