October 5, 2023
When it comes to writing a cover letter, there seem to be a million different ways to do it, and an infinite amount of career “experts” are always willing to give their two cents on the best ways. However, it’s not always wise to follow a template, and if you base your letter too much on what other people think you should write, your letter may not have enough of a personal touch. Hopefully, these tips help narrow down what to put in your cover letter and how to make yourself stand out.
Start with passion
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The esports field is an area that many people are trying to find their way into. Gaming is the new trendy industry that attracts investors, young people, and even seasoned professionals looking to try something new. Because of this, many jobs in the field are highly competitive and require a little bit of extra work for those hoping to get noticed.
You should always start your cover letter with an introduction. Remember, you are writing a letter to another person, trying to establish a connection immediately. You will want to keep this brief, stating your name, your job title, and maybe years of experience in what you do. If you get a chance, check out the hiring manager on LinkedIn to see if you can find some common ground. Think of this like your hook. You want the hiring manager to see this and find you qualified and interesting enough to keep reading, but nothing more. After you have them hooked is when the real work begins.
The start of your cover letter should explain your passion. You do not need to dive right into explaining your experience because, frankly, that is not what makes you the best candidate for the position. Explain why you love gaming and why you want to work for the company. It will help to research their mission and vision and relate your own values to those of the organization to which you are applying. Here is where you really need to convey your passion for the job and show the hiring manager that you will work the hardest out of all of the candidates because the job means so much to you.
Talk yourself up
After you have shown the company your passion, you can start to lean into your experience a bit. This part of the cover letter mustn’t simply be a restatement of what is on your resume – they have already read that, or they will be moving on to that after finishing up with your cover letter. Instead, focus on highlighting the key points of your past experience and explaining the relevance that your previous roles have to the position for which you are applying.
It is important to note that you may not always meet the requirements posted by an employer. However, this should not disqualify you from the position if you play your cards right. If you lack experience, be sure to focus on your strengths. What part-time work have you completed? Have you done any volunteering? Are there any passion projects you have worked on that may be relevant? These things count towards “relevant experience,” even if they may not seem like it. To many employers, it is almost as important, if not more important, to show that you are versatile over showing that you have a particular skill-set.
Skip your education
A mistake many people make is spending too much time talking about their education. Unless your education is relevant, recent, or robust, you can skip it. It is already on your resume; you do not need to harp on it in your cover letter. The exception is if you took relevant coursework that was not a direct part of your degree. For example, if you are applying for a tech job, have a degree in biology but took a sizable amount of coursework in computer science, you should mention this.
For recent graduates, it may seem impossible to forgo including information about education. In this case, it is appropriate to talk about some coursework, but you should spend your time focusing more on what you learned about yourself. Took a class in coding? Talk about how it sparked your passion for technology. Aced your marketing class? Talk about your favorite thing that you learned. Employers can see your education listed on your resume. Typical, they will get a pretty good sense of what you learned just by looking there.
Consider adding information about your hobbies
The gaming industry is unique in that your hobbies may be relevant skills. Many esports organizations look for employees capable in different games, as this shows an extra level of interest and involvement in the industry. Some roles require knowledge of relevant games, such as social media managers, marketing managers, and operations managers. This is not true for all positions but is still worth it.
If you have any experience in content creation such as running your own Twitch or YouTube channels, writing your own gaming blog, or anything else relevant, be sure to include that information as well as a way for the hiring manager to access your content. It does not do you (or your potential employer) any good to say you run a Twitch channel without sending them the link to see what you have done.
End with a compliment and a call to action
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At this point, you have given the hiring manager everything that they need to pick you out of their candidate pool. You should always end your letter with a compliment and a call to action. Tell them that their product or company is fantastic. Let them know (or at least believe) that you appreciate their mission and what they do in the space. If you want the job badly enough, this should be genuine.
Finally, you should add a call to action. Let the employer know what the next steps should be. This can be anything simple, such as saying that you are excited to hear back from them and looking forward to the next steps in the hiring process. Thank them for their time as well.
Armed with these tips, you can’t go wrong when writing a cover letter for the esports industry. Feel free to follow a template from a website somewhere if you choose. It is good to have some structure. However, it is vital to ensure that your communication is not too robotic, stiff, or canned. A quality cover letter is not only relevant but comes from the heart.