US Trends

what to write on a cover letter for a job

You’ll want your cover letter to tell a short, focused story about why you’re the right person for this specific job, not just to repeat your resume.

Quick Scoop: What To Put In

Think of your cover letter as six simple parts.

  1. Header
  2. Greeting
  3. Opening paragraph (hook)
  4. Body (1–2 short paragraphs)
  5. Closing paragraph
  6. Sign‑off and name

1. Header: The Basics Up Top

Your header should look like a simple, professional letter heading.

Include:

  • Your full name and job title you’re targeting (e.g., “Software Engineer”).
  • Phone number and professional email.
  • City/region (you can usually skip full address).
  • Optional: LinkedIn or portfolio link.
  • Date.
  • Hiring manager’s name, title, company, and company location (if known).

2. Greeting: Start Like A Human

Whenever possible, avoid “To whom it may concern.”

Use:

  • “Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],” if you can find it.
  • If not, “Dear Hiring Manager,” or “Dear [Team Name] Team,” (e.g., “Dear Marketing Team,”).

This tiny detail already makes you seem more thoughtful and targeted.

3. Opening Paragraph: Hook Them Fast

Your opening should do three things in 3–4 lines.

Include:

  • The exact job title.
  • How you found the role (referral, job board, company site).
  • A quick hook that connects your experience or achievement to the role.

Example of a weak vs strong opening:

Weak: “I am writing to apply for the Marketing Manager position I saw posted on your website.”

Strong: “When I led my team to increase conversion rates by 40% using the same customer‑centric strategy your company is known for, I knew I wanted to bring that experience to your Marketing Manager role.”

Aim for something closer to the strong version: specific, energetic, and tied to their world.

4. Body Paragraphs: Tell A Short Story

Most modern cover letters work well with 1–2 short body paragraphs instead of a wall of text.

Paragraph 1 – Match Their Needs

This is where you pick 1–3 key requirements from the job posting and show evidence that you’ve done them.

  • Mirror their language from the job description for the most important skills.
  • Use a brief “achievement story,” ideally with numbers (e.g., “increased X by 20%”).
  • You can reference jobs, internships, projects, or leadership roles.

Mini structure:

  • One sentence framing your relevant experience.
  • 1–2 sentences describing what you did, how you did it, and the result.

Example:

  • “In my previous role as a customer support specialist, I managed 50+ daily tickets while maintaining a 95% satisfaction rating, which aligns closely with your focus on fast, empathetic support.”

Paragraph 2 – Show You Understand Them

Now shift from “Here’s me” to “Here’s why I care about you specifically.”

Hit:

  • 1–3 things you genuinely like about the company: their product, mission, customers, tech stack, brand, or culture.
  • How your skills or values connect to those things.

Example:

  • “I’m particularly drawn to your focus on accessible design and your recent initiative to improve usability for first‑time users, and I’d love to contribute my experience simplifying complex workflows.”

Optional third paragraph:

  • Add certifications, notable side projects, or a quick bullet list of highly relevant skills.

5. Closing Paragraph: Confident, Not Desperate

Your closing should be polite, positive, and forward‑looking.

Do:

  • Briefly recap your fit: one sentence linking your top strengths to their needs.
  • Express enthusiasm about the next step.
  • Mention you’ve attached a resume/portfolio if relevant.

Avoid:

  • Overly generic lines like “I’m a hard worker and a quick learner.”
  • Begging for the job.

Example:

  • “I’d welcome the chance to discuss how my experience improving conversion funnels and leading cross‑functional projects could support your upcoming product launches.”

Then end with:

  • “Sincerely,” “Best regards,” or “Kind regards,”
  • Your full name.

6. Optional Bullet Section Inside The Letter

Some modern cover letters briefly use bullets in the body to make achievements pop, which can help with readability and applicant tracking systems.

For example:

In this role, I would bring:

  • 3+ years managing high‑volume customer support queues while maintaining a 95% satisfaction rate.
  • Experience training and mentoring new team members to full productivity.
  • A track record of identifying process improvements that reduced handling time by 18%.

Keep it to 3–4 bullets, all tightly aligned to the job description.

7. Style & Formatting Tips For 2025–2026

Cover letters today are trending toward clean, scannable, and slightly more personal.

Keep in mind:

  • One page max, often 3–5 short paragraphs.
  • Simple formatting: easy‑to‑read font, standard margins, minimal styling.
  • Professional but human tone; you can show a bit of personality as long as it fits the company culture.
  • Customize for each job: don’t send the same generic letter everywhere.
  • Use keywords from the job posting so it passes automated screening and resonates with the hiring manager.

Many people now draft with AI and then heavily edit to sound like themselves and match the role, which is considered best practice as long as you personalize it.

Example Outline You Can Reuse

You can adapt this structure for almost any job:

  1. Header
    • Your contact info + date
    • Hiring manager + company info
  1. Greeting
    • “Dear [Name]” or “Dear Hiring Manager,”
  1. Opening
    • Job title + where you saw it
    • One strong sentence linking a key achievement or strength to what they need
  1. Body Paragraph 1
    • 1–3 key requirements from the posting
    • Short examples (ideally with metrics) that show you’ve done similar work
  1. Body Paragraph 2
    • Why you’re interested in this company specifically
    • How your values or goals align with theirs
  1. Optional Bullets Or Short Paragraph 3
    • 3–4 tightly relevant skills, certifications, or highlights
  1. Closing
    • One‑sentence recap of fit
    • Appreciation + interest in discussing further
    • Professional sign‑off and your name

Mini HTML Table: Key Parts At A Glance

html

<table>
  <tr>
    <th>Section</th>
    <th>What To Write</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Header</td>
    <td>Your contact info, date, hiring manager + company details.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Greeting</td>
    <td>“Dear [Name],” or “Dear Hiring Manager,”.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Opening</td>
    <td>Job title, where you found it, 1–2 sentence hook that ties your experience to the role.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Body</td>
    <td>1–2 short paragraphs with achievements and proof you match their key requirements; show you understand and like the company.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Optional bullets</td>
    <td>3–4 highly relevant skills or achievements, ideally with numbers.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Closing</td>
    <td>Recap your fit, thank them, express interest in next steps, professional sign‑off.</td>
  </tr>
</table>

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.