A great cover letter explains why you and why this job in a way your resume can’t. Here’s how to write a cover letter that gets read — and helps you get the interview.
Do you still need a cover letter?
Not every employer reads them, but many hiring managers do — especially for competitive roles, small companies and career changers. A short, tailored cover letter is a low-cost way to stand out.
Cover letter structure
- Header: your name and contact information, date, and employer details
- Greeting: use the hiring manager’s name if you can find it (“Dear Ms. Patel”)
- Opening paragraph: the role you want and a compelling hook
- Middle paragraph(s): 2–3 achievements that match the job’s top requirements
- Closing paragraph: enthusiasm, a call to action, and thanks
- Sign-off: “Sincerely” or “Best regards”
How to write a strong opening
Skip “I am writing to apply for…”. Lead with value:
After helping three regional clinics cut patient wait times by 25%, I’m excited to bring the same operational focus to the Practice Manager role at Northside Health.
Cover letter example
Dear Mr. Rivera,
When I saw that Brightline is scaling its cloud platform, I knew my experience migrating 120 workloads to AWS would be a strong match for your Cloud Engineer role.
At Acme Logistics, I designed Terraform modules that cut environment setup time from two days to 40 minutes, and implemented CI/CD pipelines that increased deployment frequency 4x. I also led cost-optimization reviews that reduced monthly AWS spend by 28%.
I’m drawn to Brightline’s focus on reliability and security, and I’d welcome the chance to discuss how I can help your team. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Jordan Lee
Cover letter tips
- Keep it under one page (250–400 words).
- Tailor every letter to the company and role.
- Use keywords from the job description — some ATS systems scan cover letters too.
- Show, don’t tell: use numbers and outcomes.
- Address gaps or career changes briefly and positively.
Cover letters for career changers
Explain your transition in one or two sentences and connect your transferable skills to the role. Pair it with a strong career change resume.
Cover letter opening lines that work
- “Your recent expansion into telehealth caught my attention because I’ve spent five years building virtual care workflows.”
- “When I read that your team needs someone to cut cloud costs without slowing delivery, I knew I had to apply.”
- “After 10 years training teachers, I’m excited to bring my instructional design skills to Acme Learning.”
How to find the hiring manager’s name
Check the job posting, the company’s LinkedIn page for the team leader, or the company website. If you can’t find a name, “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear [Team] Hiring Team” is fine.
Should your cover letter repeat your resume?
No. Pick two or three highlights and add context the resume can’t — why this company, why now, and how your experience solves their specific problems.
Cover letter template you can adapt
[Your Name]
[City, State] · [Phone] · [Email] · [LinkedIn][Date]
[Hiring Manager Name]
[Company Name]Dear [Mr./Ms. Last Name],
Paragraph 1 — Hook and role. Name the position and lead with your strongest, most relevant achievement or a genuine connection to the company’s mission.
Paragraph 2 — Proof. Pick the two or three most important requirements in the job description and show how you’ve delivered on each, with numbers.
Paragraph 3 — Why this company. Show you’ve done your research: a product, initiative, value or recent news that excites you, and how you’d contribute.
Paragraph 4 — Close. Thank them, express enthusiasm and invite next steps.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Three more cover letter examples
Entry-level / recent graduate:
As a recent information systems graduate who built a Power BI dashboard now used weekly by my internship team, I’m excited to apply for the Junior Data Analyst role at Lakeside Retail. In my capstone, I analyzed two years of sales data to identify seasonal demand patterns, and my recommendations were presented to the store’s regional manager. I’m eager to bring my SQL, Excel and visualization skills to your merchandising team.
Career changer (teacher to corporate trainer):
After ten years teaching high school science, I’ve discovered my passion is designing learning that changes how people work. I’ve trained more than 40 new teachers, built a mentoring program adopted district-wide, and recently completed an instructional design certificate. I’d love to bring that experience to Acme’s sales enablement team, where clear, engaging training directly drives revenue.
Senior professional:
Your search for a Director of Cloud Operations caught my attention because I’ve spent the last five years doing exactly what your posting describes: building a platform team, standardizing Infrastructure as Code across 200+ accounts, and cutting cloud spend while improving reliability. I’d welcome the chance to discuss how I can help Brightline scale securely.
Cover letter formatting tips
- Use the same font and header as your resume so they look like a matched set
- Keep margins at about 1 inch and font size 10.5–12 pt
- Save as PDF unless instructed otherwise, named FirstName-LastName-Cover-Letter.pdf
- If applying through a portal with a text box, paste a shortened version without the header
Should you use AI to write your cover letter?
AI tools can help you brainstorm, outline and tighten your writing. But a cover letter that sounds generic defeats the purpose. Use AI for a first draft, then personalize it with your real achievements, the company’s specific details and your own voice. Always check facts — never let a tool invent experience you don’t have.
Cover letter checklist
- Addressed to a specific person if possible
- Mentions the exact job title
- Opens with value, not “I am writing to apply”
- Includes two or three quantified achievements
- Shows genuine knowledge of the company
- Under one page and free of typos
- Ends with a clear, polite call to action
How to address common cover letter situations
Explaining a career change: One or two sentences is enough. “After eight years in hospitality management, I’ve spent the past year building data skills through the Google Data Analytics program and two real-world projects.” Then move straight to how your experience helps the employer.
Explaining an employment gap: Address it briefly and positively if it’s recent and significant. “After taking time to care for a family member, I’m excited to return to full-time work and have refreshed my skills with…” See how to explain an employment gap.
Relocating: Mention it so the employer doesn’t assume you’re applying by mistake. “I’m relocating to Dallas in June and am available for interviews by video until then.”
Applying to an internal position: Reference your current role, your knowledge of the company and the results you’ve already delivered there.
Referred by an employee: Mention it in the first sentence. “Sarah Kim, a senior engineer on your platform team, suggested I apply…” Referrals get attention.
Cover letter dos and don’ts
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Customize for each company | Send the same letter everywhere |
| Lead with value | Start with “My name is…” |
| Use numbers and results | Repeat your resume word for word |
| Keep it under one page | Write more than 400 words |
| Match the company’s tone | Use slang or overly casual language |
| Proofread twice | Misspell the company or manager’s name |
How hiring managers actually read cover letters
Most hiring managers skim. They read the first two sentences, glance at the middle for evidence, and check that the letter is tailored. That’s why your opening line and your strongest achievement matter most. Make both impossible to miss.
Email cover letters
When you apply by email, the email body becomes your cover letter. Keep it shorter — three short paragraphs — and attach your resume.
Subject: Application — Senior Data Analyst (Job #4821) — Jordan Lee
Hi Ms. Patel,
I’m excited to apply for the Senior Data Analyst role. In my current position, I built the Power BI reporting suite our executive team uses weekly and cut reporting time by 60%.
I’d love to bring that experience to Northwind’s growing analytics team. My resume is attached, and I’d welcome the chance to talk.
Best regards,
Jordan Lee · (555) 555-0100 · linkedin.com/in/jordanlee
Cover letter: key takeaways
Here is a quick recap of cover letter to save or share:
- A strong cover letter opens with value, not "I am writing to apply."
- Use a 4-paragraph structure: hook, proof, why this company, close.
- Keep your cover letter under one page and tailored to the role.
- Address career changes or gaps briefly and positively.
For official labor-market data and more career research, see the CareerOneStop (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor) and O*NET OnLine skills and occupation data. Ready to put this into practice? Make sure your resume matches every job you apply for with the HiReXL ATS Resume Optimizer.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a cover letter be?
Usually 250–400 words, or three to four short paragraphs, fitting on one page.
What should a cover letter include?
The role you're applying for, why you're interested, two or three relevant achievements, and a closing call to action.
Is a cover letter necessary?
It's often optional, but a tailored cover letter can help you stand out, especially for competitive roles or career changes.
Make your resume match the job — automatically
The HiReXL ATS Resume Optimizer aligns your resume with any job description’s keywords — truthfully — while keeping your original format and fonts.
