Cover letter: structure, a fill-in skeleton and examples

When to send one

Send one whenever the ad asks for it, and usually also when there is an optional field for it: it is a chance to explain what your CV only hints at. It helps most when you are changing field, when you have a gap in your career, or when you meet most of the requirements but not all of them.

If the ad explicitly says not to send a letter, don't. And if the form only has a short "motivation" box, use the logic of this guide in miniature: two or three sentences with one concrete piece of evidence.

The structure, part by part

An effective letter usually fits on less than a page, between 250 and 400 words. It has five parts:

1. Header and greeting. Your name and contact details, the date and, if you know it, the recruiter's name. "Dear Ms Costa" beats "To whom it may concern". Without a name, "Dear Hiring Manager" is fine.
2. Opening (2–3 sentences). The role you are applying for, where you saw it, and one sentence that links your background to the job. Avoid "I am writing to apply for…" as your first line: it is what everyone writes.
3. Evidence (1–2 paragraphs). The two or three most important requirements in the ad, each with an example of your own: what you did, where, and with what result.
4. Why this employer (2–3 sentences). Something specific about the organisation: a project, a service, the way it works. It shows you read about them and didn't send the same letter to twenty companies.
5. Close. Your availability for an interview, a line of thanks and the sign-off ("Kind regards," followed by your name).

A skeleton to fill in

Copy the skeleton, replace everything in square brackets, then delete what doesn't apply. Read it aloud at the end: if a sentence would work for anyone, replace it with one that only works for you.

[Firstname Lastname] · [phone] · [email] · [city]
[Date]

Dear [recruiter's name / Hiring Manager],

I am applying for the [role] position at [company], which I saw on [where]. For the past [n] years I have worked in [field/role], where [your strongest evidence, in one sentence].

The ad asks for [requirement 1]. At [previous employer], I [what I did, with which tool and with what result]. It also asks for [requirement 2]: [another concrete piece of evidence].

[Optional: a requirement I partly meet, stated honestly, and how I am filling the gap.]

I am interested in [company] because [something specific: a project, a service, a value visible in its work]. I would like to contribute to [the goal of the role].

I would be glad to discuss this at an interview at your convenience. Thank you for your time.

Kind regards,
[Firstname Lastname]

Short examples (fictional)

The names, companies and figures in these examples are made up. They show the tone and level of detail; they are not for copying.

What to avoid

• Repeating your CV as prose. A letter picks two or three pieces of evidence and explains them; it doesn't walk through your whole career.
• Sentences that fit anyone: "I am dynamic, proactive and a team player". Replace each adjective with a fact.
• The wrong company name. It happens when a letter is reused. Always re-read the name, the role and the greeting.
• Only talking about what you want. Salary, career and training matter, but the letter should mainly show what you bring to the role.
• Inventing or exaggerating. Anything you write can come up in an interview.

Format and sending

Use the same font and header as your CV, so the two documents look like a set. Send it as a PDF unless the ad asks for another format, with a clear name such as "Firstname-Lastname-Cover-Letter-Role.pdf". If you apply by email, the body of the email can be a short version of the letter (opening, one piece of evidence, close), with the CV and the letter attached.

Write the letter in the ad's language. If you are not at the level the ad asks for in that language, ask someone to check your text: language mistakes weigh more in a letter than in a CV, because the letter is itself a writing sample. Before writing it, it helps to tailor your CV with the method in How to tailor your CV to a job ad: the evidence you choose there is the evidence you will use here.