How to write a cover letter: start with the posting
A cover letter answers one question for the reader: why does this person's background fit this opening? Before you type a sentence, read the job posting twice. On the first pass, note the daily work. On the second, mark the requirements that appear more than once, because those usually matter most to the person screening applications.
Then decide what the letter is for. Your resume lists where you worked and what you did. The letter picks one or two of those facts and explains why they matter for this role. If you try to retell the whole resume, the reader gets a longer document and a weaker argument. A narrow letter that is easy to follow almost always reads better than a broad one.
Check the application instructions as well. Some employers ask for an upload, some for a pasted answer in a form and some for a short email. The content you plan stays the same, but the length and layout depend on the channel, so settle that before you start drafting.
Gather proof before you draft
Most weak letters are weak because the writer started drafting without material. Spend ten minutes collecting facts first. Open your resume, old performance notes, project files or messages from colleagues, and write down what you actually did, in plain words, without polishing.
Be strict about what counts as proof. A trait such as being detail-oriented is a claim, while describing how you checked orders against a packing list is evidence. The reader can believe the second without taking your word for it.
- A task you handled regularly that matches a duty in the posting, described as an action: what you did, for whom and how often.
- One situation that became complicated, how you resolved it and what you changed afterward.
- A tool, system or process named in the posting that you have really used, with the context in which you used it.
- A number only if you can trace it to a record, such as a count, a time period or a team size. Leave it out if you would have to guess.
- A practical detail the employer cares about, such as shift availability, location, a license or a start date.
Draft the letter in four parts
A reliable structure is four short paragraphs. It is not the only acceptable shape, but it keeps you from rambling and gives each part a single job. Use the table as a planning aid and write the sentences in your own voice.
| Part | Its job | What to put in it |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Name the role and give the reader a reason to keep going. | The job title and your strongest relevant fact in one or two sentences. |
| First evidence paragraph | Show that you have done the core work. | One specific example tied to the requirement the posting repeats most. |
| Second evidence paragraph | Add a different angle of fit. | A second example covering another requirement, such as a tool, a team setting or a skill the first example did not show. |
| Close | Make the next step easy. | A short thanks, your availability and a plain statement that you would welcome a conversation. |
Write the body paragraphs
Body paragraphs work best in a simple sequence: the situation, what you did and why it matters for the new job. Say what the task was, describe your action in the first person and finish by linking it to a requirement in the posting. Skip that link and the reader has to make the connection alone, which they may not do.
Here is a pattern to adapt: "In my role as [title] at [employer], I [action you took]. That work is close to the [duty] you describe, and I would bring the same approach to [part of the new job]." Fill every bracket with a true detail. If a bracket cannot be filled honestly, choose a different example.
Keep sentences short enough to read aloud in one breath. Prefer verbs that describe actions, such as scheduled, checked, trained or reconciled, over adjectives such as passionate or dynamic. Adjectives are quick to write and hard to believe.
Tone and the smaller choices
Write the way you would speak to a respectful colleague you have not met. Avoid slang, avoid stiff phrases borrowed from templates and avoid apologizing for gaps in your background. If you lack a requirement, spend the space on what you do have rather than drawing attention to what you do not.
Three companion pages cover the smaller choices. The first sentence and the salutation are covered in our guide to starting a cover letter, the layout in our guide to cover letter length and format, and the closing lines in the guide to ending a cover letter.
Edit before you send
Wait an hour before the final read if you can. Fresh eyes catch repeated words and overclaims that felt fine while you were drafting. Then work through a short checklist.
- Read the letter against the posting and confirm that each main requirement you answer has proof next to it.
- Check every date, title, employer name and tool against your resume so the two documents agree.
- Cut any sentence that would still make sense in a letter for a different job.
- Read it aloud and shorten anything that makes you stumble.
- Check the spelling of the company and role names, because a wrong name is the first error readers notice.
- Save the file with a clear name and open the exact file you plan to attach.
Write it with Twoweeks
Twoweeks follows the same method. You paste the posting, choose the CV that holds your relevant facts and review a draft written from what you actually did. You edit it, you decide what to send and Twoweeks never applies for you. It is a faster route to a first draft, not a replacement for your own read-through.
Fair questions
How long does it take to write a cover letter?
Plan for about an hour for a first letter, including reading the posting and collecting examples. Later letters go faster because your evidence is already gathered. Most of the time should go to choosing the right example and editing, not typing. Rushing the evidence step usually produces a generic letter that you then have to rewrite.
Should I write a new cover letter for every job?
Yes, in the sense that the opening, the examples and the connection to the posting should change each time. You can reuse true facts about your background, but copying a finished letter and swapping the company name is easy for a reader to spot. Keep a notes file of examples and rebuild the letter around each posting.
What should I do if I do not know the hiring manager's name?
Look at the posting and the company's official pages first. If no name appears, use a neutral greeting such as Dear Hiring Manager rather than guessing. A wrong name or title is a worse mistake than a general greeting. Our guide to starting a cover letter covers the options in more detail.
Do I need a cover letter if the application does not ask for one?
Not always. If the form marks the letter as optional, a short, specific one can add context your resume cannot, such as why you are changing fields or how your experience matches a particular duty. A generic letter adds nothing. If you have no relevant point to make, put the effort into your resume instead.