The ending of a cover letter is likely the last thing that a hiring manager will read before they invite you to a potential interview. The factual aspects of your CV will long be imprinted in their memory, so this more persuasive medium needs to end on a “come on, you know you want to invite me to an interview” type of note.
Maybe the ending will persuade them to have another look at your CV? Maybe it will sway them towards you rather than another candidate? If the rest of your application is amazing, but the end of the cover letter is weak, you will harm your chances. In this blog, we consider:
- 5 ways to end a cover letter (with examples)
- How to get the tone right at the end of the letter
- How the end of the letter should make a hiring manager feel
- Checklist to finish the cover letter.
Exploring these questions really matters. You might think that the last few lines are inconsequential, but you would be wrong.
Five ways to end a cover letter (with examples)
The recipe for a cover letter ending is not set in stone. Your blend of unique strengths is what will secure you the interview and the job, so think carefully about which aspect of your candidature to end on. You might choose to include the following:
1. Highlight how you match the criteria
Brand yourself as the ideal candidate. If you can think about the hiring manager before you even get the job, they will imagine you to be a dutiful and trustworthy employee.
Being perceptive is a great skill, so if you manage to hit the mark with so little information to go on, that will be a bonus. Beware of making too many assumptions, though. This approach can also go wrong if you take it too far. Empathy and understanding starts here.
Since starting my copywriting career, I've worked with a broad selection of healthcare brands including Cigna and Humana. As you work with clients in this industry, I believe this experience will allow me to thrive with your agency. I would love to further discuss how my past positions speak to the criteria of this role at a formal interview.
2. Explain how this role fits into your career plan
If the hiring manager is clear about why you want the job, they will be able to match that with their reasons for finding someone. Someone that has a strong sense of purpose is someone that is likely to stay in the job longer – retention is at the forefront of any hiring manager’s mind. Recruitment is hard and they want to make the right choice.
Make sure to back up your “why” with a reason that is congruent with the rest of your application. It needs to make sense. There is something deeply seductive about meeting someone who understands their place in the world and knows where they want to go next.
As a professional aiming to work in the user research sector, I believe working at your company will give me the opportunity to hone my existing skill-set. I have long followed your work in the technology sphere and would relish the chance to learn from your team. I am looking for a position in which I can grow and expand.
3. End your cover letter using repetition
Your cover letter and CV do not have to be a long list of unique standalone claims. It is okay to repeat yourself, albeit with slightly different words. This device of repetition will reinforce a message that may have been lost.
You never know when a hiring manager might get distracted when they are reading your application documents, so repeating a key idea is no bad thing. Double down on your greatest assets – don’t be shy. Share another aspect of your claim and hint that there is plenty more detail to come during an interview.
As previously stated, I have depth of experience in the marketing field. My 10+ years at Nelson Inc. equipped me with a range of digital marketing skills I am confident in using. I would love the opportunity to further expand on these with your agency.
4. Start a story at the end of the cover letter
Your cover letter should leave the hiring manager wanting more. If you begin yet another compelling story right at the end of the cover letter, it will give the impression that you are bursting with stories of career success.
When you only have 300 words to talk about your career, it is natural that loose ends will remain. Leave one of the most powerful story starters towards the end of the cover letter.
In my career as a nurse, there have been many peaks. I'd like to leave you with a story of why this role matters to me. I recently attended to a seven-year-old boy who was recovering from surgery. Each day while on break, I spent just 20 minutes reading to him. When he was discharged, he left a note that read "Hospital can be lonely. Thank you for entertaining me every day!"
5. Mention a personal connection to the company
One great way of showing that you understand the demands of the role and the culture of the employer is mentioning that you know someone from the company.
This does not need to be more than mentioning that someone recommended you for the role, but it will allow the hiring manager to imagine that you have already talked with this person a lot about the possibilities. This personal touch could be what swings it for you. Employers are more likely to want to chat to a candidate who already has some sort of connection with them.
I hope that you will consider my application and look forward to hearing from you soon. One of your employees and a friend of mine, John Smith, has assured me that Bills Business is the "best place he has ever worked". I would relish the chance to have the same experience firsthand.
Expert tips on getting the tone just right
The end of a cover letter should pose a few questions before you sit down to write those final few vital lines. Here are some questions to consider.
1. Instil the hiring manager with confidence
Start with some thoughts about what the hiring manager is looking for. You need to get inside their heads if you want that interview.
They should be comforted that they are making the right call to invite you to an interview, excited to find out more about you, and inspired by your story and how you might be able to repeat your previous successes for them.
You certainly can’t make someone feel like this, but you can include enough ingredients to give them every chance of thinking: “wow, this person seems amazing.” Be consistent with your quietly confident tone and present the choice as a no-brainer.
2. End on a high note (but don't be arrogant!)
There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Of course, the natural hope for any candidate is the possibility of an interview to explore the role properly.
If the cover letter does not mention your desire to take the next step, the hiring manager may well wonder about your motivations. Are you really that bothered about the job?
You can’t possibly know that you are the best person for the role, but you and plenty of other candidates will hope that you are up there. Avoid silly superlatives and claims that you cannot back up.
Leave your enthusiasm at the “I’d really like an interview” stage rather than “I really want the job.” You can’t know that yet.
3. Show some enthusiasm
This is a no brainer. If you end on a note of hope, then the hiring manager needs to think about the urgency of inviting you to interview.
You seem qualified and you may well have other roles, so why would they wait? A well-written cover letter will naturally lead to this conclusion. You need to influence them enough that they will make this immediate decision.
Say that you are “looking forward to the possibility of an interview.” That is a great way to end with a call-to-action.
4. Choose the right sign-off
There are several options for the valediction (i.e. the letter ending). Yes, that is a posh word, but I have used it because people don’t think much about what phrase to use. Pay attention.
Sometimes you need to sit back and look at the options, especially when a letter is so important. Formal rules have relaxed a lot these days so the following advice is pretty solid.
- “Best regards,”
- “Kind regards,”
- “Respectfully,”
- “Sincerely yours,”
- “Yours faithfully,”
- “Take care,”
- “Best wishes,”
- “Cheers,”
Don’t end the cover letter with “cheers.” Please, I beg you.
How not to end a cover letter
When you come to the end of the cover letter, your mind may be feeling a little frazzled. It may be the case that your mind turns to sending it off and getting that magical interview invite in response. You cannot take your eye off the ball like this.
If anything, a mistake, or misjudgement at this stage can be disastrous. Avoid these terrible endings for a cover letter – they could genuinely sink your chances.
Using false humility
Don't undersell yourself at any point during your cover letter. This is your time to shine! Let's take a look at an example of what not to do:
I am not sure whether I am the right person for the job, but I guess I will leave that up to you. I do think that I have enough skills to be good at the role. I am good at programming, so that is a positive. I believe in being honest about my abilities, rather than overpromising and under delivering.
False humility will get you nowhere. If you do not 100% believe that you would be great for the job, why would you apply for it? Tell the hiring manager that you back yourself, without any shadow of doubt.
Exaggerating your eagerness
Sure, you want this job. However, if you start waxing lyrical about how it's the best role you've ever applied for, the hiring manager will see through you. Here's another example of what not to do:
I would love the job. I can’t wait to start. I know that I would be perfect, and I hope that you will agree with me. My career has been building up to this point and I just don’t know what I will do if I don’t get it. Invite me to an interview. You won’t regret it.
Obviously, this is exaggerated, but any hint of cheesy overconfidence will make a hiring manager squirm. Would you want to work with this sort of person in the office?
Take your time with the vital last few words. They are the thing that will be at the front of the hiring manager’s mind when they think about inviting you to an interview.
Key takeaways
Make your choices deliberately. Which of the messages in the blog above do you want to go with? You certainly can’t do it all, so pick a direction and be believable. If you do not believe in yourself, then what chance do you have of the hiring manager believing in you?
Have a look at this final checklist. Go and demand that interview with a compelling ending:
- Touch on a couple of aspects of your motivation. But not too many.
- Choose the right tone to make the hiring manager feel a certain way.
- Be hopeful but not arrogant about your chances of an interview.
- Make sure that the ending stays true to who you are.
