How to Write a Cover Letter That Actually Gets Read

Most cover letters fail for the same reason: they just restate the CV in sentence form. A hiring manager who has already seen your CV does not need your work history read back to them in prose — they need a reason this specific role, at this specific company, is worth their time to consider you for.

What a cover letter is actually for

Its one job is to connect your background to this specific role — something a CV, which is written once and reused everywhere, cannot do on its own. If your cover letter would read exactly the same for any job you apply to, it is not doing its job.

Structure that works

• Opening line — name the role and, briefly, why you are applying to this employer specifically. Avoid "I am writing to apply for..." — the subject line or application form already says that.
• One or two lines connecting your background to the role's actual requirements — pick the one or two things the job posting emphasises most, and show, briefly, that you have them. Do not try to cover everything on your CV again.
• One concrete example — a specific result or situation, not a general claim. "Reduced order-processing time by reorganising the daily checklist" says far more than "good at problem-solving."
• A short, confident close — state that you would welcome the chance to discuss the role further, and thank them for their time. Keep it to a few lines; do not restate your whole pitch again.

Mistakes that undo a good CV

• Copy-pasting the same letter everywhere — a reader can tell within the first two lines, especially if the company or role name is left wrong from the last application.
• Repeating the CV line by line — this is the single most common mistake, and it makes the letter feel like padding rather than an addition.
• Going over one page — three to four short paragraphs is plenty. A long cover letter reads as unable to prioritise, which is not the impression you want to give.
• Sounding overly formal or translated — write in plain, direct language rather than stiff phrases that do not sound like something a person would actually say.

If a sentence in your cover letter could describe literally any candidate for literally any job, cut it — every line should say something only true of you, for this role.

Once your cover letter and CV are both ready, keep both updated together — a mismatch between what the CV lists and what the cover letter claims is one of the faster ways to lose credibility with a reader who checks.