How to write a cover letter, with a full example
A cover letter answers the question your CV cannot: why this job, and why you? It should fit on one page, speak to the specific vacancy and point to evidence in your CV. Below is a structure that works in most countries, a complete example letter and the mistakes to avoid.
Length and format
Europass, the European Commission's careers service, is clear on the basics: a cover letter should not be longer than one page; keep paragraphs short and clear, each covering a different aspect; use a formal, polite tone with no spelling mistakes; and use a simple, non-decorative font at a normal size (11–12 point) with single or 1.5 line spacing.
The cover letter generator lays the letter out for you: your contact details, the date, the recipient, the greeting, the body and the closing, in a clean one-column PDF.
The three-paragraph structure
Europass suggests three paragraphs, and it is a reliable default:
- Why you are applying. Name the role, where you saw it and what motivates you to apply for this position.
- Why you are the right candidate. Pick two or three requirements from the advert and show, with examples from your CV, that you meet them.
- Why the company is a good match for you. Show you know something about the organisation, and close by asking for the next step.
Before writing, read the vacancy notice carefully and highlight the skills it asks for. Europass recommends reusing the advert's own words for soft skills (punctual, organised, team player) and researching the employer so you can refer to one or two key points about it.
Who to address it to
Use the hiring manager's name if the advert or the company website gives it ("Dear Ms Rivera"). If not, a role-based greeting is fine: "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear Recruitment Team". Avoid "To whom it may concern", which signals a letter sent to everyone. Match the closing to the greeting: in British usage, "Yours sincerely" follows a named greeting and "Yours faithfully" follows "Dear Sir or Madam"; "Kind regards" works for email in most places.
A complete example
This letter is an example of the structure. The person, company and figures are invented; use your own facts.
Dear Ms Rivera,
I am applying for the Customer Support Lead position advertised on your careers page. I have used Northwind's booking software in two previous jobs, and the chance to help shape the support team of a product I know well from the customer's side is exactly what I am looking for in my next role.
Your advert asks for experience leading a small team, written communication in English and Spanish, and a habit of improving processes. For the past three years I have led a team of five support agents at a travel company, where we answer customers in both languages. When reply times started to slip, I introduced a shared library of tested answers and a simple triage rule for urgent cases; over the following six months our average first reply time fell from 20 hours to under 8. Before that, I spent two years as an agent myself, so I know what makes the job hard and what makes it rewarding.
What draws me to Northwind is your public product roadmap and the fact that support feedback is listed as one of its inputs. I would welcome the chance to discuss how I could contribute, and I am available for an interview at any time in the coming two weeks.
Yours sincerely, Daniel Okafor
Why the example works
- First paragraph: names the role and the source, and gives a specific reason (knows the product), not a generic one.
- Second paragraph: takes the three requirements from the advert in order and answers each with evidence, including one result with numbers.
- Third paragraph: shows research (the public roadmap) and ends with a clear next step and availability.
- Length: about 250 words, comfortably one page with contact details and closing.
Speculative letters (no advert)
When you write to a company that has not advertised a job, the structure stays the same, but the first paragraph explains why you are writing to this company in particular and what kind of role you are looking for, and the second paragraph shows what you could bring based on what you know about their work. Keep it shorter and make it easy to say yes to a conversation rather than to a job.
Mistakes that get letters rejected
- Repeating the CV. The letter should select and explain, not list.
- The wrong company name or the name of a company you applied to before. Check every name twice.
- Starting with "My name is…". Your name is already at the top.
- More than one page. If it does not fit, cut the least relevant example.
- Generic praise ("your prestigious company"). One specific fact about the employer is worth more.
- Spelling mistakes. Europass lists this explicitly; read the letter aloud before sending.
Sending it
If the application asks for files, attach the letter as a PDF with a clear name such as "Firstname-Lastname-Cover-Letter.pdf". If the form has a text box for a cover letter, paste the text there instead. Send your CV with it; the CV guide covers what employers in different European countries expect.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a cover letter be?
No longer than one page, according to Europass. Three short paragraphs of three to five sentences each usually fit.
Is a cover letter still necessary?
When an advert asks for one, yes. When it is optional, a short, specific letter still helps explain why you fit, especially if your CV alone does not make it obvious.
Should the cover letter be the same for every job?
No. Europass advises matching the letter to the vacancy notice and to the employer. Keep a base version and adapt the first two paragraphs each time.
What font and size should I use?
Europass recommends a simple, non-decorative font at 11–12 point with single or 1.5 line spacing.
Sources: Europass — Create your Europass cover letter · Europass — Create your Europass CV