Tips on How to Write a Good Cover Letter

A cover letter is a formal, one-page document that introduces you, expresses your interest in a specific job, and highlights how your qualifications match the role’s requirements. It should be clear, concise, and tailored to the position. A well-crafted cover letter adds context and personality to your application while complementing your resume. When written effectively, it can position you as an ideal candidate and help you stand out in today’s competitive job market.

In fact, according to a recent survey, 94% of hiring managers in the U.S. say a cover letter plays a crucial role in influencing interview decisions. Pairing your resume with a polished and authentic cover letter allows you to showcase your skills, express enthusiasm for the role, and demonstrate your understanding of the position and the company.

The following guide will teach you how to write a strong cover letter that stands out. You’ll learn exactly how to structure it so your application catches the attention of hiring managers—giving you a stronger chance of landing an interview.

What Makes a Good Cover Letter?

What does a good cover letter look like? A good cover letter is a clear, concise, compelling, personalized and error-free document highlighting your experience and skills aligned with a specific job role. It focuses on relevant achievements and complements your resume. In addition, it tells potential employers why you’re a perfect fit for a particular position in their company. 

Start your cover letter with a strong opening personalized to the job description. As you write the letter, create a good balance between personality and professionalism. This can help you convince hiring managers that you’ve invested enough time to understand the job role and their organization. Doing so can potentially increase your chances of landing an interview. 

A well-written cover letter demonstrates that you don’t just have the right skills but are also genuinely interested in the company. Here are some key elements to  consider when writing a good cover letter:

• Personalized: Stronger cover letters typically include special details. Mention the name of the company and hiring manager, if possible. 

• Well-structured: Begin with a compelling opening, followed by a clear body and confident closing paragraph. This structure can help encourage employers to move your application further. 

• Well-formatted: Avoid long paragraphs and use a professional font, e.g., Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial. 

• Engaging: Make sure to use an engaging tone. This can grab hiring managers’ interest and help make you appear approachable.   

• Concise: The letter should be brief, ideally one page. It should highlight relevant experiences and skills. 

• Error-free: Make sure the cover letter is free from errors. Double-check for spelling and grammar mistakes. 

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Best Way to Start a Cover Letter 

A cover letter with a strong opening can help you get the attention of potential recruiters and open up doors to your next career opportunity. Knowing the best way to start a cover letter is key. Here are a few tips to help you write a cover letter that starts off strong: 

Add the Hiring Manager’s Name

Adding a touch of personalization reflects your genuine interest and attention to detail. Make sure to address the hiring manager by their name (if possible) instead of using “To Whom It May Concern.” For instance:

Dear Mary Smith (if you have a name)

Dear Hiring Manager (if you don’t have a name)

Mention the Job Position Clearly 

To avoid any confusion, clearly mention the role you’re applying for in your cover letter. For example, if you’re interested in the Content Strategist role, you might start your letter by saying:

I’m writing to express my strong interest in the Content Strategist position at [Company Name]. 

Craft a Strong Hook

To encourage hiring managers to continue reading your cover letter, lead by adding a previous achievement or accomplishment related to the position. For example:

At [Previous Company Name], I developed a content strategy for a blog that boosted traffic by 70% within a couple of months—results I’m excited to bring to your team. 

Align With the Company’s Mission or Values 

Don’t forget to mention that you understand their mission, goals or values and how you align with them. For example: 

I admire [Company Name]’s mission to deliver value to readers. As a copywriter focused on clarity and engagement, I’d love to contribute to your team to help you curate content that inspires, educates and builds trust. 

Lead With Enthusiasm

Show how you appreciate the company’s culture and how excited you are to join them, such as the following:

I’ve always admired [Company Name] for its thoughtful, reader-first content approach and would love to be a part of your enthusiastic team. 

A cover letter is typically a one-page document. Therefore, keep your cover letter brief and focused, highlighting the details that can help you get noticed by hiring managers. 

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Format and Structure of a Good Cover Letter

A cover letter should be easy to read, look professional and communicate effectively with readers. This means following a clean layout, consistent formatting and logical flow. Here’s a guide to help you with a good cover letter format and structure: 

Add your and the prospective recruiter’s contact information at the top, either left-aligned or centered. Here’s what to include:

• Your full name
• Your contact number
• Your email address
• Your LinkedIn profile
• Your portfolio link (optional)
• Date
• Hiring manager’s name (if you know)
• Hiring manager’s job title
• Company name
• Company address 

Greeting Section

Add personalization to your cover letter to stand out and set a professional tone. 

• Address the hiring manager by name (search for it on the company’s website or LinkedIn).
• If you can’t find a name, go with “Dear Hiring Manager.”
• Avoid using “To Whom It May Concern.”

Introduction Section

Hiring managers often skim hundreds of job applications to find the right candidates. A compelling intro in your cover letter can help you grab attention. 

• Mention the job role you’re applying for.
• Show enthusiasm while keeping it professional.
• Keep it concise yet impressive, ideally two to four sentences.

Body Paragraph(s)

The body of your cover letter helps you show why you’re a perfect fit for a specific role in a company. In this section, you should:

• Outline the skills and achievements that match the job description.
• Mention how your background enables you to contribute to the company’s mission.
• Keep it two to three paragraphs long. 

Closing Paragraph

A good closing can help you leave a lasting impression and encourage recruiters to take action. Here’s what to add in a closing paragraph:

• Reaffirm your interest in the position to make it clear you’re genuinely enthusiastic about the opportunity.
• Express your eagerness to land an interview.
• Add a thank-you note for the reader to show you value their time.

Sign-off Section

The sign-off is a closing phrase to wrap up your cover letter politely and professionally. 

• Use professional sign-offs (e.g., “Sincerely,” “Thank you,” “Best regards,” “Kind regards,” etc.).
• For a printed copy, leave three to four lines for a physical signature.
• End it with your full name.

Additional Tips on Design and Readability

Writing a cover letter isn’t enough. To make a good first impression on hiring managers, you also need to ensure it is visually appealing and easy to read. Here are some formatting tips to consider while creating your cover letter:

• Length: Aim for a length between 250 and 400 words to ensure clarity. 
• Font: Use a readable and professional font like Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri. 
• Alignment: Keep the text left-aligned for easy reading.
• Margin: Use 1-inch margins on all sides for better layout and readability. 
• Spacing: Add spacing between sections or paragraphs to make it visually appealing. 
• File Format: If not specified, share your cover letter as a PDF to preserve formatting.

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How to Make a Cover Letter Stand Out

With hundreds of job applicants standing in line for one open vacancy, a generic cover letter won’t take you anywhere. You need to add more than just basic details to stand out. Your cover letter should speaks of a story that highlights your unique skills and quantifiable achievements. Here are some tips and examples on how to make a cover letter stand out:

Highlight Your Unique Value Proposition

Showcasing your unique value proposition is one of the most effective ways to differentiate yourself from other applicants. Your cover letter should include relevant skills, qualities, experience and accomplishments that demonstrate why you’re the right candidate for a specific position. For instance, if you’re a copywriter, you can add what you are best at, how it solves a problem and a clear outcome. For example:

With years of experience blending storytelling with SEO knowledge, I specialize in crafting content that tells compelling stories and drives measurable results. In my previous role, I developed a content strategy for a travel blog that increased organic traffic by 80% in just seven months.

Add a Compelling Story 

Storytelling can turn a generic document into something impactful by adding narrative, credibility and personality. A brief, relevant story in your cover letter can help you build a strong connection with hiring managers. However, it shouldn’t be dramatic; make sure to keep it relevant, specific and results-oriented. For example:

Avoid generic statements: I’m a passionate copywriter and strategic thinker with SEO knowledge.

Instead, say: In a previous project, I worked with a client who was struggling to drive organic traffic to their business. I analyzed their existing content plan, identified gaps in the strategy and revamped it based on current SEO trends. This led to a 90% increase in traffic within a few months. 

Talk About Your Quantifiable Achievements

Adding your quantifiable achievements to your cover letter is an effective way to prove your worth. They can help you showcase that you don’t just do your job but deliver results. For instance:

Avoid: I’m a result-oriented copywriter with problem-solving skills. 

Instead, use: I crafted conversion-optimized website copy that generated around $20K in sales shortly after launch.

Demonstrate You’ve Researched the Company 

Hiring managers often pick only those candidates who show genuine interest in the job and the company. That’s why doing your homework about the company and mentioning it in your cover letter can make a strong impression. When you demonstrate the company’s work, values or mission, it shows you’re not just applying to every open position but truly invested in that specific opportunity. 

For example, if you’re applying for a content writer role, you might say:

I admire [Company Name]’s mission to create content that engages, educates and converts—something I consistently strive for in my writing. I’d be thrilled to contribute to your passionate team focused on delivering meaningful results to audiences as well as clients.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Cover Letter 

A cover letter can determine whether your job application stands out or is overlooked by hiring managers. To ensure its effectiveness, avoid the following common mistakes:

Don’t Repeat Your Resume

Your cover letter is an additional document that complements your resume. Therefore, simply copying the information from your resume won’t help. To add depth to your application, use your cover letter to highlight your accomplishments related to the position you’re applying for. 

Don’t Use Generic Language

Hiring managers review countless job applications daily and reject those filled with generic language. Try not to sound like a robot or template. Instead, add personality, enthusiasm, and personalization to your cover letter to make it stand out. 

Don’t Make the Tone Overly Formal or Informal

When writing your cover letter, always remember to find the right balance between being too formal and too informal. Make sure the tone of your letter is professional yet approachable. 

Don’t Forget to Customize

Sending out your cover letter without adding a touch of customization reflects a lack of effort and makes hiring managers dismiss it. Therefore, you should customize your cover letter based on each job to show your genuine interest. 

Don’t Make It Too Long 

A cover letter should be to the point. To make your application stand out, make sure to include only critical details, such as your skills, achievements, and why you’re applying. 

Don’t Skip Proofreading

A cover letter full of typos and grammatical mistakes sends a negative impression. Once you’ve created a draft, proofread it thoroughly. An error-free cover letter demonstrates you care and have invested time focusing on each detail. 

Final Tips for Writing a Good Cover Letter 

A well-crafted, compelling cover letter can be the key to unlocking your next career opportunity. It offers a great opportunity to speak directly to prospective hiring managers and leave a lasting impression. To be impressive, your cover letter should be personalized, well-structured, error-free, well-formatted, concise and tailored to the specific job role. With the right approach and strategies, anyone can create an effective cover letter that sets them apart and gives recruiters a valid reason to move their application further in the hiring process.

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