How to Write a Cover Letter (with Example)

Not every application asks for one, and some recruiters skip them. But when a posting requests a cover letter, or offers an optional field for one, a short, specific letter can set you apart, especially if you are changing careers, explaining a gap, relocating or applying to a small company where the hiring manager reads everything.

If the posting says a cover letter is required, sending one is not optional. If it says nothing, a brief letter rarely hurts and sometimes helps.

1. Header: your name and contact details, the date, and the employer’s name and address (or just the company name if you are submitting online).
2. Greeting: “Dear Ms. Patel,” if you know the name. If you can’t find it, “Dear Hiring Manager,” is perfectly acceptable. Avoid “To Whom It May Concern”.
3. Opening paragraph: the job you are applying for and why it interests you, in two or three sentences.
4. Middle paragraph or two: one or two concrete examples from your experience that match the most important requirements.
5. Closing paragraph: a short summary of what you offer, your availability and a request for an interview.
6. Sign-off: “Sincerely,” or “Best regards,” followed by your full name.

In the UK and Ireland, it is often called a covering letter, and the traditional sign-off is “Yours sincerely” when you know the name and “Yours faithfully” when you don’t.

The first lines decide whether the rest gets read. Skip the generic opening and go straight to the job and a specific reason.

Notice the pattern: the role, a specific reason, two concrete examples tied to the posting and a clear request. Replace every detail with your own. A letter that could be sent to any company convinces no one.

• Repeating your resume line by line. The letter should add context: why this job, why now, what you would bring.
• Writing more than one page. Three or four short paragraphs are enough.
• Focusing on what you want from the job instead of what you can do for the employer.
• Getting the company name or job title wrong after copying from another letter. Check both before you send.
• Apologizing for missing requirements. Focus on what you do offer.

Save the letter as a PDF named with your name and the role, such as “Maria-Gonzalez-Cover-Letter.pdf”, and use the same font as your resume so they look like a set.

You don’t need to write every letter from scratch. Keep a base letter with your strongest examples and adapt three things for each application:

1. The opening: name the exact job title and give one reason that is specific to this employer, such as a product you use, a project they announced or the way they describe their team.
2. The examples: read the posting, pick the two requirements that matter most and choose the stories from your experience that prove them.
3. The closing: mention the company by name and say what you would like to do next, usually an interview.

If you are changing careers, returning after a break or relocating, the cover letter is the right place to say so briefly and positively. One or two sentences are enough: what you did, why you are making the move and what you bring from your previous work. There is no need to apologize or go into personal details.