What to include in a cover letter

The header and greeting

Put your name, email, phone number, and LinkedIn URL at the top. Below that, add the date and the hiring manager's name, title, company name, and city. If you are applying in the UK or Australia, the date format is day-month-year. In the US and Canada, month-day-year is standard.

Address the letter to a named person whenever possible. Check the job posting, the company's LinkedIn page, or the careers page. 'Dear Hiring Manager' is acceptable when you genuinely cannot find a name. 'To Whom It May Concern' reads as dated and should be avoided.

• Your name, email, phone, LinkedIn
• Date in the local format
• Hiring manager's name and title if findable
• Company name and city

The opening paragraph: name the role and the reason

State the exact job title and where you saw it in the first sentence. Then give one concrete reason you are applying to this company specifically, not just this type of role. Hiring managers read dozens of letters that say 'I am excited to apply.' Yours should say something like: 'I am applying for the Senior Product Manager role posted on your careers page because your team is rebuilding the onboarding flow, which is the problem I spent the last two years solving at Finova.'

Keep this paragraph to three sentences maximum. Its only job is to make the reader want to continue.

The body: match your evidence to their problem

Use one or two paragraphs here. Each paragraph should follow this structure: name the employer's challenge, describe what you did in a comparable situation, and state the outcome in numbers where you have them.

For example: 'Your posting mentions scaling a support team through rapid growth. At Clearpath, I built the escalation process from scratch as the team grew from 8 to 40 agents over 14 months, which cut average resolution time from 52 hours to 19 hours.' That is specific, verifiable, and directly relevant.

If you do not have a number, use a scope indicator instead: team size, budget managed, number of markets, or volume of transactions. Avoid vague phrases like 'contributed to significant improvements' or 'played a key role in.' They signal that you have nothing concrete to say.

• Name the employer's stated challenge
• Describe your comparable experience
• Quantify the outcome or give a scope indicator
• Repeat for a second relevant skill if space allows

What to cut entirely

Most cover letters are too long because they include content that belongs on a resume or nowhere at all. A one-page letter of three to four short paragraphs is the right length for most roles. Anything beyond that reduces the chance it gets read in full.

Remove these on every pass before sending.

• A summary of your resume ('As you can see from my attached resume...')
• Your life story or career timeline
• Statements about what the job will do for you ('This role would help me grow...')
• Adjectives without evidence ('I am a passionate, results-driven professional')
• Salary expectations unless the posting explicitly asks for them
• References to weaknesses or gaps unless you are directly addressing a likely objection

The closing paragraph and sign-off

Restate your interest in one sentence, then make a specific ask. 'I would welcome the chance to discuss how my experience with enterprise migrations fits your Q1 rollout timeline' is better than 'I look forward to hearing from you.' The first gives the reader a reason to act; the second just waits.

Sign off with 'Sincerely,' 'Best regards,' or 'Kind regards.' In the UK and Australia, 'Kind regards' is the most common professional close. In the US and Canada, 'Sincerely' or 'Best regards' both work. Then type your full name. If you are submitting a physical letter, leave space for a handwritten signature above your typed name.

1. Restate your interest in one sentence
2. Make a specific ask tied to the role or timeline
3. Use a professional sign-off appropriate to the country
4. Type your full name

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