Day 3: Cover Letters Matter
IT’S NOT JUST A FORMALITY
Today’s goal is…
To write an effective cover letter for Production roles.
Gear Check:
•Cover Letter Writing Prompts
•Cover Letter Checklist
•Cover Letter Not to Do’s
3.1: Why Cover Letters Matter
PURPOSE OF COVER LETTERS
To show genuine interest for the role, potential team, and studio.
To add context and share why your experience and skills matter for the role that you’re seeking.
To explain career changes or gaps.
To show personality! If done right, it makes you memorable.
To engage hiring teams to want to meet you.
Cover letters are a window to your personality —something VERY hard to do in a resume.
NOTE: It is also true that not everyone reads a cover letter. So, the notes on this course are based on someone who does read it and uses it as a deciding factor on who to invite for interviews.
Your cover letter should answer the question: Why you?
Why should we want to meet you for an interview?
3.2: How to Write a Cover Letter
STEP BY STEP GUIDE
STEP 1: Open a word document.
STEP 2: Write your Name and Contact Info at the top.
STEP 3: Greet the studio or recruiting team by name.
STEP 4: Write 1-2 engaging sentences in your intro. This can be an anecdote, or trivia about your connection to the role/studio, or an interesting hook to make them want to keep reading.
STEP 5: Mention your referral contact in the first paragraph.
STEP 6: Write about how you’re a fit for the role, and what you can bring to the team based on the job description of the role.
STEP 7: 1-2 sentence to wrap up the letter highlighting the main skills you want them to remember.
STEP 8: Sign off.
STEP 9: Save as a PDF.
STEP 10: Rename with the studio name.
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Questions to help you brainstorm what to write.
INTRO
2-3 sentences[ MUST ] What is the position you’re interested in?
[ MUST ] If applicable, who referred you and what is their job title?
What excites you the most about working with this studio?
What’s a short anecdote or trivia that connects you to the studio?
What parts of your personality or value aligns with the studio?
Why are you interested in the studio?
What’s your edge? What makes you different or a stronger candidate than others who have a similar experience level?
MAIN BODY (aka How you fit the job)
2-4 sentencesHow are you a fit for the job based on the job description?
What are you proud of that is relevant to the role?
What are your strengths? What you often get positive feedback on?
If you can keep it short, share a time you’ve helped a team in an extraordinary way and how that reflects what you bring to a team.
What’s one notable experience they should notice about you?
Do you know knowledge, experience, or expertise that makes you stand out?
CLOSING
1-2 sentencesWhy you? Why right now?
What do you want them to remember you for?
How do you want them to feel after reading about you?
What kind of impression do you want to leave?
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PROD TIP: Make sure to also mention what YOU can do for the team and not just what the studio can do for you.
PROD TIP: This list is printer friendly! Grab a copy from your gear pack when you access the course materials. Get the link here. -
Here’s a few file name suggestions using the example from Ch 1.2!
BennyHopps_CoverLetter.pdf
BHopps_Cover_YYYYMMDD.pdf
BHopps_CoverLetter_StudioName.pdf
BennyH_CoverLetter_PA.pdf
PROD TIP: Keep track of your versions and always double check that you’re submitting the correct one.
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✓ Clear contact info. Correct email and phone number.
✓ It’s about half a page if not shorter.
✓ It’s addressing the correct studio or recruiting team.
✓ Names are spelled correctly.
✓ You mentioned something that is unique to the studio.
✓ You presented how you can be an asset to the team.
✓ Little to no repetitive words.
✓ It’s easy to read and not too long.
✓ It’s saved as a PDF.
✓ The file has been renamed appropriately.
✓ Someone else has proof-read it.
✓ Resume and LinkedIn profile details match.—
PROD TIP: This checklist is printer friendly! Grab a copy from your gear pack when you access the course materials. Get the link here.
PROD TIP: If you’re unsure about how to type or spell the studio name, refer to how they have it written on the job description.
3.3: Cover Letter Format & Tone
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Technically, no cover letters are not a must.
Though some online applications, depending on how the pages are structured, may still mark it as a required field.
Otherwise, no one can stop you from skipping this part of the process. The risk is if you get someone like me who think cover letters DO matter >:] Personally, I think it shows commitment to the role (going the extra mile) and because my time is limited, I’d prefer to meet only candidates who already pass the initial vibe check —meaning their personality and values seem to sync well with their potential team ON TOP of their sufficient credentials and experience. Then I’d want to meet them to confirm.
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Some, but not all.
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NAME and CONTACT INFO
INTRO
- 2 to 3 sentences
- Why you’re applying, what role, who your reference is.
- Something engaging to make them read more.MAIN BODY
- 2 to 4 sentences
- How you’re a fit for the role.CLOSING
- 1 to 2 sentences
- The takeaway from the letter.
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PROD TIP: Open up the “Cover Letter Writing Prompts” drop down above for ideas on what to write on each.
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Casual, interesting, but professional. Personable but grounded.
Don’t just copy paste straight from AI (if that’s your thing) —wait, are you doing it right now? 🙃
I mention often that cover letters are a way to show personality, and that’s difficult to convey in a super formal and business-only speak. Most people don’t talk like that in person.
A cover letter, if done right, is a tool for you to stand out from the crowd. If you can paint a picture of who you are and what it’s like to work with you (something that’s difficult to do on a resume) then you’re making the reader want to meet you to see for themselves. Have fun!
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It should not take up more than half of the page. Make it interesting to read, but not dreadful to have to read.
Aim for no more than 200-300 words.
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1000% yes —more so than your resume would need to be retailored.
In this way, I find cover letters requiring a little more work than resumes. The good news is, it only has to be around 200 words!
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Technically, yes.
But stronger cover letters tailor each one to fit the job description and studio name/values better.
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PROD TIP: Just make sure to double check which studio you’re addressing in the letter before sending. I’ve made this mistake in the past!
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Like the resume, the choice is up to you.
But what I can give advice on is that if you choose to use AI, do spend time to read and edit for accuracy and adding your own personality in it.
As always, also ensure that there is congruency between what’s on your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, and what you say you are in an interview.
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PDF is the way.
Docs are unreliable and may break/change the formatting and font depending on the software used —you can’t guarantee that everyone in the hiring team has access to MS Word.
PDF on the other hand, preserves your desired formatting.
REMINDER:
Notes are based on your Camp Leader’s own experience and are not necessarily the only possible approach.
This course is only a guide and an example, but not a bible.
Got more questions? Ask us in chat!
3.4: Common Cover Letter Mistakes
COVER LETTER DO NOT DO’S
✘ Avoid spelling the studio name incorrectly.
✘ Do not use fancy fonts that make it difficult to read.
✘ No, you don’t have to have the date.
✘ No, you don’t need to sign the cover letter with a signature.
✘ It’s not super formal. Write with personality.
Remember the gray fairies in Fairly Odd Parents?
Ya, don’t talk like that. Who wants a chat like that for 30-45 mins?
✘ Not an essay.
You don’t want to write one, and nobody wants to read one.
✘ Don’t just repeat what’s on your resume.
If they wanted to know your experience, they’d read your resume.
✘ Do not forget to talk about how YOU can contribute to the team.
Weak letters only go over how great the studio is and what that means for the candidate —okay, but how can the team benefit too?
DID YOU KNOW?
Not all job posts ask for a cover letter. Check for this first, and send your resume right away if it doesn’t need a cover letter.
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Relevant tips for production. Click on the number for more info.
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#301: Show your personality in your cover letter.
#302: A cover letter is not an essay.#305: Always thank people who refer you.
#307: Double check that you are addressing the right team or studio in your cover letter.#308: Clean up the file name before uploading your cover letter.
TIP: Mention the departments you worked with as a PA or PC.
TIP: Describing your work experience is not just about duties. It’s about showing off your skills and how it can benefit your future team.
TIP: Where possible, quantify the result or impact of your task/duty or how you helped resolve a problem.
TIP: Make sure to also mention what YOU can do for the team and not just what the studio can do for you.
TIP: Keep track of your versions and always double check that you’re submitting the correct one.
TIP: If you’re unsure about how to type or spell the studio name, refer to how they have it written on the job description.
TIP: Aim for about 200 words for your cover letter.
TIP: Tailor your cover letter to the studio and job position.
TIP: Read and edit to personalize your cover letter if you are using AI tools.
TIP: Don’t just repeat what’s on your resume when writing your cover letter.
TIP: Not all job posts ask for cover letters. Find them and send your resume right away. -
Anecdotes from the real life.
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I once sent the wrong copy of my cover letter to the wrong studio and ended up addressing the studio with the incorrect company name. Needless to say, I did not hear back. :’[
Enthusiasm is great, but make sure to stay grounded. Some cover letters I’ve read in the past went over the moon about how great working for the studio would be, but in reading further, there was very little said about the job itself. While it’s great that working in the studio “would be a dream,” at the end of the day, it still is a job with very real responsibilities. Speak to that as well. Otherwise, it may come off naïve, uninformed, or may even be unprofessional.
Yes, we have also hired Production staff in the past who did not have a cover letter.
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Here are the main takeaways from today’s camp.
While cover letters are not guaranteed to be read by others, if done effectively and actually reviewed by the hiring team, it will increase your chances of being invited for an interview.
A cover letter has personality, sells why you’re a perfect fit for the job, and should only be half a page or less.
Like a resume, ensure that cover letters are easy to read, high-impact, and proof-read for typos.
Cover letters are usually optional, and you can proceed with applying even if you don’t have one. Some studios don’t require it!
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SOY is not affiliated with the external links below, but these references are listed here in case they may be helpful to others.
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Tessa Arquilliere on Nailing The Job - Shulin Lee, After the Bar
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GUIDED TRAIL - COME WALK WITH ME!
Action Items:
No. 1: Fill out the worksheet: Cover Letter Writing Prompts
No. 2: Write 1 Cover Letter
No. 3: Cross-check the Cover Letter with the 2 lists provided.
No. 4: Give yourself 2 treats for finishing a cover letter! Woohoo!
(Yes 2 because writing cover letters can be harder than a resume!)