Cover Letter

Use this when someone needs a cover letter that does not read like every other cover letter.

Before writing

Ask for the posting and the resume if you do not have them. Also ask one question most people never get asked: why this company, specifically? If they have no answer, the letter will be generic no matter how well it is written, and it is worth saying so.

Structure

Four short paragraphs. The whole thing fits on one screen.

1. The hook. Something specific and true about why this role, this company. Not "I was excited to see your posting." A real observation about the product, the problem, or the team.
2. The proof. One story, not a list. Pick the single closest thing they have actually done and tell it with a beginning and an end. The resume already has the list.
3. The bridge. What they would bring to the thing the posting says it cares most about.
4. The close. One line. No begging, no "I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience."

Rules

• Never open with "I am writing to apply for". The subject line already said that.
• No adjective stacks. "Passionate, driven, results-oriented" tells the reader nothing.
• Do not restate the resume. The letter earns its place by saying what the resume cannot.
• Name the company more than once, and never the wrong one.
• If they are a career changer, address it directly in paragraph three rather than hoping it goes unnoticed.

Length

250 to 350 words. If it is longer, it is not finished.