Most cover letters do not get read. Not because recruiters do not care — but because most cover letters are not worth reading. They restate what is already in the CV, open with "I am writing to apply for the position of...", and close with "I look forward to hearing from you." They tell the hiring manager nothing they did not already know.
A cover letter that actually influences a hiring decision is different. It is short. It is specific. It makes an argument the CV cannot make on its own. And it is written for this role, at this company, not repurposed from the last application.
This guide explains how to write one — what to include, what to cut, how to structure each paragraph, and what a strong cover letter actually sounds like. It also covers the German Anschreiben, which follows different conventions and carries more formal weight in the application process.
Do Cover Letters Still Matter in 2026?
The short answer: yes, for more roles than most candidates assume.
In sectors like finance, consulting, law, the public sector, and academia, a cover letter is expected and read carefully. Submitting without one — or submitting a clearly generic one — is noticed.
In technology and some startup environments, cover letters are optional in the sense that not submitting one will not eliminate you. But a genuinely strong, concise cover letter in a stack of applications where most people have not submitted one is a differentiator.
In most other professional roles, a tailored cover letter adds meaningful weight to an application, particularly when multiple candidates have comparable CVs. It is the only place in a job application where you can write directly to the hiring manager and make the case for yourself in your own voice.
The cover letters that do not matter are the generic ones — the ones that could have been written for any company, for any role. Those carry no persuasive weight and waste the few seconds a recruiter gives them.
What a Cover Letter Is — and Is Not
A cover letter is not a narrative version of your CV. Repeating your employment history in prose form is the single most common mistake, and it produces exactly the kind of letter that gets skimmed and discarded.
A cover letter is an argument. It makes the case for why you, specifically, are a strong fit for this role, at this company, at this point in time — using evidence from your experience that the CV alone cannot contextualise. It connects dots the hiring manager might not otherwise connect.
It should do three things:
- Show that you understand what the role requires and what the company is trying to achieve
- Demonstrate that your specific experience and skills address those requirements
- Give a clear signal of genuine interest in this particular opportunity — not jobs in general
Everything else is optional. Anything that does not serve one of these three purposes should be cut.
Length and Format
One page maximum. Ideally three to four short paragraphs totalling around 250–350 words. Hiring managers do not have time for more, and brevity signals that you respect that. A cover letter that runs to two pages suggests the writer does not know what is important.
Standard business letter format. Your name and contact details at the top, the date, the recipient's name and title (where known), a salutation, the body paragraphs, and a professional closing. No decorative formatting, no columns, no logos.
Addressed to a named person wherever possible. "Dear Hiring Manager" is acceptable when you genuinely cannot find the name. "To Whom It May Concern" is dated and impersonal — avoid it. Most job postings name the hiring manager or include a contact; the company website or LinkedIn can often supply it when the posting does not.
The Four-Paragraph Structure
Paragraph 1 — The opening: why this role, at this company
Skip "I am writing to apply for..." entirely. Open instead with something that demonstrates you have done your homework — a specific reason why this company or this role is interesting to you, a direct reference to something the company does or is building, or a concise statement of what you bring that is directly relevant to the role's central requirement.
The opening paragraph should make the reader want to continue. It should signal that this letter was written specifically for them, not adapted from a template.
Paragraph 2 — Your most relevant experience
Pick one or two specific examples from your background that speak directly to what the role requires. Include a result or outcome where possible. This paragraph is not a summary — it is a curated argument. Choose the evidence that is most compelling for this specific application and leave everything else out.
The structure works well as: "In my role as [X], I [specific action], which resulted in [concrete outcome]. This is directly relevant to [the requirement named in the job description] because [connection]."
Paragraph 3 — Why you and why now
What makes you a particularly good fit for this role at this point in your career — and at this company specifically? This paragraph distinguishes between a generic applicant and someone who has thought about the fit. It might reference the company's current growth stage, a specific challenge they are working on, or a way your background bridges a gap that is harder to fill with a more conventional candidate.
This is also where a career changer can address the pivot directly and positively — framing the transition as an asset rather than a gap.
Paragraph 4 — The close
Short and direct. Express your interest in discussing further, note that your CV is attached, and thank the reader for their time. Do not write "I would be perfect for this role" — let the preceding paragraphs make that case. Do not summarise what you have just written. Simply close.
What to Cut
Anything that starts with "I am a highly motivated..." — Generic character descriptors add nothing. Show motivation through the specificity of your application, not by claiming to have it.
A summary of your career history — This is what the CV is for.
Salary expectations, unless specifically requested — Including unsolicited salary information can create problems before the conversation has started.
Explanations of why you left previous roles — Unless directly asked, this information does not belong in a cover letter.
The phrase "I believe I would be a great fit" — If your argument is strong, this conclusion is unnecessary. If your argument is weak, this phrase will not save it.
Tailoring: The Non-Negotiable
A cover letter that is not tailored to the specific role is almost always detectable — and almost always dismissed. Recruiters read enough applications to recognise a template within a sentence or two.
Tailoring does not mean rewriting the letter from scratch for every application. It means that the company name, the specific role, the particular skills or experience you lead with, and the "why this company" paragraph are genuinely specific to each application. Everything else can remain similar.
The job description is the source material. Read it closely before you write a word of the letter — the same way you would before tailoring your CV to each job description. The language, priorities, and emphasis in the job description should be visible in your letter.
ATS and Cover Letters
Most applicant tracking systems do parse cover letters — meaning keyword alignment matters here too, not just in the CV. Including the job title, key technical skills, and important terms from the job description in your cover letter naturally is worth doing. You are not writing for the ATS, but the fact that a cover letter is being scanned for keyword coverage means there is no reason to write one that is keyword-free.
That said, the CV carries far more weight in ATS scoring than the cover letter. The cover letter's primary audience is still the human recruiter who reads it after the automated screen.
The German Cover Letter: Anschreiben
If you are applying for roles in Germany or German-speaking Switzerland, the cover letter conventions are different — and more formal than in English-speaking markets.
In German application culture, the Anschreiben is not optional. It is expected, read seriously, and often carries significant weight in the initial screening decision. A weak or missing Anschreiben is a meaningful disadvantage. For more context on German application expectations, see the guide to how to find a job in Germany as a foreigner, or for Switzerland specifically, how to apply for jobs in Switzerland.
Key differences from an English cover letter:
Formal address and opening. The Anschreiben opens with your full address, the date, and the recipient's full name, title, and company address — all formatted in the standard German business letter style. The salutation is formal: "Sehr geehrte Frau [Name]," or "Sehr geehrter Herr [Name]," never a first name.
Register. The entire letter is written in formal German (Sie, not du) using the conventions of German business correspondence. Casual or conversational phrasing is inappropriate regardless of the company culture — the written application is always more formal than the working environment.
Length. One page, typically three to four paragraphs. Similar in length to an English cover letter but denser in structure.
Motivation and fit. German employers expect the Anschreiben to demonstrate clear motivation for the role and knowledge of the company — not just a statement of qualifications. The question "why do you want to work here specifically?" is central to the German cover letter in a way that is sometimes optional in English-speaking applications.
Closing formula. The conventional German closing is "Mit freundlichen Grüßen," equivalent to "Yours sincerely." Variations exist but this is the safe, standard choice.
Signature. A handwritten signature above the typed name was traditional in physical applications. For digital submissions, a scanned signature or simply the typed name is acceptable.
How resum8 Generates Your Cover Letter
Writing a tailored cover letter for every application is time-consuming — and writing one in formal German business register requires an additional level of skill that most non-native speakers do not have.
resum8 generates a cover letter specifically matched to the job description you are applying for. Provide the role and company details, and resum8 produces a tailored letter in the appropriate language — English or German — with the correct conventions for each market. The German output uses the formal Anschreiben structure: correct register, appropriate salutation format, and the motivation-focused framing that German employers expect.
The output is plain text, ready to copy with a single click and paste directly into your application. No export steps, no reformatting — just a tailored cover letter matched to the specific role, ready to use or personalise further.
Combined with a CV that has been optimised against the same job description through resum8's ATS scoring process, this means your entire application — CV and cover letter both — is aligned to the same role before you submit.
Generate Tailored Cover Letters with resum8
Create job-specific cover letters in English or formal German — ready to copy and paste in seconds.
Try resum8 Free →Frequently Asked Questions
Does a cover letter matter for job applications?
Yes — particularly in finance, consulting, law, the public sector, and academia, where it is expected and read carefully. In technology and startup roles it is often optional, but a genuinely tailored letter stands out when most candidates do not submit one. Generic cover letters have little value; specific, well-written ones can be decisive.
How long should a cover letter be?
One page maximum — ideally 250 to 350 words across three to four paragraphs. Brevity signals that you know what is important and respect the reader's time. A longer letter is rarely more persuasive; it is usually less.
What should I include in a cover letter?
Why you are interested in this specific role and company, one or two concrete examples from your experience that directly address what the role requires, and a brief statement of why you are a particularly good fit at this point. Close concisely. Do not restate your CV.
How do I start a cover letter?
Avoid "I am writing to apply for...". Open instead with a specific reason why this company or role is interesting to you, or a direct statement of the most relevant thing you bring. The opening should make the reader want to continue — which means it needs to be specific to this application, not generic.
What is a German cover letter (Anschreiben) and how is it different?
A German Anschreiben is more formally structured than an English cover letter: it includes full address blocks, a formal salutation with the recipient's name and title, and is written in the formal register of German business correspondence. It places particular emphasis on motivation for the specific company. It is not optional in most German applications.
Can I use the same cover letter for multiple jobs?
Only the structural template — the four-paragraph format, the closing, and the non-specific elements. The company name, role title, specific experience you lead with, and "why this company" paragraph must be tailored to each application. Recruiters identify generic cover letters immediately, and they carry no persuasive weight.