| Stage | What to do | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| Read the posting | Follow the instructions in the job posting | Settles what to include and how to submit before you write a word |
| Greeting | Address the employer by name and title where possible; otherwise use Dear Hiring Manager or Dear Hiring Team | Spend a few minutes finding a name; use a generic greeting only as a fallback |
| Opening paragraph | State why you are writing and establish a point of contact | Name the role and give the reader a way to reach you |
| Body paragraphs | Two to three paragraphs showing how your education and experience suit the position | Choose the strongest matches to the posting instead of listing everything |
| Closing paragraph | Politely request an interview at the employer’s convenience | End on a clear next step |
| Length | A single page | Treat one page as a ceiling, not a target |
Guidance in the table comes from the University of Wisconsin–Madison Writing Center and the University of Texas at Austin career services.
To learn how to write a cover letter that works, keep it to a single page and build it from an opening, two to three body paragraphs and a closing that asks for an interview. Tailor it to the posting.
A letter is one part of a wider application. If you are still setting up, begin with how to start a job search, then come back here to draft the letter itself.
Before drafting: read the posting
Read the job posting first, because it sets both the instructions and the vocabulary for your letter. University of Texas career services advises applicants to follow the instructions in the job posting, which includes supplying any information the employer asks for. If the posting requests something specific, such as a particular detail in the letter, that request outranks any template, including the one below.
Handshake notes that it is common for employers to scan resumes and cover letters for keywords. Before you write, mark the terms the posting uses for duties and requirements. Reuse them only where they truthfully describe your work.
Your resume is the other half of the application, and the letter should not duplicate it. Draft the resume first using how to write a resume, then use the letter for what the resume cannot show. Once the posting is marked up, you can start the structure.
Drafting: the paragraph-by-paragraph structure
The simplest reliable structure is an opening paragraph, two to three body paragraphs and a closing paragraph. Each part has one job, and the sample lines below show a weak version beside a stronger one. The bracketed parts are placeholders for your own details.
Greeting
The Wisconsin Writing Center recommends that you address each employer by name and title whenever possible. When no name can be found, University of Texas career services recommends “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Hiring Team” and warns against “To Whom It May Concern”. Choose the named version if you can find the name, and the generic version otherwise.
Opening paragraph: how do you start a cover letter?
Start by stating why you are writing and giving the reader a point of contact, as the Wisconsin Writing Center advises. MIT’s career office adds that the introduction should clearly state the role you are applying for. The opening therefore needs the role, your reason for applying and a way to reach you. Keep it direct and put the strongest connection to the role first.
- Before: “I am writing to apply for a job at your company. I think I would be a great fit.”
- After: “I am writing to apply for the [role title] position at [company]. My [specific coursework or work] matches the [responsibility named in the posting] your team describes, and I can be reached at [email].”
The stronger version names the role, points to something concrete and keeps the contact route in view. The weaker one could be sent to any employer, which is exactly the problem.
Body paragraphs
The body is where the letter earns its place. The Wisconsin Writing Center describes it as the part where you show how your education and experience suit the requirements of the position. MIT’s guidance asks you to explicitly connect your experiences to the role’s responsibilities. University of Texas career services adds that a good letter doesn’t summarize the resume that follows it. Handshake puts it the same way: don’t summarize it in your letter.
In practice, pick the requirements in the posting where you have your best evidence. Give each its own paragraph, and add a detail the resume cannot hold, such as what you did, why it mattered and how it relates to the new role.
- Before: “I am hardworking and have many skills that would help me in this role.”
- After: “In my [project or role], I [specific action], which is the kind of [responsibility from the posting] this position involves.”
Closing paragraph and call to action
The closing carries the call to action. The Wisconsin Writing Center’s instruction is to politely request an interview at the employer’s convenience. The request should be courteous and specific, and it should leave the timing to the employer.
- Before: “Thank you for your time. I hope to hear from you.”
- After: “I would welcome the chance to discuss how my [relevant experience] could support your team, at whatever time suits you. You can reach me at [email].”
If the request works, the next job is preparation, which is covered in how to prepare for a job interview. Before you reach that stage, the letter still needs trimming and tailoring.
Polishing: length and tailoring
How long should a cover letter be?
Keep it to a single page. The Wisconsin Writing Center says to limit your letter to a single page, and MIT’s career office says to keep it under one page. Read these as a ceiling. A letter with an opening, two body paragraphs and a closing that stops short of the page limit is fine. If a draft runs over, cut the sentences that repeat your resume before you shrink the margins or the font.
Tailoring each letter
University of Texas career services is blunt on this point: don’t use a generic letter for every position. Handshake gives the same advice, noting that you should not use the same generic letter for all of your applications. The structure above is easy to reuse, but the content should not be. The role name, the matched requirements and the specific example in each body paragraph need to change with every posting.
Writing with no experience
A cover letter with no experience is still a letter about evidence; only the source of the evidence changes. Handshake advises that you take time to outline your biggest strengths as related to the job, backed by concrete examples. Coursework, projects, volunteering and group work can all serve as examples if they relate to what the posting asks for.
Use the same structure, but let each body paragraph rest on one example rather than a job title. MIT’s advice to connect experiences explicitly to the role’s responsibilities matters even more here, because the reader will not infer the link for you.
- Before: “I have no experience, but I learn quickly.”
- After: “Through [course project or activity], I [specific task], which gave me practice in [skill the posting names].”
The stronger line replaces a claim with something the reader can picture, and it leaves out the apology.
Sending the letter
Submit the letter in the form the posting asks for, and include every item it requests. Where the application goes by email, University of Texas career services says the subject line should include your name, the job title, and/or the posting number. A subject line built that way lets the recipient match the message to the right vacancy at a glance.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a cover letter in 2026?
In most cases, yes. MIT’s career office says that in most cases the answer is yes, though it depends on the employer or industry. If an employer explicitly states that it does not want a cover letter, you do not need to send one.
Where can I find full sample letters?
University of Texas career services publishes cover letter examples paired with their job descriptions, covering internship, research and full-time roles. Reading a sample next to its posting shows how the writer matched the letter to the role.
What if I do not meet every qualification?
Say so in the letter. Handshake advises that if you don’t meet all of the qualifications in the posting, you should mention this in your letter. Pair the gap with the strengths and examples you can offer.
