No one likes writing cover letters, but the reality is they’re incredibly important to the job application process.
In fact, 85% of UK employers still expect job applicants to send in a cover letter with their CV.
This article covers everything you need to know to write an impressive cover letter, from step-by-step writing instructions to situation-specific examples you can use to template your letter.
What is a cover letter, and why should you write one?
A cover letter is a job application document that introduces you to the employer and outlines why they should consider hiring you.
Cover letters give context to the information you put on your CV. In doing so, cover letters focus the employer’s attention on your most hireable qualities, making them want to learn more about you.
Though cover letters follow a standard format, they provide an opportunity for you to inject a little personality into your job application — because you write them in your own words.
For this reason, a well-written cover letter will make you a more memorable candidate and give the employer more reason to consider you for the role.
Here’s what a cover letter looks like. If you like the look of this cover letter template, click to download it and follow the instructions below to customise it for your job application.
How to write a good cover letter in 2025
Careful research, relevant detail, and a clear writing style are essential to writing a strong cover letter. Here’s all you need to know.
1. Address the contact person by name
Addressing the hiring manager by name makes your letter more engaging. It shows you’ve at the very least tweaked your letter for this specific job opportunity — and not sent identical files to multiple employers.
Dear Mr/Ms/Mx [Contact Person’s Surname],
Dear [Full Name],
If the job description doesn’t name a specific contact person, address your cover letter using a position title or department name:
Dear Sales Director,
Dear Hiring Manager,
Politeness is important, but it’s best to avoid overly formal greetings, like Dear Sir or Madam or To Whom It May Concern, as these can make your application stiff and awkward.
2. Write a concise, professional introduction
Your opening paragraph should be short and to the point. Specify the job title and company name. Then, briefly summarise your qualifications. Keep the whole introduction to 2–3 lines.
And don’t worry about writing a highly creative or memorable opening — relevance is the best hook.
I’m writing to apply for the Marketing Specialist position at Volvo Group. With 2+ years of experience executing a variety of digital campaigns for a leading transport and logistics company, I’m excited to bring my expertise in content creation and social media analytics to your dynamic team.
What makes the best cover letter introductions stand out is their ability to address the employer’s main needs — in this case, digital marketing experience.
Mentioning a referral can further strengthen your introduction:
I’m excited to apply for the HR Assistant role at John Lewis & Partners. Rebecca Wong, a member of your HR team, recommended the opportunity, knowing my excellent track record in recruitment coordination at Michael Page. I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss the value I can bring to your team.
Build a standout cover letter in just a few clicks using our cover letter builder.
3. Highlight a top strength or achievement
Your second paragraph should expand on your introduction by providing one or two examples of your most relevant skills in action.
The goal here is to add context to the information on your CV and connect your successes to the employer’s needs.
Let’s go back to our Marketing Specialist example. The applicant wants to emphasise their digital marketing skills, so their second paragraph highlights a campaign that demonstrates their strong track record in this area:
My recent successes with digital marketing strategy in similar niches to Volvo Group make me a great candidate for the position. At Scania, I spearheaded a digital campaign for our presence at the British Automotive Trade Show, leveraging targeted social media ads and email marketing to drive a 35% increase in attendee engagement compared to the previous year.
This approach is effective because the applicant:
- connects their skill to the job title
- gives an example of the skill in action
- mentions specific methods they used to achieve success
- measures the positive outcome of their work
4. Lay out your reasons for applying
Being an experienced candidate is great, but your expertise doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be engaged and productive once hired.
A strong motive connects your skills and knowledge to the job opportunity and shows the employer that you’re looking for more than a paycheque. It’s also information that you can’t clearly convey on your CV.
The best way to show enthusiasm for the job is to be honest about your career goals:
- What do you want from this next step in your career?
- How will this job help you achieve your objectives?
- What interests you about this specific employer?
Give specific reasoning. Mention specific projects, values, or niches to show familiarity with the company and build trust in your application:
Volvo Group’s reputation for innovation and sustainability in the automotive industry aligns perfectly with my career goals. Having developed a strong foundation within the transport sector, I’m eager to grow my expertise in event marketing and large-scale digital campaigns. Volvo’s global reach and creative approach to marketing strategy present an exciting opportunity to further develop my skills.
5. Finish with a professional sign-off
Just like your introduction, your closing paragraph should be clear and straightforward.
Thank the employer for looking through your application, expressing your interest in moving forward with the recruitment process and letting the employer know how they should contact you.
Then finish with a polite closing, like ‘yours sincerely’, ‘kind regards’, or ‘many thanks’.
I’d love to discuss how my experience in events and trade shows could benefit your team moving forward. You can reach me at email.address@example.com or on 07xxx xxx xxx. Thank you for reviewing my application. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Many thanks,
Your Name
Something that stands out about this cover letter ending is it emphasises a specific strength that the employer is looking for.
Depending on your situation, there may be other effective ways to end your cover letter, such as mentioning a shared value or a personal goal that taking on the job will help you achieve.
What matters is that your conclusion highlights your most hirable qualities.
6. Edit and proofread for typos
Spelling mistakes are easy to make, but they’re not so easy to forgive. Some 76% of HR professionals say they would reject a cover letter if they found typos or spelling mistakes.
Spell checkers and proofreading tools like Grammarly will help you catch the most common errors, but always read through your letter before submitting. Printing your letter out and reading it on paper can help you spot errors that you might otherwise overlook.
Have a friend read through your cover letter for mistakes and redundancies. Find someone with experience in your field to get more effective feedback.
Tips for perfecting your cover letter
The best examples of cover letters show professionalism and personality while directly addressing the employer’s specific needs. It’s possible to achieve this balance regardless of your situation. Here’s how:
Focus on the employer’s priorities
The job description may contain a long list of requirements, but most employers will be interested in one or two key skill areas. If you can address those needs in your cover letter, you’ll capture the employer’s attention and build significant interest in your application.
Take a look at this job description snippet:
A social content writer at The OutReach Agency is, above all else, responsible for bringing creativity and original thinking to each project they are assigned.
This employer’s priorities are abundantly clear — they’ll be looking for applicants with strong examples of their creative success in similar fields. The best way to write a cover letter for this opportunity then would be to open with a key achievement or metric that demonstrates ability as a creative content creator:
Dear Hiring Manager,
I’m writing to apply for the social content writer position at The OutReach Agency. With 3+ years of experience as a full-time digital content writer, I have an outstanding track record of crafting tailored and engaging copy for a variety of B2C brands. I would love to bring this experience to your team.
Show, don’t tell
One of the main reasons you should write a cover letter is to give context to the most important details on your CV.
So when highlighting a key achievement, mention the actions you took (e.g., tools or approaches you used) and the measured results of what you did (e.g., increases in project revenue earnings).
This approach is especially useful if you want to emphasise soft skills like customer service or communication.
As a cashier at Tesco Express, I make an effort to always greet customers with a smile and assist those who need extra help. Recently, I’ve received several mentions in five-star Google Maps reviews for helping customers carry their bags, recommending Tesco’s home delivery service, and handling questions and complaints with patience and understanding.
Write in an appropriate tone
Think about your audience. An employer at a traditional legal firm will expect a very different tone of writing from the hiring manager at a creative startup.
Re-read the job description and pay close attention to the way the employer describes their organisation and the people that work there:
We are a motley crew of content writers, designers, and creative problem solvers.
Founded over a century ago, Emmerson Pharmaceuticals has built a legacy of excellence in the health care industry. We are renowned for our commitment to quality, innovation, and patient care.
If you’re writing to a more traditional employer, write in a friendly, professional tone of voice, focusing exclusively on your qualifications and achievements. If applying to more casual or startuppy employers, putting a little more personality into your application can help you stand out and demonstrate cultural fit.
Three great cover letter examples to follow
The best approach to writing your cover letter depends heavily on your specific situation. A university student shouldn’t try to write the same cover letter as a senior manager.
Here are a few common cover letter examples you can follow to lay out your qualifications in an engaging and memorable format.
1. Graduate cover letter
Whether you’re applying for a position on a graduate scheme or pursuing your first full-time job out of university, it’s important to highlight a clear career goal in your cover letter.
Employers want to know whether your professional aims and interests align with their niche and culture. Mutual interests suggest that you’re more likely to stay with the employer and are, therefore, a better investment of their resources.
2. Career change cover letter
Writing a cover letter is essential if you’re moving into a new line of work. As you don’t have direct experience in the field you’re applying for, you need to show the employer how your transferable skills will be valuable to their team.
The employer may also want to know why you’re transitioning into a new career path, so you should make your reasoning clear in your career change cover letter, which is the best place to make a compelling case for yourself.
3. Speculative cover letter
You write a speculative cover letter when you want to inquire about job opportunities at a company that isn’t actively hiring.
Because there is no specific job vacancy to address, your speculative cover letter should focus on explaining why you’re interested in the specific employer and how you can contribute to their wider organisational goals.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some additional questions you might have about writing a cover letter.
How long should a cover letter be?
The maximum length for a cover letter is one A4 page. You should write roughly 250–400 words, split into paragraphs.
If you’re concerned you’ve written too much, consider adjusting your formatting or editing out unnecessary information to shorten your cover letter length.
What’s the best way to write a cover letter when you have no experience?
The best approach to writing a cover letter with no experience is to highlight your skills, interests, and reasons for applying.
Give the employer an honest, compelling account of why you want to join their team by highlighting relevant experiences:
- Academic achievements
- Personal projects
- Volunteer experience
If you’ve recently graduated, consider following a similar approach to the personal statement you wrote for university. Showcase your enthusiasm for the role, illustrate your knowledge, and outline your professional ambitions. If you’re struggling to get your thoughts out on paper, tools like a good cover letter builder can help you organise your skills, interests, and experiences into a professional structure.
Should I address career gaps in my cover letter?
Your cover letter is a useful opportunity to highlight successes that you achieved in between jobs, especially if there are significant gaps in your work history.
For example, you may wish to mention a study-abroad experience or personal project that you worked on. When mentioning these pursuits in your cover letter, keep the focus on the employer.
You should make it clear how they relate to your target job — specifically, how the experience you gained from these experiences positions you to bring unique insight to the hiring team.
Is it appropriate to write a cover letter in the first person?
Yes. In fact, you should write your cover letter in the first person. Unlike your CV, you should also use first-person pronouns (e.g., ‘I’, ‘my’).
Writing your cover letter in the first person personalises your letter and keeps the focus on your achievements and skill set.
However, you should remember to connect the content of your cover letter to the employer’s needs — for example, ‘I did [XYZ achievement], and I look forward to replicating this success for your sales team as you expand into [ABC market].’
When is it OK to use bullet points in a cover letter?
It’s best to use bullet points in a cover letter when you want to highlight several highly relevant achievements while keeping your letter concise.
For example, the job requires social media experience, and you have three impressive, relevant achievements that you know will interest the employer.
In my present role as a Graphic Design Specialist at Crash Course Designs, I lead the design, development, and execution of all communication materials, including client websites. Here are a few of my achievements:
- Designed logos and branding materials, infographics, and marketing materials for 20+ clients
- Produced eye-catching illustrations for clients in various styles using Figma and Adobe Illustrator
- Developed proposals for website design options that match clients’ branding specifications
Still, you should always ask yourself if the bullet points are necessary. Cover letters are most effective when they focus on a couple of your most relevant achievements. When they do this, they direct the employer’s attention to the most relevant attributes on your CV, which makes your application more focused, concise, and compelling.
Use your word count to give proper context to your most relevant achievements and connect them to the needs and objectives that the employer is trying to address with their current hire.
