How to write a cover letter
How to write a cover letter in four short paragraphs: header, greeting, why this job, one proof point, the close. With a full example, the right length, and mistakes to avoid.
A good cover letter is one page, three or four short paragraphs, about 250–400 words. Paragraph one names the job and says why this employer. Paragraph two gives one concrete thing you did that proves you can do the job, with a number if you have one. An optional third paragraph explains anything your resume leaves open. The last one asks for the interview.
The structure, paragraph by paragraph
1. Header
Your name and contact details (email, phone, city, LinkedIn), the date, and the employer’s name and address if you have them. Use the same header as your resume.
2. Greeting
Dear Ms. Okafor, if you can find the hiring manager’s name. Dear Hiring Manager, if you cannot. Skip To Whom It May Concern.
3. Opening: the job and why this employer
Name the role and, if relevant, where you saw it. Then give one specific reason you want this job at this company: a product you use, a problem they are solving, a value they actually show. If the sentence would still be true with another company’s name in it, it is not specific enough.
4. Middle: one proof point
Pick the single achievement from your resume that best matches what the advert asks for, and tell it as a short story: the situation, what you did, and the result, in numbers. One good story beats a list of five adjectives.
5. Optional: anything the resume leaves open
A career change, a gap, a relocation, a referral. One or two sentences, matter-of-fact, then move on.
6. Close: ask for the conversation
Thank them, say you would welcome the chance to talk, and sign off with Sincerely or Kind regards and your name.
A complete example
Dear Ms. Okafor,
I’m applying for the Operations Analyst role at Northwind Logistics. I’ve followed your same-day delivery rollout in the Midwest, and the challenge it creates (routing hundreds of small orders against tight time windows) is exactly the problem I’ve spent the last three years on.
At Cartwright Supply, I rebuilt our depot’s routing spreadsheet into a Python model that assigns orders to drivers by time window and distance. In its first quarter, late deliveries fell from 9% to 3%, and we retired two overtime shifts a week. I’d like to bring the same approach to a network the size of yours.
I’m relocating to Columbus in January, so I’m available to start then and can come in for interviews before that.
Thank you for your time. I’d welcome the chance to talk about how I could help Northwind’s routing team.
Sincerely, Jordan Reyes
That is about 145 words, under the usual range, which is fine when every sentence does a job. It names the job, gives a specific reason, offers one quantified story and handles the relocation.
Length and format
| Recommendation | |
|---|---|
| Length | 250–400 words, one page at most |
| Paragraphs | 3–4, each 2–5 sentences |
| Font | The same as your resume, 10.5–12 pt |
| Margins | 0.75–1 inch |
| File type | PDF, unless the employer asks for Word |
| File name | Firstname-Lastname-Cover-Letter.pdf |
Write it in the Cover Letter Builder
The Cover Letter Builder typesets your letter in the same templates and fonts as the Resume Builder, so the pair matches. It can copy your name and contact details from your resume in one click. It also counts your words as you type and flags the letter once it passes 400. You download a PDF with real, selectable text, and nothing is uploaded.
Cover Letter BuilderWrite a matching cover letter using the same layout engine, so the letter and the resume arrive looking like one document.Write a cover letterMistakes that get letters skipped
- Repeating the resume. The letter is for what the resume cannot say: why this job, and the story behind one result.
- Opening with “My name is…” It is already at the top of the page.
- Generic praise. “Your company is a leader in innovation” could be about anyone.
- Apologizing. “Although I lack experience in…” points the reader at the gap. Lead with what you do bring.
- Going over a page. Shorter letters are more likely to be read in full.
- The wrong company name. If you reuse a letter, search it for the last employer’s name before you send it.
Tools used in this guide
Free, and they run in your browser — nothing is uploaded. See every tool on the Resume Builder page.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a cover letter be?
Three or four short paragraphs, about 250 to 400 words, and never more than one page. Past about 400 words, most hiring managers stop reading closely.
Who should I address a cover letter to?
A named person if you can find one: the hiring manager on the advert, on LinkedIn or on the company's team page. 'Dear Hiring Manager' is fine when you cannot find a name. Avoid 'To Whom It May Concern', which reads as a form letter.
Is a cover letter still necessary in 2026?
Send one when the application allows it, unless the advert says not to. Many recruiters skip them, but the ones who read them use them to decide between similar candidates, and a short, specific letter costs you twenty minutes.
Can I use ChatGPT to write a cover letter?
As a starting draft, yes. As the finished letter, no. AI drafts tend to be generic and full of stock phrases, and hiring managers have learned to spot them. Rewrite it so that every sentence contains something only you could say: a real project, a real number, a real reason for wanting this job.
What should you not put in a cover letter?
Your resume again in paragraph form, salary demands (unless asked), complaints about your current employer, generic flattery of the company, and anything you cannot back up in an interview. Also leave out 'I know I don't have much experience, but…'.
Should the cover letter match my resume?
Yes, in design: the same font, the same header and the same accent color make the pair look professional. In content, it should add to your resume, not repeat it: the why and the one story the resume has no room for.