Embarking on the job hunt, you've likely stumbled upon the need for a stellar accounts payable clerk cover letter—a daunting task, especially when you're eager to stand out. A common mistake is to echo your resume; instead, your cover letter should illuminate a singular, impressive achievement, weaving a narrative that showcases your professional prowess. Keep it succinct, avoid tired phrases, and aim for one impactful page that encapsulates why you're the exceptional choice for the role.
- Including all the must-have paragraphs in your structure for an excellent first impression;
- Learning how to write individual sections from industry-leading cover letter examples;
- Selecting the best accomplishment to tell an interesting and authority-building professional story;
- Introducing your profile with personality, while meeting industry standards.
And, if you want to save some time, drag and drop your accounts payable clerk resume into Enhancv's AI, which will assess your profile and write your job-winning cover letter for you.
If the accounts payable clerk isn't exactly the one you're looking for we have a plethora of cover letter examples for jobs like this one:
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Accounts Payable Clerk cover letter example
VANESSA FORD
Dallas, Texas
+1-(234)-555-1234
help@enhancv.com
- Emphasizing relevant experience: Mentioning the current role at Vanguard Group and describing a specific project shows practical experience in accounts payable, which is pertinent to the role applied for.
- Quantifying achievements: Highlighting the processing and accurate recording of transactions exceeding $750,000 annually demonstrates the candidate's capability to handle significant financial responsibilities.
- Illustrating process improvement: The example of optimizing vendor payment workflows that resulted in cost savings and reduced discrepancies portrays the candidate as someone who can actively improve financial systems.
Five tips on formatting your accounts payable clerk 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 accounts payable clerk 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 accounts payable clerk cover letter as you did for your resume (e.g. Lato, Rubik, etc.)
Ensure your accounts payable clerk 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 accounts payable clerk cover letter in the best format to keep your information intact - PDF.
At the end of the day, your accounts payable clerk 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 accounts payable clerk cover letter
- Header: This includes the applicant's contact information, the date, and the employer's contact details, establishing professionalism and making it easy for the hiring manager to know who the letter is from and how to respond.
- Greeting: A personalized salutation addressing the hiring manager by name demonstrates the applicant’s attention to detail and the effort put into researching the company.
- Introduction: This section should grab the recruiter's attention with a brief mention of the applicant's enthusiasm for the role and an overview of their qualifications specific to accounts payable, such as experience with invoicing and payment processing.
- Professional Experience and Skills: A detailed account of the candidate's relevant work history, emphasizing their competency in managing accounts payable functions, proficiency with accounting software, and a track record of improving payment processes or vendor relations.
- Closing and Call to Action: This final section should reaffirm the applicant's interest in the position, thank the recruiter for considering their application, and include a proactive statement indicating the desire for a personal interview to discuss how they can contribute to the financial team.
Key qualities recruiters search for in a candidate’s cover letter
- Attention to Detail: Essential for accurately processing invoices, catching discrepancies, and ensuring proper payment.
- Time Management Skills: To handle multiple tasks efficiently and meet payment deadlines.
- Familiarity with Accounting Software: Knowledge of platforms like QuickBooks or SAP for managing accounts payable transactions.
- Strong Numerical Proficiency: Critical for managing and reconciling financial records accurately.
- Effective Communication: To liaise with vendors and internal departments, resolving payment issues, and maintaining professional relationships.
- Problem-Solving Abilities: Essential for addressing payment disputes, finding solutions to discrepancies, and improving payment processes.
The accounts payable clerk cover letter salutation: how to address hiring managers
After covering the format of your accounts payable clerk cover letter, let's look at the salutation.
Back in the day, the cordial "To whom it may concern" or "Dear Sir/Madam", might have worked out fine.
But, nowadays, your cover letter should approach hiring managers on a more personal basis.
So, what to do about your cover letter salutation?
If you've messaged the recruiters and are on a first name basis or a more formal one, use the hiring manager's name in the greeting (e.g. "Dear Sophie," "Dear Ms. Givens", or "Dear Mr. Everett,").
Always aim to make the effort to find out the name of the hiring manager, who'd be assessing your application. Search on LinkedIn, double-check the advert on the corporate website, or message the brand on social media to find out more about the role.
If you can't find the hiring manager's name (and still want to sound professional), use "Dear HR Team,", "Dear Hiring Manager,", or the likes.
List of salutations you can use
- Dear Hiring Manager,
- Dear [Company Name] Team,
- Dear [Recipient's Name],
- Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name],
- Good Day [Recipient's Name],
- Dear Accounts Payable Supervisor,
Get creative with your accounts payable clerk cover letter introduction
Recruiters are going to assess plenty of candidate profiles for the role. Thus, anything you do to stand out will win you brownie points.
Use your accounts payable clerk cover letter introduction to share something memorable about your experience.
But before you go down the rabbit hole of creativity and humor, align your message with the company culture.
For example, if you are applying for a role in some startup, use those first two sentences to tell a funny story (about your experience) to quickly connect with the recruiter.
Structuring your accounts payable clerk cover letter body to add more value
You've hinted at your value as a professional (this may be your passion for the job or interest in the company) in your introduction.
Next, it's time to pan out the body or middle of your accounts payable clerk cover letter.
When creating your resume, you've probably gone over the advert a million times to select the most relevant skills.
Well, it's time to repeat this activity. Or just copy and paste your previous list of job-crucial requirements.
Then, select one of your past accomplishments, which is relevant and would impress hiring managers.
Write between three and six paragraphs to focus on the value your professional achievement would bring to your potential, new organization.
Tell a story around your success that ultimately shows off your real value as a professional.
Two ideas on how to end the final paragraph of your accounts payable clerk cover letter
Closing your accounts payable clerk cover letter, you want to leave a memorable impression on recruiters, that you're a responsible professional.
End your cover letter with how you envision your growth, as part of the company. Make realistic promises on what you plan to achieve, potentially, in the next six months to a year.
Before your signature, you could also signal hiring managers that you're available for the next steps. Or, a follow-up call, during which you could further clarify your experience or professional value.
What could you write about in your accounts payable clerk cover letter when you have no experience
Candidates with zero professional experience often struggle to write their accounts payable clerk cover letter.
You may lack experience, but your application could still be impressive when you focus on your strengths.
Consider your most relevant talents (and/or one achievement) that align with the role and help you stand out.
Perhaps you spent every summer volunteering at your local dog pound - think of the job-relevant skills this experience taught you.
Sharing your tangible career goals is another good strategy to stand out.
Key takeaways
Turning your accounts payable clerk cover letter into a success is all about staying authentic to yourself and relevant to the job:
- Be creative with your accounts payable clerk cover letter introduction by stating something you enjoy about the company (that is genuine) or about your skill set (to get the recruiters' interested);
- Use single spacing and have a one-inch margin wrapping all around the content of your accounts payable clerk cover letter;
- Select just one past achievement from your career or life to tell a story of how you've obtained job-crucial skills and how they'd be beneficial to the role;
- The finishing paragraph of your accounts payable clerk cover letter doesn't necessarily have to be a signature but could be a promise of what you plan to achieve in the role;
- Instead of focusing on your lack of experience, spotlight your transferable skills, one relevant achievement, and career dreams.
