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10 Tips for Writing Cold Cover Letters

by Kim Isaacs | Monster Resume Expert

Most positions are never advertised. A cold cover letter is an uninvited inquiry to an employer, recruiter or other hiring manager regarding possible job opportunities.

Cold cover letters’ potential advantages include creating a job that didn’t previously exist, gaining early consideration for a position that hasn’t yet been advertised and expanding your network of contacts. By sending a letter to an employer who’s not soliciting candidates, your resume will not be buried in a pile of hundreds of others.

Success Stories

• Heather secured a marketing director position after sending a cold cover letter. She read about the company’s expansion goals in a trade magazine and sent a letter that outlined how she would help the company achieve its objectives. The company was impressed by Heather’s enthusiasm, knowledge of the company’s mission and ideas for successful expansion.




• Stuart compiled a list of his dream companies and contacted them directly. His letter arrived at the right time at one of the companies — a network engineer had just given her notice and a position became available. The company benefited from hiring Stuart and saving on recruitment costs.


• Mark is a salesperson with a passion for sporting goods. His favorite retailer did not have a presence in his local market, so Mark sent a cover letter outlining how he would establish a local presence. After reading the letter, the company flew Mark in for an interview and hired him on the spot.

Before You Write

Know Yourself: You are contacting a company that hasn’t asked to be contacted. So what do you offer? Why should the company take an interest in you? What skills, abilities and credentials would be desirable to the organization?