Tips for writing a great IT cover letter

Once you’ve found an IT job that matches your career goals and refreshed your CV, the final step is to write a cover letter to show your next employer why they need to get you in for an interview.

Whether you’re applying for helpdesk, support or technician jobs, it’s important that your cover letter highlights your strengths and motivations. Although demand for skilled IT staff is always strong, you’ll also be up against a fair few candidates with similar skillsets and experience. Your cover letter is your first tool for setting yourself apart.

Read our tips below to find out how to write a cover letter for IT jobs and download our free template to get you started.

Study the company and the job

Don’t make the mistake of writing a generic IT cover letter that gets sent to every prospective employer – hiring managers will be able to tell and they certainly won’t be impressed. On the other hand, just a little research will show them that you’re curious, motivated and interested.

Before you get down to writing, spend some time reading up about the company to find out what they do and how they work. This kind of research can really add a lot of value to your cover letter.

Perhaps the role involves providing IT support to a regional newspaper publisher. Why not mention your personal interest in the news and that you would love to support the company’s journalists as they uncover important local stories? Or maybe it’s a helpdesk job at a pension provider – perhaps mention you’re impressed by their innovative products and want aid their staff in providing the best possible service to their customers.

Mention your most relevant IT knowledge and experience

While your CV is the place to list all your IT skills, the cover letter is where you should highlight your most relevant knowledge and experience. If the job ad is asking for someone who can provide desktop support for both Windows and MacOS users, then you should certainly raise your experience with both platforms in the cover letter. Or perhaps they’re looking for a technician to install and maintain a VoIP telephone system – you’d certainly be wise to talk about your experience there.

Being personable helps

IT remains a mystery to many people – and some even find it intimidating. When a hiring manager reads your CV, they’ll be immediately impressed if you can demonstrate that you’re a friendly and approachable individual.

Consider adding a line to your IT cover letter describing the satisfaction you get from helping people resolve their business problems, or that you aim to be a friendly face around the office.

Include major achievements

Your cover letter should tell a story of your career and progress and ought to include any achievements you’re especially proud of. This not only shows hiring managers that you’re good at what you do, but also that you have a sense of pride in your profession.

Say you specialise as a technician for corporate events. Perhaps describe a time you successfully set up and ran a conference for 500 delegates with a team of just three staff. Or maybe you’ve managed a government department’s migration from SharePoint 2010 to SharePoint 2016 and completed the migration with no downtime at all. These kinds of achievements are sure to impress.

Tick off key responsibilities and qualifications

As noted above, your cover letter isn’t the place for describing all your qualifications and responsibilities, but if the job ad specifies that they want an experienced help desk manager for instance (and you are one) include it! Same goes for qualifications – perhaps a key requirement for the business is that you be MCSA Windows 10 certified – put it in.

IT cover letter examples

Click here to download our free IT cover letter sample as Microsoft Word (.doc).

Samir Asaf
34 Green Lane
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE7 2RG
Samir.Asaf@email.com
07785467731

Claudia White
Her Majesty’s Tax Service
28 Violet Street
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE1 1RU

23/09/18

Re: Application for IT support desk role

Dear Ms. White,

I am writing to apply for the new IT support desk role at HMTS as advertised on Monster.co.uk and to explain why I believe I would be the right candidate for this job.

I am especially attracted to this role because of the high-profile nature of HMTS’s work and I am keen to develop my career in such a large and complex organisation. As noted in the job listing, HMTS is rolling out a brand-new Office 365 environment for employees and with my four years’ experience working on help desks at large organisations using this technology, I believe I could provide an essential support service to staff getting to grips with the new environment.

I hold a Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate certificate for Office 365 and have extensive experience using help desk ticketing services, experience which would be invaluable in the advertised role. I am a conscientious and friendly help-desk operative and in my current role at North East Utilities received a commendation for my excellent service and speedy problem resolution.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my application – if you would like to discuss my skills and experience further, I would be delighted to answer your questions at interview.

Yours sincerely,

Samir Asaf