Cover letter: a four-paragraph structure, with examples
A cover letter does not repeat your CV: it explains why you, for this role, at this company. Four paragraphs are enough, as long as each one has a precise job.
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Do you still need a cover letter?
It depends on the vacancy. When it asks for one, send it: it is a screening criterion, and not providing it often amounts to not applying. When it is not requested, a well-targeted CV is usually enough; a short, precise letter can still make the difference if the role is highly contested, if you are changing career (see career-change CV) or if your history has a gap to explain (see employment gap on a CV).
What does not work is the generic letter sent to every company with only the name changed. The reader sees it in the first sentence.
What the letter is for: answering three questions
- Why this role? What in the vacancy matches what you want to do.
- Why this company? A specific fact (a product, a project, a value, a sector) proving you looked.
- Why you? One or two proofs from your career that answer what the vacancy asks for.
The four-paragraph structure
1. The opening: why you are writing
Say in two sentences which role you are applying for and what brings you to it. Avoid "I am writing to apply for the position advertised": it says nothing.
Illustrative example: adapt the details to your real situation.
2. The proof: what you have already done
Take one or two achievements from your CV that match what the vacancy asks for, and tell each in one sentence, with a figure if you have a reliable one (see quantifying achievements). The letter does not copy the CV: it chooses what matters for this role.
3. The company: why them
A short paragraph showing you know the company: what it does, a recent project, its customers, a word in the vacancy that speaks to you. A specific fact, not a compliment.
4. The close: suggest what happens next
Availability, willingness to talk, next step. Two sentences and a simple sign-off. No four-line "I remain at your complete disposal for a possible interview".
Length and format
- One page at most, often less: 200 to 300 words are enough.
- A named recipient when the vacancy gives one; otherwise "Dear Hiring Manager".
- A natural tone: write as you would speak to a future colleague, in short sentences.
- A layout consistent with your CV: same colours, same font.
Mistakes to avoid
- Repeating the CV. The recruiter already has it in front of them.
- Talking only about yourself. What the company gains must show.
- Empty phrases: "dynamic and motivated", "rigorous and independent" with no example behind them.
- Typos. Read it aloud, then leave it for an hour before sending.
- Lying or exaggerating. Anything you write can be checked at interview.
A good habit: a letter starts from the vacancy. Highlight its three main criteria, then check that each of your paragraphs deals with at least one.
Using a draft without losing your voice
A tool such as OpusCV can suggest a first version from your CV and the vacancy. The draft is there to get past the blank page: read it, replace generalities with a precise fact, and check that every achievement cited is really yours. The letter has to sound like you.
If an interview follows, prepare for it from this same letter: what you promised in it, you will have to tell out loud.