Cover letter guide

Cover letter structure.

Most cover letters follow the same four-paragraph structure. The structure is a scaffold, not a formula — its purpose is to make sure every paragraph does useful work. This guide explains the structure, when to adapt it, and where it's often misused.

By Advoke CV Editorial Team Published: January 2025 Reading time: ~5 minutes

1. The standard structure

Most cover letters have four paragraphs. Each has a distinct job:

  1. Opening: What role you're applying for and why you're writing.
  2. Evidence: One or two concrete things that make you a credible fit.
  3. Interest: Why this company or role specifically, not just any similar job.
  4. Closing: A brief, professional sign-off with a call to action.

Total length: 250–350 words. One page. The whole letter should take a reader about 60 seconds.

2. The opening paragraph

State what role you're applying for and where you saw it. If someone referred you, say so here.

Weak:

I am writing to express my interest in the position at your company.

Stronger:

I'm applying for the Junior Backend Developer role posted on your careers page. Aisha Rahman, who leads your payments team, suggested I apply.

The stronger version names the specific role, the source of the posting, and a referral if one exists. It also avoids the classic "I am writing to express my interest" opening that appears on millions of cover letters every year.

3. The evidence paragraph

This is where most cover letters fail. The paragraph usually becomes a resume rehash — repeating bullets the reader already saw. The evidence paragraph should do something different: it should show how your experience connects to a specific need in the job description.

Read the job posting carefully. Pick one or two specific needs the role has. Show that you've done exactly that kind of work, with a concrete example.

Example (for a backend developer role):

The posting mentions you're moving toward a more event-driven architecture. At my current role, I led the migration of a synchronous notification system to an event-driven one using Kafka, and cut mean notification delivery time from 40 seconds to 3. That project taught me more about consumer group design than any book could, and it's the kind of work I want to keep doing.

That paragraph does several things a resume can't:

  • It connects a specific past experience to a specific need in the new role.
  • It gives a concrete example with numbers.
  • It expresses genuine interest in the specific type of work.

4. The interest paragraph

This paragraph answers: why this company, not just any similar role? It's where you demonstrate that you've done more than paste your resume into a form.

Good sources of "why this company" content:

  • Something specific the company has built or shipped.
  • A public write-up, engineering blog post, or product decision that you found interesting.
  • The company's stated approach to a problem you care about.
  • A specific thing about the team or the role that stands out.

Weak:

I have always admired your company's commitment to innovation and would be thrilled to be part of your dynamic team.

Stronger:

I've been following your engineering blog for a while, and the post about migrating to a service mesh last year stuck with me — particularly the section on how the team handled rollout risk. That kind of careful, well-documented engineering is what I want to be part of.

5. The closing paragraph

Keep it brief and professional. Reference the next step and sign off.

Simple closing:

I've attached my resume and would welcome the chance to talk about the role further. Thank you for considering my application.

Avoid:

  • Overly eager closings ("I would be absolutely thrilled...").
  • Closings that sound like ultimatums ("I look forward to hearing from you by...").
  • Apologetic closings ("I know I don't have much experience, but...").

See our dedicated guide to closings for more.

6. When to adapt the structure

The four-paragraph structure works for most situations. It can be adapted when:

  • You have a strong referral. The opening paragraph can be longer, and the evidence paragraph can reference the connection more directly.
  • You're changing careers. The evidence paragraph usually needs to bridge two fields — see the career-change guide.
  • You're applying for an internship. Letters are shorter, and evidence tends to focus on coursework and projects — see the internship guide.
  • You have no formal work experience. Focus the evidence on projects, coursework, and volunteer work — see the no-experience guide.

7. Formatting

  • Length: one page maximum. Most letters are closer to half a page.
  • Header: your name, contact details, date, and the employer's details at the top.
  • Font: same as your resume. Standard, readable, 11pt or 12pt.
  • Spacing: single-spaced with a blank line between paragraphs.
  • Salutation: name if known, "Dear Hiring Manager" if not. See the addressing guide.
  • Sign-off: "Sincerely" or "Best regards" followed by your name.

8. Final checklist

  • Does the letter name the specific role and where you saw it?
  • Does the evidence paragraph give a concrete example rather than repeating resume bullets?
  • Does the interest paragraph mention something specific about the company?
  • Is the letter 250–350 words and one page?
  • Have you removed clichés like "passionate about" and "thrilled to"?
  • Have you proofread it?