How to write a cover letter

A cover letter has one job: give the reader a reason to read your CV closely. It is not a second copy of your CV in paragraph form, and it does not need to be long to work.

Do you actually need one?

If the job ad asks for a cover letter, write one - skipping it reads as not following instructions. If it doesn't mention one, a short cover letter (or a few lines in the body of your application email) still helps for roles you care about, especially if your CV alone doesn't make the connection to this specific job obvious. For a fast, high-volume application through a job board, it matters less.

The structure

Four short paragraphs is enough for almost any application.

1. Opening

Say which role you are applying for and, in one sentence, why. Skip "I am writing to apply for..." - the reader already knows that from the subject line or the form. Get to something specific instead: "Your listing for a Payroll Officer caught my attention because of the move to a new HRIS - I led a similar migration at my current employer."

2. Why this role, why this employer

Show you read the ad and know something real about the organisation - a product, a value, a project, a market they're in. One or two sentences. Avoid generic lines that could apply to any company, such as "I have always admired your innovative culture."

3. The evidence

Pick two or three things from your CV that most directly answer what the ad asks for, and say a little more about them than your CV bullet points allow - the context, the decision you made, or why it mattered. This is the paragraph most worth tailoring per application. Don't just restate your CV; add something it doesn't already say.

4. Closing

One line restating your interest, and what you'd like to happen next - a conversation, an interview. Thank them for their time.

Length and format

• One page, well short of full. Three-quarters of a page is a good target. Longer than one page and most readers won't finish it.
• Address a person if you can find a name - a hiring manager or recruiter's name on the job ad or LinkedIn. "Dear Hiring Manager" is a fine fallback when you can't.
• Same font and header style as your CV. The two documents are read together; matching them looks deliberate.
• Export as PDF for the same reason your CV should be a PDF: it looks the same everywhere and keeps real, searchable text. Name the file consistently with your CV, such as "Jordan_Avery_Cover_Letter.pdf".

Common mistakes

• Sending the same letter to every employer. A cover letter with the wrong company name, or no reference to the actual role, tells the reader you didn't customise it - worse than sending none.
• Repeating the CV line by line. If it adds nothing your CV doesn't already say, it isn't earning its place.
• Focusing on what you want rather than what you offer. "This role would be a great next step for my career" is about you; "here is what I'd bring to this role" is about them - and it's what the reader is actually deciding on.
• Opening with your name and address like a formal letter template. Modern applications rarely need this; it just pushes the actual content further down the page.

No cover letter requested? Send a short note anyway

When you're applying by email or through a simple form with no cover letter field, two or three sentences in the body of the message does the same job as the opening paragraph above: the role, why you, and that your CV is attached. It costs little and stops your application from arriving as a bare attachment.