how to write a good cover letter for upwork

• X (Twitter)

How to Write a Winning Upwork Cover Letter (+Sample)

Crafting an Upwork cover letter that wins you the job is one of the two things that drive new Upworkers crazy (the other being how to get approved on Upwork ).

This drove me crazy too when I started out. In fact, I must have spent countless hours and sent so many proposals before I started getting replies.

I almost purchased a $300 course just to get access to their community’s Upwork proposal vault.

If you’re in a similar position, you have come to the right place.

In this article, let’s discuss how to write an effective Upwork proposal cover letter that will win you the job.

Let’s get this started!

From Zero to Hero

When I started using Upwork, it was a while until I was able to land a contract.

When I did manage to land my first contract, I thought I had cracked the code and all I had to do was submit the same cover letter again and again.

Here’s what that (cringy and embarrassing) cover letter looks like:

(Good thing it happened before Upwork started banning accounts who submit way too many proposals without getting an offer.)

Using that stinky cover letter above, I still receive a few replies. But that’s it — no new offers or whatsoever.

Two realizations hit me:

• I knew then that I didn’t crack the code.
• Canned, word for word cover letters don’t work.

After three years, here’s my marketing effectiveness:

Stick until the end and I will show you an example of an Upwork cover letter I used to land a premium deal with a client.

Now, here’s how to make your cover letters better:

Sign up for exclusive updates, tips, and strategies

Answer the Additional Questions First

Many job postings will require you to answer additional questions besides submitting a cover letter.

Here’s a good example:

As you can see, the cover letter comes first followed by the additional questions you have to answer.

Naturally, you may spend most of your energy trying to make that cover letter flawless and then, answer the additional questions with a one-line sentence only, like an afterthought.

What you may not know is that when the client reviews your proposal, he will see the additional questions first.

I discovered this when I posted a job on Upwork.

Here’s one of the answers I got:

As you can see, clients will see the answers to the questions first. The cover letter will be the last element. That’s why when you see questions in the job posts, focus your energy first on the questions.

In a way, additional questions are more important than the cover letter itself.

Address the Client by Name

Whether it’s an Upwork cover letter, a cold email, or a private message on Facebook, addressing the client by name has a great impact.

After all, names are the sweetest and most important sound in any language according to Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People book.

But does it really increase the effectiveness of your Upwork proposal?

Well, calling the client by name is just the first part of making your cover letter more personal.

It shows that you have done your research and most likely, the content of your cover letter isn’t canned.

As an example, let’s say that you’re the client and you need someone to write new articles on your website.

One of the proposals you received is this:

Would you hire him? Exactly!

The question is, where will you get the name of the client?

How to Find the Client’s Name

It’s easy enough when the job post has the client’s name.

Unfortunately, only around 1 of 10 posts has the client’s name.

If this is the case, scroll down to the client’s recent history and find reviews from past contractors that mentioned the client’s name.

For example, this job post doesn’t contain any clue about who the client is.

But on the client’s recent history, you will find two mentions of his name there.

Sometimes, you may find different names on the client’s history. Some may have addressed the client as Darren, Karen, or John.

To make matters easier, use the name mentioned in a review from a freelancer with similar services as you.

Let’s say that you’re a content writer. A past content writer left a review and addressed the client as John. In this case, use John in your cover letter.

There may also be instances when the client, together with his name, wrote the name of his company. There’s a lot of gold in here simply because you can make even more research.

One of my clients, when he posted the job, only displayed the company name. There was no clue about the recent history of his name. But since the company name was there, I was able to dig deeper.

Here’s a portion of the cover letter I sent that I’m quite sure caught his attention:

This has led to an active partnership. (I can also confirm that working with his particular client’s team is fun and exciting!)

Show Interest

By that, I don’t mean writing a line that says “I’m interested in your job post.”

There are usually two ways to do this:

• Make a suggestion
• Or ask a question

Let’s use this job post I found about a client looking for a content writer for his travel website:

Just because the job description was short, it doesn’t mean you have to put in the same effort and make your cover letter short.

This is often a mistake I see new freelancers do.

But how will you add value to a post as short as this?

If I were to submit a cover letter to do this job post, here’s what I would do:

• Explain to the client what an awesome about us page is and what it contains. (If you’re not aware, the about us page, in addition to telling your story, is an excellent waypoint to different pages or content on your website.)
• Include links to show him what I mean.
• Suggest how I can do the same.
• Ask him for a link to his website.

You can also show interest by mentioning something that only someone who dug deeper will be able to know. An example of this is the cover letter I showed in the earlier section where I mentioned something about the client’s team.

The Rate Matters

This part isn’t much about the cover letter itself but on what job post you submit your cover letter.

One of the things I have learned over the years is that there could be a mismatch between your rate and how much your client can afford or is willing to spend.

For example, no matter how good your cover letter is, it’s impossible for you to ask a high rate for this project.

How did I know this? Looking at the client’s recent history, he paid someone a measly $25 for an educational blog.

From the client’s recent history, you can be certain that he’s only looking for freelancers with (super) low rates.

One more thing: Avoid low-ballers .

These clients will not pay you for what you’re worth. You will only be wasting six connects which you could have used to submit a proposal to a premium project.

Further reading : There are a few job posts that have a high budget but will actually pay you peanuts — they lure freelancers by posting big budgets. This is one of the things I shared in my tips for Upworkers article . It’s perfect for those who are still starting out in Upwork.

Mention Your Experience

I have read numerous posts from “freelance gurus” that you don’t need experience to land premium contracts.

Although there’s truth to it, it’s not the whole truth.

As a client myself, I would like to make sure that the freelancer has the capability to do the tasks and that he’s willing to learn if he doesn’t have the skills yet.

However, freelancers who have previous similar experience and can prove it will most likely win the contract.

Why? Because it’s more certain that they will be able to do the job better and faster, which is a win for clients who go into hourly contracts with freelancers.

In addition to experience, include samples of related work or outcomes that you know the client will love.

For example, after including relevant samples of my work, this client has responded well to my cover letter and we ended up working together.

If you don’t have any relevant samples, just create one, and show it to the client.

Include a Call to Action

At the end of your cover letter, invite the client to do something. It’s proven that they will likely do something if you tell them exactly what to do.

It’s tempting to say “Hope to hear from you soon” or “Hoping for your kind consideration”. But it doesn’t really invite the client to do something.

Here are good examples of effective CTA (call to action):

• Hit that reply button over there to continue our conversation. (Favorite)
• How about we hop on a five-minute call to discuss your business needs?
• If you want to collaborate, let’s discuss it more over the chat.

I have been working with different combinations and so far, the first one has worked best for me. However, I don’t think there’s much difference as long as you keep your call to action, clear, specific, and easy to commit to.

Keep a Swipe File of Upwork Cover Letters

If you’re not familiar with what a swipe file is, it’s basically a folder where you keep all awesome ideas, copies, content, and ideas you have encountered.

In this case, keep a swipe file of Upwork cover letters that worked. Then, reverse engineer them and see why they work.

This is actually how I started improving my cover letter. I found and saved the winning cover letters I found online and try to understand why they worked.

I usually have three places where I store them:

• OneNote (favorite)
• Google drive
• Local drive

A piece of advice: save your cover letters that worked.

Here’s mine:

Since I have a record of what works and what doesn’t, I regularly update and optimize my cover letter to reflect what I recently learned.

That’s how I knew which call to action I thought worked best.

In addition, you may want to include links to your best work too. This makes it easier for you to swap out the samples you want to mention in the cover letter to make sure you only mention the most relevant work samples.

Example of a Winning Upwork Cover Letter

As promised, here is a cover letter I used to land a premium deal with a client.

Note that you can use the pattern I set but make sure you don’t use exact words. This cover letter was designed solely for the certain job post to this cover letter was submitted to.

In a gist, here’s how I did it:

Hey [name] , I’m sure you’ve got a lot of pitches to deal with so I’ll keep this short. I help [your target industry] [the outcome your client would like to get from your service] . In the past, I helped [a previous client you worked with] [the outcome you helped your previous client achieve – should be similar to the outcome the client would like to get] . Here are links to some of my work: – [link 1] – [link 2] – [link 3] [Ask a question or suggest something] Simply hit that “Reply” button over there so we could continue our conversation. Regards, [Your name]

Feel free to use this template.

Win Premium Clients With a Personalized Cover Letter

Writing a winning cover letter is easier than you think. But it will need a lot of practice and trial and error to finally get it right.

As I said, it took me so much time and proposals before I got a reply. From there, I continued optimizing it and seeing what works for my target clients and industry.

I’m definitely positive that as you practice and write more proposal cover letters, you will get better and win jobs.

And if you get lost, try the template I provided above.

Now it’s your turn. Here’s what to do now:

• Go back to Upwork and apply what you have learned from this article.
• Use the template and check my sample for inspiration.
• Get back here and let us know how it went.

And as always, let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment down below.

Alan is the founder of Work Pajama and other sites by Content Growers. When he's not writing here, he's busy helping clients generate more qualified leads and increase sales by educating readers with strategic content and writing blogs.

Related Posts

Best Freelance Translation Websites in 2024 (Compared)

Legitimate Work From Home Jobs for Disabled People: The Guide

25 comments.

I am new and wanted to have virtual work ASAP. Thank you for this blog, will surely help me with my application. Wish me luck!

Stay safe always.

Hey Genera! Glad you find this article helpful to you. I know you can do it! I was able to do it even without experience (or skills) at that time so there’s no way you can’t do it.

Keep it up!

Hi sir I just want to ask in upwork sometimes it offer milestone in specific job how can i break the budget into milestone and what will a put in the description of each milestone ? Thanks God bless

Thanks Alan. Let me go back and re-strategize

Thank you so much for sharing this very informative article. I’m about to start my GVA career… your blog post truly help me a lot. I hope I could make it in this industry.

Good luck on your journey!

I am inspired by your post and I made some notes out of it. I believe it will go a long way to help. Am a newbie in upwork; am good in data entry, typing and I can handle Microsoft Office. But I do not have any past experience in any company or works done before except personal. How do I start, my first cover letter was rejected. Please help out, I will appreciate it. Thanks

My most regards, Hilary

That is tricky since the skills you have are the same skills that 99% of Upworkers have. If I were you, better learn a better skill and try again. For every job post that needs basic stuff, the client probably gets 100+ proposals, so your chance of even being seen is super low. Hope this helps!

thanks so much for this awesome reply of you Alan. We’ve same issue with Hilary. I think your reply here will surely help. Better learn a better skill!

Good to know. Thanks for dropping by!

Thank you for this Allan. This is very useful specially for people like me, just starting careen on being a Virtual Assitant.

Happy to help!

Wow, great tips on writing an effective Upwork cover letter! I completely agree with you on the importance of mentioning your experience.

Including samples of related work or outcomes is also a fantastic idea. It provides concrete evidence of your skills and expertise, and it gives the client a glimpse of what they can expect from you. If you don’t have relevant samples, creating one specifically for the client is a brilliant approach to showcase your abilities.

I also appreciate the emphasis on including a clear call to action (CTA) in the cover letter. It’s true that clients are more likely to respond when you tell them exactly what to do. Your examples of effective CTAs are spot on, and it’s important to make them clear, specific, and easy to commit to.

Overall, these tips are insightful and practical. Thank you for sharing your expertise and experience in writing Upwork cover letters. I will definitely implement them in my future proposals and strive for better results. Keep up the great work!

Your style is so unique compared to other people I have read stuff from. Thank you for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I will just bookmark this site.

Thanks Eileen!

That’s quite an interesting read. Of late I figured out that it is very difficult to get new jobs in Upwork, though clients are viewing my proposal. So I feel the best way is to rewrite the proposals. Thanks a lot for your input.

Hi Alan, this was very very helpful and am looking forward to learn more from you. I would hope that a Q&A platform will be provided in place for people like us who would wanna feed from your brilliant experience. Thanks!

Thanks, Alin!

Just discovered your content through Google search. Awesome and unique content. Just about to start freelancing on Upwork and I can tell it is of a great help to me. I believe I’ve just find a good teacher here.☺️

Thank you Allan and God bless you.

Hey Patrick!

Appreciate the compliment. I wish you a good fortune on your journey.

Thank you Alan! hope it works. Good luck for everyone.

Hey Alan! Best inspiration tip, Thanks alot.

Excellent information. This article offers practical tips and a clear structure for crafting effective Upwork cover letters. It’s a valuable resource for freelancers looking to stand out and secure projects on the platform.

Thank you for this fantastic guide on writing a winning Upwork cover letter! The tips and sample you’ve shared are incredibly helpful for both beginners and experienced freelancers like myself.

The sample cover letter is a valuable resource. It not only demonstrates the principles you’ve outlined but also serves as an excellent template for crafting our own personalized letters.

Write A Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Last Updated on September 6, 2023 by Alan Anthony Catantan

Have You Proposed Right? Part 2: How I Wrote Winning Proposals (with Upwork Cover Letter Examples)

Part 1: How NOT to Write a Winning Proposal demonstrated all the tragicomic approaches for writing proposals to projects on freelance platforms such as Fiverr, Freelancer, PeoplePerHour, Upwork, etc. The article gave plenty of tips for getting it right also.

Now for the good part. The part where you learn how to write a compelling Upwork cover letter, consistently!

I’ll give you a detailed description of the process that I take to nail the proposal process from the beginning to the end. I have to admit I haven’t had much need for this lately because of relying on direct invitations from clients, but I can still remember the process from those days back then. All the projects relate to AR/VR technologies, usually to making Microsoft Kinect apps, obviously because that is what I specialized in from the beginning.

There are two mediums here: online freelance sites that force a certain process and format, and direct proposals to clients as free-form documents which could be suitable for online and IRL quotations for larger projects.

Part 2 will cover the standard case of proposals sent via freelance platforms. Regardless of the platform, the normal process includes (as mentioned earlier) the following steps:

• Searching for a suitable project
• Crafting the Upwork cover letter
• Discussing with the client (i.e. the interview)
• Proposing the business deal
• Signing the agreement

I will try to use fewer dating analogies in this part to keep things readable for you. Some meme pics are unavoidable, though, haha.

If you are t oo fast, you just get slapped in the face. If you are too slow, someone else gets the gig. This is the art of proposing.

Step 1: Searching for a suitable project

When you are browsing for projects, be sure you know how to read what the client is asking. There are two targets you have to consider: your quotation and your profile page. Additionally, your homepage, LinkedIn page, and such would need to be consistent as some clients may do a thorough investigation on your numerous online profiles before sending you any message.

For example, if your profile on the freelance platform mentions “web developer,” your homepage lists frontend technologies being your passion, you have no reason for applying for full-stack e-commerce projects as the keywords would give different weighting of what your skills and passion actually are. Consistency, consistency, consistency.

There could be a situation where your dream project is available to you, but the project description includes keywords (perhaps written by a non-technical client) that do not match the keywords in your profile. Theoretically, you could revise all of your profiles for a while to make that perfect proposal for that particular client. “All in” is a viable approach as long as you don’t have other proposals being reviewed at the same time. (I cannot say I have tried this myself, though.)

Let’s assume all of your profiles are more or less in line. Then it makes sense to search for specific projects. It may not help you so much if you see things through your wannabe freelance rock star glasses. You would need to be able to think it from the client’s perspective. How to know which type of client you are looking at? Well, you would need to read the project description carefully, twice.

Let’s go through a couple of examples of how to “read twice.”

The project is listed as a project for the Intermediate experience level with a fixed price budget of $10.

“VR designing (make a VR simulation):

I’ll give a picture and you should make a 3D modeling and make a VR simulation.

There are several things to change their colors and shapes, so when I see through the VR simulation, I could select the options (change color or change shapes) and watch the results.

I’m not sure about the payment of this project, so I put $10 but I’ll listen your voice, so please suggest the payment of this project.”

So, at first glance, you could say this looks fake because the budget is $10 only. In case you are using some filters in the search, you would never encounter this project post. That’s why plain keyword searches work best since you will be able to see all of the projects available regardless of the client’s skill in using the platform. Some of the very vague project descriptions worked out just fine after getting a hold of the actual person behind the keyboard, so do not overlook projects that look strange at first. The second time of reading, it might look much better.

Let’s play Sherlock Holmes now. In the above case, what clues can we see? What is obvious and what can we deduce?

Look for clues about what the client is like. You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to read between the lines, but it sure does help! In the best case, you don’t need to doubt.

Let’s list conclusions and clues leading to them point by point.

• He seems not to know the difference between design and programming. The job looks like being mainly about 3D modeling, actually.
• No programming language is mentioned.
• No hardware is mentioned.
• The expression “see through the VR simulation” is something not used by techies. Techies would also probably not say “several things” but “several objects.”
• The price level seems to be unknown (and in fact, it is possible to quote without knowing at least the hardware which may define the development stack and so on).
• The client does not specify the VR hardware to be developed for.

I’d say there’s a great opportunity in this project! You would be able to:

• Define the requirements and explain them to the client in a way he understands them.
• Set the price according to the value of the client (once you hear more).
• You might be in the position to suggest the hardware that you already have. (Yes, you deduce correctly that I have done a number of projects on hardware sent to me by the client.)

Only one way to find out: go and propose! Preferably, do it right. 🙂

The project is listed as a job for Expert experience level with a high hourly rate.

“Kinect-based game:

Hi, I’m looking for a professional game developer to create a simple Kinect game (Kinect 1 or 2).

The game is based on this Kinect game: [Link to a YouTube video]

Our version is much simpler, but the concept is similar.

See mockups attached to this link – [Dropbox link]

This is a two-week project that starts as soon as possible, so please only people with high availability needed. The project can be in Unity, Unreal or a different engine.

[Nickname of the client]”

Let’s list conclusions again:

• He seems to know about the keywords (Unity/Unreal) but has no clear idea about the programming side.
• There’s a clear idea about the scope, cost, and a number of people, so project management seems to be his strong point.
• Mockups are provided, i.e. just the programming needs to be done on any stack preferred by the developer (as most design assets can be imported to any game development tool).
• Deadline is coming soon (no offense to any designers, but that’s how all of my designer clients seem to be, so far).
• The video links show the reference app being used in an event.
• Saving the day is good business for everyone! Failed projects kill small businesses, so failure is not an option here for this client.
• You can choose the stack you can develop fastest.
• The project looks like not having much time for design iterations and there are already mockups from the client, so the chance of stretching the project’s end date is very small.

I’d say again that there’s a great opportunity in this project! You would be able to:

• Work with good, capable designers in a setup where everyone is doing what they do best.
• Select much of the stacks and tools as you prefer and are fast to develop with.
• Charge your expert rate “to save the day” for the client, who is apparently in need of fast and good freelancers. (Slow and good would not do, and fast but not good are never needed.)

Only one way to find out: go and propose right! Again. 🙂

The project is listed as a job for Intermediate experience level with a mid-range hourly rate.

“Kinect depth camera recorder:

Looking for an individual who has experience developing with the Kinect 2.0 SDK. The individual must be knowledgeable with C# and/or C++.  We are looking for a programmer who can help us develop a recorder for the Kinect depth stream with Visual Studio. Will be working alongside one of our employees to get this completed.”

My conclusions this time are:

• Uses technical keywords such as C#, C++, and names the SDK version specifically as 2.0.
• The experience level is not Expert level although the job is far from typical in the marketplace.
• There is a clear expectation of working in collaboration with one of the software developers on client’s side who will probably do integration work. The freelancer is expected to know Kinect better than the company’s own software engineers.
• The project is split so that there is no need for additional non-disclosure agreements because the interface of the software to be developed will be specified very accurately by the client’s employee. That’s mentioned upfront (which is good).
• If the project leads to a new product, the client might want to take all credit for creating it.

There’s nothing wrong with this project! It’s well specified and can go really well as long as you can:

• Accommodate the collaboration mode (time zone, language, communication style, and frequency, etc.)
• You can give a rough estimate of the job, even it is mentioned to be a job with hourly rate compensation. A technical project manager is sure to ask for this.
• If the start of the project goes well, there could be more to be done than what is mentioned, so the project could grow from the initial scope.

The project is listed as a $2,000 fixed price gig with minimal description.

“Kinect solution:

We want to develop a solution for retail.”

That’s it. The obvious conclusions can be drawn in a few seconds, of course:

• There is little more here for you than an endless discussion on what hardware and what overall solution you would need to deliver.
• After long discussions, you would most likely need to help the client specify the hardware after which the communication might stop. Possibly a Shopper who only wants to get partial or complete specifications of a good solution for free or a Flash who has no time to do anything properly.
• The price, even if tentative, is probably too low to be considered seriously (because of the above reason).

You will be better off skipping these kinds of project descriptions. Mere title-level descriptions correspond with the client’s ability and/or time for writing up the requirements. I’ve sent tentative quotations to some projects of this type and none of them worked out. 0%.

There are a number of these kinds of “bad apples” listed in the online marketplaces, in fact. You cannot quote properly and you can hope to be called for an interview for which you cannot prepare for, so you can only “swing it.” All you really end up doing is spending time with the client to plan the project for free. After some early trials and failures, I started to skip all these kinds of opportunities.

How to pick?

Now, let’s say you have a couple of good projects shortlisted for sending a quotation. You can choose to quote for all of them quickly or save your time and do one quotation really well. I have a couple of principles that help to make the decision:

• Favor non-technical clients if you are up for it (see my discussion on the sweet spot ).
• Pick the most interesting one (as a happy freelancer is always the most productive freelancer).
• Pick the most realistic-looking one (i.e. enough info, reasonable budget) which should produce the least amount of hassle.
• Work for the most interesting person (if any info about the client is available) as the connection could turn out to be very useful later on.

In any case, no matter how many quotations you are planning to send, don’t copy-paste anything ! Every project is different, so you bet every proposal needs to be different. You are about to propose a business deal to another person so that the other person needs to feel that you wish to work in particular with him or her. It is much better to take the time to craft the proposal properly than send some quick stuff over to someone else, especially when your aim is to get the person to pay you real money. Only the properly done proposals lead to proper projects … and you don’t want to get the other ones anyway.

Step 2: Crafting the Upwork cover letter

Now the juicy part. How to write a great Upwork cover letter, i.e. a short description of what you can do for the client in a way that attracts the client enough to step into a closer discussion with you? It’s not so easy and takes some thinking every time. Think carefully, write skillfully.

Your goal in this phase is to attract the client in the right way. Not the wrong way.

Let’s go with the above examples. Please note these are all real-world cases from my logs, i.e. proven to work!

I’m not sure about the payment of this project, so I put $10 but I’ll listen to your voice, so please suggest the payment of this project.”

My Upwork cover letter looks like this:

“Hello! I’m Dr. Mike, an expert in creating VR simulations of all kinds, usually for training simulators. I could do this very quickly. Mainly I’d need to know which VR device you’re planning to use. I can also offer some help deciding the device if needed.

Feel free to take a look at my portfolio here and ask for more information. I can send my portfolio PDF as well.

I offer very fast turnarounds on these kinds of small projects and I execute them on a CTO level. You don’t need to worry about anything even slightly technical.

The price I listed is tentative and matching a couple of weeks’ work. It is subject to changes as soon as I hear more about your exact aim. If possible, please share the image you want to be turned into a VR experience.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

The tentative price I set is $5,000. Why? Mainly because I just don’t do any smaller projects to protect my profile. All projects the past couple of years have been $10-20K whereas most go in the $1-2K range. Past big projects attract new big projects, the rest is left for those freelancers who enjoy their proposal battles against their peers with a similar skillset and background.

Why did I write as I did? A couple of reasons:

• I don’t see the person’s name, so I cannot include that in my “hello.”
• The word “simulation” indicates something possibly relating to training simulation, so I’m simply taking a blind guess here. I cannot know, but it does not matter. If I guessed right, and the project is really about training simulations, there is a good basis for hiring me as I have an extensive background in that specific types of applications as shown in the latest portfolio item. If it is not, I don’t probably miss anything really good, actually. No way to lose!
• I offer to send an additional portfolio in case there is something not mentioned that could be relevant here. Normally, I do not mention it, but the client may get it upon request.
• Taking care of everything technical (as this is clearly a non-technical client) including the choice of hardware, which should make my proposal look like a safe choice.
• Tentative schedule (even if I’m not sure about the scope).
• Tentative pricing. This is important to mention so they do not jump to conclusions.
• I ask questions about the hardware and if the image could be shared, both done as an indirect questions in the sentence. Now the barrier for sending the next message should be minimal. The client can simply answer those questions and then we are already in the next step: Discussion.

There we go. If the client accepts the proposal at least to the extent of discussing further, the project is mine and the price is good, for sure. For my part, if the tentative price is the problem, I would not want this client anyway. Everybody wins! That’s how a good deal should be in any case. 🙂

Although the project is vague, writing and sending the proposal didn’t take many minutes. I don’t even know if I have the right hardware, but in case I get to suggest, of course, I would recommend one of those that I already have. Cost-efficiency with speed.

My Upwork cover letter with the full hourly rate (which was about double to most others at that time):

“Hello [nickname of the client],

I’ve developed a bit more complex games to be used in a shopping mall (please see my portfolio). I’ve made two similar installations, both with 0 bugs reported.

This is doable in 2 weeks, especially if we only use the depth image from Kinect to visualize those 2 players (no 3D avatar animations). I’d book a day or two for making a decent scoring algorithm using just the depth image matched against the target hole/silhouette. I’d implement this using Kinect 2 for Windows (Windows 8, 8.1 or 10) and Unity3D 5.4.

How many levels would you need (or how many minutes of gameplay)? Would you provide graphics or shall I make something up? Where do you plan to deploy this?

For Kinect installations in public places, there are some concerns that I recently wrote an article about… can share with you later, if interested in my empirical tips & tricks.

The timing happens to be perfect, I can start on 16th and finish by the 28th.

This was something I know before even sending the proposal that I nailed it. What the client is asking is so similar to what I just finished, so even the timing was in my favor! Unfortunately, by the rules of the platform, I cannot include direct links to my blog post which I just wrote about the previous project.

The only thing could be an issue with the price, in case the client has not been able to charge their customer very much. That’s the only unknown here. So, what I did this time is:

• I jump straight to the topic and skip everything else except the most relevant thing. I guessed the purpose of the application (an event of some sort) so I can directly mention that being similar to what I just did in a previous project.
• I claim I can provide high-quality work by pointing the client to my portfolio items of projects that were finished flawlessly.
• I suggest the best hardware for the purpose and its practical impact so that at least one problem is already solved before we enter the discussion phase.
• I mention the stack that I’d use, which matches the one the client had already imagined, just to confirm we’re are “technically compatible.”
• I ask three questions about the specifics, which shows that I’m interested and curious and that I can find a collaborative mode easily (e.g. who should be in charge of making the graphics).
• I indicate that I write a technical blog on this very topic. What the client is asking is what I just did for someone similar to this client and have experience of making the whole thing work, not just the technical bits. So, obviously, in the client’s eyes, I should be the guy who also knows the client’s domain and not just the technology.
• I promise the delivery time to be within safe limits so the client does not need to worry.

All in all, my proposal is a bit longer than the client’s but still exactly to the point. Nothing irrelevant is included. Of all the freelancers available to the client, working with me should look like the safest option. Everything necessary is covered: quality, deadline, and collaboration mode.

The project is listed as a job for the Intermediate experience level with a mid-range hourly rate.

My short Upwork cover letter with full hourly rate price is matching with the length of the project description:

My name is Mike, I’ve worked for the last 4 years exclusively on Kinect and Kinect 2.0. I’ve made color/depth/skeleton stream recorders for a couple of clients as well as a recording analysis tool of my own. Also, I’ve developed a very compact file format and encoder/decoder library for Kinect data.

We could have a quick Skype call and discuss your requirements for development or just consulting to guide your employee through the development steps.

I hereby attach a short portfolio that includes a slide on my analysis tool among other Kinect projects.”

What I did here is:

• I skip “Dr.” here that I usually include. I just thought being less formal in this case might fit better the short story I give him.
• Unlike in other proposals, I mention the exclusive focus on this type of application and the number of years doing it. Usually, the number of years does not impress very much.
• Keep it short and to the point. As this is a technical client, I want to save his time from reading a lot of introductions or list any other things than exactly those technical bits that are relevant (image streams and encoders).
• Invite the client directly here to a Skype call (which I don’t do always at this stage) as I assume to talk with the employee directly which is not the same person as the one posting this job. So, let’s open the communication channel ASAP.
• I give two options for the collaboration model to appear flexible and goal-oriented. Whatever works, works, let’s do it.
• I add a portfolio PDF so that the client does not need to read more when browsing the proposals.

Additional portfolio documents may come in handy sometimes. Most of the time you don’t need them, especially if working through platforms that offer portfolio pages linked to your freelancer profile.

I have a master version that includes all notable freelance projects I have done from which I can cut a specific shorter version for any client to keep things concise and to avoid overwhelming the client with too much information.

In this case the portfolio PDF I sent included:

• A short introduction of my own background
• Five pages, one project per page.
• Every project that had any kind of recording function is highlighted so that the client cannot miss seeing my previous experience on the exact challenge is his project.
• One of the projects is obviously the encoder/decoder thing that I made years earlier.
• The first project is from four years ago, thus backing up my claim of years of experience.

The project is listed as a $2,000 fixed-price gig with minimal description.

As deduced earlier, this minimalism is evident in the case of less serious clients, but as this was one of the discussions long ago, I can demonstrate the main steps of what you expect.

I didn’t spend two minutes writing my proposal, in which I mention the most similar project I’ve done and the minimum price of a project that I do. It led to a long discussion over the next almost three weeks, where:

• We exchanged images to understand the exact use case.
• We stayed purely on text chat-basis for all communication.
• I got very late replies starting with “Hello, sorry for the late reply, just noticed this, …” and so on, which is a direct indication of the project not being very important even to the client.
• I got the feeling there was already part of the work completed once some of the messages and links to similar works that I sent had already some value to the client.
• After learning about the exact scope (finally), I landed the actual price being around $10K which is when the client could only say “I have to discuss with my team, but I think that is a little over budget.”

The end. That’s how these things go. Nobody good would need to engage in a project like this. Just skip.

Step 3: Discussing with the client

Now, you have got the client’s attention and there is a good positive expectation: a very rough plan and a tentative order of magnitude price. What’s left is landing the project for real, with a complete plan and collaboration mode figure out with a price tag on it.

What’s left is these remaining steps:

Unfortunately, these parts are the art side of freelancing. There is little point in giving examples of exact discussions as every single discussion is very different. All I can do here is list some principles that you could apply to your discussions. Somehow, you need to produce the right feeling on the client’s side of the table so that things start rolling. Looking too eager won’t do the job. Being unresponsive or distant will not work either. You have to be matching with the client’s style on multiple levels to succeed.

Match with the client’s style to create a good connection, whatever the style is. People are wired to like similarities and dislike differences on a subconscious level, which is something very useful to be kept in mind.

Tips for discussion

After getting a reply from the client on your proposal, this step is the key to everything. This is when you have to:

• Being curious and enthusiastic about the client’s project and overall goal.
• Demonstration of your competence done quickly, e.g. by talking about the closest work you have done to the project in question and what came of it.
• Create a collaborative, positive atmosphere.
• Understand the exact goal of the client.
• Find a way to get your client to that goal and communicate it clearly in a step-wise manner.
• Agree on who does what when the project starts.
• Give a clear indication of the price of the project. This must never be a surprise in the next phases!

If this step is done right, few things can go wrong in the last steps. It is good to be conscious that there is a huge variety of approaches the client might prefer. Some clients:

• may ask you a lot of questions as in a job interview especially if they have a lot of experience in hiring. Nothing wrong with this approach, actually, it’s just a preference and routine thing.
• might ask some simple coding tests to be done (which I’ve never been asked to do, except in the case of that scam I wrote about earlier).
• may want to know what kind of a successful person you are and ask much about your life rather than keeping things strictly about business. Nothing wrong with this either.
• want to keep things in text-only mode all the way long because of their own preference. But I have to mention all the good clients I have found through freelance platforms have taken the step to do either voice or video calls. Creating a good business relationship is important and that’s done by the individuals involved.

Chitchat is fine if that’s the client’s preference. Some prefer to stick with the topic. Be sure to swing both ways! 😉

The language barrier

One important thing must be understood: always write and speak in the client’s language. For example: If I’m prospected to work as an expert in a technically capable team, I can use the software slang and jargon like repo , stack , names of all the code design patterns, and all the abbreviations we developers use. I may ask them to spec the work properly, as they know exactly what it means in the discussion. Part of the vocabulary works with semi-technical clients, such as design houses.

However, if I’m prospected to do CTO-as-a-Service for someone non-technical, asking about their repos , stacks, and specs only wastes the time of everyone involved. It would be part of my job to manage all that once the product or service-level business-related requirements have been defined.

I remember seeing a funny discussion where the client mentioned just vaguely “I’m looking for someone with solid experience in web development” having the intention of getting an experienced freelancer for the job and excluding all entry-level developers. The client got an extensive reply from the freelancer explaining what he knows about Solid .

It is understandably difficult to read the need for “solid experience” as “experience in Solid,” it happens. Pure text-only discussions can be tough, sometimes. Voice or video is preferred. Sometimes, text chats get so complicated that the client just gives up in frustration. You have to be able to read the type of the client between the lines to get the tone right in order to communicate on the same level, then you can get somewhere.

Do your research

Many may not realize, but once you get to know your prospective client a little bit, you may get to know the name of the person as well as the name of the business. Be sure to go online and absorb all the public information you can get! Knowing what business the client is conducting increases your chances of proposing a deal that is attractive.

You may demonstrate your understanding and high level of involvement by discussing how the project result will benefit the client’s customers. It’s is actually a good thing to say “Hey I had a look at your website and thought that …”

I would argue that doing background research is one of the most important things in getting into the head of the client. What the company does, who they sell to, who their suppliers are … all this will help you to get the big picture and reasons why they want to hire a freelancer for the job. All this knowledge will play to your advantage.

Often it is the discussion phase where you learn who the client is, but sometimes you get to know that from the beginning which helps a lot. Some project descriptions include the company’s name. In that case, do your research as early as you can to guarantee that your own understanding of the client’s ultimate aim is complete. Also, background research done well reduces the time spent on discussion, so you don’t need to take as a heavy “additional step” in the process of getting a freelance gig.

Sometimes it happens that no matter the length of the discussion, you simply won’t get much information on the client. This is always a pity and it definitely hinders you from getting a full understanding of what you need to do for the client. Not being able to do background research and staying in text chat only -mode is a combination that may lead to misunderstandings and false expectations on both sides. Avoid this at all costs.

Project type and milestones

Another aspect of the discussion phase is deciding the project type. Most platforms offer fixed-price or hourly-paid projects, both of which have their good purposes. Getting mixed up on this level will only result in a miserable outcome for the freelancer.

Fixed-price projects end only when the client is completely happy with the end results, not a second earlier. Additionally, you may have to offer some support after the payment, e.g. for bug fixes in case you make one or two. This is important to make the client feel safe about working with you.

Once the deal is there, you cannot change it so much, unless there is a clear increase in the scope, e.g. an entirely new module to be built. How to make money out of fixed-price projects as a freelance developer is related to your mastery of making estimations and managing the client’s expectations. The first part is only about your ability to manage your own work. It’s an operational aspect. The second part is all about communication and customer relationship.

I have a simple trick to nail both at the same time. During the discussion phase, I take the effort of splitting the work items that I talk about with the client into milestones (fixed price or hourly estimates) after which I list the limitations:  “within the scope” and “outside the scope.”

For any bigger project, this is very practical, as it works as a warranty for not overshooting the client’s budget (she needs to play more) or overshooting your own schedule (you need to work more and possibly miss doing other projects). More about this in the last part of this article series.

Please note that in the case of hourly-paid projects, it is still essential to give estimates and list the factors that may cause changes to it. At least a rough range must be given. Nobody wants to start a project that has no end date or maximum budget. There’s always a maximum budget.

The little things

After all of the above, perhaps the last tips for the discussion phase are not that many anymore:

• Keep it short and to the point, unless the client is more interested in knowing about you. Chitchat is fine if that is the client’s way. There is no need to push into that direction yourself to save time for both.
• Maintain a positive atmosphere from the start to the end. In the case of tone changes, things might end before Steps 4 and 5.
• Don’t go too deep into the negotiation mode. If the price is the biggest problem, there rarely is a good match anyway. Dropping the price, especially if done more than once, makes you look less professional and a little bit desperate, perhaps. Let it go and focus on the next client.

You can put a little “cherry on top” with simple things like starting with the greeting using the client’s language (if it is known) even if the rest goes in English. A nice little added touch that never hurts as it shows some attention to the person in question.

Moreover, you should take note of all the typical mistakes explained in Part 1 . That is what you can do. The other side of the coin is the client, of course. Some of them simply lack the skills to get the message across or define their own plan or even the end goals, which makes things difficult for freelancers. Anyway, looking at the strange examples might help to identify situations where you should just end the discussion before it expands too much and takes your work time away from you.

“But hey, where’s the value proposition?”

That’s the thing. After the early stages of trying to write very comprehensive explanations in the proposal that some others still seem to do, I found that brief to-the-point proposals work best. Only in rare cases, long proposals lead to getting the gig. The key factor here is to match the client’s style.

Once I got a gig that was posted with about a 400-word description (more than one page) that included everything from the requirements of the long-term project to the company’s vision, values, and background. This extensive description was supplemented with four typical screening questions.

My proposal text was also about 400 words, but answers to the screening texts took almost a thousand! The proposal went in and I got a reply with compliments and eventually a formal offer. Usually, you don’t need to go to these lengths to get to the discussion phase. You can see the need from the length of the project description. Match it.

In general, the value proposition is something pretty easy to do, once it is clear in your own head. Most clients appreciate conciseness, especially the good ones who are typically busy running their businesses. Then, how to describe the value you bring in the proposal?

I try to get the main point across in the first thing that the client sees, i.e. the quotation with text and tentative price. There is no point in trying to fit everything you could offer to the client in a short quotation. Instead, I break it down into small parts that I feed to the client during the discussion. It should make sense to anybody, actually. Before you fully understand the client’s problem, can you really even propose a complete solution? No, but the main point needs to be crystal clear.

I only put the most important thing that I see (or sometimes guess) the client would value in the first quotation text. I may add the second most important thing too in the way you saw in the above examples. It is important to know which string to pull in which order:

• Example A: If a non-technical client is asking for something very complicated to him/her, I have to mention the ability to take care of everything technical.
• Example B: If the client’s deadline looks like the most important thing, I have to write something to be able to meet it without having any risk on my side of the work.
• Example C: If the main worry of the client seems like finding particular technical expertise, my proposal will need to demonstrate my expertise above any other thing.

You get the picture. Address the biggest need of the client first, and build the rest of the proposal around it.

Additionally, of course, there is a tentative price tag that I have to include. My clients being small or starting businesses the usual discussion is not the exact number of thousands that need to be paid. For individuals, an additional hundred bucks could be a problem. I cannot quote ridiculous prices for something trivial, nor can I go super-cheap on something complicated.

A couple of principles that help in making the client understand what I typically offer are:

• Complete safety; A guarantee of getting to the goal, which is backed with 5-star reviews and recommendations from previous clients.
• Fast delivery; Because of the speed even in the case of hourly paid projects the final price to the client will not be too high.
• Highest possible quality; Nobody needs faulty software, so from the first delivery on, there are no bugs … only unimplemented features if we go by iterative milestones. High quality in complex software is not easy to achieve, especially if delivered fast, so this also relates to the expertise level.

Now if you look at the examples A-C, you can see the value proposed always hits some of the above. Simply, I pick the closest one based on what the client seems to be asking for.

Interestingly, one thing that I don’t do (that I see many others do) is offering a support period for bug fixes, for instance. Of course, I can give support after the final payment, but I never mention that upfront! Why? Because it would indicate that my solutions are flawed and there will be a lot of bugs. The expectation I have to create is that there won’t be any bugs. That’s the real quality factor. 😉

Also, I don’t want to sidetrack the discussion to bugs that we should expect and prepare for. What I normally do is that I reserve some hours for “fine-tuning” the design, behavior, etc. of the software before the final payment should be made. Probably better for the client this way. 😉

Actually, this kind of quite simplistic thinking applied to your case can take you pretty far already. Perhaps, after finishing reading this, you could take a look back at those proposals and see which string I pulled for each of the different clients in examples A, B, and C.

The final steps: Proposing the business deal and getting signatures on it

It is rare that after a successful discussion and planning with the client you would end up in a serious disagreement at the last stages. Only the failures listed earlier could ruin the project.

Most platforms have a function for the client’s side to send an offer to seal the deal. Usually, this is exactly matching what has been discussed. If something looks strange or out of sync with the plan agreed in the previous step, this is the last opportunity to pull off. Once the offer is accepted by you, there’s no going back anymore without consequences. Proceed with care.

Perhaps the only thing here is this: do not make the client delay more than 24h. The opportunity might pass quickly.

If still in doubt, it is better to pull off. Unfortunately, that will be the last time you see that client, as the discussion effort was wasted.

There you have it. That’s how I propose by writing an Upwork cover letter that wins! 🙂 There are a lot of unknowns, there are ways to guess certain things, there are common steps. Some things are pretty obvious, some require Sherlock. Yet, sending quotations and proposals is more on the art side of things rather than being pure science. That’s how doing business with people is anyway. Freelancing is not any different.

A proposal done right can make your client’s day so bright!

The last part, Part 3 , will take you through my proposal template for larger projects that require a little bit more formality.

Mikko J. Rissanen, Ph.D., a.k.a. Dr. Mike, is an accomplished solopreneur living in a tropical paradise, inventing cool tech and coding from his beach office... and eating coconuts all day, every day. He has been running his one-man show in Penang, Malaysia, since 2014 until he moved the business to the United States as I2 Network in 2021. He is one of the most highly paid freelancers on Upwork and he has been supporting hundreds of starting freelancers since 2017. Follow his latest tips on LinkedIn or seek his personal guidance by participating in the Freelance Like a Boss webinar course or become a member of the CoachLancer community !

You might also like

Have You Proposed Right? Part 3: How to Write a Winning Proposal

How to Get Great Clients on LinkedIn Without Paying Even $1 or Posting Anything

How To Write A Good Cover Letter For Upwork

When applying for freelance work on platforms like Upwork, a well-written cover letter can be the difference between landing the job or getting passed over. Your cover letter serves as your introduction and can highlight your expertise, experience, and why you are the best candidate for the job. Here are some essential tips on how to write a good cover letter for Upwork.

1. Personalize Your Cover Letter

One mistake many freelancers make when applying for jobs on Upwork is using a generic cover letter. Clients are often looking for someone who pays attention to detail and is genuinely interested in their specific project. Customize your cover letter for each job by addressing the client by their name and mentioning details specific to the job posting.

2. Start with a Strong Opening Paragraph

The opening paragraph of your cover letter should be attention-grabbing and clearly state why you are the best candidate for the job. Mention any relevant experience, skills, or qualifications that make you stand out. Describe how your expertise can solve the client’s problem or meet their needs.

3. Showcase Your Relevant Experience

Your cover letter should focus on your past experience that is directly relevant to the job you are applying for. Emphasize any projects or achievements that demonstrate your expertise in the required skills. Use specific examples to illustrate your capabilities and how you can add value to the client’s project.

4. Highlight Your Skills and Expertise

Make a clear connection between your skills and the job requirements. Highlight your relevant skills and explain how they align with the client’s needs. Use specific keywords mentioned in the job posting to showcase your familiarity with the required tasks. This will help the client quickly identify that you are the right fit for the job.

5. Demonstrate Your Professionalism and Reliability

Clients on Upwork want to work with freelancers who are professional, reliable, and have excellent communication skills. Use your cover letter to demonstrate your professionalism by writing in a clear and concise manner. Mention your availability, your ability to meet deadlines, and your commitment to delivering high-quality work.

6. Include Samples of Your Work

If you have relevant samples of your work or a portfolio, include a link or attachment in your cover letter. This allows the client to see tangible evidence of your skills and helps you stand out from other applicants. Make sure to explain why the samples are relevant to the client’s project and how they demonstrate your qualifications.

7. Proofread and Edit

Before submitting your cover letter, proofread it thoroughly to eliminate any typos, grammatical errors, or awkward phrasing. Ensure your sentences are clear and your tone is professional. Consider using a grammar-checking tool or asking a friend to review your letter for a fresh perspective.

8. Write a Compelling Closing Paragraph

In your closing paragraph, restate your interest in the job and thank the client for considering your application. Encourage them to contact you for further discussion or clarification. Provide your contact information, including your Upwork profile link, so the client can easily find and review your profile.

9. Follow Up

After submitting your cover letter, it’s essential to follow up with the client if you haven’t heard back within a few days. Send a polite message expressing your continued interest in the job and inquire about the status of your application. This shows your proactive nature and can help you stand out among other applicants.

Writing a good cover letter for Upwork requires personalization, highlighting relevant experience and skills, and showcasing professionalism. Tailor each cover letter to the specific job you are applying for, and don’t forget to proofread and edit before submitting. With these tips, you can increase your chances of landing freelance gigs on Upwork and building a successful freelance career.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Terms And Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Editorial Policy

Home » Cover Letter for Upwork: 08 Samples & Template

Cover Letter for Upwork: 08 Samples & Template

Do you need a cover letter for your Upwork profile? You’re in luck! I’m going to share with you my tips for writing an effective cover letter that will help you stand out from the competition. So, are you ready to learn how to write a cover letter that will WOW potential clients? Keep reading. Are you looking for a way to spice up your resume and stand out from the competition?

Check out this guide on how to write an effective cover letter for Upwork! also We’ll provide tips on what to include in your letter and how to make sure it catches the hiring manager’s attention. So whether you’re a beginner or experienced freelancer, read on for some helpful advice! Upwork is a great platform for finding freelance work, but it can be tough to stand out from the crowd. That’s where your cover letter comes in. A well-written cover letter can make all the difference and help you land your dream job. But, what makes a good cover letter? And, most important, how do you write one? Don’t worry – I’m going to show

Are you looking for a job? Check out this cover letter template for Upwork! This guide will show you how to write a cover letter that will stand out from the crowd. Are you looking for a job, but don’t know how to start? Upwork is a great way to get started. In this blog post, we’ll go over how to write a cover letter for Upwork. We’ll also give you some tips on what to include in your resume. Let’s get started. With this template, you can create a powerful and professional cover letter that will help you get the job you want. So why wait? Start creating your perfect cover letter today!

Table of Contents

Upwork Cover Letter sample for graphic designer

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am delighted to be able to apply for the Graphic Designer position with your company. Having done my research, I believe that you are looking for someone who has strong graphic design skills to create layout and design ads. If hired, I will bring this experience and more to the role.

Let me tell you why I would like to join your team as a graphic designer. I have very good communication skills and I can work well with others, but my creativity is outstanding. As a graphic designer, the projects that you will be able to see me complete for this position will speak volumes of that statement.

My experience includes:

• Creative design solutions that attract attention and convey the intended message
• Designing marketing materials such as brochures and posters
• Proficient with Adobe CS5 program suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator)

Ready to discuss my qualifications at any time. I look forward to speaking with you soon and hope that we will meet again soon.

Your sincerely,

Sample Cover Letter for Upwork Data Entry

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing this letter to express my interest in the opening position for Data Entry Specialist. I believe that my experience and background will make me a good candidate for this job. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

While completing my degree at XYZ, I picked up several new skills that are essential to successful data entry projects. I can learn new programs quickly and efficiently. I’m also good at troubleshooting software problems, which is very important for this job.

I am looking forward to interviewing with you soon. Please call me on 555-555-5555 or send me an email at [email protected] if you have any questions about my candidacy. I will contact you next week for an interview on Tuesday or Thursday afternoon.

Thank you again for your time and consideration, Mr./Mrs. Employer.

Best regards,

YOUR NAME HERE

Cover letter for Upwork Graphic Designer

I’m a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in graphic design. My experience includes both print and digital mediums, ranging from banners to website design. I have also worked on several large-scale projects including creating presentations for businesses and event signage. In addition to my graphic design skills, I am an effective communicator with strong research and writing skills. My background in graphic design makes me a great candidate for the following position at your company.

As seen on my resume, I have extensive experience working in print mediums. This includes work with large-scale banners, logos, business cards, flyers, postcards, posters , brochures among others. My work has been used by several companies across the country, including New York City. As seen on my resume, I also have experience with digital mediums. This includes work with web design, social media presence and video editing.

I’m an effective communicator who works well in both groups and independently. I take direction very well, but can also work without supervision. My background in graphic design makes me an ideal candidate for the position advertised on your website at (website address) . So please contact me if you would like more information or if you have any questions. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Please feel free to contact me at ( phone number ) or via email to set up a brief interview. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sincerely, Your Name

Upwork Cover letter Sample for Data entry

I have been doing data entry for a number of years now and I am going to apply for this job with _________. I believe that my experience in the industry would help me climb up the ladder in your company. If you want, we can set up a meeting so I can show you how productive I am when it comes to typing projects. Also I am experienced in all kinds of data entry tasks be it simple or complex.

I can start immediately and will deliver your project on time. And I guarantee great quality work every time. Therefore, you can trust me to work on a confidential basis and not disclose any private information about your company or the details of the projects that you give me.

Do get back to me if this position is still open and if you want to schedule a meeting. I am looking forward to working with you.

Best regards, Name

Sample Upwork Cover Letter for Virtual Assistant

Respected Sir,

I have been looking for a job as a virtual assistant. So I came across your advertisement on LinkedIn and felt it would be something that I could do to help you with your company’s work. Below is my resume.

In addition, please find attached my cover letter which will give you a brief idea regarding my education, experience and skills.

I would love to have an opportunity to speak with you further about how I can help your company. I am available for the next two weeks if you wish to contact me before then. Thank You,

Upwork Proposal Sample for Graphic Designer

Your company recently posted a Project Request on Upwork.com, and we would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our graphic design studio. After having carefully viewed the project request and its requirements, also we believe that our professional services can be of assistance to your business. We welcome the opportunity to submit an Upwork Proposal.

In the attached proposal, we have highlighted our capabilities and competitive advantage within the graphic design industry. Please note that a detailed project plan is also provided as a separate document for your reference. We hope you find our proposal competitive and suitable for this assignment.

We would be happy to send more information on how we can assist your business. So please feel free to contact us by email at info@insert graphic design studio name here.com should you require additional information or clarification on any aspect of this proposal.

We look forward to working with you soon!

Sincerely, Insert Name | Graphic Designer | Company Name

So what do you think? Do you feel more confident in your ability to write an Upwork cover letter that will get you noticed? But always Remember, personalize each letter and make sure it is tailored to the specific job listing. And don’t forget to follow our tips for writing a strong opener, body, and closer. Finally, check out some of the best ways to follow up after submitting your application. So Let us know how it goes!

You may also like

Cover Letter for Ph.D. Application: 5 Template ideas

Customer Service Representative Cover Letter: 09...

Waitress Cover Letter: 07 Template Ideas

Computer Science Cover Letter: 05 Ready Template

9 Best Associate Cover Letter Samples [Free]

Creative Inspiring Cover Letters: 7+ Template

About the author.

Jessica William

Leave a comment x.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

18 Ways to Write your Upwork cover letter effectively

By WriitingForu

Updated on: November 14, 2022

In This Article

Here are  the 18 ways to write your Upwork cover letter effectively helping you get your 1st order or your journey on the way.

  1. address your clients by their name.

You can find your client’s name in their Recent History. To do that, Visit the job you’d like to bid on, choose it, then scroll to the bottom. There you will see something relevant, such as this image below.; once you find the name, note it down and move to the next step.

In this Picture, the Client’s Name is  Rex ; check the one you are looking for.

2. Show them you’ve read their job description

Please read the job description from A to Z and understand what your clients want you to do for their business or Whatever the project is related to.To understand it the best way, let me show you an example. The Description is present in job in which the client requires writers for content who are focused on Science and Religion or whatever, so they can write the best content for their website and as well as for their Social media handles.

3. Share a surprising piece of knowledge

  While writing your proposal, share something catchy, attractive, and pleasant to your client so that you can grab their attention to your submissions. Try to catch them in your first two lines of the knowledge you are sharing; doing this will not only capture your client’s attention, but he will come to know that who powerfully you grab his attention, the same you will do for his content readers.

4. Ask a thoughtful question

  While writing your cover letter for Upwork, you must ask related questions from your client about the project to build their interest in your proposal rather than moving on to the next bid.

You can start questioning them with a statement, “Hi! I just read your job and it sparked a couple of Questions in my mind:

1. Ask Question Number 1

2. Ask Question Number 2

3. Ask Question Number 3

You can ask a minimum of 2 questions and a maximum of 3 to 4 Questions. It will make your client interested in you to get a quote from you and start discussing his project more.

5. Offer helpful Suggestions

  Who wouldn’t like to take helpful Suggestions? Of course, no one! You can make your Upwork Proposal more stunning if you offer your clients helpful suggestions that can boost their sales and bring value to their business, they would love to talk to you about their projects in detail, sometimes they become very, very happy, and they hire you after reading your Upwork Proposal regarding their Job Post.

6. Don’t open with “Dear sir or madam”

  Starting from your first line, don’t open up your Upwork Proposal like “Dear Sir/Madam, I have read your project details and it……”

Instead, open up like this “Rex, Hi! I just read that you are looking for a “Social Media Management” Expert. But before anything…….”

7. Break the ice with a compliment

  When you write your Upwork Proposal, you must be politely thanking them for starting your business. This will help break the ice between yourself and your customer.

Let Say, You add this complement in your Upwork Proposal letter  “Rex, Hi! Congratulations on starting your online blog. I can help you write content that can engage readers all over the world and can boost your audience and traffic by 10x by my proven strategies; here is the link to my past work directly related to your job details.”

8. Find common ground, then mention it

  While reading the job description in detail, you should find common ground to which the client is pointing your attention; you have to note that point and talk around that because your client will be comfortable and want more to hear from you in this circle. Grab that points and start talking to your client about his project, i.e., If he is talking about content writing, you should talk only about content writing rather than talking about how expert you are or talking out of yours’s client’s interest; they don’t care how much you are expert they need their work to done perfectly by the freelancer they hire for which they’ll pay you $$$.

9. Show them a relevant Piece of work you’ve done

In doing so, they will understand better that you are a great fit for this project.Also, they would be eager to ask you questions about the relevant work you have done for the past clients. This is a fantastic option to make your Upwork suggestions more appealing, much stunning, and much eye-catching .

The best way to share your Relevant work is to:

1. Upload all your work to Google Drive and share the link to your clients in your Upwork Proposal. 2. Directly attach your work in the Upwork sample Area where you use to attach the samples, i.e., you can upload up to 10 samples, and each has a size capacity of 25 Megabytes (MB).

10. Tell a Story About a similar client you helped

  If you have worked on similar projects, Interns, Jobs, or you might help someone with the same project, you can tell them about that. Also, you can attach the relevant work done in the story you are telling to your client.Tell them how you helped your client with your expertise and boosted their sales and audience, and you bring their business from having zero to top. For make them sure you can add up the screenshot of the results that you have driven for your client’s work you are talking about, this way they will be 100% sure that you are a great fit for them, and they will hire you as soon as possible and the submit their requirements to you about their project.

11. Say something that shows your expertise

  Now here comes the part you will talk about yourself, your expertise, and the work you have done so for past clients, also. You can mention your experience and the $$$ You earned from the past projects you have done, your current Ranking, i.e.,

For Upwork: Rising Star, Top Rated, Top-rated Plus, and Expert Vetted

For Fiverr: Level 1 Seller, Level 2 Seller, and Top Rated Seller

You can also add that you got 5 Star raving Feedback from your clients on the projects you have done from them, also their testimonials.

But these all must be very short and precise. Your whole Upwork Proposal Should not Exceed more than 6-7 Lines.

12. Don’t talk all about yourself

  You are writing the Upwork Proposal for the dream jobs you want. It would be best if you remembered that you have to talk less about ( I ) , i.e., About yourself and more and more about your client’s Job details and description to build their attention to your job proposal.

13. Research the client before writing a proposal

  What does this mean? Well, it means you have to research the client well and gather all the required information needed before you start writing the Upwork Proposal.

Well, you need all this info mentioned below:

1. Clients Recent History. 2. Client’s Feedbacks. 3. Client’s Ratings. 4. Client’s Hire Rate. 5. Client’s Payment Method Must be approved. 6. Average Hourly rate Paid to Freelancers.

14. Never spam them with copy/paste

  Never spam your clients with copy/paste templates; they would come to know that you have used the copy/paste template to get the job.

Make your own Upwork Proposal every time you apply for the job/project you want to work on.

Always remember one thing  “First Impression is the last impression.”

15. Tell them pitfalls they should avoid

  Help them out by telling what they should avoid while doing business, making their strategies correct, searching out for the mistakes they are doing, and telling them not to do; this is a great way to grab a long-term client.

16. Don’t Focus too Much on Your Education (No one cares)

  This is my personal experience no one cares how much educated you are, they only care if you have proven your skills and drive great results for the projects you have done for your clients, So this will be friendly advice don’t bother to write about your education too much, they already know how much educated you are, because it is mentioned on your profile as you can see here:

17. Keep items simple and to the point

While writing your Upwork proposal, you must keep all the stuff simple, easy, and related to the job description; in short, tell your clients what they expect to listen to. To understand this, consider yourself as you are a client and find the best freelancer to get your work done; this is a great way to think about how your client thinks and what type of expertise he is looking to hire and work with. Believe me, I practiced it, and it’s very cool you will get to know what type of work your client is looking For.

18. Don’t Write unnecessary and long paragraphs

Don’t write essays in your Upwork proposals, and clients wouldn’t consider looking at least at your Cover letters. Here’s what you need to be doing to ensure that your proposal on Upwork is stunning and rocking.

1. Don’t Talk out of the Ground (Talk only about your job description). 2. Again, talk less about yourself and more about your client’s work. 3. Only talk about the Client’s Problems solution, Suggest him in 3 to 4 ways to solve their problems. 4. Short, sweet, and precise proposal focusing on the pain point.

Remember Few Points:

• Your Profile Should be 100% Complete.
• The client’s reviews are very important. Get a good one always.
• Don’t bid on the job if you can’t do it.
• Under-promise and overdeliver.
• The portfolio is key.
• Few testimonials on the profile are a goldmine. We have mentioned the best 18 ways to write your Upwork cover letter effectively, follow up and see how your results changes into days, or weeks.

Thank You For Reading; Should you need any queries or suggestions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us., We would love to listen to them.

Related Posts

How to make a living freelancing from home on upwork: tips and tricks for success.

WriitingForu

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

latest post

Mastering freelance article writing: your ultimate guide to success, freelance writing 101: a beginner’s ultimate guide, freelance taxes: a comprehensive guide & faqs (2023), “colors unleashed: the empowering journey of sadaf sana anwar, graphic design maven”, how to find freelancing projects on linkedin: a comprehensive guide, can you make $10k a month freelancing (14 proven ways), the definitive guide to boosting your brand potential with graphic design, why is wordpress hosting so expensive detailed guide, how to choose the right ecommerce hosting website, does wordpress hosting have a cpanel detailed answer, what is wordpress hosting godaddy everything you need to know.

Maximize your reach and engagement on social media with our expert tips and tricks for growing your following and building your brand.

Trending Topics

Recent Topics

©2024 WritingForu | All rights reserved

Privacy Policy | Contact Us

Skyrocket Info

How to Craft a Job-Winning Upwork Cover Letter as a Newbie

Are you new to Upwork and struggling to land your first job? Well, you are not alone. As a beginner, it is always difficult to get clients on any platform. In fact, many freelancers who recently joined Upwork have become frustrated to the point that they think there are no more clients on the platform. In contrast, many Upwork clients are also saying that they aren’t able to find a good freelancer on the platform. Consequently, many frustrated newbie freelancers took to different online platforms seeking answers from clients’ perspectives as to why they are finding it difficult to land their first jobs. While giving answers to these new freelancers’ questions, many clients referred to bad proposal cover letters as the issue.

According to Upwork clients, many new freelancers only care about themselves. In other words, newbie freelancers write too much about themselves in their cover letters. In addition, clients say most of these newbie freelancers often send copy-paste cover letters, which is a no-no. One client I spoke with told me that he would always block and ignore someone who sends a copy-paste cover letter. So, in this article, you will learn, as a newbie, how to write a job-winning Upwork cover letter. However, you need to understand what the potential client wants and craft your cover letter accordingly.

Understand What The Client Wants

Before you start writing a cover letter for a job proposal on Upwork, make sure to read and understand what the client wants. In other words, read the job description carefully to know what exactly the client wants. Most freelancers often make this awful mistake of sending the same cover letter to multiple job offers without taking the time to read the job description. As a result, clients have also developed a trick in other to separate the wheat from the chaff. For example, closely look at the screenshot below.

If you look closely at the screenshot above, you will notice at the end of the job offer that the client asked potential candidates to write the word “BLUE” at beginning of their cover letters to show that they read the job description. This shows that clients on Upwork are frustrated and tired of receiving copy-paste cover letters from freelancers who obviously haven’t read the job description. Failing to begin your cover with the word “BLUE” will definitely result in it being landed in a trash can.

As a result, you might begin to think that there are no more clients on Upwork, whereas there are clients everywhere looking for experts to help them achieve their goals. So, the first step to writing a job-winning cover letter on Upwork is to try to understand what the client wants by reading the job description carefully.

How to Write a Killer Upwork Cover Letter

Now that you have an idea of what the potential client wants, it is time to shine. In other words, it is time to show the client how you can be of help. However, there are a few common phrases you need to avoid when starting your proposal letter. Clients hate getting twenty application letters that all sound the same. Under no circumstances should you begin your cover letter with:

• Dear Sir/Ma’am, or Dear hiring manager…
• To whom this may concern…
• I am an experienced SEO content writer,…
• I’m very good at…
• I have __ years of experience in doing this…
• I am passionate about…
• I’m motivated, creative, organized, and dedicated…

Instead, you can warmly address the potential client by simply starting with, “Hello/Hey there!” I know this may sound ridiculous to you but it is working for successful freelancers. Remember that clients are mainly interested in accomplishing their goals. That said, you need to avoid talking about qualifications and experience or else you’ll lose out to someone whose proposal is focused on the client’s needs. According to an Upwork client, a great cover letter begins with” Hello,” followed by how you understand the project. After that, you can move on to talk about how or what you can do to get the job done. The bottom line is to stand out from other applicants.

The First Three Lines of Your Cover Letter

Write the first few lines of your cover letter with the sole purpose of grabbing the client’s attention. Once again, do not start with: “I am,” “I have,” or “I believe.” For instance, you can start with a you-focused opening:

“Hey there, You sound like you need someone to update your existing articles and bump them up by giving them some extra touch in accordance with the latest Google product update. You need a writer who understands what search engines want, and who has experience in technical writing. Does that sound about right?”

With an opening like this, you’ve started a conversation with your potential client. An opening like this shows that you understand the client. Moreover, an opening like this will likely be considered more than an I-focused opening that solely focuses on your qualifications and years of experience.

Your Cover Letter’s Body

The next paragraph is the place to talk about how you can use your skills to solve the client’s problem. In other words, you want to explain to the client how your skills can benefit him/her. Do not focus just on how your skills have helped you achieve success in the past. Remember that your clients don’t care much about you. They only care about themselves and how to achieve their goals. Moreover, they have a problem they need a solution to. So, make sure your cover letter’s body focuses on how you can solve that problem rather than writing long descriptions of your career.

Below are some great examples of how to show clients you know what you’re doing:

• Share a stunning piece of knowledge with your potential clients, regardless of whether or not they hire you.
• Share a brief story about a similar project you worked on in the past. Most importantly, the skills or the tools you used.
• Show your client a relevant sample of your work. You’ve done some work in the past right? It doesn’t have to be on Upwork, but at any point in your career.

An Upwork client advises freelancers to share a couple of similar completed jobs with the unique benefit they offer in two sentences. The client says this trait is golden for them, rather than sending dozens of unrelated links as reference. Further, the client advises freelancers to ultimately push employers to figure out the results in their minds. The best way to achieve this is by sharing before and after results as images during applications.

Closing Lines and Call to Action

Your closing few lines and call to action are extremely important. This is where you motivate clients to grab their mouse and click “ Make Offer .” Therefore, it’s vitally important you get the final lines right. One way to do that is by always asking at least two to three questions at the end of your cover letter. This is to ensure the continuousness of the dialogue with your clients, thus encouraging them to write back to you. In addition, it also demonstrates your interest in the project and your desire to make the most of the opportunity.

For example, you can ask anything like:

• Which content management system (CMS) are you using?
• Do you already have someone who can upload and publish the content for you?
• Are you available on Google Meet or Skype? Can we continue this conversation there?
• Do you have a content strategy or structure I could look at?

However, try and keep your questions related to the job offer. Finally, you can seal your cover letter with an appealing call to action. Consider the following example:

“Can you tell me more about your website audience or niche? Remember, the key is to come up with interesting content ideas. I’d love to know more if you’d like to chat about it.”

Job-Winning Upwork Cover Letter Samples

The screenshot below shows an actual cover letter written by Danny Margulies , a successful Upwork freelancer, that resulted in a job offer within minutes. The job title called for a copywriter. In the job description, the client said he was looking for someone to write a press release for a new company that had just launched its first app. However, the principles can be applied to any job category you happen to be interested in. Here is the cover letter:

According to Margulies, the client responded within minutes and subsequently offered him the job.

Notice that in his cover letter Margulies:

• Instead of immediately talking about himself, started out by recognizing the client’s accomplishment
• Offered the client a surprising knowledge that can be useful to him, regardless of whether he hires him or not.
• Rather than giving the client a boring list of credentials, he told him a story about a previous project he worked on.

Here is another example of a great Upwork cover letter:

“Hello there,

Your post caught my eye — I am not a web developer but I’m an expert in lead nurturing emails. And one of the biggest mistakes I see is going for the consultation too soon. My advice would be to start out with helpful info for the first couple of emails. No fluff, just a couple of really valuable emails that offer good info without asking anything in return. Then you can transition over to talking about the consult on day 3, and try to close it a bit harder on the last couple of days.”

The example above gives the client a helpful tip or specific piece of advice. As a result, the client will consider you as someone that knows what he or she is doing. Moreover, it also shows that you’re looking out for the client’s best interests. So, the single most powerful thing you can do to start getting jobs on Upwork as quickly as possible is to share your knowledge with the potential client. Firstly, you need to write a unique cover letter for each job offer. Secondly, you need to read the job description and tailor your message accordingly. Thirdly, and most importantly, you need to proofread completely before you hit send.

By following the tips in this article, you will eventually come to realize that it is not that difficult to get clients on Upwork as a newbie after all. Above all, you need to keep a positive spirit throughout the whole rejection process. I’m sure you are already on your way to achieving success on Upwork as a freelancer .

More From Forbes

Writing Cover Letters For A Career Change: Tips And Examples

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Embarking on a career change is a pivotal moment, fraught with uncertainty but brimming with potential. And especially in cases where your resume might not directly align with the job at hand, your cover letter becomes the narrative that connects the dots. A well-crafted cover can illuminate your strengths, align your past experiences with your future aspirations, and persuade potential employers to see the value you bring.

The Importance Of A Cover Letter In Career Changes

In career transitions, your cover letter is your storyteller. It explains the why and the how of your career change, showcasing your enthusiasm and demonstrating how your background equips you with unique perspectives and transferable skills. It addresses potential concerns about your career shift head-on, presenting your transition as an asset rather than a liability.

Tips For Writing A Career Change Cover Letter

1. Personalize Your Approach : Address the letter to a specific person whenever possible. Doing so demonstrates attention to detail and a genuine interest in the position. You want to show that you’re not conducting a generic job search, but that you’ve done your research. You’ve perused (not skimmed) the company website and you read that 20-page yearly report from the CEO. You’ve even read their blog and can quote freely from it. You’ve educated yourself.

2. Emphasize Transferable Skills : Highlight the skills and experiences from your previous roles that are relevant to the new position. Be specific and quantify achievements where possible.

3. Show Enthusiasm and Commitment : Employers want to know that you are genuinely interested in the new field. Express your passion for the career change and your eagerness to contribute.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024.

4. Tailor Your Narrative : Connect your past experiences to the job you're applying for, demonstrating how your unique background can bring a fresh perspective to the role.

5. Address Potential Concerns : Be upfront about your career change, framing it as a positive decision guided by clear motivation and a strong understanding of the new field.

6. End with a Strong Call to Action : Conclude by expressing your desire to discuss your application further in an interview, showing proactivity and determination.

7. Use Strategic Language : Avoid clichéd adjectives. Opt for vivid, specific language that paints a clear picture of your capabilities and achievements.

Example: General Career Change Cover Letter

Dear [Hiring Manager's Name],

I am excited to apply for the [Position] at [Company], transitioning from a career in [Current Industry] to [New Industry]. My experience in [Current Industry] has equipped me with valuable skills that I am eager to apply in [New Industry]. For instance, while working as [Previous Position], I developed a keen ability to [transferable skill], resulting in [specific achievement].

In [Current Industry], I honed my skills in [relevant skill] and demonstrated my ability to [relevant achievement], directly benefiting my team by [specific outcome]. I am particularly drawn to [New Industry] because [reason for interest], and I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to bring my [specific skill] and [another skill] to the [Position] at [Company].

[Your Name]

Tweaks For Various Career Stages

Whether you are making a change early in your career or transitioning later, your cover letter should reflect your rationale and excitement for this new path.

Example: Early Career Cover Letter

As someone at the early stages of my career, I am eager to leverage the foundational skills I gained in [Initial Field], such as [specific skill], in [New Field]. My recent role as [Previous Position] allowed me to develop [relevant skills or experiences], which align closely with the requirements of the [Position] at [Company].

Example: Late Career Cover Letter

Transitioning into [New Field] at this point in my career is a deliberate and enthusiastic choice, driven by my deep-seated interest in [aspect of New Field]. With extensive experience in [Previous Field], I bring a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective that can contribute to innovative solutions and strategies at [Company].

Tweaks For White And Blue-Collar Roles

Transitioning between white and blue-collar roles offers a unique opportunity to highlight diverse skills and experiences.

Example: White To Blue Collar Cover Letter

I am eager to apply the strategic and managerial skills honed in my white-collar career to the hands-on, dynamic environment of [Blue Collar Field]. My experience in [White Collar Role], where I developed [specific skills], aligns well with the challenges and responsibilities of the [Blue Collar Position] at [Company].

Example: Blue To White Collar Cover Letter

Transitioning from [Blue Collar Field] to [White Collar Field], I bring practical, on-the-ground experience that can inform and enhance the strategic decisions in [White Collar Role]. My background in [Blue Collar Role], where I mastered [specific skills], equips me with a unique perspective beneficial for the [White Collar Position] at [Company].

Including A Career Change Statement On Your Resume/CV

While your cover letter is the ideal place to elaborate on your career change, your resume/CV should also reflect this transition. A brief career change statement, positioned at the beginning of your resume, can effectively set the context for your career narrative. This statement should succinctly convey your transition, emphasizing your commitment to the new field and highlighting any transferable skills or relevant experiences.

How To Craft A Career Change Statement For Your Resume

1. Objective Statement : Begin with a clear, concise objective that outlines your career goals and demonstrates your enthusiasm for your new field.

2. Summary of Qualifications : Follow your objective with a brief summary of your most relevant qualifications, focusing on skills and experiences that transition well into your new career.

3. Highlight Transferable Skills : Clearly identify and emphasize any skills from your previous career that are pertinent to your new path. This not only demonstrates your capability but also shows your proactive approach in aligning your skill set with the new role's requirements.

4. Tailor Your Experience : Adjust the descriptions of your past positions to highlight the responsibilities and achievements most relevant to your desired career path. Use quantifiable achievements to underscore your adaptability and impact.

5. Education and Training : If you have pursued any education or training relevant to your new field, highlight this prominently on your resume to illustrate your dedication and commitment to your career change.

Make Your Language Unique

To avoid sounding like everyone else, remember to use distinctive and precise adjectives in your cover letter and resume. For instance:

• Instead of "experienced," try "seasoned" or "accomplished," providing specific examples that demonstrate this experience, like spearheading a successful project or leading a team to exceed its targets.
• Replace "passionate" with "enthused" or "committed," detailing a project or initiative you pursued with zeal, which can resonate more authentically with hiring managers.
• Substitute "results-driven" with "outcome-focused," illustrating this with a particular scenario where your focus on results led to tangible success for your organization.

Your cover letter and resume are your advocates, narrating your professional journey and articulating why you are not just seeking a new job, but embarking on a new career with purpose and passion. By carefully crafting these documents to reflect your individual story, you position yourself as a memorable and compelling candidate, someone who stands out from the crowd.

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

• Generative AI
• Office Suites
• Collaboration Software
• Productivity Software
• Augmented Reality
• Emerging Technology
• Remote Work
• Artificial Intelligence
• Operating Systems
• IT Leadership
• IT Management
• IT Operations
• Cloud Computing
• Computers and Peripherals
• Data Center
• Enterprise Applications
• Vendors and Providers
• United States
• Netherlands
• United Kingdom
• New Zealand
• Newsletters
• Foundry Careers
• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Copyright Notice
• Member Preferences
• About AdChoices
• E-commerce Affiliate Relationships
• Your California Privacy Rights

Our Network

• Network World

Cheat sheet: How to write a cover letter

Simple steps for getting a strong cover letter written.

Yes, in case you were wondering, you still need to write a cover letter, and it’s not even that hard once you get the basics down.

It’s true: The best cover letters are short, to the point and grab your potential employer’s attention, notes Harvard Business Review. Remember, it’s not a rehash of your resume, you don’t have to write a book.

HBR outlines the few sacred principles of the modern cover letter, one of the biggest being the need to open strong.

Forget that old chestnut: “I’m applying for the _______ position I saw on ________.” They know you want the job, you’re sending them a resume. Stating the obvious just wastes precious space.

Instead, “Start with the punch line — why this job is exciting to you and why you’re right for it,” career expert Jodi Glickman tells HBR. “Say something direct and dynamic, such as ‘Before you read any further, let me draw your attention to two reasons why you might want to hire me….’ “

One important Don’t: Don’t try to be funny. Just like with e-mail, humor can easily be misinterpreted.

“Humor can often fall flat or sound self-regarding,” notes career strategist John Lees.

Click below for advice on how to best emphasize your value to the company, convey enthusiasm without sounding like a suck-up and what to do when you can’t submit a cover letter due to an online application process.

via Harvard Business Review

Related content

Intel unveils its ai roadmap, chips to rival nvidia, windows 11 insider previews: what’s in the latest build, google sheets power tips: how to use dropdown lists, yes, apple’s vision pro is an enterprise product, from our editors straight to your inbox.

Melissa is also the author of the  Network World on Management Strategies newsletter.

More from this author

Perks to request if it salary offer is too low, nearly 3 out of 4 employers have hard time filling it jobs, don’t fall for these top job-hunting myths, the one resume mistake headhunters will always catch, most popular authors.

• Howard Wen Contributing Writer

Show me more

Feds say microsoft security ‘requires an overhaul’ — but will it listen.

About the Best Places to Work in IT

How DHL harnessed genAI to unify 200 career sites into a single platform

Voice cloning, song creation via AI gets even scarier

The link between smartphones and social media addiction

Sam Bankman-Fried gets 25 years in prison

• Forums Forums Freelancers New to Upwork Clients Coffee Break Agencies Support Forum Bulletin Board
• Academy Academy Upwork Essentials Work with a Coach Attend an Event AI Education Library Learn from Experts Get Certified
• Support Support Support Forum Known Issues & Workarounds Help Center Product Release Notes
• Freelancers
• New to Upwork
• Coffee Break
• Support Forum
• Bulletin Board
• Upwork Essentials
• Work with a Coach
• Attend an Event
• AI Education Library
• Learn from Experts
• Get Certified
• Known Issues & Workarounds
• Help Center
• Product Release Notes
• Subscribe to RSS Feed
• Mark Topic as New
• Mark Topic as Read
• Float this Topic for Current User
• Printer Friendly Page

• Mark as New
• Notify Moderator

Apr 8, 2024 10:06:08 AM  by  Nathan R

Cover Letter Personalized Tips

• All forum topics
• Previous Topic

• Upwork Dashboard
• Trust, Safety & Security
• Help & Support
• Upwork Foundation
• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy
• Accessibility
• Desktop App
• Cookie Policy
• Enterprise Solutions

Your favourite senior outside college

Home » Job Tips » Resume Writing Tips » How to Write a Cover Letter for Job

How to Write a Cover Letter for a Job?: The Ultimate 2024 Guide

Imagine a scenario where you are able to find that one perfect job role that checks all your boxes but when you scroll down to apply you find the two words that fill you with instant dread, a cover letter. If you can relate to this scenario then don’t worry, you are not alone. Or even if you are new to the term and don’t understand what it means let alone know how to write a cover letter for a job, this blog is for you. In this blog, we will walk you through all the essential elements necessary for writing a cover letter. So, buckle up and get ready to explore all the sections that will help you write a cover letter to ace the application process effortlessly.

Table of Contents

How to Write a Cover Letter for a Job

A cover letter for job is a document that helps you explain your intent and motive for applying to a specific job role. It covers your extracurricular activities, skills, achievements, and experiences in the field.

Follow the cover letter format given below to get an idea about what you should include while writing an introduction of a cover letter:

1. Mention Your Name and Address

Imagine writing the perfect cover letter but never finding out whether they liked it because you forgot your contact details. So, write your name, email address, contact number, and date at the top left of the document. Make sure that your email address isn’t unprofessional.

Meena Joshi JD Colony, Vasant Vihar New Delhi (+91) 9867895046 [email protected]

2. Mention the Date

After you have written your personal details like name and address, it is important to mention the date.

3. List the Recipient’s Name and Address

It is the first essential step that must not be skipped under any circumstances. Who will the letter get to if it does not have the name and address of the recipient? Hence, it is mandatory to fill out this section by carefully examining the details through the job description or the website of that particular organization.

To Hiring Manager’s Full Name XYZ Pvt. Ltd. B-000, Business Zone West Country, New City 2, Delhi, India – 110076

Remember: If you have to write a cover letter by mail then you do not need to mention the recipient’s address, date, or your name and address.

4. Greeting

When you are starting a cover letter try addressing it to a specific individual. You can do this by scouring the official website of the company to find the name of the head of the department or the hiring manager. If the powers of the internet fail you, address it to the department you are applying to. Do not write ‘To Whom It May Concern’ unless you want to come off as a robot. Use ‘Dear ABC’ or simply start with ‘Hello ABC.’

5. Cover Letter Body

After adding all the relevant information, it’s time to move on to the main body of the letter. This section comprises the opening paragraph and the main body of the letter. Let’s understand them further.

Opening Paragraph

There are three ways you can approach the beginning of a cover letter. They are as mentioned below:

• I am thrilled to apply for the position of content writer at Buzzfeed India. Having completed a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and an internship of six months at The Indian Express, I am confident that I will bring valuable skills to the organization.
• At the age of 10, I went to the World Book Fair with my brother for the first time. While he was spending time reading the synopsis of books, I was picking up one book after another lured by the attractive covers. I finally settled on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone then ended up devouring all books in the series.  I followed this interest in judging a book by its cover by pursuing a bachelor’s in Design. I am applying for the position of graphic designer at Scholastic following the creative side of mine which I have decided to pursue as my career.
• During my last internship in social media marketing at Otter Pvt. Limited, I conceptualized three marketing campaigns, which increased the engagement rate by 25% and led to a spike of 15% in website traffic. I believe that the skills I have gained in this role make me the right fit for the position of Social Media Marketing Associate at Orange. Make sure to change the tone according to the company that you apply to. If the company is more on the conservative side such as an accounting firm, maintain a formal tone. If you are applying to a startup, you can have some fun, and use the language that they have used in the job description.

6. Main Body

This is the part where you explain more about the roles you have mentioned in your resume. Always read the job description attentively and see if you have the key skills that the role requires. Now that you have a fair idea of the key requirements, think of your main accomplishments that demonstrate your skills. Let’s find out how we can make it less exhausting.

• I was a content writer at Times Tech and during my tenure, I experimented with various types of content like articles, blogs, FAQs, Q&As, and videos. I analyzed the performance of each type and made the required changes that brought about a 25% increase in readership and website engagement.
• As the Vice President for Enactus, I oversaw the annual inter-college meet. This included getting in touch with leaders in the social entrepreneurship industry for the speaker’s session, ideating competition ideas, marketing the event on social media, and making arrangements for 20 Enactus teams from across the state.
• As a content writer at your company, I would use my writing and researching skills to produce more interactive content. It will bring traffic to your website and increase engagement.

Now that you have told the hiring manager why the job should be yours, let’s learn about writing the parting note.

7. Conclusion

In this section, try to keep your content concise and straightforward. Do not include anything new, try summarizing what you have already talked about. You can also thank them for taking the time to review your application.

I would welcome the chance to speak more about this opportunity and share how I can contribute.

Thank you for your time. Sincerely/Best regards, Your Name

Also Read: How to Write Cover Letter for Internship

Cover Letter Example s

If you are required to write a cover letter for a job, you will have to read the job description attentively. After that, you will have to form the outline of your letter according to the components that are necessarily included in it. Based on those points, you will have to highlight your relevant skills and experience to shine brighter than the other candidates. Here are some best cover letter examples to help you understand how to do this better.

Example 1: Brand Copywriter Cover Letter Sample

Let’s take a look at a generic cover letter example for your reference:

Explore the latest copywriting jobs .

Example 2: Full-Stack Developer Cover Letter Sample

If you wish to apply for a full-stack developer job, you can refer to this resume sample. 

Now that you know how to write a cover letter, apply for full-stack developer jobs .

Example 3: Mental Health Counselor Cover Letter Sample

Here is a cover letter sample to apply for a mental health counselor job:

Check out the top jobs for psychologists .

Example 4: Graphic Designer Cover Letter Sample

Refer to this cover letter sample if you wish to apply for a graphic designer job. 

Looking to work in the graphic design sector? Check out the best graphic designer jobs .

Tips for Writing a Cover Letter

There are a lot of points that need to be kept in mind when writing a cover letter. The following section explains all the components as well as some cover letter writing tips:

• Call To Action (CTA)- While ending the cover letter, tell the hiring manager what you want them to do. You can request an interview or a meeting.
• Enthusiasm for the Job/Organization– Mention what aspects of the job make you feel eager to join. You may have all the requisite skills, but so might the other candidates. What can set you apart is your enthusiasm for the role or company.
• Customization– Each job description comes with a different set of requirements and each company has a different culture, so make sure you customize your cover letter. Try to avoid sending generic cover letters.
• Conciseness– Once you have written your cover letter, take some time to edit. Eliminate everything repetitive. Make sure that your cover letter length does not exceed one page and 250-300 words.

Things to Skip in the Cover Letter

It is equally important to know what not to write in a cover letter. It is good to know these things before you start writing one to reduce your chances of rejection. Some of these points are mentioned below:

• Clichéd Phrases– Avoid writing overused phrases like ‘fast learner’ and ‘hard-working.’ Instead use action words such as led, designed, developed, conceptualized, etc. that show these qualities in action.
• Overly Formal Tone– A very formal tone can give the impression that you picked out a cover sample off the internet. It can also make it difficult to read your letter. To find out which words or sentences can be rewritten for easier readability, you can use the Hemingway Editor.
• Narrating Your Resume– Make sure that your cover letter isn’t a longer version of your resume. Think about the highlights during your jobs, internships, or extracurricular activities that relate to the job and give insights about them.
• Improper Formatting– Use consistent formatting throughout the letter, and use a font that’s easy to read such as Arial size 12 or Calibri size 12.
• Typos and Common Grammatical Errors– Once you have done the lion’s share of the work by writing the letter, make sure that typos or bad grammar don’t ruin your masterpiece. Even if all seems in order, proofread it yourself or ask a friend to review it for you.

Now that we have covered how to write a cover letter for a job, go write one! If you are still looking for jobs, then you can check out fresher jobs on Internshala. You can also check out our blog on top cover letter examples .

Related Cover Letter for Different Job Roles:

• ← Previous
• Next →

Kriti heads the content team at Internshala. She got her first writing job when she was 17 and has 8+ years of experience in the field. She has a passion for crafting engaging and impactful narratives. With a background in writing and digital marketing, Kriti excels at creating compelling content strategies and optimizing online platforms. Her expertise lies in driving audience engagement and brand awareness through powerful storytelling.

Related Post

How to Upload a Resume on Internshala? A Quick & Easy Guide

If you are a job-seeker looking for job or internship opportunities on Internshala, you can add your resume to the website and apply for jobs easily. Uploading a well-crafted resume

Cover Letter For Finance Interns [with Template & Samples]

Securing a finance internship can be a crucial step in launching a successful career in the financial industry. However, getting hired for these positions can be tough, but having an

Cover Letter for a Teacher Position-  A Complete Guide

Are you ready to take the first step towards landing your dream teaching job? Crafting a standout cover letter is your key to making a positive and lasting impression on

Cover Letters for Legal Interns: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you are a law student aspiring for the position of a legal intern, it is important to craft an effective cover letter. A cover letter allows you to highlight

How to Create a Compelling Cover Letter in Microsoft Word

E very time you apply for a job, it's a good idea to include a cover letter. Deciding how to write each one is hard, but at least you don’t have to start from scratch with their design.

Microsoft Word offers templates and welcomes third-party designs to help you create compelling cover letters. Here’s how to use such options in Word and make the best first impression possible to potential employers.

Use Microsoft Word’s Cover Letter Templates

Formal letters don’t have to be bland. Go to File > More templates on Word, and type “cover letter” in the search box. You’ll find several stylish designs that add structure and color to your document.

What reflects you better, a subtle or sharp color scheme? If you’re considering a bold header for your professional details, learn how to design letterheads on Word , too. You can even add your portrait to your cover letter.

Microsoft Word’s built-in templates also include fields for you to fill in with your information and that of your potential employer. They guide you in these small ways, some even providing a sample for your letter’s main body. It’s a good idea to rephrase that, though, to fit each job application.

If you don’t like any of the options on Word’s desktop app, explore more Microsoft cover letter templates online and download your favorites from there.

Use Third-Party Templates in Microsoft Word

You can create cover letters for your dream job on platforms besides Microsoft. If you’d rather stick with it, you’ll even come across third-party templates specifically designed for you to download and customize on Word. Here are some examples.

1. ResumeLab

Explore over 50 cover letter templates, ranging from minimalist to eye-catching designs. Keep in mind that a few of them are meant to be created on ResumeLab. The rest you can bring onto Word by clicking their Download it free here link.

You’ll be redirected to websites like Good Resume and Resume Genius , which help you quickly download your documents. Then, all you have to do is open them in Microsoft Word.

You’ll also notice that some cover letters on ResumeLab are edited versions of Word’s built-in templates, but this just adds to your selection and gives you more ideas.

2. Template.net

This is a popular site for templates of all kinds, including cover letters. For some designs, you pay a small fee, but Template.net has an impressive range of free options, too. What’s more, the download process is very easy.

Just browse its collection, click on a design you like, and select the Word button under Download Free Template . In the next window, hit Free Download . If you’re not signed in already, you’ll be asked to as the final step.

Follow Best Practices for Cover Letters

Familiarize yourself with the dos and don’ts of writing a cover letter . Remember these guidelines when selecting and customizing a template or crafting a cover letter from scratch. They boil down to the following rules.

1. Research Potential Employers

Do your research before writing or designing your cover letter. Get to know each company and even the recruiter you’re addressing. It’s the same strategy as tailoring your resume for different job types .

2. Tailor Your Cover Letter

When showcasing your skills and interest in a position, use your research to tailor your letter so that it grabs the recruiter’s attention and impresses them. Be smart, enthusiastic, and concise with your words.

3. Use Your Blank Space Wisely

Aim to limit your cover letter to one page. Any more than that, and you risk losing the recruiter’s interest. Think about what you need to say, including important and relevant details not covered in your resume. Express these things as succinctly as possible.

4. Your Visuals Should Complement and Not Overwhelm the Letter

Add a bit of color and texture, going for a subtle effect. You could even use some small icons, as long as they’re tasteful and discreet. Whatever you choose, keep these visuals on the letter’s edges, and don’t let them dominate the text.

5. Master Word’s Features That Benefit Cover Letters

For example, you can create your cover letter more efficiently by setting the text’s boundaries from the get-go. To do this, go to Layout > Margins . From the same toolbar, you can adjust paragraph spacing and indentation.

Through Insert > Pictures , you can import an image of your signature and place it at the end of the letter. Your header and footer can be customized from here, too.

Even the Mailing toolbar might be of interest. It can help streamline the process of writing and sending letters, as well as keeping track of recipients.

Good Planning and Wording Make the Best Cover Letters

Between Microsoft and other providers, you have access to a wide selection of templates for simple but attractive cover letters that you can personalize on Word. The app itself is full of useful writing and editing tools.

With this leg up, designing a cover letter for every occasion is easier. Sound research and planning in terms of how to approach each application can help polish the letter even more.