How to Write a Cover Letter for a Job in 2021 (12+ Examples)

A cover letter is a formal letter you send alongside your resume. Its purpose is to elaborate on the information contained in your resume. Unlike a resume, a cover letter lets you can introduce yourself to the hiring manager, provide context for your achievements and qualifications, and explain your motivation for joining the company.

But you can’t just write a cover letter. It has to be perfect. So… How do you write the perfect cover letter You know—the kind of letter that will make the employer call you up in the middle of the night? Give us 10 minutes and you’ll know how to write a cover letter like that.

This guide will show you:

• How to write a cover letter better than 9 out of 10 others.
• A sample cover letter that will get you more interviews (and why).
• Cover letter writing tips and hacks to boost your chances of landing a job.
• Actionable ideas on how to start and end a cover letter, plus how to address it.

Ready? Take a look at this basic cover letter sample. What do you think makes it so special?

Writer’s block? Let us write your cover letter for you. Tell us your name, job title, and years of experience. Get an automatically generated professional cover letter in less than a minute. Plus, you can pick from 20+ cover letter templates that match your resume!

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An example of a cover letter format for every job made with our resume and cover letter builder.

Pressed for time? Find the right sample for your job among 200+ Cover Letter Examples for Any Job

The Secret Behind Every Successful Cover Letter?

See, all great cover letters have something in common: they’re based on a proven, effective template. Here’s what I mean:

Meet Jane, the candidate who wrote the cover letter above. She’s applying for a digital marketing manager position with a pharmaceutical company, XYZ Corp. The company is planning to launch a new flagship website.

Jane’s work experience and knowledge make her a perfect candidate for this role. The purpose of her cover letter is to prove that she’ll be able to replicate her past success in the new position.

Right, so you’ve seen a perfect example of a cover letter for a job. Now, let me explain what makes this sample cover letter great and how you can use this cover letter outline to make the most of each section.

How to make a cover letter—

1

Use a Professional Cover Letter Header 

Yup, the basics first. The letter header of every professional cover letter for a job application should include the following:

• Your name
• Your phone number
• Your email address
• The date
• The name of the hiring manager and their professional title
• The name and address of the company to which you’re applying

Optionally, you can add:

• Your professional title
• Your home address
• Links to your professional websites
• Your social media accounts (applicable only for LinkedIn and Twitter)
• Your city of residence (it’s not mandatory but adds a professional touch—include it if your cover letter is highly official)

Just remember to keep it professional:

• Use an email address from a respected provider—that means either Gmail or your personal domain (if you have one.)
• Your email address should only include your first and last name—sexyvanessa@gmail.com or johnlikesgoats@hotmail.com will be deal-breakers.
• Don’t use your current work address to send your email cover letter. It’s impolite to both your current and potential future employer.
• Make sure your contact information is consistent across your resume, cover letter, and social media profiles.

Pro Tip: Writing a cover letter with no name of the hiring manager available? In the addressee section include only the name of the department: for example, “XYZ Sales Department.”

Want to save time and have your professional job application ready in minutes? Here are a sample cover letter and a matching resume made with our resume and cover letter builder. Write your cover letter and resume here.

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Resume and a sample cover letter for a job application. See +15 resume and cover letter templates and create your job application here.

2

Open Your Cover Letter with a Proper Greeting

Who do you address a cover letter to?

Directly to the hiring manager who’ll read it.

The greeting of your cover letter (i.e., the salutation) might be the very first thing the hiring manager sees. That makes it one of the most important parts of a cover letter. There’s one great, foolproof strategy to make your greeting catch her attention:

Dear Katherine,

That’s right. Her name.

If we hear or see our name, we react. Focus on what comes next. There’s a lot of science behind this:

Once the hiring manager sees her name in the greeting of your cover letter, she’s going to feel like she’s found something tailored specifically for her. It will feel personal, she’ll know whatever comes next might just be the exact information she’s been looking for.

All of the following are good examples of professional cover letter greetings.

Sample cover letter greetings:

• Dear Katherine,
• Dear Miss Jones,
• Dear Ms. Smith,
• Dear Mrs. Ford,
• Dear Mr. McConnor,

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

How do you find out the hiring manager’s name?

Do some research!

There are multiple ways to find out who your hiring manager is. You can learn about them in our dedicated guide: How to Address a Cover Letter: Sample & Guide [20+ Examples]

If you’re unable to find the name by any means possible, opt for Dear Hiring Manager. Avoid starting your cover letter "to whom it may concern".

Who to address a cover letter to if there’s no name of the hiring manager provided?

Have a look at those sample cover letter to whom it may concern greetings:

• Dear Sales Team Hiring Manager,
• Dear Hiring Manager,
• Dear [XYZ Company] Team,
• To Whom It May Concern

Pro Tip: If you’re not living in Victorian England, don’t start a cover letter with “Dear Sir or Madam.”

Done with the header and greeting? Now it’s time for the meat and potatoes. The central paragraphs of your cover letter.

How to get them right?

Go for the three paragraph cover letter format:

• The first paragraph to grab the hiring manager’s attention
• The second to show what you’ve got to offer
• The third to prove that you’ll fit in

Want to learn more about best professional cover letter formats? Read our guide: Cover Letter Format 2021

Now, have a look at a quick breakdown of the cover letter main body.

Want to find out about discussing salary in a cover letter? Read more: How to Include Salary Requirements in Cover Letter

3

Write a Catchy Opening Paragraph

Here’s the brutal truth:

These few sentences at the beginning of your cover letter will determine whether the hiring manager will read on.

You need to make your cover letter introduction attract and hold the hiring manager’s interest.

Have a look at these two sample cover letter opening paragraphs:

Why is it so bad?

Because it provides no value and no details. The bottom line is basically “I’ve already done this job so I think I’d fit in.” That’s not what the hiring manager is looking for.

Now, see a properly written cover letter opening example:

“Wow, I’d have to be a lunatic not to hire her!”

That’s the response this cover letter first paragraph will bring.

There are a few different, effective strategies for your cover letter opening. You can highlight your achievements, show how well you know your prospective employer’s needs, or base the intro on your enthusiasm.

Do you really need a cover letter? Find out: Are Cover Letters Necessary

4

Explain Why You’re The Perfect Candidate 

You see a job posting from your dream employer. The name of the job is the same as your current position. You’ve been a very successful professional so far.

This means, to get that job you just have to show off your best assets in your cover letter, right?

Wrong!

Your cover letter is not a trophy case.

So—

What to write in a cover letter’s second paragraph?

You need to get the hiring manager exactly what she’s looking for. You have to show that you’re going to satisfy the company’s specific needs.

Remember Jane, our digital marketing manager candidate? The XYZ company to which she’s applying needs:

• First of all, a savvy digital marketing manager (1).
• And, on top of that, someone who will supervise the development of their new online portal (2).

Let’s have a look at how Jane managed to show that she’s both (1) and (2).

Sample cover letter for a job application in digital marketing:

See how it’s done?

In the first sentence, show that you’re an expert in your field. But don’t keep on bragging. The remaining part of your cover letter’s second paragraph should be all about how your previous experiences will help your future employer press ahead with their plans.

Job seekers impress employers by identifying transferable skills related to new positions. People often apply to new positions, so it’s likely you’ll not have the exact experience requested. But employers would rather know how your past experiences will inform future decisions. You were a hostess? Relate those management and organizational skills to the Executive Assistant position.

Lauren Little

Career Coach

Pro tip: If you're looking to work for a company, but there aren't any positions currently open, try writing a letter of interest for a job. It's a great way of uncovering vacancies that aren't even advertised.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your resume here.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

What if you’re creating a cover letter for an internship and don’t have a wealth of professional experience to present? Don’t worry, we’ve got a dedicated guide to show you how to write a good cover letter and land your dream internship: How to Write a Cover Letter For an Internship [+20 Examples]

5

Tell Them Why You’re Eager to Join  

Your future employers have needs. If they’re willing to hire you, it’s because they think you’ll satisfy those needs.

But what they also want is for you to actually enjoy working with them. They want your future job to feel rewarding to you—that way, they know you’re more likely to stay with them for a longer period of time.

The key to writing a perfect cover letter third paragraph is showing the hiring manager why you want this job, not just any job. This is particularly important when writing an entry level cover letter. Enthusiasm and passion helps to prove you'll hit the ground running.

Above all, you want to avoid writing too much of a general cover letter. Generic doesn't win jobs, tailored and targeted does.

Here’s the easiest way to do it:

• Start with a company fact - for instance, an upcoming project (1)
• Say why you find it interesting (2)
• Reiterate that your experience and knowledge will let you succeed with the project (3)

Have a look at this cover letter example:

Third Paragraph

Pro Tip: How long should a cover letter be? In general, a relevant and short cover letter is best. Three paragraphs tops. Your go-to word count shouldn’t exceed 300 words.

Wondering how to write a good cover letter for a job application when there’s no job offer? Want to see some general cover letter writing tips? Read our handy guide, 35+ Successful Cover Letter Tips, Advice & Guidelines (With Examples), and find out about effective cover letter strategies for different types of cover letters!

6 

Make Your Offer in the Closing Paragraph

So far so good:

Your cover letter shows that you have relevant skills. You’ve explained your motivation. What could possibly go wrong?

Actually, a lot.

You still have a cover letter ending to write. And it’s the decisive part.

It has to amplify the general impression you’ve made with the previous paragraphs. It has to make the hiring manager excited as she starts reading your resume.

How to make the best cover letter ending?

Long story short: 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 in fulfilling their goals.

Like in this cover letter example:

Closing Paragraph

Two worst cover letter mistakes you can make in the final paragraph are:

1. Coming off needy - focusing on how much you want the job, not on what you have to offer.
2. Repeating the cliched phrase “Thank you for your consideration and your time.”

There are some easy tricks you can use to write an effective cover letter closing paragraph. Make sure to read our guide, How to End a Cover Letter: Sample & Complete Guide [+20 Examples] and check them out!

7

Use the Right Formal Closing

Once you’ve written the body of your cover letter, you just need to put a formal closing at the very end.

Write “sincerely” and follow it with your full name. Adding your handwritten signature is optional, but it’s recommended for more formal cover letters.

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

Sample cover letter sign-offs:

• Thank you,
• Best regards,
• Kind regards,
• Sincerely,
• With best regards.

The ones listed above are going to be your safest bets. Still not what you’re looking for?

• Thank you for your consideration,
• Regards,
• Sincerely yours,
• Yours truly,
• Respectfully yours.

Pro Tip: It’s a good idea to repeat your basic contact information, such as your LinkedIn profile, email address and telephone number below your sign-off.

8

Add the Postscript, a Great Hack Nobody Uses

All of the above sections are must-haves in a good cover letter format.

But there’s one special trick you can use:

The postscript.

Why is the “P.S.” so important?

Because it’s like a magnet for the hiring manager’s eyes. It screams: “you cannot miss this information.”

Use the postscript to tell the hiring manager about something impressive about your career (1), even if it’s not strictly related to the job opening.

And say that you’d be happy to provide them with more details (2) if they find it interesting.

Like in our cover letter example:

Postscript

And remember, always send a job application follow up email.

Don’t just send a Word cover letter template. Select the most important bits and paste them into your resume cover email: How to Email Your Resume to Get More Job Offers (Examples). It’ll immediately work magic on the recruiter.

Worried you might miss something? Don’t worry, we’ve got a checklist guide for you: What to Include in a Cover Letter

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

Create my cover letter now

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

So, How to Write a Cover Letter? 

1. Place your contact information in the header.
2. Address the hiring manager by name.
3. Show relevant achievements to introduce yourself in the first paragraph.
4. Target the employer’s needs and prove you can help in the second paragraph.
5. Explain why you want to join and stay in the third paragraph.
6. Reiterate your offer and give a call to action in the final paragraph.
7. Sign off with a proper formal closing and your full name.
8. Include one more achievement in the postscript to stand out.

And for the final piece of advice:

Keep it short.

Do you have any questions about how to create a successful cover letter? Want to share an example of a cover letter? Give us a shout in the comments and we’d be happy to reply!