How to Write a Cover Letter

A cover letter is the single best opportunity you have to make a hiring manager care about your application before they even look at your resume. Done well, it connects your experience to the specific role, demonstrates genuine interest in the company, and gives the reader a reason to pick up the phone.

This guide walks you through the entire process, from preparation to polish. You will learn how to structure each section, what to include and what to leave out, and how to tailor your letter so it reads like it was written for one job, because it should be. If you want a quick reference on structure, see our cover letter format guide. For ready-to-adapt samples across dozens of industries, visit our cover letter examples library.

What Is a Cover Letter and Why It Still Matters

A cover letter is a one-page document that accompanies your resume and explains why you are a strong candidate for a specific role. While the resume lists what you have done, the cover letter explains why it matters to this employer.

Some candidates skip it, assuming no one reads them. That assumption is risky. Hiring managers regularly report that a strong cover letter influences their decision to interview a candidate, particularly when multiple applicants have similar qualifications. For competitive roles, the cover letter is often the tiebreaker.

Even when a posting marks the cover letter as "optional," submitting one signals effort, interest, and communication skills. Skipping it when other applicants include one puts you at a measurable disadvantage.

Before You Write: Preparation Checklist

The best cover letters are written after research, not before. Spend ten to fifteen minutes on preparation and the writing itself becomes faster and sharper.

• Read the job posting line by line. Highlight the top three to five requirements. These become the backbone of your letter.
• Research the company. Check their website, recent news, and LinkedIn. Look for specific projects, values, or goals you can reference.
• Gather your strongest achievements. Pick two or three accomplishments that directly match the job requirements. Quantify them if possible: revenue generated, time saved, team size managed, problems solved.
• Identify the hiring manager's name. Check the posting, the company's team page, or LinkedIn. A named greeting is always stronger than "Dear Hiring Manager."

For a printable version you can use before every application, see our cover letter checklist.

How to Write a Cover Letter Step by Step

Step 1: Write a Strong Opening

Your first paragraph has about five seconds to earn the reader's attention. Name the role you are applying for, show that you understand what it involves, and give the hiring manager a reason to keep reading.

The most effective openings lead with relevance. Connect a specific qualification or accomplishment to the job rather than starting with a generic statement about being excited to apply.

Weak opening:

"I am writing to express my interest in the open position at your company. I believe I would be a great fit for the role."

Strong opening:

"Your posting for a Regional Sales Manager mentions building a team that can grow the Midwest territory by 30% this year. In my current role at Apex Solutions, I built a six-person sales team from scratch that exceeded a similar target by 12% in its first full year."

The strong version names the role, references a specific goal from the posting, and immediately proves relevance with a measurable result. For a deeper breakdown of opening strategies, including templates you can adapt, read our guide on how to start a cover letter.

Step 2: Show Why You Are the Right Fit

This is where you connect your background to the job requirements you identified during preparation. Pick the two or three most important qualifications from the posting and address each one with a specific example from your experience.

Do not simply restate your resume. Instead, add context that the resume cannot provide: why you chose a particular approach, what the challenge was, or how the result impacted the business.

Structure this as a short paragraph or a set of brief bullet points. Either format works, but every claim should be backed by evidence. "Managed cross-functional teams" is vague. "Led a cross-functional team of eight engineers and designers to deliver a product redesign three weeks ahead of schedule" is specific and verifiable.

Step 3: Prove Your Impact With Specifics

Numbers make your cover letter credible. Hiring managers read dozens of letters that claim leadership, problem-solving, and attention to detail. The candidates who get interviews are the ones who prove it.

Use a simple framework for each achievement:

• Situation: What was the context or challenge?
• Action: What did you do specifically?
• Result: What was the measurable outcome?

You do not need to spell out this framework explicitly in your letter. Just make sure each accomplishment includes all three elements. For example: "When customer churn hit 18% at Brightline SaaS, I redesigned the onboarding workflow and introduced a 30-day check-in sequence. Within two quarters, churn dropped to 11% and annual retention revenue increased by $420K."

One or two examples like this are worth more than five vague claims.

Step 4: Connect to the Company

Generic letters get generic results. Hiring managers can tell immediately when a candidate has swapped out the company name without changing anything else. This paragraph is your chance to prove that you chose this company deliberately.

Reference something specific: a product launch, a company value that aligns with your work style, a recent expansion, or a team initiative you read about. Explain briefly why it matters to you and how your skills connect to it.

This does not need to be long. Two to three sentences that show genuine awareness of the company's direction are enough to separate your letter from the majority of applications.

Step 5: Write a Confident Closing

Your final paragraph should do three things: restate your core value, request a conversation, and thank the reader.

Avoid passive language like "I hope to hear from you." Instead, express confidence and availability: "I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience in supply chain optimization can support your expansion into the Southeast region. I am available for a conversation at your convenience and can be reached at (555) 123-4567 or jsmith@email.com. Thank you for your time."

Keep the closing to three or four sentences. Anything longer dilutes the impact. For more closing strategies and examples, see our full guide on how to end a cover letter.

Step 6: Polish and Proofread

A single typo in a cover letter carries more weight than a typo anywhere else in your application. It signals carelessness in a document that is supposed to demonstrate attention to detail.

Before you submit:

• Read it aloud. Awkward phrasing and run-on sentences become obvious when spoken.
• Check every name. The company name, the hiring manager's name, and the job title must all be correct. Sending a letter addressed to the wrong company is an instant rejection.
• Verify the length. One page maximum. If you are over, cut the weakest paragraph rather than shrinking the font.
• Ask someone else to read it. A fresh pair of eyes catches errors you have become blind to after multiple revisions.
• Confirm the format. PDF is the safest file type unless the posting specifies otherwise. It preserves your formatting across devices.

Full Cover Letter Examples

Below are two complete cover letters you can use as models. Notice how each one follows the step-by-step structure above: a specific opening, evidence of fit, measurable results, company connection, and a confident close.

Marketing Manager (Experienced Professional)

Cover letter for a Marketing Manager position

Tailored for a mid-senior role with specific metrics and company research.

Subject: Application for Marketing Manager — Crestline Brands

Dear Ms. Rivera, Your posting for a Marketing Manager at Crestline Brands describes a role focused on scaling digital acquisition channels while strengthening brand consistency across retail and e-commerce. That is exactly the challenge I have spent the last six years solving at Montague Consumer Goods, and I would welcome the opportunity to bring that experience to your team. At Montague, I manage a $1.4M annual marketing budget and a team of four specialists across paid media, email, and content. Over the past two years, I led a channel diversification strategy that grew our direct-to-consumer revenue by 38% while reducing customer acquisition cost from $42 to $29. I also redesigned our email lifecycle program, increasing repeat purchase rate by 15% within the first six months of launch. What draws me to Crestline specifically is your expansion into the wellness category and the recent rebrand of your flagship line. I have followed the rollout closely and believe my experience managing brand transitions across multiple channels, including a full visual identity refresh at Montague that touched 200+ SKUs, would be directly relevant to maintaining cohesion during this growth phase. Beyond the metrics, I bring a collaborative approach to cross-functional work. I partner closely with product, sales, and creative teams to ensure that marketing strategy aligns with broader business goals rather than operating in a silo. Your emphasis on integrated planning in the job description resonated with how I prefer to work. I would welcome the chance to discuss how my background in digital acquisition and brand management can support Crestline's next stage of growth. I am available at your convenience and can be reached at (555) 412-7890 or jcaldwell@email.com. Thank you for considering my application. Sincerely, Jordan Caldwell

Software Developer (Career Starter)

Cover letter for a Junior Software Developer position

Written for a candidate with internship experience and a recent degree.

Subject: Application for Junior Software Developer — Helix Technologies

Dear Mr. Tanaka, I am applying for the Junior Software Developer position at Helix Technologies. Your focus on building internal tools that streamline operations for mid-market logistics companies aligns closely with the work I did during my internship at RouteWise, where I contributed to a fleet scheduling module used by over 300 drivers daily. During that internship, I worked primarily in Python and React, building front-end components and writing API endpoints for the scheduling dashboard. My main project was a route conflict detection feature that flagged overlapping assignments before dispatch. After launch, the operations team reported a 24% reduction in manual scheduling corrections during the first month. At the University of Michigan, I completed a capstone project in which my team of four built a full-stack inventory management app for a local nonprofit. I handled the database design and backend logic using PostgreSQL and Node.js, and we delivered the project two weeks ahead of the academic deadline. The nonprofit is still using the application today. I am particularly interested in Helix because of your engineering blog posts on event-driven architecture and your commitment to giving junior developers ownership of meaningful features from day one. That environment matches how I learn best: by building, shipping, and iterating with real user feedback. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss how my skills in Python, React, and backend development can contribute to your engineering team. I am available for a conversation at your convenience. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Priya Nair

Cover Letter Dos and Don'ts

Do

• Tailor every letter to the specific job posting and company. Reuse structure, not content.
• Lead with your strongest qualification rather than burying it in the second paragraph.
• Use numbers to quantify accomplishments whenever possible. Percentages, dollar amounts, team sizes, and timelines all work.
• Keep it to one page. 250 to 400 words is the ideal range for most roles.
• Match the tone of the company. A law firm and a startup expect different levels of formality.
• Name the role in your opening sentence so there is no ambiguity about which position you are targeting.

Don't

• Copy your resume into paragraph form. The cover letter should add new context, not repeat bullet points.
• Use cliches like "I am a team player" or "I think outside the box." These phrases are filler.
• Apologize for gaps or weaknesses. If something needs addressing, frame it as a positive transition, not an excuse.
• Write more than one page unless the posting explicitly requests it.
• Send a generic letter with placeholder text like "[Company Name]" still visible.
• Forget to proofread. One typo in a cover letter is more damaging than five typos in a longer document.

How to Adapt Your Cover Letter for Different Situations

The step-by-step framework above applies to every cover letter, but certain situations require additional adjustments.

Career changers need to address the transition directly and lead with transferable skills rather than industry-specific experience. Our career change cover letter guide covers how to frame your background so it reads as an asset rather than a mismatch.

Candidates with no direct experience should focus on relevant coursework, projects, internships, and volunteer work. The key is proving that you can do the job, even if your resume does not show a traditional career path. See our no experience cover letter guide for specific strategies.

Industry-specific letters benefit from tailored language and examples that resonate with hiring norms in that field. For targeted advice, explore pages like the account manager cover letter, the administrative assistant cover letter, the software engineer cover letter, or the nurse cover letter.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a cover letter be?

One page is the standard for nearly all US job applications. Aim for 250 to 400 words. This gives you enough space to introduce yourself, highlight two or three relevant achievements, and close with a call to action. Academic and federal government roles are the main exceptions where a longer format may be expected.

Should I write a cover letter if it is optional?

Yes. When a posting says "optional," it is testing whether you will put in the extra effort. Submitting a tailored cover letter when other candidates skip it gives you a clear advantage. The only situation where skipping might be acceptable is if the application system does not provide a way to upload or paste one.

Can I use the same cover letter for every job?

No. A generic cover letter is easy to spot and signals that you are mass-applying without real interest in the role. You can reuse your overall structure and some core achievement examples, but the opening, the company-specific paragraph, and the job title references must be customized for each application.

How do I address a cover letter with no contact name?

"Dear Hiring Manager" is the safest default. You can also use "Dear [Department] Team" if you know which team is hiring. Avoid outdated salutations like "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear Sir or Madam." Before defaulting, check the job posting, the company website, and LinkedIn to see if you can find the hiring manager's name.

What is the best format for a cover letter?

Use a clean, professional layout: one-inch margins, an 11-point font such as Calibri, Arial, or Georgia, single spacing, and a blank line between paragraphs. Include your contact information at the top, followed by the date and the employer's details. Submit as a PDF unless the posting requests a different file type. For a full breakdown with visual guidance, see our cover letter format guide.

How do I start a cover letter with no experience?

Lead with what you do have: relevant coursework, projects, internships, volunteer work, or transferable skills from other contexts. The key is connecting your background to the specific job requirements rather than apologizing for what you lack. For example, managing a college organization's social media account is real marketing experience. For a detailed walkthrough, read our guide on how to start a cover letter.