The cover letter answers a question the CV cannot: why this role, at this company, now. If your letter is a prose version of your work history, you have wasted the one chance you get to make an argument.
Four paragraphs
- 1The hook — the role you are applying for and the single most relevant thing about you, in one or two sentences. No “I am writing to apply for…”.
- 2The proof — one concrete story that maps onto the main requirement in the posting. What the situation was, what you did, what changed.
- 3The fit — something specific about the company or the problem they are hiring to solve, and why it is interesting to you. This is the paragraph that cannot be reused.
- 4The close — availability, and a plain sentence asking for a conversation.
Openings to avoid
- “I am writing to express my interest in…” — says nothing, uses your best line.
- “As you can see from my attached CV…” — then why am I reading this?
- “I have always been passionate about…” — unverifiable, and everyone says it.
- “To whom it may concern” — find a name or use the team name.
Length and tone
Under 300 words. Match the formality of the posting. Write like a competent colleague, not a supplicant — you are proposing an exchange of value, not asking for a favour.