When you decided to become a technical writer, your next step will be writing a cover letter to get the job. I’ll provide you with the information you should include in your letter.

The key cover letter elements

Here is what you should describe in your cover letter:

• Email details
• Introduction
• Education (optional)
• Qualifications
• Closing

Email details

If you write an email to a manager (on some websites you can just fill in a form), pay attention to these things:

• It should be your real name in the ‘from’ box, not a nickname or fake name.
• Choose a subject that will fully describe the content of your email. For example, “Technical Writing Application”.

Introduction

Start a letter with the name of a manager or contact person, if you know it, or start with something common like “Dear Sir or Madam”. Then describe how you heard about the position, state that you’re interested in the position and want to apply for it.

Education

If you’re a student, describe your education — focus on the relevant courses, activities, and projects; discuss the skills and knowledge gained from your coursework; specify your major. If you’re an experienced technical writer, there is no need to describe your education, just skip this step and proceed.

Qualifications

Here, you should answer the following questions:

• Why are you the best for this job position?
• How can you be helpful for a company?

When you answer the questions, try to address the requirements mentioned in the job advertisement, not just list your advantages. However, don’t go too far, as no one will meet every requirement mentioned in the vacancy description, some people lie about their skills. Don’t do that because when you got this job, you will face issues that you can’t solve, as a result, it will influence your professional look. Also, your main goal is to get the interview, so find the balance between truthful and relevant information to get a manager interested. Moreover, do not discuss any money (like moving expenses) or salary matters here, you will ask these questions later — be patient.

Closing

Attach your portfolio to show a potential employer on what projects you worked and how successful they were. Also, add contact details — your phone number and/or email address. You can also mention that you’ll follow up shortly on the letter, but don’t be irritating, follow up at least a week.

Conclusion

In spite of the fact that you should include in your cover letter much information to prove that you’re the best, keep in mind that it should be clear and not too long. Appreciate managers and your time. Add just relevant and concise information as a professional tech writer 😉

What else would you add to my list?