The structure
What is a cover letter actually for?
A cover letter explains what your CV only lists. The CV is the record of what you did; the letter argues why that record fits this role at this employer. It is also the one part of the application where you choose what the reader looks at first.
Your CV lists what you have done; the cover letter explains why it matters for this role. It is your chance to connect the dots a recruiter would otherwise have to guess - to show you understand the job and give the specific reasons you would do it well. Keep it short: one page, three or four focused paragraphs.
How do I write a cover letter, step by step?
Seven steps: read the posting and the company, address a named person, open with a specific hook, connect your experience to two or three stated requirements, show you understand the employer, close with a clear next step, then cut it to one page and proofread it aloud.
Read the job description and research the company
Note the responsibilities, the must-haves, and what the company seems to value. You will write to those, not to a generic template.
Address a real person if you can
A name beats "To whom it may concern." Check the posting, the company site, or LinkedIn; a specific greeting signals effort.
Open with a specific hook
Skip "I am writing to apply for…". Lead with why this role, or a relevant result - something that makes the reader want the next line.
Connect your experience to their needs
Take two or three of the role's key requirements and give concrete evidence you meet them. Mirror the wording of the posting wherever it honestly fits. CVTailor drafts the letter from your tailored CV and the job ad, so it is about this job.
Show you understand the company
A line or two on why this company specifically - what they do, a value you share - proves you are not mass-applying.
Close with a clear next step
Restate your interest briefly and invite the conversation. Confident, not pushy: "I would welcome the chance to discuss how I can help."
Cut it down and proofread
One page, no typos. Read it aloud, remove anything that just repeats the CV, and double-check the company and role names are correct.
What are the most common cover letter mistakes?
Three mistakes recur. Retelling the CV line by line instead of adding the context the CV cannot carry. Sending one letter to every employer, which a reviewer spots in a sentence. And running past one page - or leaving a previous employer's name in the file you reused.
- Restating your CV line by line instead of adding context.
- Sending the same letter to every employer - reviewers can tell.
- Going over one page, or leaving a previous company's name in by mistake.