Knowing what to put in a cover letter takes the guesswork out of getting started.
This guide covers every section so you can write one that is clear, relevant, and easy for a recruiter to act on.
What should you include in a cover letter?
A cover letter should include six core elements: a header with your contact details, a personalized greeting, a focused opening, one or two body paragraphs connecting your experience to the role, a brief note on why you want to work for this employer, and a confident closing.
Together, these sections fit onto one page and give the reader everything they need to want to open your resume.
| Section | What it contains | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Your name, phone number, email address, and the date | Handles the formalities and makes it easy to follow up |
| Greeting | A direct address to the recruiter, by name where possible | Sets a personalized, professional tone from the first line |
| Opening paragraph | The role you are applying for and why it caught your attention | Earns attention and gives the recruiter a reason to keep reading |
| Body paragraphs | One or two relevant accomplishments tied directly to the role | Makes your case with evidence rather than claims |
| Company interest | A genuine reason why you want to work for this employer | Shows you chose this role deliberately, not at random |
| Closing | A call to action and a professional sign-off | Prompts a response and ends on a confident note |
Make this process super easy with our Cover Letter Generator; taking the stress out what and what not to include.
What should your cover letter header include?
Your cover letter header should include your full name, phone number, professional email address, and the date.
Below your details, add the recruiter's name and title, the company name, and the company address.
Keep the header consistent with your resume in font and layout.
A matching design across both documents signals care and attention before a word of content is read.
What to include at the top of the page:
- Your full name
- Phone number and professional email address
- Your city (address) and LinkedIn URL (optional but recommended)
- The date
- The recruiter's name, title, company name, and company address
Place your details first, then the recipient's.
How should you open a cover letter?
Your opening paragraph should name the role you are applying for, signal genuine interest, and give the recruiter a reason to keep reading, in two to three sentences.
It is the first impression your writing makes, and it needs to earn the next paragraph.
Avoid starting with "I am writing to apply for."
It is the opener recruiters see most often and immediately blends into the pile.
A stronger opening leads with something real, so consider the difference here:
- Weak: "I am writing to apply for the Customer Experience Manager role and believe I would be a strong candidate."
- Strong: "After five years leading customer success teams in fast-growth software companies, the Customer Experience Manager role at [Company] stood out, your proactive support model mirrors the approach I used to reduce churn by 22% at my current employer."
The second version names the role, connects relevant experience, references something real about the company, and lands a result.
That is the level of opening paragraph that earns a recruiter's attention.
If someone at the company referred you to the role, name them early.
A referral in your cover letter gives your application immediate context and credibility.
What should the body of your cover letter say?
The body of your cover letter, one or two paragraphs, is where you connect your strongest experience to what the employer needs.
This is not a repeat of your resume.
It is where you explain the reasoning and results behind your most relevant work.
Focus on one or two accomplishments rather than trying to cover everything.
A result with context is far more persuasive than a list of duties.
Compare these two approaches:
- Vague: "I have experience managing cross-functional teams and delivering projects on time."
- Specific: "I led a cross-functional team of nine across three time zones, delivering a product migration six weeks ahead of schedule and under budget by 12%."
The job description should guide what you include.
If the role emphasizes stakeholder communication and delivery, those areas should lead your body paragraphs.
Aligning your language with the listing also helps your letter perform well in applicant tracking system (ATS) screening, matching the keywords employers use is part of writing a letter that reaches a human reader.
Each body paragraph should add something your resume cannot.
Context, motivation, and the reasoning behind a result are things a bullet point cannot carry.
That is what this section is for.
Should you include why you want to work for the company?
Yes. Two to four sentences on why you want to work for this organization is one of the most persuasive parts of a cover letter, and one of the most commonly skipped.
Recruiters can tell the difference between a tailored letter and one sent to twenty employers.
Reference something real: a product you use, a project they recently announced, their mission, or their way of working.
Vague enthusiasm reads as low effort.
A concrete detail reads as genuine interest.
This section also answers a question every recruiter has but rarely asks directly: did this person choose us, or are they just looking for any job?
Answering it well separates a good letter from a forgettable one.
How should you close a cover letter?
Your closing paragraph should restate your interest, express confidence in what you would bring, and include a clear call to action.
Two to three sentences is enough.
Avoid phrases like "I hope I might be considered" or "I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience."
Both hedge where the rest of the letter has built confidence.
A strong close reinforces the impression you have spent the letter creating.
End with a professional sign-off:
- Use "Sincerely" or "Best regards"
- Follow with your full name
- Add your phone number and email beneath your name so the recruiter does not have to return to the header
For formal or physical applications, a signed cover letter above your typed name is worth including.
What should you not include in a cover letter?
A cover letter should not include salary expectations, personal information unrelated to the role, or content taken word for word from your resume.
Generic phrases that could apply to any role at any company are equally worth cutting.
Leave these out:
- Salary expectations: Unless the employer asks, this belongs later in the process.
- Unrelated personal detail: Age, marital status, religion, and family situation are not relevant.
- Resume duplication: If a line could have been lifted from your resume, rewrite or cut it.
- Vague claims: "Hard worker" and "team player" add nothing without a real example behind them.
- Negative comments about past employers: Keep the focus on where you are going, not what you are leaving.
One further note on length is that a letter beyond one page is almost always including content the employer does not need at this stage.
Three to four tight paragraphs is the standard.
How you lay those paragraphs out matters too, cover letter formatting covers spacing, font, and structure in full.
How long should a cover letter be?
A cover letter should be one page, made up of three to four short paragraphs.
For most applications, 250 to 400 words is the right range, enough to make a clear case without losing the reader's attention.
If your letter is running long, the most common cause is repeating resume content or including background the employer does not need at this stage.
A short cover letter done well is always stronger than a longer one with filler.
The right length can also shift slightly depending on the role and seniority level.
Key takeaways
- A cover letter should include six sections: a header, greeting, opening paragraph, body paragraphs, a company interest note, and a closing with a call to action.
- The body of your cover letter is not a repeat of your resume, use it to add context, results, and reasoning that a bullet point cannot carry.
- Tailoring your letter to the specific role and employer is what separates a strong application from a forgettable one.
- Keep your cover letter to one page and 250 to 400 words, brevity signals respect for the recruiter's time.
- Every section has a job to do; if a sentence is not earning its place, cut it.
Frequently asked questions
Still have questions?
Here are the ones job seekers ask most.
Does a cover letter need to follow a specific structure?
Yes. A cover letter should follow a clear order: header, greeting, opening, body, company interest, and a closing with a call to action.
This works because it mirrors how a reader processes information naturally, from who you are, to what you bring, to why you want the role.
A cover letter outline is a practical way to map this before you start writing.
Should every cover letter be different?
Yes. Each cover letter should be tailored to the specific role and employer.
A generic letter is easy for a recruiter to identify and signals low engagement with the opportunity.
Keep a strong base template and adjust the opening, the company interest section, and your key examples for each application.
That saves time without losing the relevance that makes a letter worth reading.
Can a cover letter be shorter than three paragraphs?
Yes, in some cases.
A two-paragraph letter works for straightforward roles or where brevity is valued.
What matters is that the essentials are covered: who you are, what you bring, and why you want the position.
If you can do that clearly in two paragraphs, a third is not needed.
