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Are you considering writing a cover letter for IT jobs?

Indeed, a cover letter can boost your chances of getting shortlisted for job positions in the information technology industry.

But, not just any thoughtless cover letter. For your IT cover letter to meet its purpose, you must ensure that you nail down the basics of writing a good cover letter.

Whether you are writing an IT manager cover letter or an IT director cover letter, you need to follow a set structure and the general guidelines.

Unlike in your IT resume, your cover letter should not have technical terms that showcase your skills.

Rather, you need to be able to simplify these skills in layman terms so that any hiring manager (without a technical background) who’s reading your IT cover letter can comprehend your skills and potential.

Read on to get clarity on the following questions about drafting an IT cover letter:

• What is a cover letter?
• How do I write a cover letter for information technology?
• How to address an IT cover letter?
• What are some IT cover letter tips that you can implement?
• How to write an IT cover letter with no experience?

Also read: How to write a cover letter?

What is an IT cover letter?

An IT cover letter is a document that is sent with your resume to support your job application.

Since a resume can't explain certain things in your career trajectory like a career gap, incomplete education, and reasons for wanting to work for a particular company, an IT cover letter can do just that for you.

Besides, a cover letter can also boost your chances of getting shortlisted as 26% of recruiters consider cover letters to be important.

So what makes a good cover letter?

For starters, your IT cover letter has to be concise and to the point.

Also, you need to ensure that your IT cover letter aligns your skills and experiences to the company's requirements.

Also read: How to write an IT professional resume?

Writing an IT Cover Letter

To write an impressive IT cover letter that will significantly boost your chances of getting hired, follow these guidelines:

An Appropriate Header

The header of your cover letter must be your full name to give the letter your identity.

Since recruiters spend less than a minute going through your cover letter, having your name right at the top makes it easy for recruiters to see it.

If you have a middle name, initialize it while writing it in the header.

Right under your name, you must mention your job title and personal details including:

• A functional contact number
• A professional email address
• Your current location (city and state)
• A link to your online portfolio (LinkedIn, GitHub, Kaggle)

Your IT cover letter header must look something like the snapshot given below:

Addressing Your IT Cover Letter

Begin your cover letter with a date, followed by the name of the hiring manager and the address of the company you are applying to.

Do a fair share of research to find the name of the hiring manager and address your IT cover letter with his/her full name.

When you personalize your IT cover letter, you let the recruiter know that you mean business. It shows your attention to detail and indicates that you have done your share of research about the company.

Follow up with a simple subject line and a proper salutation like in the following sample:

If the hiring manager is a female, avoid using Mrs. or Miss and simply use Ms. and in case the hiring manager has a professional title such as Prof. or Dr. you use these salutations instead.

Also read: How to address a cover letter?

A Catchy Introductory Paragraph

The first paragraph of your IT cover letter should not only serve as an introduction to your professional self but should also be engaging enough to make the recruiters want to read further.

Identify the needs and requirements of the position you are applying for by going through the job listing. Accordingly, showcase your capability and skills that will fulfill the prerequisites listed by the company.

Unless you can meet the requirements of the company, the recruiters will not consider hiring you.

Highlight your past accomplishments that demonstrate those crucial skills that the company is looking for.

Leverage your past experiences in the IT industry and create a compelling first paragraph.

In case you have a referral from the company, you can mention it in the first paragraph of your IT cover letter.

Also read: How to start a cover letter?

Keeping the Company in the Loop

Now, the whole point of writing a cover letter is to demonstrate how your skills and experiences make you a perfect candidate to fill the job vacancy.

The focus should not be on bragging about your achievements or writing a detailed compilation of your accomplishments.

Your IT resume is already doing that for you. Let your IT cover letter simply show how your proven track record of abilities can benefit the company.

In other words, you need to keep the company in the loop.

Once again, reading the job listing thoroughly and researching the company will help you identify their pressing needs and how exactly you can leverage your experiences to meet them.

Relating Yourself to the Company

In the third paragraph of your IT cover letter, you need to shift the focus on the company.

With the research you have already done about the company, pick out the crucial factors that you can relate to.

Ask yourself, why do you want to be a part of the company beyond monetary reasons?

Is it the company values? Is it their work culture and management style? Or is it their vision for the future?

You can state whatever reasons that you identify with and write about how your goals, beliefs, or work style is in tune with the company, thus making you a perfect fit.

Seal the Deal

Close off your IT cover letter with one or two lines that instigate a call to action.

Rather than writing generic cover letter closures like “thank you for your consideration” or “thank you for your time”, urge the recruiters to schedule an interview to further discuss your candidacy for the IT profile.

Example: “Enclosed for reference is my resume. I would appreciate the opportunity to further discuss my suitability and qualifications with you over a call or in person.”

You can wrap up your IT cover letter with proper salutations like:

• Sincerely
• With regards
• Thanking you
• Respectfully

Also read: How to end a cover letter?

IT Cover Letter Tips

Apart from following the stated guidelines to write an impactful IT cover letter, you must also implement these tips to perfect your letter:

Include Keywords

Since the majority of employers use the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to scan resumes and cover letters to pick out the most relevant applications, you need to include IT-specific keywords that are relevant to your job profile in your IT cover letter.

You can pick out the keywords from the job listing and research your job profile to pin down the required keywords.

Use Numbers to Showcase Your Accomplishments

Just like how it is advisable to use figures and percentages in your resume, your IT cover letter must also provide compelling statistics that demonstrate your expertise.

Rather than providing a vague description, using achievement figures will ensure a clear and more impactful understanding of your hard work and success, thereby boosting your chances of receiving interview callbacks.

Example: Oversaw the installation and maintenance of computer systems of 4 departments to ensure smooth functionality

Avoid Grammatical Errors

After drafting a thoughtful IT cover letter, the last thing that you want is to put off recruiters with minor grammatical errors.

That would be such a shame, wouldn’t it?

Ensure that you double-check your IT cover letter for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. You can also run it through writing tools like Grammarly to avoid any grammatical mishaps.

Keep it Professional

If you decide to state your reasons for leaving your previous job in your IT cover letter, be mindful not to bad-mouth your past employers.

In case you left your previous job due to a personal feud or conflict, it’s best to give monetary reasons rather than going into details about your feud to avoid making your IT cover letter unprofessional.

Besides, bad-mouthing your previous employers will not leave a good impression on the recruiters.

Also, do not provide personal reasons for wanting to get hired by the company.

Focus on what you can bring to the table as a valuable employee and not on why you need the job for personal reasons.

Customize Every Letter and Make it a Perfect Accomplice for Your Resume

While it is natural that job seekers apply to multiple job postings at once, ensure that you customize every IT cover letter that you send out.

As stated earlier, a thoughtless cover letter will not do you any good.

For your IT cover letter to leave a good impression on the recruiters, it needs to be personalized and has to be drafted with a particular company in mind.

And since your resume cannot fill every gap in your career trajectory or make up for the shortcomings that you may have, ensure that your cover letter makes up for the same.

That’s why candidates bother writing a cover letter in the first place, isn’t it?

Also read: How to write an email cover letter?

Writing an IT cover Letter with No Experience

When you are writing an entry-level IT cover letter with no experience, the basic structure that you need to follow remains the same.

Researching the company, personalizing your salutations, including keywords, reading the job listing, these guidelines will still apply when you are drafting an entry-level IT cover letter.

The only difference here will be the focus on academic achievements.
Instead of past work experiences, you must focus on your academic achievements, your soft skills, and certifications in your entry-level IT cover letter.

You can also highlight any volunteer projects that you may have been a part of and extracurricular activities that are relevant to the job profile in your entry-level IT cover letter.

Also read: A guide for writing a compelling software engineer cover letter

IT Cover Letter Sample

Also read: How to write a Java developer cover letter?

Key Points from the Blog

• The header of your IT cover letter must include your full name, job title, and personal details.
• Research the company to address your IT cover letter with a personalized salutation, i.e. the name of the hiring manager.
• Keep the company in the loop while writing about your achievements in your IT cover letter and make the first paragraph engaging.
• Highlight your achievements in a way that demonstrates how you can meet the requirements of the company.
• Read the job listing to pick up keywords and avoid grammatical errors while writing your IT cover letter.
• Skip the generic cover letter closures and end your IT cover letter with a strong call to action.

Instead of going through the tedious task of drafting a customized, IT cover letter for every job you apply to, you can use Hiration’s AI-powered cover letter builder that will help you draft a great cover letter in minutes. You can also write to us at support@hiration.com for any assistance.