10 Impressive Ways to Start a Cover Letter [+ Examples]

Written by Caroline Forsey | Feb 15, 2019 1:43:00 AM

According to Addison Group, only 18% of employers rank cover letters as important.

But if you had to flip through a hundred cover letters a day, and each one began, "To whom it may
concern, I am applying for the digital marketing position at your company," how important would you
rank them?

A cover letter might not always be the most important thing to a hiring manager, but if your resume or
connections aren't enough to get you through the door, a powerful cover letter could be the what gets
you an interview.

For instance, a hiring manager might only read your cover letter if your resume raised questions about
why you're applying for the position, or why you're leaving your current role. In these cases, your cover
letter can be a crucial factor in whether or not you move forward in the hiring process.

Your cover letter is an opportunity to showcase your personality, display your interest in the job, and
include relevant information that otherwise wouldn't be surfaced in your application. But there's a fine
line between standing out and coming across as brash or gimmicky. An ideal cover letter leaves the
hiring manager with a positive and memorable impression of you, something a resume alone won't
always do.

So, where do you begin when writing a cover letter? More specifically, where should your beginning
begin? Recruiters read a ton of cover letters -- especially if the company is growing quickly and hiring
non-stop. What does this mean for you? You need to get their attention right away. To help you
overcome writer's block, and hook your reader right away, take a look at some sharp opening sentences
you can use for inspiration.

Creative Cover Letter Opening Sentence Examples

"This position has me written all over it."

"I've wanted to work in [your industry] since [this moment of inspiration]."

Although [current employee] suggested I apply for this position, I don't just want to work with my
former colleague again -- I want to join all of you in transforming the industry."

"I like to think of myself as a round peg thriving in a square hole kind of world."

"Aside from the requisite industry bona-fides in my CV, I bring the following to the table:"

"Last year, I generated [this much money] in revenue for my company, generated [this many leads], and
almost tripled our social media ROI."

You might not know me, but your client services team certainly does, and now I want to join the vendor
that made me such a successful [type of professional]."

"When I discovered [name of company] was hiring, I knew I had to apply."

I considered submitting my latest credit card statement as proof of just how much I love online
shopping, but I thought a safer approach might be writing this cover letter, describing all the reasons
why I'm the girl who can take [name of ecommerce company] to the next level."

"You might compete with my current employer, but why can't we be friends?"

Read on to find out eight ways to grab an employer's attention with an exceptional cover letter
introduction.

How to Start a Cover Letter

1. Start with humor.

Employers are humans too, and they'll often appreciate a good joke, pun, or funny opening line as much
as the next person. If done tastefully and respectfully, starting your cover letter off with a joke can be an
excellent way to stand out.

Plus, a joke can still include a powerful explanation for why you're the right person for the job, without
coming off as boastful. For instance, think about something you love to do or something you're really
good at, and then imagine how friends or family might make a joke about it -- if you're really good at
analyzing data, for example, a joke or pun related to that might be a good way to exemplify both your
skills and personality.
Here's a good example of using humor to bring attention to your skills, from The Muse (you'll notice this
is one of our picks for most creative opening lines, earlier in this article):

"I considered submitting my latest credit card statement as proof of just how much I love online
shopping, but I thought a safer approach might be writing this cover letter, describing all the reasons
why I'm the girl who can take Stylight's business to the next level."

Right away, the personality displayed here grabs the reader's attention. Even better, this applicant uses
humor to convey an important message to the employer -- she loves shopping, and she's well-versed in
ecommerce as a consumer -- which might've otherwise not come up on her resume or phone screening.

2. Start with passion.

For an employer to know you'll stay dedicated to the role and company, they'll want to ensure you're
passionate about what the job entails. Passion is more incentivizing than a paycheck.

For an employer, demonstrating how your passion matches the required skillset is a promising sign that
you'd enjoy your job -- if you enjoy your job, you're more likely to stick around longer, help drive
company growth, and become a dedicated member of the team.

Consider starting your cover letter with a few lines that showcase your passion: "I've been passionate
about writing since I was ten years old. My love for writing has led me to write two personal travel blogs,
get published in a local newspaper, and pursue two summer internships at publishing firms. Now, I'd
love the opportunity to combine my writing skills with my interest in storytelling as a content marketer
at Company A."

If you don't have extensive work experience in the industry you're trying to break into, but you've been
unofficially preparing for years, let the employer know. In the above example, the candidate's resume
would probably look weak, with only internships indicating professional experience. Her cover letter
introduction, however, shows the employer she's been writing for audiences and advancing her natural
ability for years.

3. Start with an accomplishment.

Employers like seeing numbers. It isn't enough to mention you're a "digital marketer with proven
success in SEO strategies." Proven success? Okay, can we see?

It's more powerful to provide statistics. You want to show the employer you're capable of solving for
long-term results. How have you contributed to your company's bottom line? For instance, did your
Facebook marketing campaign grow your social media following, or has your blog content increased
organic traffic?

Consider starting your cover letter with something like this: "Over the past year as digital marketing
manager at Company A, I've generated $30k+ in revenue, increased organic traffic to our blog by 14%,
and almost tripled our social media ROI."

Even if you don't have the work experience to report impressive numbers, you can still offer proof when
opening with an accomplishment. Think about the qualitative feedback you've received from employers.
For instance, how would your boss compliment you or tell you you're doing a good job? An
accomplishment can be as simple as your boss sending you an appreciative email regarding your diligent
meeting notes.

In this example from The Muse, the applicant provides an example of a skill for which he's been
previously acknowledged: "My last boss once told me that my phone manner could probably diffuse an
international hostage situation. I've always had a knack for communicating with people -- the easygoing
and the difficult alike -- and I'd love to bring that skill to the office manager position at Shutterstock."

Even though the applicant doesn't offer numbers as proof of success, they do manage to highlight some
proof of their past performance in the form of a former boss's praise. The candidate's candid and funny
explanation -- that his last boss liked his phone manners -- is another good way to brag about
accomplishments without, well, bragging.

4. Start with excitement for the company.

Employers want to know why you like their company, and they'll appreciate an explanation on why
you're interested. But it's imperative your reasoning is thoughtful and considerate, and specific to the
company. For instance, if you're applying for a financial position, don't write about your interest in
finance; write about how your interest in finance relates to the company's goals.
You don't want to just say, "I'm excited to work at Company A because I'm passionate about finance,
and I think my skills and experiences will be a good match." Sure, you've explained why you want to
work in the financial industry, but you've done nothing to explain why Company A specifically suits your
interests.

Instead, you'll want to mention something about the company and culture in correlation to your interest
in finance. Take a look at this example from Glassdoor: "When I discovered Accounting Solutions was
hiring, I knew I had to apply. I've been waiting to find a company where I feel like I can make a difference
while working as an accountant. Not only are your clients awesome, but the overall mission of your
company is something I believe in, too."

This candidate shows they've done their research and care about Accounting Solutions in particular.
Remember, employers want to hire people who have a demonstrated interest in working at their
company. They want someone who will enjoy the nature of the work, but just as importantly, they want
a candidate who enjoys the work culture and the company mission as well.

5. Start with news about the company.

Mentioning company news in your introduction indicates you've done research on the company. Plus,
including company news might give you the chance to incorporate your own values, as well. If the
company just won an award for its innovative solutions in the computer industry, for instance, you
might add how you value forward-thinking methods in technology, as well.

Here's an example of an introduction that uses a newsworthy event, from Indeed: "When I saw that
Company ABC was featured in Fortune Magazine last month for its commitment to renewable energy
and reducing waste in the workplace -- all while experiencing triple-digit revenue growth -- I was
inspired. With my track record of reducing costs by 30%+ and promoting greener workplaces, I'm
excited about the possibility of taking on the account executive role to expand your company's growth
and work towards a more sustainable future."

The candidate does a good job demonstrating how Company ABC's news aligns well with the candidate's
personal achievements. She shows she's done her research on the company, and also indicates she
values similar environmental efforts in the workplace.
6. Start with what they don't know.

According to one seasoned hiring manager, a cover letter that begins, "I am writing to apply for [open
position] at [name of company]" is grounds for nearly instant rejection. Of course you're applying for
this job -- why waste your lede with something so boring and obvious?

Your cover letter should never directly state what they already know -- or restate what's already listed
on your resume. Instead, start your cover letter by offering something new, expanding on what the
employer already knows about you, and presenting new details about what you can bring to the
company. Impress employers by telling them something about your skills or experiences they don't
already know.

To offer new information not displayed on his resume, one of my colleagues at HubSpot wrote this cover
letter introduction: "My resume will tell you I'm Content Marketing Certified. Your records will tell you
I've interviewed for a few different HubSpot positions in the past. What neither one will tell you is that
I've been working with your customer success team to build a new campaign strategy for my company--
one of your latest (and largest) clients."

The candidate wrote an introduction that captured the reader's attention and demonstrated he wasn't
interested in wasting anyone's time. This is a memorable and impressive tactic. Consider writing a
similar introduction, where you provide information absent from your resume.

7. Start with what you can bring to the table.

A hiring manager here at HubSpot told me she always looks for cover letters to tell her how the
company and applicant can benefit each other.

Any employer is going to want to know why you think you can grow from the position you're applying
to. An employer is more inclined to hire you if she thinks you have a genuine, intrinsic motivation to
work hard in the role.

A hiring manager is also going to want to know how you'll contribute to the company's larger vision and
goals. It's important for the manager to know what you want to get out of the role, but it's equally
important to know how you'll help the company grow. How will the company benefit from you, over
someone else?

Here's an example: "I am seeking opportunities to improve my writing ability in a forward-thinking

environment, while growing organic traffic and optimizing content to beat out competitors in search
engines. At Company A, I believe I will find that match."

See how it works? In the example above, the candidate explained how she'd benefit from the role. She
also explained what Company A could get out of the transaction -- increased organic traffic, and
optimized content -- so the hiring manager is informed of the equality of the potential relationship.

8. Start with a statement that surprises them.

When applying for a role at HubSpot, one of my colleagues began her cover letter like this: "I like to
think of myself as a round peg thriving in a square hole kind of world."

Doesn't that make you want to keep reading? It certainly kept me interested. Of course, you'll only want
to include a bold statement if you can follow it up with some concrete supporting information. My
colleague, for example, continued by writing this: "What does this mean? It means that my diverse
background makes me a well-rounded candidate who is able to comprehend, develop and execute
various functions in business."

While the rest of her cover letter veered on the side of professional, her opening line was casual, quirky,
and surprising. Plus, you feel her personality in the line, and when an employer feels like a real person is
behind the cover letter, she's going to want to keep reading.

Want to see some of the above examples in their final form? Take a look at some of our favorite cover
letter examples in this blog post.