- What should your senior executive cover letter include?
- What can you write in the introduction of your cover letter?
- What should be mentioned in the cover letter body for a senior executive vacancy?
- How to write a cover letter closing
Keep your executive career path on track with a top-notch senior executive cover letter to accompany your resume. We’ll give you expert-tested insights on highlighting your leadership skills and aligning your experience with the needs of prospective employers.
Senior executives are hands-on managers deeply involved with a company’s strategic planning, policy development, and operations. However, no matter how many years of experience you have or how much you’ve accomplished, creating a cover letter to effectively highlight those relevant skills and experience might seem like a challenge. But just like developing a plan for a company project, crafting an effective cover letter requires a clear strategy. You want the reader to get a clear picture of the unique value you bring to the table as an executive.
In this cover letter guide, along with the corresponding senior executive cover letter example, we’ll discuss how to draft a cover letter that can get you noticed, including:
What should your senior executive cover letter include?
What can you write in the introduction of the cover letter
What information can you give in the body of the cover letter
How to write a cover letter closing
What should your senior executive cover letter include?
Your senior executive cover letter should be structured so that the reader can see your top skills and qualifications at a glance. To achieve this, a solid cover letter contains several elements, beginning with a header that includes your contact information as well as information of the organization where you are applying. Then, you’ll greet your reader, ideally by name. In our article on how to address a cover letter, we provide more examples and tips to manage this effectively. Other components your senior executive cover letter should include are an introduction, the body of the letter, and a closing. We’ll go over these elements in detail in the following paragraphs.
What can you write in the introduction of your cover letter?
The introduction of your cover letter needs to spark the reader's interest. The best way to do this is to place your achievements and skills “front and center,” like a sports highlight reel, showcasing the top moments of your career over the last 10-15 years.
You don’t have to engage in small talk, and can state your interest in the position in the opening. After that, wow them with the “big stuff,” like your track record, top projects you’ve managed, or budgets you’ve overseen. If you were referred to the job or know another executive at the company, you can mention that in your opening paragraph as well. Your goal for the cover letter introduction is not only to show them why you’re qualified, but that you’re eager to show the value you’d bring to the company in that position.
Dear Ms. Jones,
As a dedicated, results-oriented executive-level professional with proven success across operations and team leadership, I am an ideal candidate for the senior executive position at Quality Worx, Inc. Eager to learn more about this exciting opportunity, I have enclosed my resume for your review.
What should be mentioned in the cover letter body for a senior executive vacancy?
The body of the senior executive cover letter is the “meat and potatoes” where you go into more detail of your qualifications as a senior executive, your skills and expertise, and your Unique Selling Points (USP).
To do this, break it down into three different sections:
Why you? Give an overview of skills and relevant background, including your education, training, certifications, and pertinent work experience. Highlight your business degrees or any targeted management certifications or coursework, using them as a segway into your work history. Include quantifiable achievements into your work descriptions, but don’t include your routine, day-to-day tasks. If you improved large scale operations or processes, or oversaw an important project, these are effective and impressive accomplishment to include. Don’t be humble. What can you do that other candidate’s cant? That’s your USP. Potential employers want to see a senior executive who can bring them results. The cover letter is your opportunity show them how you can do that.
Why here? Why do you want to work for this particular company? Have you always wanted to work for a large corporation or do you want to transfer from a government position to a privately owned company? Is there something about this particular company that you find intriguing? Do their values align with yours? But remember, while it's important to laud the company, you should also let them know how you would fit into the team and the overall company culture.
Why now? Why is this position right for you at this point in your career? Is this a step up from your current position? Is this a new role as a senior-level executive that will help expand your skills and put you on the path to CEO? Feel free to make note of your career goals, your overall career path, and how what you’ve achieved have prepared you to be the best candidate for the position—today.
Get more in-depth advice from our blog: What should you write in a cover letter body
Expert Tip
Don’t make it all about you
It’s tempting to make your cover letter chock-full of your skills, talents, and accomplishments. After all, you’re trying to show them why you’re the best candidate, right? Yes, but there’s a caveat: every single person applying for a job has a list of accomplishments as long as their arm. So how do you set yourself apart? Along with extolling your virtues as an executive, make sure the hiring manager understands what you can do for them. Every achievement you mention should tie back to the job description and/or your company research. How can your particular set of skills solve their problems or make things better, more profitable, or more efficient? Approach your cover letter with the idea of “What do they need from me?” and you’ll set yourself up as the top candidate.
Currently, I am Senior Security Deputy for a major government security agency where I am responsible for establishing safe and secure environments by enforcing security policies and overseeing global programs. My background includes accountability for programs and operations valued at $1.2B annually spanning 285 overseas embassies and consulates.
Further, please note the following highlights of my career accomplishments:
Developed and ensured productive relationships with key stakeholders, including partnering with law enforcement officials and risk consultants to meet security goals and program objectives.
Reconfigured security options in a challenging and uncertain environment to protect US ambassadors and personnel and their families in Iraq.
Provided effective leadership for a large physical security upgrade project for a Drug Enforcement Administration facility in Thailand.
Managed and directed teams of 10+ security agents to top performance, as well as oversaw contracted security staff and consultants.
How to write a cover letter closing
The final lines of your accounting cover letter should be a call to action for the hiring manager to contact you. You’re probably aware that you should keep it concise—1 to 2 sentences, maximum—and express appreciation for their time and attention. But keep in mind that how you close the letter could help your chances of actually getting an interview.
Connect your skills to the position. Reiterate how your specific expertise can make you an asset to the company: “I would welcome the opportunity to discuss your operational goals, and how I may be of assistance in achieving them.”
Include a Call to Action. Encourage them to take the next step in the hiring process: “If you agree that we may have the basis for an excellent match, please contact me at your earliest convenience to schedule an interview.”
Don’t get stuck right at the end. Learn more here: How to close a cover letter.
If you agree that we may have the basis for an excellent match, please contact me at your earliest convenience to schedule an interview. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss your operational goals, and how I may be of assistance in achieving them. Until then, thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Susan Graham
If you need more examples of tested and proven cover letters, check out Career.io’s Cover Letter Examples tool!
