How to write a cover letter that gives a clear reason to interview you

How to write a cover letter: decide what it needs to add

Before you think about how to write a cover letter, read the application instructions. Submit a letter if required; do not add one where the employer explicitly asks you not to. When optional, a letter is most useful if you can explain a relevant transition, a specific motivation, or evidence that would otherwise be easy to miss. A generic extra page is not automatically helpful.

Choose one message before drafting: why your experience prepares you for this particular work. Harvard’s career center treats the letter as a writing sample and recommends a concise, factual letter of no more than one page, tailored to the organization and supported with examples. MIT’s career office adds that it should show your interest is genuine and specific.

• Identify the role’s central problem or responsibility.
• Choose one or two examples that connect directly to it.
• Leave salary expectations, personal history and references out unless requested or genuinely needed.

Cover letter format: length, header, greeting and layout

Keep the letter to one page, usually 250 to 400 words in three or four paragraphs. MIT’s guidance suggests a font size between 10 and 12 points, and Harvard recommends using the same font as your resume so the two documents look like a set. Put your name and contact details at the top, followed by the date and, if you know them, the employer’s name and address.

Address a verified hiring contact by name if you can find one without intrusive research, for example from the posting or the company’s own team page. Otherwise use a neutral greeting such as “Dear Hiring Team” or “Dear [Department] Hiring Committee”. Do not guess a person’s name, title or gender. If the posting has a reference or requisition number, include it in the first paragraph so HR can match your letter to the role.

Find a specific, supportable reason for applying

Use the employer’s own job description, product information or public program pages to understand the work. A useful reason identifies what you want to contribute to, not just that the organization is prestigious or innovative. Check that any project or initiative you mention still exists.

Twenty minutes of focused research is usually enough: read the full posting, the organization’s about page, and one recent public update about the team or service you would join. Note one concrete connection between what they do and what you have done.

• Name the correct position and employer in the opening.
• Connect an observed feature of the role to your experience or interests.
• Avoid claiming personal familiarity with a product or service you have never used.

What to say in each paragraph of a cover letter

Opening: state the role, and give a focused reason for your interest plus a one-line preview of what you bring. If someone referred you and agreed to be named, mention them here. Purdue’s business career office suggests a transition sentence that points to what qualifies you for the role.

Middle: explain one relevant situation, your contribution, and how it prepares you for the advertised work. Purdue advises against merely reciting your resume and recommends emphasizing what you can contribute rather than what you will gain. A second short example is fine if it proves a different requirement.

Close: restate your interest in one sentence, thank the reader, and say you would welcome a conversation. Include your email and phone in the signature if they are not already in the header.

• Use plain language and concrete actions instead of enthusiastic adjectives alone.
• Mention a result only when it is known and attributable to you or your team.
• Keep the same dates, tools and scope as the resume.

A complete cover letter example

The example below uses a fictional employer, role and applicant. It assumes the fictional posting emphasizes clear customer guidance and accurate records. Replace the scenario with your own evidence rather than sending the example unchanged; the cover letter examples collection shows letters for other situations such as referrals, internal moves and experienced hires.

Notice that the project is identified as volunteer work, the tool is named, and the letter explains relevance without inventing a business outcome. The applicant does not claim professional support experience they do not have.

How to address a career change, gap or missing requirement

If you are changing fields, make the bridge explicit: what you have done, which skill transfers, and what you are still learning. MIT’s career office gives the same advice for applicants whose training has no obvious link to the field. Your resume should support the same story; see the career change resume guide.

If explaining a gap is helpful, keep it to one or two sentences and focus on readiness for the role. You do not need to volunteer sensitive medical or family details; the employment gap guide has wording you can adapt.

Do not apologize for lacking every preferred qualification. Show the relevant evidence you do have, and answer mandatory qualification questions honestly. If the role legally requires a credential you lack, persuasive wording does not remove that requirement.

• Describe current training accurately, including whether it is unfinished.
• Avoid promising relocation or availability you cannot provide.
• Keep any explanation proportionate so it does not displace the strongest evidence.

Cover letter mistakes to fix before you send

Most weak letters fail in predictable ways. Purdue’s business career office lists showing no knowledge of the company, addressing the wrong person or company, errors, self-centered focus, repeating the resume, and being too short or too long among the top blunders. Each has a quick fix.

• Wrong company name left from a previous letter: search the draft for every employer name before sending.
• Opening with your name or life story: open with the role and your reason instead; your name is in the signature.
• A paragraph per job on your resume: pick one example and explain why it matters for this role.
• “I” at the start of every sentence: vary the structure and focus on the employer’s needs.
• Vague praise such as “your innovative company”: replace it with one specific, verifiable detail.

Adapt the format to the submission channel

If the employer requests an attachment, use the accepted file type and check the exported layout. If it requests text in a form, paste plain text, preserve paragraph breaks and inspect the field for truncation. If you are applying by email, the email body can serve as the letter unless another format is specified; use a clear subject line with the role title.

Proofread the employer name, role title, contact details and factual claims after every reuse. An editing tool can help shorten a draft, but you remain responsible for the voice and truth of the final text. Make sure the letter and the resume you are sending tell the same story.

• Remove placeholder names, brackets and template notes.
• Check the attachment is the version for this employer.
• Read the letter aloud to catch vague language and awkward repetition.