How to Write a Cover Letter in 2023 (+ Tips & Examples)

So you need to write a cover letter. Where do you start? How long should it be? Do yourself a favor: follow our guide
on making the best cover letter the recruiter has ever seen.

How long should a cover letter be? Aim at 2–4 paragraphs within one page.

Let’s find out how to do it.

How to Write a Cover Letter

To write a good cover letter, start with a usual business letter style. Add your contact info along with the employer's
information. If possible, directly address the hiring manager and, within a range of 200-400 words, elaborate on your
unique accomplishments, skills, and professional background that makes you the ideal candidate for the job.

Let’s now move on to detailed instructions on how to write a successful cover letter:

1. Start With a Header

A professional cover letter opens with a header. Ideally, your cover letter header should be the same as in your
resume (for consistency), so feel free to use the same template.

If you prefer to write the header of your cover letter from scratch, include the following contact information:

 Full name
 Job title
 Phone number
 Email address

2. Address the Reader

address your cover letter directly to the hiring manager like so:

 Dear Katherine,
 Dear Ms. Smith,
 Dear Mr. McConnor,
If you can’t find the name by any means possible, opt for “Dear Hiring Manager.” Avoid starting your cover letter
with “To Whom It May Concern” . And if you’re not living in Victorian England, don’t start a cover letter with “Dear Sir
or Madam,” either.

Follow this template to make sure you include everything:

[Location, MM/DD/YYYY]

[Hiring Manager’s or Recruiter’s Name]

[Hiring Manager’s or Recruiter’s Job Title]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]

Dear [Ms./Mr.] ...

Pro Tip: Wondering whether you should use the hiring manager’s first or last name? That depends on the company
culture. Use the first name if you’re applying to a relaxed, casual company. For corporate cover letters, it’s safer to use
the addressee's last name.

3. Make a Proper Introduction

Here’s the brutal truth: these few sentences at the beginning of your cover letter will determine whether the hiring
manager will read on. So you need to start your cover letter in a way that attracts and holds the reader’s interest.

Here are several proven strategies for starting your cover letter:

 Highlight your achievements.

 Display your passion and enthusiasm.
 Drop names.

Have a look at this sample cover letter opening paragraph:

RIGHT
As a lifelong enthusiast of XYZ’s marketing initiatives, I was thrilled to see your posting for the
position of Digital Marketing Manager. I am positive I can help with XYZ’s upcoming challenges. I
have experience with leading successful national online campaigns with budgets over $300,000.
Moreover, I have expanded ABC’s client base by 19% since 2018.

4. Explain Why You’re the Perfect Fit

The second paragraph (main body) of your cover letter has a couple of jobs to perform:

1. Give the hiring manager what they’re looking for.

2. Show that you’ll satisfy the company’s specific needs.

RIGHT EXAMPLE
In my current position at ABC, I have supervised all phases of our online marketing initiatives, both
technical and creative (1). Last year, my key challenge was to design and optimize nine product
websites for XYZ’s most strategic products, improve our SEO results, and enhance the UX (2). Here
RIGHT EXAMPLE
we are a year later:

 Eight of the nine websites I optimized have achieved and secured their spot in the top 3
results on Google. These are organic, non-paid results for 10+ key search terms.
 The incoming search engine traffic to all nine websites comprises 47% of the total organic
traffic for key terms and phrases.
Your go-to strategy on what your cover letter should say in the main body:

 In the first sentence, prove you’re an expert in your field (refrain from bragging too much).
 The remaining part should be all about how your previous experiences will help your future employer press
ahead with their plans.

Pro Tip:A cover letter also is a great place to explain gaps in your employment, if you have any.

Find achievements from the failed business that fit

the current job.

I finally understood I wanted to …. .

… was the perfect next step.
(Two years) later, I (graduated with a writing
degree).

“I had an illness, but I’m 100% recovered with no

chance of a relapse.”

5.Show Your Motivation to Join the Company

The key to writing a perfect third paragraph of your cover letter is showing the hiring manager why you
want this job, not just any job. That’s particularly important for entry-level candidates—enthusiasm and passion help
prove you'll hit the ground running.

Have a look at these cover letter examples:

RIGHT
I know that XYZ’s current plans involve developing a comprehensive online portal focused on
healthcare-related issues. This project perfectly matches my personal and professional interests and
is an exciting opportunity to create a unique online knowledge base for patients and healthcare
professionals. I would love to leverage my knowledge of SEO marketing and online growth marketing
to achieve groundbreaking results with this initiative.

6. Close With a Promise

How to make the best cover letter ending? By providing value.

Tell the hiring manager that you’re looking forward to meeting in person and discussing how your experience and
knowledge can help your future employer fulfill their goals. Like here:
RIGHT
I would welcome the chance to discuss your digital marketing objectives and show you how my
success at ABC can translate into digital and online marketing growth for XYZ.

7. Stay Formal in the Closing Salutation

If you’re not a fan of the well-worn “Sincerely,” feel free to use any of the following:

 Thank you,
 Best regards,
 Kind regards,
 Respectfully yours,
 With best regards,

8. Add a Postscript

Use the postscript when creating a cover letter to tell the hiring manager about something impressive about your
career, even if it’s not strictly related to the job opening. And say you’d be happy to provide them with more details if
they find it interesting.
RIGHT
P.S.—I would also value the opportunity to show you how my e-detailing solutions grew the combined
sales of three ABC flagship products by a record-breaking 13% in one year.

9. Double-Check the Formatting

Here’s everything you need to know about how to format your cover letter:

 Choose a legible cover letter font like Arial or Garamond, and keep it between 10 and 12 points in font size.
 Set even margins on all sides—1-inch margins should be perfect.
 Left-align all your contents.
 Use double cover letter spacing between paragraphs and 1–1.15 between lines.
 Title your cover letter by JobTitle—CoverLetter—YourName.
 Let your cover letter layout stay intact en route to the recruiter by saving the file in PDF.

Vocab more examples:

First paragraph
I am writing in response to your advertisement in the Sunday Times, dated 28 April 2012.
Please accept this letter as an expression of my interest in the position of…
A copy of my résumé has been enclosed for your review.
I would like to express my interest in the position of….
I am writing to express my interest in the …. position at … (company name).
As a recent graduate with …. experience, I believe I am a strong candidate for a position at … (company
name).
Although I am a recent university graduate, my .… (skill) and …. (skill) will make me an excellent ….

Second paragraph
As seen from my enclosed résumé, my experience and accomplishments match the requirements of this
position.
I would like to point out …. (information relevant to the position).
During my two years with … (company name), I initiated extensive improvements that resulted in garnering
30 more clients for the period ending ….
I possess the right combination of …. skills to be an asset to your organisation.
I understand the value of ….
I have a very strong interest in .…
Experience has taught me how to .…
For the past two years I have been working as …. at …. (company name).

Third paragraph
I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how my qualifications make me ideally suited
to the position.
I would appreciate the opportunity to meet and speak with you in person.
I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss my potential contributions to your company.
I believe that my skill-set perfectly matches your requirements.
I look forward to hearing from you.
I look forward to your response.
If I may, I will contact you next week to discuss ….
I would be interested in learning more about ….
I look forward to speaking with you about….
Thank you for your time and consideration.
My CV contains additional information on ….
It would be an honour to star t my career with your company, and I am confident that I will be an
asset to the business.

Check examples here! https://resumegenius.com/cover-letter-examples