Discover the best ways to mention skills in your cover letter!

By now you’re aware that, just like a resume, you should tailor your cover letter for each position you’re applying for. But that doesn’t mean you have to reinvent the wheel each time. While the overall format of your cover letter can (and should) remain the same, each time you send a cover letter you want to make sure that you highlight your skills that are relevant to that position. Does that sound easy? It should. Once you get the hang of tailoring your cover letter, you can easily submit a customized, professional cover letter that highlights the hard skills that will increase your chances of getting noticed.

In this article, we’ll discuss the key questions of how to mention your skills in a cover letter, including:

• How do you describe skills in a cover letter?

• Do you list skills on a cover letter?

• What are the hard skills on a cover letter?

• Should you address skills you don't have on a cover letter?

• How do you format a cover letter to highlight your skills?

Listing your skills in a cover letter

Your cover letter is your first introduction to a potential employer, so you want to grab their attention quickly. That means you don’t want a perfunctory list of hard skills on your cover letter. You want to give a little context and express how your skills are applicable, advantageous, and pertinent to the role you're applying for.

So how do you do that? Just like your resume, you want to examine the job description and decide which of your skills match up with what the company is looking for. If you’re applying for an accountant position, for example, you could mention asset management for SAAS, SAP, and budget forecasting. Then, you’ll give specific examples of how you’ve utilized those skills in your previous roles, which will demonstrate how you've used those required skills to accomplish tasks, improve workflow, or resolve an issue. 

Use quantifiable data when you can. And don’t forget to include keywords from the job description, so you’ll make it through the ATS!

How to describe your skills on your cover letter

When writing a cover letter, focus on your hard skills. While you may have an abundance of soft skills, such as leadership, time management, organization, etc. (and you’ll want to include them on your resume), leave them off your cover letter. Hiring managers will assume you have those skills, and you have a limited amount of space to grab their attention. Remember, hard skills are gained through education, training, or on-the-job experiences, and they're easy to quantify: you're either trained in Computer Aided Design or you're not. Hard skills and training are valuable, too. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2023 Report, over 50 percent of employers report that they’re looking for “analytical/quantitative skills, written communication skills, and technical skills on the resumes of the job candidates they consider.”

Examples of hard skills include:

• Network Administration

• Artificial intelligence

• Coding and Programming

• Database management

• Web analytics

• Search engine optimization (SEO)

• Email marketing

• Graphic design

• Data visualization

Another way you can showcase your hard skills in your cover letter is by including relevant phrases, either from the job description itself or from job performance reviews or letters of recommendation. And while you should absolutely use numbers and facts to back up your claims, you can also instill a little of your personality while doing it. Take the opportunity to explain why you want to work for this particular company and why the position appeals to you.

Should I mention skills I don’t have on my cover letter?

When writing a cover letter, it might be tempting to make mention of the skills you don’t have, even if you think you’re “heading them off at the pass.” Resist the urge to shine a spotlight on your supposed deficiencies—if you don't have it, don't mention it. Instead, focus on what you can do for your potential employer, and the skills and value you already possess.

Formatting a cover letter to highlight your skills

No hiring manager wants to read a cover letter that is clearly a “cut and paste” job, as it shows that you’re not really interested in that particular position, and you’re just aiming for quantity over quality. But that doesn’t mean you have to start from scratch with every cover letter. No matter how you customize it, your cover letter should always contain a few elements. To review:

• Your cover letter should always start with a greeting, ideally directed at a specific person.

• 
  Open with an attention grabber (but keep it professional!). Mention something unique about the company that appeals to you, and what you bring to the table as a candidate.

• Add some substance. In the next paragraph or two, take some time to highlight your hard skills, aligning them with the job description, and using a brief example or quantifiable data to back up your claims.

• End on a strong note. Don’t just say, “I hope to hear from you soon.” Give a one-sentence wrap-up of why you want the position and why you're qualified.

• Close it out. Use a formal closing such as “Yours truly,” and then use your full name.

Template: Cover letter with hard skills

Once those elements are in place, you can do some customizing. Gather the keywords and qualifications from the job description, and incorporate them into your cover letter. So what might that look like? Here’s a template you can use:

Remember, this template is not rigid and doesn’t have to be followed to the letter. If there are other hard skills you want to mention, go ahead, but make sure you give context and examples to support it. And don’t go overboard; two or three examples of relevant hard skills that match the job description should be sufficient. The rest of your skills and experience will be on your resume, and you can expound on those further in an interview. The bottom line is that your cover letter should give the hiring manager concrete examples of your skills, and motivate them to take a look at your resume, which will demonstrate further why you’re the best person for the job.

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Key takeaways

1. Your cover letter is your first introduction to a potential employer, so you want to show how your skills are applicable, advantageous, and pertinent to the role you're applying for.

2. When listing your skills on a cover letter, focus on your hard skills, which are quantifiable and valuable.

3. Customize your cover letter for each position you're applying for, highlighting relevant skills and keywords from the job description.