What to Include in Your Cover Letter: Essential Elements and Expert Tips

A cover letter is your opportunity to speak directly to hiring managers, explaining why you’re the right candidate in ways a resume can’t. But knowing what to include—and what to leave out—determines whether your letter opens doors or closes them. This comprehensive guide breaks down every element of an effective cover letter.

The Essential Elements

Every cover letter needs certain foundational components to be complete and professional.

1. Your Contact Information

Position your contact details at the top of your letter. Include:

Required:

Full name
Phone number
Professional email address
City and state (full address optional)

Optional but Recommended:

LinkedIn URL (if profile is strong)
Professional website or portfolio link

Format Example:

Jennifer Martinez
San Francisco, CA | (415) 555-0123 | [email protected]
linkedin.com/in/jennifermartinez

2. Date and Employer Information

Below your contact information, include:

Date
Recipient’s name (if known)
Recipient’s title
Company name
Company address (optional for digital submissions)

Example:

March 15, 2025

Sarah Johnson
Director of Marketing
Innovative Tech Solutions
San Francisco, CA

When you don’t know the recipient:

Hiring Manager
Marketing Department
Innovative Tech Solutions

3. Professional Salutation

Address your letter appropriately:

Best options:

Dear Ms. Johnson, (when you know the name)
Dear Mr. Chen, (when you know the name)
Dear Hiring Manager, (when you don’t know the name)
Dear [Team/Department] Hiring Team,

Avoid:

To Whom It May Concern (outdated)
Dear Sir or Madam (outdated)
Hey! or Hi there (too casual)

4. Opening Paragraph

Your opening must accomplish two goals: capture attention and establish relevance.

Include:

The position you’re applying for
How you heard about the opportunity (optional but often helpful)
A compelling hook that makes the reader want to continue

Strong Opening Examples:

For a marketing position: “When I saw that Innovative Tech Solutions is seeking a Marketing Manager to lead your B2B content strategy, I knew this role combined my exact skill set with a company I’ve admired since attending your webinar series on thought leadership.”

For an engineering position: “Your job posting for a Senior Software Engineer mentions scaling challenges at the data layer—exactly the problem I spent two years solving at my current company, where I architected a solution that reduced query times by 70%.”

For a career changer: “After five years of watching technology transform healthcare from the clinical side, I’m eager to apply my patient care experience to TechHealth’s mission of making healthcare data more accessible to both providers and patients.”

5. Body Paragraphs

This is where you make your case. Include 1-2 paragraphs covering:

Your Relevant Experience: Connect your background to their needs. Don’t just repeat your resume—explain how your experience prepares you for their specific challenges.

Key Achievements: Highlight 2-3 accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to succeed in this role. Use specific metrics when possible.

Why This Company: Show you’ve researched them and explain your genuine interest in their mission, product, or culture.

Why You’re a Fit: Connect your skills and values to what they’re seeking.

Example Body Paragraph:

“In my current role at DataDriven Marketing, I’ve led the content strategy that grew organic traffic from 50,000 to 200,000 monthly visitors within two years. More importantly, I’ve focused on content that converts—developing a thought leadership series that generated 35% of our enterprise leads last quarter. Your emphasis on creating content that serves business objectives, not just traffic metrics, aligns perfectly with my approach.”

6. Closing Paragraph

Your closing should:

Express enthusiasm for the opportunity
Include a clear call to action
Thank the reader for their consideration
Reiterate your value proposition briefly

Strong Closing Example:

“I’m excited about the possibility of bringing my data-driven content approach to Innovative Tech Solutions. I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience building thought leadership programs could support your growth objectives. Thank you for considering my application.”

7. Professional Sign-Off

End with an appropriate closing:

Options:

Sincerely,
Best regards,
Kind regards,
Thank you,

Follow with your typed name. A digital signature is optional.

What to Include Based on Your Situation

For Traditional Applications

Include standard elements with emphasis on:

Professional accomplishments
Relevant experience alignment
Company research demonstrating interest

For Career Changers

Include additional elements:

Explanation of your transition motivation
Transferable skills clearly articulated
Connection between past experience and new direction

Example Addition: “While my background is in healthcare administration, my experience managing complex projects, analyzing operational data, and coordinating cross-functional teams directly translates to product operations. My understanding of healthcare workflows also provides unique insight for a healthcare technology company.”

For Internal Positions

Adjust your approach:

Reference your tenure and understanding of the company
Highlight internal accomplishments and relationships
Address how you’ve prepared for this advancement

Example Addition: “In my three years at TechCorp, I’ve consistently sought opportunities to expand my impact beyond my individual contributor role. Leading the process improvement initiative for our team—which reduced project turnaround time by 25%—demonstrated my readiness for the management responsibilities this position involves.”

For Positions with Specific Requirements

Address requirements directly:

Explicitly confirm you meet stated requirements
Provide evidence for key qualifications
Address any potential concerns proactively

Example Addition: “Your requirement for experience managing marketing budgets over $500K aligns with my current responsibility for a $750K annual marketing budget, which I’ve consistently brought in under budget while exceeding lead generation targets.”

For Referral Applications

Include referral information prominently:

Mention the referrer in your opening paragraph
Explain your connection to them
Don’t rely solely on the referral—still make your case

Example Opening: “Michael Chen from your Engineering team suggested I apply for the Product Manager position. After hearing him describe the team’s approach to customer-centric development, I’m convinced this role would leverage my background in user research and product strategy.”

For Positions at Startups

Emphasize:

Versatility and willingness to wear multiple hats
Experience with ambiguity and rapid change
Specific interest in the company’s mission
Any relevant startup or entrepreneurial experience

For Senior Positions

Include:

Leadership philosophy and approach
Strategic contributions, not just tactical execution
Scope of impact (team size, budget, revenue influence)
Vision for what you’d bring to the role

Content That Strengthens Your Letter

Specific Achievements

Vague claims don’t convince. Specific results do.

Weak: “I have strong sales skills and have exceeded my targets.” Strong: “I’ve exceeded my sales quota by an average of 125% over the past eight quarters, generating $2.4M in new business revenue.”

Company Research

Demonstrate genuine interest through informed references.

Weak: “I want to work for a great company like yours.” Strong: “Your recent expansion into the healthcare vertical represents exactly the kind of strategic growth I want to contribute to—particularly given my background in health tech marketing.”

Cultural Alignment

Show you understand and value their culture.

Weak: “I would be a good cultural fit.” Strong: “Your commitment to radical transparency, as described in your engineering blog posts, resonates with my belief that honest feedback accelerates both individual and team growth.”

Problem-Solving Orientation

Position yourself as a solution to their challenges.

Weak: “I would like to help your marketing team.” Strong: “Based on your job posting’s emphasis on improving lead quality, I’d bring my experience implementing lead scoring systems that increased our sales team’s conversion rate by 40%.”

What to Leave Out

Salary Expectations (Usually)

Don’t include salary requirements unless explicitly requested. Premature salary discussion can work against you.

Personal Life Details

Keep personal information out:

Family status
Health information
Age
Political or religious affiliations

Negative Information

Never include:

Complaints about current or former employers
Explanations for being fired (address in interviews if asked)
Apologies for perceived shortcomings

Generic Statements

Remove anything that could apply to any candidate:

“I am a hard worker”
“I work well in teams”
“I am detail-oriented”

Either provide specific evidence for these claims or don’t mention them.

Redundant Resume Content

Don’t simply restate your resume. Cover letters should complement, not duplicate.

Length and Structure Guidelines

Ideal Length

250-400 words
3-4 paragraphs
Never more than one page

Paragraph Structure

Opening Paragraph (3-4 sentences): Hook, position identification, compelling opening

Body Paragraph(s) (4-6 sentences each): Experience, achievements, company fit

Closing Paragraph (2-3 sentences): Enthusiasm, call to action, thanks

Word Economy

Every word should earn its place. Review your letter asking: “Does this add value?” If not, cut it.

Formatting Essentials

Visual Elements

Clean, professional font (same as resume)
Consistent margins (1 inch standard)
Adequate white space
Left-aligned text

Digital Considerations

Save as PDF (unless otherwise specified)
Professional file name: FirstName_LastName_CoverLetter.pdf
Test formatting on multiple devices

Customization Is Non-Negotiable

Every cover letter should be customized. Generic letters are immediately recognizable and immediately dismissed.

Elements to Customize

Always:

Company name and position title
Opening hook
Company-specific research
Skills emphasized

Ideally:

Recipient name
Specific job requirements addressed
Achievements most relevant to this role
References to company news, values, or culture

Time-Saving Strategy

Build a cover letter template with:

Your standard header
A few interchangeable opening paragraphs
Multiple achievement paragraphs to select from
Standard closing

Then customize each letter by selecting and modifying appropriate sections. Tools like 0portfolio.com can help streamline this process while ensuring each letter remains personalized and effective.

Checklist: What Your Cover Letter Needs

Before sending, verify your letter includes:

Contact Information:

Letter Structure:

Content Quality:

Specific achievements with metrics
Company research demonstrated
Clear connection between your experience and their needs
Enthusiasm for the specific opportunity
Error-free writing

Formatting:

One page maximum
Professional appearance
Consistent with resume styling
Appropriate file format

Final Thoughts

Your cover letter is a writing sample, a sales pitch, and a personality preview all in one. What you include—and how you present it—shapes the hiring manager’s first impression of you as a candidate.

Focus on relevance over comprehensiveness. A concise letter that directly addresses the employer’s needs beats a lengthy letter that covers everything you’ve ever done. Make every paragraph count, demonstrate genuine interest, and always connect your experience to their specific opportunity.

When done well, your cover letter doesn’t just support your resume—it brings it to life.

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