How to write a cover letter
A cover letter goes with your CV and says what the CV can’t: why you are applying to that company and why you are the right person. Not everybody reads it, but those who do remember it, especially when applications look alike. Here is how to write one quickly.
Cover letter or motivation letter?
The two names are often used for the same thing. When they differ, a cover letter goes with a job application, while a motivation letter (or personal statement) is mostly asked for by universities, master’s programmes, scholarships and exchange programmes, and focuses more on your reasons. The structure is the same.
The four-part structure
- Heading: your details, the date, the recipient (the company and, if you know it, the name of the person hiring) and a subject line, for example «Application for the Accounts Assistant role, ref. AC24».
- Opening: the position you are applying for, where you saw the advert and, in one sentence, who you are.
- The core: two or three experiences or results that answer what the advert asks for. Don’t summarise your CV: pick the most relevant facts and explain what you would bring to the company.
- Closing: why you want to work for that company in particular, your availability for an interview and a sign-off.
How long should it be?
Between 200 and 350 words: half a page, one page at most. Recruiters skim it, so every sentence has to earn its place.
How to open it (and how not to)
AvoidI am writing to express my interest in any suitable position that may be available within your esteemed organisation…
BetterI would like to apply for the Digital Marketing Specialist role advertised on your website: I have spent six years planning social and paid campaigns, and I would like to bring that experience to your team.
If you know the name of the person hiring, use it: «Dear Ms Rossi». Otherwise «Dear Hiring Manager» is perfectly fine.
The most common mistakes
- The same letter for everyone, with only the company name changed (sometimes not even that).
- Repeating the CV line by line.
- Talking only about what you want, not about what you can offer the company.
- Stiff, old-fashioned phrases and long sentences.
- Misspelling the company’s or the reader’s name: always proofread before sending.
A complete example
Here is a letter for a fictional candidate, the one from the editor’s example. Use it as an outline, not something to copy: yours should be about you.
Dear Hiring Manager,
I would like to apply for the Digital Marketing Specialist role advertised on your website. I have worked in digital marketing for six years, first in the marketing department of a textile manufacturer and now at a communications agency, and I would like to bring that experience to a company that, like yours, sells directly online.
I currently run social and Google Ads campaigns for 12 clients. In one year I cut the cost per lead by 28% by reworking audiences and creatives; before that, I launched a textile brand’s Instagram account, which grew to 35,000 followers. I am used to working with data and turning it into clear decisions, even for people who don’t read reports every day.
Your advert mentions a growing e-commerce business and a young team: I would love to contribute a tested method and learn from a market that is new to me. I would be glad to discuss my application at an interview.
Thank you for your time. Kind regards,
Giulia Ferri
Your cover letter with CV Espresso
In the editor’s «Letter» tab you write the recipient, the subject and the text: the letter takes on the style of your CV and you download it as a PDF or Word file. There is also a ready-made prompt to get help from an AI, starting from your CV and the job advert, without your contact details. Every saved CV has its own letter.
Is the CV that goes with it ready? Read how to write a CV.