Resume guides
How to write a cover letter
When a cover letter is worth writing, the three-paragraph structure, and how to keep it specific to the employer.
Write one when the posting asks, or when you have something specific to say that your resume cannot carry. Otherwise it is optional noise.
The three paragraphs
- Opening — the role, and one sentence on why this employer specifically.
- Evidence — two or three lines connecting your record to the posting's top two responsibilities.
- Close — availability, and a direct request to talk.
Length and tone
Three or four short paragraphs, comfortably under a page. Match the employer's register: formal for law and public sector, direct for startups and studios.
What to avoid
- Restating the resume in prose
- Generic openings: "I am writing to express my interest…" with nothing after it
- Flattery you cannot support
- Claims about the company you have not checked