How to write a cover letter

Structure, a real example, and how to not sound like everyone else

Most cover letters get skimmed in under thirty seconds, and most of them say the same three things in the same order: "I'm writing to apply for," a restated summary of the attached CV, and "I look forward to hearing from you." None of that gives a recruiter a reason to remember you. This guide covers what actually earns a second look.

Do you even need one?

If an application marks a cover letter as optional, write a short one anyway when you're genuinely enthusiastic about the specific role or need to explain something a CV alone can't (a career change, a gap, relocating for the job). Skip it, or keep it to two lines, when the application is high-volume and generic, or when you have nothing to add beyond what's already on the CV — a weak, padded letter can do more harm than no letter at all.

A structure that works

1. Address it properly. Use the hiring manager's name if the posting gives one; "Dear Hiring Team" is a perfectly fine fallback — avoid "To Whom It May Concern," which reads as dated.
2. Open with something specific — not "I am writing to apply for the position of…". More on this below.
3. One core paragraph connecting your background to this role, anchored in one or two concrete examples rather than a general summary of your CV.
4. A short paragraph on why this company, specifically — something a copy-paste letter couldn't say. This is the part hiring managers actually notice is missing when it's missing.
5. A confident, brief close — state that you'd welcome the chance to discuss it further, and sign off. No apology for taking up their time; you don't need to earn the right to have applied.

The opening line is everything

The first sentence decides whether the rest gets read properly or skimmed. Lead with something concrete — a specific result, a direct connection to the company's work, or a clear statement of what you'd bring — rather than announcing that you're writing a cover letter, which the reader already knows.

Tailor it — briefly, but really

You don't need to rewrite a cover letter from scratch for every application, but the company-specific paragraph should be genuinely specific: something from their recent work, their stated mission, or a problem in the job description you're well placed to solve — not a swapped-out company name in an otherwise identical template. One real, specific sentence here beats three vague, flattering ones.

Mistakes to avoid

• Repeating the CV line-by-line. The cover letter's job is to add context and narrative the CV's bullet points can't carry — not to summarise it.
• Starting with "I am writing to apply for…" The reader already knows why they're holding this letter; use the opening line for something that earns attention instead.
• Over-apologising or over-explaining a gap. A brief, matter-of-fact mention is enough; extended justification reads as more defensive than the gap itself would.
• Generic flattery ("I've always admired your innovative company culture") without anything specific behind it — it reads as filler because it usually is.
• A mismatched tone or template from the CV it's paired with — the two should read as a matching set, not two different applications stapled together.

How long should it be?

Three to four short paragraphs, comfortably fitting one page — long before it needs a second one. If a draft is running longer, it's almost always because it's repeating the CV rather than adding something new; cut back to the parts only the letter can say.

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