How to Write a Cover Letter: UK and US Guide

If the advert asks for one, yes, and it will be read as a test of whether you follow instructions. If the application form makes it optional, a short, tailored letter is still worth sending, because it is the only place you can explain your motivation, a career change, a relocation or a gap. If there is nowhere to attach one, do not force it; put your effort into the application questions instead.

When you apply by email, the email itself can be your cover letter. Write the letter in the body of the message, slightly shortened, and attach your CV or resume.

• Opening: say which role you are applying for, where you saw it if relevant, and give one line on why you are a strong match. Avoid openers such as 'I am writing to apply for'; start with something about you or the role that earns the next sentence.
• Why you fit: choose two or three requirements from the job description and show how you have met them, with a specific achievement for each. This is the core of the letter.
• Why this employer: show that you know who they are. Refer to their products, clients, values, recent news or the challenge the role addresses, and say why that appeals to you. One or two genuine sentences are enough.
• Close: restate your interest, mention your availability or notice period if helpful, and say you would welcome the chance to discuss the role. Thank the reader and sign off.

Aim for 250 to 400 words. Anything that spills onto a second page is too long in either country.

• Greeting: 'Dear Ms Patel' or 'Dear Mr Jones'. Note that British style does not put a full stop after Mr, Mrs or Ms. If you cannot find a name, 'Dear Hiring Manager' is widely accepted; 'Dear Sir or Madam' is traditional but increasingly dated.
• Sign-off: 'Yours sincerely' when you have addressed the letter to a named person, and 'Yours faithfully' when you have not. 'Kind regards' is common and acceptable in email applications.
• Date: day, month, year, for example '17 September 2026'.
• Spelling and vocabulary: British throughout, so 'organisation', 'programme' and 'CV'.
• Tone: confident but measured. British employers tend to respond better to evidence than to enthusiasm, so let the facts carry the weight.
• Layout: if sending as a document, your contact details at the top right or across the top, then the date, the recipient's name and company, the greeting and the letter. Use A4 and the same font as your CV.

• Greeting: 'Dear Ms. Patel:' or 'Dear Mr. Jones,'. American style puts a period after Mr., Mrs. and Ms., and formal business letters often use a colon after the name, though a comma is also common. If you cannot find a name, use 'Dear Hiring Manager'. Avoid 'To Whom It May Concern'.
• Sign-off: 'Sincerely' is the standard. 'Best regards' is also fine. 'Yours faithfully' is not used.
• Date: month, day, year, for example 'September 17, 2026'.
• Spelling and vocabulary: American throughout, so 'organization', 'program' and 'resume'.
• Tone: direct and positive. US letters tend to be a little more openly enthusiastic and more explicit about results, with numbers where you have them.
• Layout: a simple business letter format, left-aligned, on US Letter paper, with a header that matches your resume.

The following is an illustrative letter for a UK application. Every detail is a placeholder for your own.

'Dear Ms Patel,

With five years' experience coordinating events for a national charity, including an annual conference for 400 delegates, I was pleased to see your advert for an Events Manager.

Your advert emphasises supplier negotiation and budget control. In my current role I manage an annual events budget and last year renegotiated our venue and catering contracts, which allowed us to add two regional events without increasing spend. I also lead a team of three coordinators and up to thirty volunteers on event days, so I am used to planning carefully and staying calm when plans change.

I have followed your work on community festivals for some time, and the chance to help deliver events that are free for local families to attend is what draws me to this role in particular.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how I could contribute, and I am available for interview at your convenience. Thank you for considering my application.

Yours sincerely, [your name]'

For a US version, you would change the greeting to 'Dear Ms. Patel:', the sign-off to 'Sincerely,', and the spelling to American English, and you might sharpen the results with figures.

• Keep a base letter with a strong opening and close.
• For each application, rewrite the middle two paragraphs. Pick the top three requirements from the advert and match an achievement to each.
• Use the employer's own terms for the role and its key skills.
• Research the employer for ten minutes: their website, recent announcements and the job description are usually enough for one genuine sentence.
• Check the company name, job title and contact name twice. Sending a letter addressed to the wrong company is the most common and most damaging cover letter error.

• Repeating your CV or resume line by line. The letter should interpret your experience, not list it.
• Writing only about what the job would do for you. Lead with what you would do for them.
• Generic praise such as 'your prestigious company'. Be specific or leave it out.
• Apologising for what you lack: 'Although I do not have experience in'. Focus on what you do have.
• Exceeding one page, or using a tiny font to avoid it.
• Mixing British and American conventions in the same letter.
• Typos. Read it aloud, and ask someone else to check it if you can.