How to Write a Cover Letter for a Government Job

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Jobs for government or public sector positions might require you to submit a statement of qualifications (SOQ) as well as a federal cover letter or personal statement when applying for a job.

So in addition to your federal resume and SOQ, your federal cover letter should follow the agency’s application instructions and present you as a highly skilled professional.

Most agencies group their federal hiring requirements into three categories: general experience, specialized experience, and education, but the required qualifications will depend on the agency and the job

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Our 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.

Carefully research the government agency you want to work for, then once you understand their requirements, you can begin writing your cover letter.

Federal cover letter example

If you’re unsure how to format a federal cover letter or want to save time, use a cover letter template or download and customize this federal cover letter example:

An example of a cover letter for a federal job

Download This Federal Cover Letter Example

Federal cover letter template

These are the key cover letter components that government agencies require:

Cover letter header
Date
Hiring manager’s name and agency address
Salutation
Opening paragraph
Body paragraphs
Closing paragraph
Professional sign-off

Match your cover letter header with your resume header to show you’re an organized applicant and make it easy for an employer to access your information.

We’ve made a federal job cover letter template below for you to copy, paste, and customize.

FIRST AND LAST NAME
Email | Phone number | Address, City, State, ZIP | LinkedIn URL

Today’s date

Hiring Manager’s Name
Organization Name
Address
Phone number
Email

Salutation
Dear Ms./Mr./Mx. (Hiring Manager’s Name),

Opening paragraph
After greeting the hiring manager with an appropriate cover letter salutation, introduce yourself by explaining how you found out about the job posting. You can also use the opening paragraph to briefly:

state your USAJOBS job announcement identification number and prospective job title
mention any contacts you have at the agency
list your educational background and years of professional experience
express your enthusiasm for the role
share an impressive piece of information about your previous accomplishments

Body paragraphs
Write 1–2 body paragraphs explaining your relevant work history. Use numbers and percentages as well as job-related keywords from the job ad when describing achievements to make your cover letter more impactful.

If you have years of relevant work experience, mention your hard skills. If you’re writing an entry-level cover letter, focus on your soft skills, emphasize your education, and tailor your experience to the agency’s goals, values, and challenges.

Closing paragraph
End your cover letter by thanking the employer for their time. Include a call to action with your phone number and email address to display confidence and invite the hiring manager to contact you directly.

Sign-off
Use an appropriate cover letter sign-off such as “Sincerely” or “Warm Regards” to convey a professional tone. Signing your cover letter is optional, but make sure you leave a space and write your typed name too.

5 tips for writing a cover letter for a government job

Use these five tips to make sure your cover letter meets agencies’ standards:

1. Follow the job ad’s instructions

Working for a federal agency means you need to follow clearly established procedures.

If your cover letter doesn’t meet the requirements, your application might get automatically rejected.

To get on the shortlist of applicants, carefully read the job description and criteria before sending your federal cover letter.

For example, federal agencies commonly require you to disclose your salary details and say whether you worked full-time or part-time hours. Some might also have specific preferences regarding cover letter formatting and word count, or they might provide you with a prompt they expect you to follow.

Check out the Federal Jobs and USA Jobs websites for more information on different federal and public sector positions, the exact qualifications you’ll need, and detailed formatting requirements for your application.

2. Save your cover letter as a PDF

Unless instructed otherwise, submit your cover letter as a PDF file.

Saving your federal cover letter as a PDF preserves your formatting and ensures employers can open your cover letter without any issues.

3. Use a simple template design

Because federal agencies have such formal hiring procedures, you should stick to a clean, simple cover letter template that matches your resume.

Cover letters with vibrant colors and lots of design elements are more likely to hurt than help when it comes to government job applications.

Make sure that the template you choose uses an appropriate cover letter font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Georgia.

Additionally, space your cover letter by using 1” margins so employers won’t strain their eyes reading your cover letter.

If you’re having trouble fitting all of your content on one page, you can reduce your margins to a minimum of ½” to maintain the ideal cover letter length and still look professional.

4. Name your file correctly

Choosing an appropriate file name is important because it makes your file identifiable for hiring managers and shows you’ve paid attention to details.

Use your full name and the job title separated by dashes or underscores to name your federal cover letter, like this:

Robert-Wu-Budget-Analyst-Cover-Letter.pdf

5. Proofread your federal cover letter

Working in a government agency requires responsibilities such as dealing with sensitive information or handling large amounts of paperwork. So, communicate to employers you’ve got what it takes by presenting them with an error-free cover letter that you’ve proofread carefully.

If possible, ask a friend or family member to help proofread your federal cover letter for spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes before you submit it.

Ida Pettersson

Career Coach and Resume Expert

Committed to empowering job seekers of all experience levels to take the next step in their careers, Ida helps professionals navigate the job hunt from start to finish. After graduating from New College of Florida with a B.A. in Philosophy and Chinese Language and Culture, Ida moved to Hong Kong to begin her own career journey and finally settled in Taiwan. Her insights on resume writing, interview strategies, and career development have been featured on websites such as LawCareers.net, Digital Marketer, and SheCanCode.

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