When writing a cover letter, it’s important to keep it concise and engaging for hiring managers. One way to do this is by including bullet points to draw the reader’s attention to key information that you don’t want them to skim over.
You can use bullet points to:
- provide a brief snapshot of your most valuable skills
- summarize your professional accomplishments
- feature specific keywords or phrases from the job description
- highlight information that’s not on your resume
Our free-to-use cover letter builder can make you a cover letter in as little as 5 minutes. Just pick the template you want, and our software will format everything for you.
Cover letter with bullet points (example)
Here’s an example of a cover letter with bullet points for a sales role:
1. Showcase your most valuable skills
To show off your skills in your cover letter bullet points, choose hard and soft skills that prove your qualifications for the role. Focus on including the ones that aren’t immediately obvious from your resume, or that set you apart from other candidates.
Here’s an example of how to list skills in the bullet points of an accountant cover letter:
My key competencies include, but are not limited to:
- maintaining financial records
- managing budgets
- performing risk assessments
- conducting business strategy reviews
2. Highlight your strongest professional accomplishments
Bullet points can also improve your cover letter by showing off your professional accomplishments.
A recruiter’s eyes will be automatically drawn to the bullet points on your cover letter, so you should list the work achievements that are most likely to impress them, either from your current position, or from multiple prior roles.
Begin each bullet point with an action verb, and include numbers measuring what you accomplished to make them even more impressive.
Here’s an example of professional accomplishments from an elementary teacher cover letter:
Some highlights from my current and past teaching experiences include:
- Developing TEKS-compatible health and nutrition activities to promote better food and exercise habits
- Establishing an open-door policy for 6:30–8:00 am parent/teacher conferences
- Planning and executing a weekly after-school art class open to all grade 1–3 students
3. Make your bullet points relevant and targeted to the job
It’s important to tailor your cover letter to the specific job that you’re applying for.
The best way to do this is to mention skills and keywords from the job description in your cover letter bullet points. This confirms to hiring managers that you satisfy the requirements they set out in the job listing and shows that you’ve done your research and are a great fit for the position.
For example, if the job description mentions specific tools or technical skills, list your experience and proficiency with them in your cover letter bullet points.
Here’s an example of a software engineer cover letter that targets specific keywords from the job description:
The following is a snapshot of my broader technical skills:
- Agile Project Management
- Custom Web and Mobile Applications
- Database Programming
- Data Science
- Networking Devices and Tools
4. Highlight information that’s not on your resume
Your cover letter is an opportunity to tell employers who you are in a way that your resume doesn’t, by providing additional context and threading multiple pieces of your story together.
One way to make the best use of your cover letter is to include bullet points highlighting important information that isn’t on your resume.
For example, you can explain an employment gap on your cover letter by mentioning what you did during that time (emphasizing your personal or professional development, for example).
Here’s an example:
After I was laid off from my UX designer position in March 20XX due to company restructuring, I’ve continued to enhance my design skills and portfolio by:
- Completing courses on design thinking and UX writing on Udemy
- Accepting freelance projects to keep my technical and client management skills fresh
- Attending presentations and workshops by UX Synergies, a Chicago-based UX design organization
Nathan Soto
Career Expert & Digital Content Writer
Nathan Soto is dedicated to providing practical guidance to job seekers, especially people with nonlinear career paths. Nathan’s articles and career advice have been featured on multiple platforms, including Newsweek and Fast Company, offering insights into resume writing, interview preparation, and personal branding. Nathan graduated from the University of Nevada with a double B.A. in French and Music. Currently based in Taipei, Taiwan, he also excels as a Mandarin–English translator and English language coach.
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