Embarking on your job hunt as a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), you've hit an unexpected snag: writing a cover letter that complements, not duplicates, your resume. Understanding that this one-page pitch should highlight a proud professional moment through a compelling narrative—not a laundry list of skills—can be tricky. Moreover, striking the right tone, formal yet original and free of worn-out phrases, is crucial to stand out. Let's navigate through these common challenges and craft a cover letter that captures your unique story.
- Write a lvn cover letter that helps you stand out (and get the job);
- Understand how to start and end your lvn cover letter with the appropriate greeting;
- What to include in the body of your lvn cover letter to put your best foot forward;
- Your most important achievements - how to present them as part of your lvn cover letter.
And if you want to make your life even easier, simply drag and drop your lvn resume into Enhancv's AI cover letter generator, and it will write your cover letter for you in just a few moments.
If the lvn isn't exactly the one you're looking for we have a plethora of cover letter examples for jobs like this one:
- LVN resume guide and example
- Medical Receptionist cover letter example
- Pediatric Dental Assistant cover letter example
- Hospital Pharmacist cover letter example
- Caregiver cover letter example
- Nurse cover letter example
- Optometry cover letter example
- Babysitter cover letter example
- Dental Hygienist cover letter example
- Staff Nurse cover letter example
- CVS Pharmacy Technician cover letter example
LVN cover letter example
Sophie Martin
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
+1-(234)-555-1234
help@enhancv.com
- Emphasizing relevant experience, such as the tenure at Penn Medicine, showcases career-long expertise and signifies a high level of competency in the field.
- Highlighting key achievements, such as improving prescription ordering procedures and reducing non-compliance with regulations, demonstrates quantifiable success and a result-oriented mindset.
- Expressing a commitment to health and safety by referencing adherence to OSHA and HIPAA regulations underlines the candidate's knowledge of critical industry standards.
- Customizing the closing paragraph to align with the organization’s mission of compassionate patient care suggests that the candidate's personal values align with those of the prospective employer.
Five tips on formatting your lvn cover letter
Do you want to make a good impression on recruiters and, at the same time, follow the best industry advice on writing your lvn cover letter?
Make sure to include the following:
- Header and Salutation;
- Introductory paragraph;
- Body paragraph;
- Closing paragraph;
- Signature (this one is up to you).
Remember to use the same modern, simple font for your lvn cover letter as you did for your resume (e.g. Lato, Rubik, etc.)
Ensure your lvn cover letter is single-spaced and is wrapped around a one-inch margin, like in our cover letter templates.
Once completed, use our cover letter builder to export your lvn cover letter in the best format to keep your information intact - PDF.
At the end of the day, your lvn cover letter won't be assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) software, but by the recruiters. Your information should thus be legible, organized, and follow a structured logic.
The top sections on a lvn cover letter
- Header: This includes your name, address, contact information, and the date, which is essential for the employer to know who you are and how to contact you for an interview.
- Greeting: A personalized greeting addresses the hiring manager or the nursing recruitment team directly, showing that you have done your homework and are genuinely interested in the position.
- Introduction: Your introduction should immediately convey your enthusiasm for the Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) role and briefly mention your relevant experience and credentials that make you a suitable candidate.
- Body: This section expands on your qualifications, including specific nursing skills, experiences in patient care, and any specialized training relevant to the LVN position, demonstrating how you can contribute to the healthcare team.
- Closing: Your closing paragraph should reiterate your interest in the role, invite the recruiter to review your attached resume, and suggest a follow-up action, such as a meeting or an interview, expressing your readiness to further discuss how you can be an asset to their institution.
Key qualities recruiters search for in a candidate’s cover letter
- Clinical skills proficiency: Demonstrating hands-on experience with patient care, such as administering medications, wound care, and monitoring vitals, as these are core responsibilities of an LVN.
- Compassionate patient care: Highlighting empathy and the ability to provide comfort to patients, which is essential in fostering a healing environment.
- Strong communication skills: The ability to effectively communicate with patients, families, and the healthcare team is crucial for coordinating care and ensuring that patient needs are met.
- Detail-oriented: Paying close attention to detail to ensure accurate medical record-keeping and adherence to healthcare protocols, reducing the risk of errors.
- Time management and prioritization: Demonstrating the ability to effectively manage a caseload and prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment, ensuring that critical patient care needs are met.
- Teamwork and collaboration: Showing a proven ability to work well within interdisciplinary healthcare teams, as LVNs often collaborate with registered nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive patient care.
What matters most when tailoring your lvn cover letter salutation
Your lvn cover letter greeting should feel welcoming to recruiters.
Use their first name (e.g. "Dear Marshall" or "Dear Sara"), if you've previously been in touch with the hiring manager and are on a more friendly basis.
If this is the first time you're contacting the recruiters, start your lvn cover letter with:
- their last name (e.g. "Dear Ms. Ali" or "Dear Mr. Stevens") - look up who's the hiring manager for the role on social media or the company website;
- generalized greeting (e.g. "Dear HR Team") - just don't use "To whom it may concern" or "Dear Sir/Madam".
List of salutations you can use
- Dear Hiring Manager,
- Dear [Specific Department] Team,
- Dear [Company Name] Recruiter,
- Dear Dr./Mr./Ms. [Last Name],
- Dear [Job Title] Search Committee,
- Dear Human Resources Director,
What to include in those first two sentences, or your lvn cover letter introduction
Have you ever wondered what the best way is to present your profile in the lvn cover letter introduction?
There's no right or wrong answer if you're being concise and authentic to yourself.
Some professionals start their lvn cover letter by:
- congratulating the company - focusing on something impressive, whether that's an award, an industry-leading project, or a key event;
- aligning their passion for the field or industry with the job - if you're enthusiastic about what you do, you'd thus grow your skill set and value as a professional.
The middle or body of your lvn cover letter body: a great instrument to tell a story
Now that you've set the right tone with the greeting and introduction of your lvn cover letter, it's time to get down to business.
Hear us out, the body of your lvn cover letter is the best storytelling instrument you have, in your job-hunting arsenal.
Writing the next three to six paragraphs, take the time to reassess the advert to discover job-crucial requirements.
Next, choose one accomplishment that covers those key skills and talents.
Use precisely that achievement to tell an exciting story of how you match the ideal candidate profile.
In the undertones of your story or lvn cover letter body, hint at the difference you'd make and sell your application as the perfect one for the job.
Closing remarks to end your lvn cover letter
Of course, you'll have to show gratitude to the recruiters, who have assessed your profile at the end of your lvn cover letter .
A "Thank you for the consideration" would work wonders, instead of the standard "Sincerely yours".
Do you want to make an even better impression?
Close off your lvn cover letter by promising how you see yourself excelling in the role and the positive impact you'd bring about.
A sentence that encourages some further action on the recruiter's end could also be a good way to close off the communication (e.g. provide your availability for an interview).
Lacking experience: here's how to write your lvn cover letter
As a candidate with no experience, it's important to be honest from the get-go of your application.
Use your lvn cover letter to sell your unique talents. Choose an accomplishment from your academic background or your volunteer work to show the skills that are relevant to the role.
Focus on your career objectives and how you see the job to align with them. Be specific and, at the same time, realistic about where you picture yourself in five years.
Key takeaways
Writing your lvn cover letter doesn't need to turn into an endless quest, but instead:
- Create an individual lvn cover letter for each role you apply to, based on job criteria (use our builder to transform your resume into a cover letter, which you could edit to match the job);
- Stick with the same font you've used in your resume (e.g. Raleway) and ensure your lvn cover letter is single-spaced and has a one-inch margin all around;
- Introduce your enthusiasm for the role or the company at the beginning of your lvn cover letter to make a good first impression;
- Align what matters most to the company by selecting just one achievement from your experience, that has taught you valuable skills and knowledge for the job;
- End your lvn cover letter like any good story - with a promise for greatness or follow-up for an interview.
