How to Write a Cover Letter That Gets You Hired (Expert Tips + Samples)

Key Takeaways

• Cover letters still matter in competitive hiring, especially when they are clear, structured, and tailored to the role.

• A recruiter-friendly cover letter follows a simple structure: professional header, personalised greeting, strong opening, proof of skills, company fit, and confident closing.

• Tools like LetsMakeCV can speed up the process by generating a strong first draft, but personalisation is still essential.

Introduction

If writing a cover letter feels frustrating or unnecessary, you’re not imagining it. For many job seekers, the most confusing part of the application is unclear expectations, repeated effort, and no obvious feedback on whether it even helped.

That frustration shows up clearly in real data. According to the 2022 Job Seeker Nation Report, 31% of job seekers say employers should abandon or focus less on cover letters altogether.

Not because cover letters don’t matter, but because most people were never shown how to write one that actually works in today’s hiring process.

This is where applications quietly break down. When cover letters are rushed, generic, or poorly structured, they add friction instead of clarity, and that hurts your chances during early screening, when recruiters are deciding who moves forward and who doesn’t.

The solution isn’t skipping the cover letter. It’s using a simple, recruiter-friendly structure that makes your intent, fit, and value obvious in seconds. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to write a cover letter step by step so your application feels clear, professional, and easy to say yes to.

What Is a Cover Letter?

A cover letter is a short, personalised document that goes with your resume and explains why you’re applying for a specific role. It helps recruiters understand your motivation, communication skills, and how well you match the job beyond just bullet points. 

In competitive hiring, a cover letter can be the difference between getting shortlisted and getting ignored, especially when your resume looks similar to those of other applicants.

How to Write a Cover Letter: Step by Step

Writing a cover letter becomes easy when you follow a repeatable structure. The steps below work for freshers, experienced professionals, and career changers because they’re built around what hiring managers actually look for.

Step 1 - Write a Professional Header

Your header is the first thing a recruiter sees, so it needs to look clean and professional. A good header also helps your application look organised, especially when recruiters download multiple documents. You can include: Full name, phone number, email, location (city + country), LinkedIn (optional)

• Use the same header style as your resume for a consistent application

• Keep it one line if possible (clean + modern)

• Use a professional email like [email protected]

A strong header makes your cover letter look polished instantly. Keep it simple, readable, and consistent with your resume.

Step 2 - Use the Right Greeting

A personalised greeting shows attention to detail and instantly makes your cover letter feel less generic. If you can find the hiring manager’s name, use it because it increases trust. If not, using a safe professional fallback is completely acceptable.

• Use “Dear [Name]” whenever possible

• If you can’t find a name, use “Dear Hiring Manager.”

• Avoid “To Whom It May Concern” (sounds outdated)

Your greeting sets the tone for the entire letter. A direct and professional greeting shows you respect the employer’s time. Keep it formal, clean, and confident.

Step 3 - Write a Strong Opening Paragraph

Your opening paragraph should quickly tell the recruiter what role you’re applying for and why you’re interested. This is where you establish confidence and relevance right away. A strong opening keeps the recruiter reading.

• Mention the job title + company name in the first line

• Add 1 line showing enthusiasm + fit

• Keep it to 2-3 sentences max

Your opening paragraph is your first impression. If it’s clear and specific, recruiters immediately understand your intent. Make it short, direct, and tailored.

Pro Tip: Mirror the job title exactly as written in the job description to make your opening instantly feel tailored.

Step 4 - Highlight Relevant Skills and Achievements

This is the most important part of your cover letter because it proves you can do the job. Instead of listing responsibilities, focus on outcomes and achievements that match the job description. Think of this section as your “proof.”

• Pick 1-2 skills from the job description and match them directly

• Add numbers (%, time saved, revenue, results) wherever possible

• Use keywords naturally (ATS-friendly) like tools, skills, and job titles

Recruiters don’t just want skills; they want evidence. Strong achievements make your cover letter credible and memorable. Keep it specific, relevant, and results-driven.

Step 5 - Show Motivation and Company Fit

This section answers the employer’s unspoken question: “Why us?” Hiring managers prefer candidates who are intentional, not random applicants. Showing motivation makes your application feel personal and serious.

• Mention one thing you genuinely like about the company (mission, product, culture)

• Connect it to your career goals in one sentence

• Avoid generic lines like “I want to grow in your company.”

Company fit is what separates good applicants from great ones. A small, thoughtful detail can make your cover letter feel real. Keep it honest, specific, and aligned with the role.

Step 6 - Write a Confident Closing Paragraph

Your closing should reinforce your interest and politely move the conversation forward. You don’t need to over-explain, just summarise your value and show readiness for the next step. A confident close leaves a professional final impression.

• Restate your interest in one clear line

• Add a simple call to action like “I’d love to discuss…”

• End with “Sincerely” or “Best regards” + your name

A strong closing makes your cover letter feel complete and professional. It shows confidence without sounding aggressive. Keep it polite, short, and action-oriented.

Pro Tip: End with a simple next step like “I’d love to discuss this role further” instead of overexplaining or sounding desperate.

Best Practices to Write a Cover Letter 

Even a great cover letter can lose impact if it looks cluttered or hard to scan. Recruiters often skim quickly, and many applications get uploaded into systems where formatting can break. A clean, ATS-friendly format ensures your cover letter stays readable, professional, and easy to review on any screen.

1) Keep the layout simple (one-column only)

Your cover letter should be easy to read at a glance. A simple one-column layout keeps everything in the right order and ensures your content doesn’t shift when uploaded to job portals or viewed on different devices.

3 quick tips:

• Use a one-column layout with left alignment

• Avoid sidebars or split sections

• Keep spacing consistent throughout

If a recruiter has to “figure out” your layout, you’ve already lost attention. One-column formatting keeps your cover letter clean, predictable, and easy to skim, so your message stays the focus, not the design.

2) Use ATS-safe fonts and sizes

Fonts may feel like a small detail, but they affect how professional your cover letter looks instantly. Using ATS-safe fonts also prevents weird spacing, broken characters, or formatting issues when your file is opened on another system.

3 quick tips:

• Stick to Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman, or Verdana

• Use 11-12 pt for body text

• Keep headings only slightly larger (avoid huge fonts)

The best font is the one nobody notices, because it’s clean and readable. Stick to standard fonts and a simple size so your cover letter looks polished everywhere, without risking formatting surprises.

3) Maintain clean spacing and white space

Recruiters don’t read cover letters like a novel; they scan them. Clean spacing and enough white space make your letter feel lighter, easier to follow, and much faster to review.

3 quick tips:

• Use 1.0-1.15 line spacing

• Leave a blank line between paragraphs

• Keep paragraphs to 2-4 lines max

Even strong writing can get ignored if it looks like a wall of text. Short paragraphs and clean spacing make your key points stand out naturally, without forcing the recruiter to slow down.

4) Keep the length tight and readable

A cover letter should feel quick to read, even when it’s well-written. When your letter is too long, recruiters are more likely to skim, and your strongest achievements can get buried.

3 quick tips:

• Aim for 250-400 words

• Keep it to one page maximum

• Avoid repeating details already clear in your resume

Your goal isn’t to say everything, it’s to say the right things. Keeping it within a clear word limit makes your cover letter sharper, more confident, and easier to remember.

5) Avoid design elements that break formatting

It’s tempting to add design elements to stand out, but in cover letters, simple usually wins. Tables, icons, and text boxes often break when uploaded, copied, or processed through hiring systems.

3 quick tips:

• Don’t use tables, icons, graphics, or text boxes

• Avoid heavy colours or decorative borders

• Use simple bullet points only when needed (not everywhere)

A cover letter isn’t meant to be a design portfolio; it’s meant to be easy to read. Clean formatting keeps your content stable and professional, so nothing important gets lost or misread.

Cover Letter Templates

If you’re not sure what a strong cover letter should look like, templates make it much easier. The goal isn’t to sound fancy, it’s to choose a format recruiters already recognise, keep the layout clean, and match the tone to the role you’re applying for.

In general, a professional or classic template works best for corporate jobs, a modern or simple template suits most roles, and a creative or executive template is ideal when the job calls for personality or senior-level impact.

Want to skip the guesswork?

Conclusion

You now have a clear, repeatable way to write a cover letter that feels professional, tailored, and easy for recruiters to scan. 

From choosing the right structure to highlighting your best achievements and using the right template style, every part of your cover letter plays a role in whether your application gets noticed. The goal isn’t to sound perfect, it’s to sound relevant, confident, and aligned with the job you’re applying for.

The next step is simple: put it into action. 

Use the steps in this guide to write one strong version, then tweak it slightly for each role by updating keywords, skills, and company-specific details. 

And if you’d rather not start from a blank page every time, a tool like LetsMakeCV can help you pick a template and generate a solid draft quickly, so you can focus on applying consistently and increasing your chances of landing interviews.

FAQs

1. What is the best format for a cover letter in 2026?

The best cover letter format in 2026 is a one-page, one-column layout with a professional header, personalised greeting, 3–4 short paragraphs, and a clear closing. It should be ATS-friendly, easy to scan, and tailored to the specific job role.

2. How long should a cover letter be?

A cover letter should be 250–400 words and fit on one page. Recruiters prefer concise letters that highlight only the most relevant skills and achievements without repeating the resume.

3. Should I write a new cover letter for every job application?

Yes. You can reuse the structure, but you should customise keywords, skills, job title, and company details for each role. Tailored cover letters perform significantly better than generic ones.

4. Do recruiters actually read cover letters?

Yes. While not every recruiter reads every cover letter, many use them to decide between similar resumes, especially for competitive roles, career changes, and senior positions. A strong cover letter can improve shortlisting chances.

5. Is it okay to use AI to write a cover letter?

Yes, AI can help generate a strong first draft. However, you should always personalise the content, add real achievements, and align it with the job description to avoid sounding generic or automated.