The outlook for rewarding healthcare career opportunities could not be more vibrant, thanks to an aging population of seniors who outnumber and are outliving previous generations. An exceptional healthcare cover letter can better your chances of success in this dynamic job market.
For job-winning inspiration, advice and support, Resume.io is a leading international source of expertise. We’ve produced an extensive collection of occupation-specific writing guides and corresponding cover letter examples. We also offer resume writing tools, informative blogs and field-tested templates to help you create both job application documents. This cover letter writing guide, backed by our healthcare cover letter example, will help secure your foothold in one of the most promising job markets. We’ll be covering these topics:
- The best format for structuring a cover letter
- Speaking to your strengths as a healthcare job candidate in each cover letter part: header, greeting, introduction, body and conclusion
- Common mistakes to avoid in your healthcare cover letter.
The baby boom impact on job market trends remains profound, and not only due to unprecedented retirement waves. Increased demand for healthcare services will see that workforce expand by 16% from 2020 to 2030, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projections. This growth rate, accounting for some 2.6 million new healthcare jobs, is much faster than the average for all other occupations.
Best format for a healthcare cover letter
Step by step, this writing guide along with our cover letter sample will show you how to strengthen your case for landing a healthcare job-winning interview. All cover letters, regardless of occupation, should follow this simple structure:
- Cover letter header
- Cover letter greeting / salutation
- Cover letter introduction
- Cover letter body
- Cover letter closing (conclusion and sign-off).
We’ll take you through each of these sections one at a time and offer a cover letter sample to model your own off of. But first let’s look at a few basic guidelines for creating a document that looks inviting to read alongside your resume. In every streamlined sense, that means visually clean, orderly and uncluttered.
It’s hard to go wrong if you keep your cover letter short — 300 words is perfect and never exceed 400 words. It should always fit on a single page. You can find even more tips on formatting and presentation in our comprehensive cover letter guide.
Searching for additional inspiration? Have a look at our other medical cover letter examples listed here below:
- Medical Assistant Cover Letter Sample
- Pharmacist Cover Letter Sample
- Caregiver Cover Letter Sample
- Physical Therapist Cover Letter Sample
- Lab Technician Cover Letter Sample
- Doctor Cover Letter Sample
- Dental Assistant Cover Letter Sample
- Dentist Cover Letter Sample
- Occupational Therapy Cover Letter Sample
- Pharmacy Assistant Cover Letter Sample
- CNA Cover Letter Sample
- Medical Cover Letter Sample
- Physician Assistant Cover Letter Sample
- Dental Hygiene Cover Letter Sample
- Doctor Assistant Cover Letter Sample
Cover letter header
The header of your healthcare cover letter won’t take up much space, which is why it needs to be distinctively eye-catching. Take advantage of the header’s creative potential with a striking font choice, offset by white space and perhaps a touch of color for visual appeal. Above all, make sure your header contains your name and contact information, spelled correctly, so that the hiring manager has no trouble getting in touch with you.
Make them match
For the same value-added reasons that every cover letter deserves a header that’s simultaneously eye-catching and functional, it only makes sense to make your resume header match. The reader’s first impression is likely to be as memorable as it is favorable when sustained consistently throughout a visually branded pair of application documents.
Goal of the cover letter header: Distinguish yourself from other job applicants by attracting visual attention and displaying your regard for detail and professionalism.
Cover letter greeting
Your best-case scenario is to address the reader directly by name to establish a connection that’s appropriately professional and personal. The traditional salutation “Dear Dr. House” is failsafe and not outdated. Substitute “Mr.” or “Ms.” for “Dr.” as applicable, being careful to get the gender right. Generally, healthcare applicants should think twice before swapping out “Dear” for the more casual “Greetings” or “Hello.” Make sure the work setting is relatively close-knit or relaxed enough. Err on the formal side if you’re uncertain. A first-name-basis cover letter greeting is seldom appropriate — only if you and the recipient happen to know each other.
If you don’t know offhand the name of your cover letter recipient, and no one is specified in the job application instructions, try to find out who the hiring decision-maker is, or who would be your boss if hired. Ask a colleague, check the employer’s website or make a phone call to inquire. If you are still unable to come up with anyone’s name, try some version of a collective noun that seems to fit the hiring situation: “Dear [Hospital Name] Chief of Staff,” “Dear Occupational Therapy Department Head” or “Dear Clinical Assessment Coordinator Hiring Team.”
Goal of the cover letter greeting: Start off on a professional note while making a direct personal connection with the hiring manager.
Dear Mrs. Longworth,
Cover letter introduction
Your healthcare cover letter introduction is the opening hook to intrigue recruiters. As stated earlier, your overall objective is to build a case for being a standout candidate for the healthcare position being pursued. These concisely compelling opening lines are your launching point.
Strive to anchor your introduction as follows, centered around the job requirements and hiring organization:
- Your healthcare qualifications are a perfect match. Capture the essence of your attributes and aspirations in a way that instantly resonates.
- You are enthusiastic about the opportunity to work for this employer. Include a positive remark about the organization’s reputation or healthcare track record.
- Your contributions would benefit this healthcare provider. Specify ways that you could make a difference if hired.
Goal of the cover letter introduction: Captivate recruiters with a preview of your qualifications that motivates them to read more.
Here’s an introduction idea from our healthcare cover letter sample:
During my six years as healthcare administrator for Goodman Memorial Hospital, we improved patient waiting times by 27%, decreased staff turnover by a quarter and increased patient satisfaction scores from 78% to 87%. Running a hospital is about more than ensuring that medicines and equipment are available – I took pride in acting on the smallest of feedback from my healthcare colleagues.
Cover letter middle part (body)
Think of this cover letter section as the connective tissue giving your strong suits form and substance. The persuasive purpose is to convey what makes you a lucky find for this employer. Speak to what the hiring organization needs and wants in relevant and relatable terms, informed by your understanding of the advertised job description and additional research.
The cover letter body content originates in your resume, but needs reframing to avoid replicating or rehashing. Pull out a few compelling accomplishments, mixed and matched with skills that have equipped you well. While facts and figures are the best way to quantify impressive outcomes, anecdotes and personal “lessons learned” perspectives also have an important place here.
Goal of the cover letter body: Reinforce the connection between your previous accomplishments and potential future benefits to the hiring organization.
Our healthcare cover letter sample illustrates what you might include in the middle part:
Designing and implementing patient-centric policies meant that our medical staff were able to carry out their work more efficiently. I introduced an app for employee rostering that offered more visibility into workforce management priorities. As a result, we decreased our temporary staff spend by 16% and our patients saw more familiar faces as a result.
The 420-bed facility also enjoyed operational efficiencies after the creation of a procurement steering group that helped to rationalize the supplier base and centralize purchases across all departments. As a healthcare administrator, my role is to bring people together to serve a wider purpose and I am adept at seeing problems from multiple perspectives and communicating with stakeholders from a variety of specializations and seniorities. If you listen to the needs of the collective, you can be the engine of progress.
How to close a healthcare cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)
Now you are ready to end your healthcare cover letter on an upbeat note that intentionally does leave things up in the air. In other words, this concluding section should not actually sound conclusive.
On the contrary, your closing remarks should include a call to action. It’s not enough to reaffirm your top reason for being an excellent job match. Put some onus on the employer not to leave your letter unanswered, set aside and forgotten. At the very least, say you look forward to hearing back soon. There’s nothing wrong with a bolder expression of eagerness to meet for an interview.
Finally, just sign off with “Sincerely,” Best regards,” or “Best,” above your name.
Aim of the cover letter closing: End on an upbeat, self-assured note with a call to action that ideally results in an interview.
Below is the closing section of our healthcare cover letter example.
Your hospital has a similar patient profile to Goodman Memorial and looking at the public financial records, it seems that there are similar budgetary constraints. I suspect that many of my previous projects will prove equally successful within your healthcare setting and would value the opportunity of an interview to dig a little deeper into the challenges of the role and how I might be able to make a difference.
Sincerely,
James Curtis
Common mistakes to avoid in a healthcare cover letter
Make no mistake about the zero tolerance threshold for healthcare errors, and don’t assume the bar should be set any lower for your healthcare cover letter. Not counting the worst mistake of skipping a cover letter altogether, the most common pitfalls listed below could crash your chances of survival in a job competition. Avoid giving recruiters any of these reasons to pull the plug.
- A dead giveaway that the same generic cover letter is being sent to multiple employers.
- Precious page space clogged with meaningless clichés and redundant word bloat.
- Deprivation of personality and soft skills content from the body.
- Negligence of typos, spelling mistakes and grammatical gaffes.
- Defective design and formatting, which a professional template can counteract.
Don’t leave the formatting to chance.
A great page design can quickly grab the hiring manager’s attention and help you make a great first impression as a professional and motivated candidate. If you don’t have time to fuss with word processors or graphic design software, even a simple resume template can help make great formatting a breeze.
Key takeaways for a healthcare cover letter
- An exceptional cover letter will give healthcare job candidates an edge in a dynamic labor market.
- Cover letters can shed light on your personality and compatibility with the hiring organization to a much greater extent than a stand-alone resume allows.
- Your case for being hired should be tailored to what the employer needs and values.
- Each cover letter section aims to reinforce and sustain the hiring manager’s positive first impression.
- Formatting is easy! Click on one of our ready-made and carefully market-researched cover letter templates and start writing.
