Most cover letters are copied from the internet and say nothing. A short honest one takes ten minutes and is often the reason one CV gets opened before another.
One: which job you are applying for and where you saw it. Two: why you can do it, with one concrete example. Three: why this employer, showing you know something about them. Four: thank them and say you are available for an interview.
Keep it under one page. Nobody has ever been rejected for a cover letter being too short.
Opening line of a cover letter.
What happens: The employer has seen this exact sentence hundreds of times. It does not even say which job, and it sounds like it was copied, because it was.
What happens: Clear and specific. The employer knows immediately which of their three open jobs you mean, which matters more than it sounds.
What if I do not know anything about the company?
Spend five minutes finding out. Look at their website or their social media and find one real thing: a branch near you, something they sell, how long they have been going. One accurate sentence beats a paragraph of flattery, and flattery is obvious.
Do I need one if the advert does not ask?
A short one rarely hurts and often helps, especially where many people apply with similar CVs. If the advert says CV only, follow the instruction, because the first thing you are being tested on is whether you can follow instructions.
Before you move on
- Name the exact job and where you saw it
- Find one real fact about the employer
- Keep it to four short paragraphs
Check what you know
3 questions. Have a look at what this lesson asks.
Sign in to take this quiz
Reading is free and always will be. Answering counts towards your progress, your streak and your certificate, so we need to know who you are.
Sign in or create a free accountIt takes a minute and costs nothing.