How to End a Cover Letter

How to close a cover letter

Finishing your cover letter with a compelling ending gives the recruiter another reason to hire you because it shows you have excellent communication skills, which is an in-demand skill.

Follow these guided tips, and use one of our recommended sign-offs to close your cover letter effectively:

1. Include a strong concluding paragraph

The key to writing the perfect conclusion is to summarise what you’ve included in your cover letter’s main body without repeating yourself.

Create a strong concluding paragraph by injecting fresh language to make yourself sound interesting and creative.

Additionally, use a thesaurus to find varied vocabulary to describe your work history and experience in a new way.

Here’s an example of a concluding paragraph using diverse vocabulary in a cover letter:

From my time working as a bank nurse, I mastered an array of transferable skills from various wards. I learnt how to integrate into different teams with ease and became well versed in the fast-paced environment of the hospital. I also gained experience keeping up my energy level during long, quiet night shifts.

Avoid repeating yourself (because it appears lazy) and treating the concluding paragraph as a summary of the things you’ve already said.

Instead, write this final paragraph with the same flair and originality as the rest of the cover letter.

Also, avoid terms like ‘In conclusion’ and ‘To conclude’. These terms are dull, and you’ll end up sounding like every other applicant.

2. Connect your experience to the company’s goals

Conclude your cover letter by connecting your prior work history to the company’s objectives and talk about what you can do for the company should you be selected for the position.

To showcase how well your experience can benefit the company, scrutinise the job description, and ask yourself, ‘What is this company looking for?’

Afterwards, highlight your skill set in a way that shows you’re the ideal candidate for the role.

Here’s an example of how to directly connect your previous experience to the company you’re applying for:

As you can gauge from my work experience as a pharmaceutical dispenser, I’m highly motivated in the field of social work and care. I’m passionate about helping people and have the credentials to communicate with patients with the utmost compassion and understanding.

The key is to connect your strengths with the role you’re applying for.

Think of yourself as the recruiter when writing your cover letter and contemplate what benefit they want from you. With that in mind, show that you’ll bring value to the company.

You can add a simple line to the example above to show the benefit clearly.

For example:

I would love to show you how my experience as a pharmaceutical dispenser will help Roth Hospital mission to deliver quality health care.

3. Remember to thank the employer

Showing politeness is key to closing a cover letter because it shows you’re a professional with strong interpersonal skills.

Use your cover letter’s conclusion to thank the employer for the opportunity and for taking the time to read your cover letter.

However, your cover letter closing shouldn’t just include a generic ‘Thank you for your consideration’.

Be clear about what you’re thanking them for by personalising your thank you.

Here’s an example of how to thank an employer in a cover letter:

Thank you for taking the time to learn about me. I appreciate the time it took you to review my application for Dash Doors Ltd.

4. Write a compelling CTA

When ending a cover letter, provide a clear call to action (CTA). Think of the CTA as an invitation for the recruiter to contact you when they’ve reached a decision.

Directly providing your contact details shows that you’re ready to move to the next step, like an interview.

A compelling CTA includes your email address and phone number.

Repeat your phone number and email address in your CTA to make it easy for the recruiter to contact you.

An effective CTA is a sign of confidence in your ability to fit the role. When you ask and show the recruiter how to contact you, you’re politely asking for an interview because you believe that you’re the right person for the job.

Consider this example of a strong CTA:

If you require any more information or would like to discuss the role further, please don’t hesitate to call me at 07456 127 264 or email me at jamesbeck2@gmail.com.

The CTA above is compelling because it tells the recruiter why they should contact the applicant and exactly how to contact them.

There’s nothing stopping the recruiter from taking the next step after reading the application.

How to sign off a cover letter

Your cover letter sign-off is your last chance to leave a good impression on employers, so use professional vocabulary when closing your cover letter.

The appropriate sign-off changes depending on the circumstances of the job application.

For instance, use ‘Yours faithfully’ if you don’t know the contact person’s name. If you started your cover letter with ‘Dear Sir or Madam,’ use this sign-off.

Or use ‘Yours sincerely’ if you addressed the recipient directly by name at the start of the cover letter.

Here are more appropriate sign-offs when addressing your cover letter:

Don’t end your cover letter with any of these sign-offs:

These closings are too casual for a cover letter, so write your closing sign-off carefully and show employers you know how to write a cover letter professionally from start to finish.