How to Write a Cover Letter: Your Full Guide (with Tips and Examples)

It’s a familiar cycle: You sit down to write a cover letter, open a blank document, check your email, browse cover letter examples, watch that cursor blink a few more times, and finally Google something like “how to write a cover letter”—which brought you here.

And still, a little voice in your head might be asking, does anyone really read cover letters? Why do they even exist? Yes, cover letters do get read. To some hiring managers, they’re the most important part of your job application. Regardless, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to tell prospective employers who you are, showcase why they should hire you, and stand out above all the other candidates.

To ensure your cover letter is perfect (and crafting it is as painless as possible), we’ve got an easy-to-follow guide with examples and answers to frequently asked questions.

Get that cover letter out there and impress the recruiters! Browse open jobs on The Muse and find your dream job »

What is a cover letter?

A cover letter is a brief note you write to a hiring manager or recruiter expressing your interest in a position and your suitability for it. It goes along with your resume and other application materials. Unlike resumes, cover letters aren't structured in bullet points, but in paragraphs like conventional letters.

Why is a cover letter important?

A well-written cover letter can set you apart from other candidates and improve your chances of being invited for an interview and considered for the role. It gives you the chance to speak directly to how your skills and experience line up with the job you’re after, and convey to the reviewer that you’re likable, original, and likely to be a great addition to the team.

“When should I write a cover letter?”

You should write a cover letter whenever it's requested—or even when it's optional. First, because employers are likely to read it even if it's not mandatory. Second, because you have nothing to lose by sending one, and you might miss an opportunity to highlight your qualifications and personality if you don’t.

The only time you should skip a cover letter is when the job posting doesn’t mention it at all or specifically asks applicants not to include one.

How long should a cover letter be?

Cover letters typically range from a half page to one full page. Aim to structure it into four paragraphs, totaling around 250 to 400 words, unless the job posting states otherwise. Some employers may have specific guidelines like word or character limits, writing prompts, or questions to address. In such cases, follow the instructions from the job posting.

How to write a cover letter for a job: 8 easy steps

Now that you’re sold on how important cover letters are, here’s how to write a good cover letter, without cliché-filled paragraphs that essentially repeat your resume.

1. Start with a fresh cover letter

Sure, it’s way faster and easier to take the cover letter you wrote for your last application, change the name of the company, and send it off. But most employers want to see that you’re truly excited about that specific position and organization—which means creating a custom letter for each position.

While it’s OK to recycle a few strong sentences and phrases from one cover letter to the next or our free cover letter format and template, don’t even think about sending out a 100% generic letter. “Dear Hiring Manager, I am excited to apply to the open position at your company” is an immediate signal to recruiters and hiring managers that you’re mass-applying to every job listing that pops up on LinkedIn.

2. Add your contact information

At the top of your cover letter, you should list out your basic info. You can even copy the same heading from your resume if you’d like. Some contact info you might include (and the order to include it in):

Your name
Your pronouns (optional)
Your location (optional)
Your email address
Your phone number (optional)
Your Linkedin, portfolio, or personal website URL (optional)
Date (optional)

Note that only name and email are mandatory, and you don’t need to put a full address on a cover letter or resume anymore. A city and state (or metro area) are more than enough. So, your header might look like this:

Inigo Montoya
he/him
Florin Metropolitan Area
inigo@mynameisinigomontoya.com
555-999-2222

June 5, 2025

If the job posting tells you to submit your cover letter in the body of an email, you can add your contact info at the end, after your name (and if you’d like to forgo the email address here, you can—they have it already). In that case, your sign off could look like this:

Sincerely,

Violet Baudelaire
she/her
vbaudelaire@vfd.org
123-123-1234

https://www.linkedin.com/in/violet-baudelaire/

3. Address the recipient by name (if possible)

The most traditional way to address a cover letter is to use the person’s first and last name, including “Mr.” or “Ms.” (for example, “Dear Ms. Jane Smith” or just “Dear Ms. Smith”). But to avoid accidentally using the wrong title—or worse, inadvertently misgendering someone—first and last name also work just fine.

If “Dear” feels a bit too stiff, try “Hello.” But never use generic salutations like “To Whom it May Concern” or “Dear Sir or Madam.” If you can't find the name of the recipient, a simple “Hello, Hiring Manager” works. (For extra help, read these rules for addressing your cover letter and a few tips for how to find the hiring manager.)

4. Craft an attention-grabbing opening paragraph

Your opening paragraph sets the stage for the whole cover letter. You want it to be memorable, conversational, and hyper-relevant to the job you’re pursuing. No need to lead with your name—the hiring manager can see it already. However, it’s good to mention the job you’re applying for (they may be combing through candidates for half a dozen different jobs).

You could go with something simple like, “I am excited to apply for [job] with [Company].” But consider introducing yourself with a snappy first paragraph that highlights your excitement about the company you’re applying to, your passion for the work you do, or/and your past accomplishments.

This is a prime spot to include the “why” for your application. Make it very clear why you want this job at this company. Are you a longtime user of their products? Do you have experience solving a problem they’re working on? Do you love their brand voice or approach to product development? Do your research on the company (and check out their Muse profile if they have one) to find out.

Here's an opening paragraph example:

If truly loving data and making spreadsheets is wrong, I don’t want to be right. It seems like the rest of the employees at Data Analytics Company feel the same way—and that’s just one of the many reasons why I believe I’d be the perfect next hire for your data analysis team.

Read this next: 30 Genius Cover Letter Openers Recruiters Will LOVE

5. Say why you’d be a great hire for that job

Once you’ve got the opening under wraps, you should pull out a few key ideas that will make up the backbone of your cover letter. They should show that you understand what the organization is looking for and how your background lines up with the position.

A common cover letter mistake is only talking about how great the position would be for you. Frankly, hiring managers are aware of that—what they really want to know is what you’re going to bring to the position and company.

To know exactly what to say, study the job description for hints. What problems is the company looking to solve with this hire? What skills or experiences are mentioned high up, or more than once? These will likely be the most important qualifications.

If you tend to have a hard time singing your own praises, ask yourself these questions:

What would your favorite boss, your best friend, or your mentor say about you?
How would they sing your praises?

Use the answers to inform how you write about yourself. You can even weave in feedback you’ve received to strengthen your case (occasionally, don’t overuse this!). For example:

When I oversaw our last office move, my color-coded spreadsheets covering every minute detail of the logistics were legendary; my manager said I was so organized, she’d trust me to plan an expedition to Mars.

6. Prove your qualifications with real examples

Look at your list of qualifications from the previous step, and think of examples from your past that prove you have them. Go beyond your resume. Don’t just repeat what the hiring manager can read elsewhere. Simply put, you want to paint a fuller picture of what experiences and accomplishments make you a great hire.

Let’s say you’re applying for a role that involves working directly with key stakeholders. What better way to show your ability to win back former clients? Here’s an example:

I was in charge of identifying and re-engaging former clients. By analyzing past client surveys, NPS scores, and KPIs, as well as simply picking up the phone, I was able to bring both a data-driven approach and a human touch to the task of re-engaging former clients.

If you're having trouble figuring out how to do this, try asking yourself these questions and finding answers that line up with the qualifications you’ve chosen to focus on:

What approach did you take to tackling one of the responsibilities you’ve mentioned on your resume?
What details would you include if you were telling someone a (very short!) story about how you accomplished one of your resume bullet points?
What about your personality, passion, or work ethic made you especially good at getting the job done?

Come up with your examples, then throw in a few numbers. Hiring managers love to see stats—they show you’ve had a measurable impact on an organization you’ve worked for. Did you bring in more clients than any of your peers? Put together an impressive number of events? Make a process at work 30% more efficient? Work it into your cover letter.

This might help: How to Quantify Your Resume Bullets (When You Don't Work With Numbers)

7. Finish with a strong conclusion

It’s tempting to treat the final lines of your cover letter as a throwaway, such as “I look forward to hearing from you.” But your closing paragraph is your last chance to emphasize your enthusiasm for the company or your fitness for the position. You can also use the end of your letter to add important details—like, say, the fact that you’re willing to relocate for the job.

Here's a final paragraph example:

I believe my energy, desire to innovate, and experience as a sales leader will serve OrangePurple Co. very well. I would love to meet to discuss the value I could add as your next West Coast Sales Director. I appreciate your consideration and hope to meet with you soon.

Then be sure to sign off professionally, with an appropriate closing and your first and last name. For example, “Sincerely, Jane Smith” or “Warm regards, Kevin Jones.” (Need more examples? Here are three cover letter closing lines that make hiring managers grimace, plus some better options.)

8. Reread, revise, and edit your letter

We shouldn’t have to tell you to run your cover letter through spell-check, but remember that having your computer scan for typos isn’t the same as editing. Set your letter aside for a day or even just a few hours, and then read through it again with fresh eyes—you’ll probably notice some changes you want to make.

You might even want to ask a friend or family member to give it a look. In addition to asking them if they spot any errors, you should ask them two questions:

Does this sell you as the best person for the job?
Does it get you excited?

If the answer to either is “no,” or even slight hesitation, go back for another pass. When in doubt, refer to the examples below. Just don’t overanalyze or compare too much—at the end of the day, the best way to get a job is to keep applying.

Free cover letter examples

Here are four example cover letters to help you learn how to write a cover letter for a job, for an internship, without experience, and for a career change.

(Keep in mind that different situations may require adjustments in your approach. For instance, experienced job seekers can emphasize accomplishments from previous roles, while those with less experience might highlight volunteer work, personal projects, or skills gained through education.)

Example #1: Cover letter for a job application

Alia Farhat
San Francisco Bay Area
aliafarhat@email.com
444-000-1111

Hello Danny Tanaka,

If I’m being honest, I still haven’t fully gotten over the death of my first Tamagotchi pet when I was six years old. When I was older, I discovered NeoPets and I was hooked for years—not just on the site, but on the community that surrounded it. So when I heard about FantasyPets last year, I immediately started following news about your development process, and that’s how I saw your post looking for a marketing strategist.

Not only do I have eight years of experience in digital marketing, but as a lifelong gamer with a passion for pet-focused titles who’s spent years in online communities with like-minded people, I also know exactly what kind of messaging resonates with your target audience. You’re looking for someone to help you craft a social media marketing campaign to go along with your game launch, and I’ve been a part of three launch-day marketing campaigns for mobile games.

In my current role as social media manager at Phun Inc., I proposed a campaign based on competitor research and analysis of our social campaigns for similar games to go along with the launch of the mobile game FarmWorld. Using my strategy of featuring both kids and adults in ads, we ended up driving over one million impressions and 80k downloads in the first three months.

I believe that my passion for games exactly like yours, my digital marketing and market research experience, and my flair for turning data into actionable insights will help put FantasyPets on the map. I see so much promise in this game, and as a future player, I want to see its user base grow as much as you do. I appreciate your consideration for the marketing strategist role and hope to speak with you soon.

Sincerely,

Alia Farhat

Example #2: Cover letter for an internship

Mariah Johnson

New York, NY
mariahjohnson@email.com
555-000-1234

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am excited to submit my application for the software development internship at Big Tech. As a student at New York University majoring in computer science with a keen interest in social studies, I believe I would be a good fit for the role. Big Tech's mission to promote equality and a more sustainable world is deeply inspiring, and I would be thrilled to contribute to this mission.

In a recent hackathon, I demonstrated my ability to lead a team in designing and developing an app that directs members of a small community to nearby electronics recycling centers. My team successfully developed a working prototype and presented it to a panel of industry experts who awarded us second place. I’ve also been an active volunteer at my local library for over four years and organized book donation drives, book fairs, and reading sessions with children.

This experience strengthened my presentation and communication skills and confirmed my motivation stems from supporting a good cause. I would be more than happy to bring my passion and dedication to an organization whose mission resonates with me..

Through these experiences, along with my coursework in software engineering, I am confident I am able to navigate the challenges of the Big Tech internship program. I look forward to the opportunity to speak with you about my qualifications. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Mariah Johnson

Example #3: Cover letter with no experience

Sarah Bergman

Philadelphia, PA
sarahbergman@email.com
1234-555-6789

Dear Chloe West,

I’m excited to apply for the entry-level copywriting position at Idea Agency. As a recent graduate from State University with a major in mass communications, I’m eager to delve deeper into copywriting for brands, marketing strategies, and their roles in the business world.

Over the past two years, I’ve completed courses in creative writing, copywriting, and essentials of digital marketing. I’ve also been actively involved in extracurricular activities, creating content and promoting student events across multiple online platforms. These experiences expanded my creativity, enhanced my teamwork skills, and strengthened my communication abilities.

As an admirer of your visionary marketing campaigns and Idea Agency’s commitment to sustainability, I’m enthusiastic about the prospect of joining your team. I'm confident that I can contribute to your future projects with inventive thinking and creative energy.

I welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications further. Thank you for considering my application.

Best regards,

Sarah Bergman

Example #4: Career change cover letter

Leslie Smith

Chicago, IL
lesliesmith@email.com
111-222-3344

Dear Paul Jones,

Over the past year, I’ve volunteered to represent my company at a local fair and there I discovered how much fun working face to face with clients would be. Every time I sold a product for The Solar Company, I often wished it was my full-time job. Now, I'm excited to submit my application for the sales coordinator position with Bloom Sales.

After completing a degree in business administration, I decided to put my outgoing personality and strong communication skills to work as a sales specialist at The Solar Company. I’ve sharpened my presentation and critical thinking skills in client meetings and sourced more than $20,000 in new partnerships. This experience has given me an invaluable foundation, and now I’m confident it's the time to move business administration to sales coordination.

I’m comfortable seeking out new business opportunities, making cold calls, and selling potential clients on the advantages of Bloom Sales products. I attend an average of 10 in-person meetings a week, and interacting with a lot of different personalities is what excites me the most. As a detail-oriented, tech-savvy professional, I have advanced knowledge of Excel and data analysis.

I would love to learn more about your sales strategy for the second semester and discuss how my experience in business administration and client-facing sales exposure would help Bloom Sales achieve its goals. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Leslie Smith

Extra cover letter examples

Bonus tips for an effective cover letter

As you write your cover letter, here are a few more tips to consider to help you stand out from the stack of applicants:

Keep it short and sweet. There are always exceptions to the rule, but in general, for a resume and cover letters alike, don’t go over a page. (Check out these tips for cutting down your cover letter.)

Never apologize for your missing experience. When you don’t meet all of the job requirements, it’s tempting to use lines like, “Despite my limited experience as a manager…” or “While I may not have direct experience in marketing…” But why apologize? Instead of drawing attention to your weaknesses, emphasize the strengths and transferable skills you do have.

Strike the right tone. You want to find a balance between being excessively formal in your writing—which can make you come off as stiff or insincere—and being too conversational. Let your personality shine through, but also keep in mind that a cover letter shouldn’t sound like a text to an old friend.

Consider writing in the company’s “voice.” Cover letters are a great way to show that you understand the culture of the company and industry. Spending some time reading over their website or stalking their social media can help you get in the right mindset. You’ll get a sense for the company’s tone, language, and culture, which are all things you’ll want to mirror—especially if writing skills are a core part of the job.

Go easy on the enthusiasm. We can’t tell you how many cover letters we’ve seen from people who are “absolutely thrilled for the opportunity” or “very excitedly applying!” Yes, you want to show personality, creativity, and excitement. But downplay the adverbs a bit, and keep the level of enthusiasm for the opportunity genuine and believable.

The bottom line with cover letters is this: They matter, much more than the naysayers will have you believe. If you nail yours, you could easily go from the “maybe” pile straight to “Oh, hell yes.”

FAQs

What is the format of a cover letter?

The professional cover letter format is simple and straightforward. It includes four key elements: a header with your personal information (e.g., name, email, phone number, city), a salutation addressing the recipient, three to four paragraphs (introduction, body, and conclusion), and a professional sign-off followed by your signature (e.g., “Sincerely, Toni Johnson”).

How formal is a cover letter?

Cover letters are just as formal as any other form of communication you would have with a potential employer. You can show a little bit of your personality or even humor, but never cross the line by using overly informal language or slang, for example.

What is the STAR method in a cover letter?

STAR stands for situation, task, action, result. In a cover letter, you can use this method to paint a clear picture of a real work situation where you were able to showcase your qualifications and knowledge.

What is the structure of a cover letter?

The structure of a cover letter is: header, salutation, introductory paragraph, two to three body paragraphs, conclusion, and sign-off.

How to write a cover letter in ChatGPT?

The right way to use ChatGPT to write a cover letter is to use a very specific prompt with key elements of the job you're applying for, such as responsibilities and necessary qualifications. Then, you should use the AI-generated answer as a base, but tailor the tone and writing style, and show why you are passionate about that opportunity. Avoid over-reliance on AI—otherwise, your cover letter might sound too generic, which is a dead giveaway that you didn't work on it yourself.

For extra guidance, read this next: How to Use ChatGPT to Write a Cover Letter That Sounds Like You

What is the format for addressing a cover letter?

As most cover letters nowadays are sent via email, the right way to address them it's following:

[Your name]

[City], [State]
[Your email address]
[Your phone number]

Dear/Hello [Hiring manager name],

Is a cover letter and a resume the same?

No, a resume and a cover letter are two different things. A resume is a snapshot of your key skills, experience, and education, structured in bullet points. A cover letter is a letter—a note to the employer where you explain in more detail why you want the job and why you'd be a good fit for it.

Everything else you need to know about cover letters

Regina Borsellino, Jenny Foss, and Amanda Cardoso contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article.