How to write a cover letter that gets read
HireMarq2 min read
A short cover letter for US and Canadian employers: a first line that names the role, one proof from your work, and a close that does not repeat the resume.
Open with the role and one fact
The first sentence should say which job you want and one reason you can do it. "I am writing to express my interest" tells the reader nothing they did not already know from the form. "I am applying for the operations lead role. I have run weekly inventory for a 12-store region since 2022" gives them a reason to continue.
Use the company name. If you cannot say something true about the company, do not invent a compliment. A specific line about the product, the market, or the team is enough.
Prove one requirement, then stop
Pick the requirement that is hardest to see on the resume and write four to six sentences about how you did that work. Include the scale you actually had: team size, budget, volume, or timeline. Leave out a second story. A letter that retells every job is a second resume, and it will not be read.
Keep it under a page. Plain paragraphs, the same font as the resume, no letterhead graphic that pushes the text down.
Close with what happens next
Say you would like to talk about the role, and stop. You do not need a proverb. You do not need to apologize for anything missing. If the form already collected your start date and work authorization, do not repeat them unless they change whether they can hire you.
Pair the letter with a resume that uses the same facts. The method is in how to tailor a resume to a job description.
Questions
Do employers still read cover letters?
Some never open them. Some use them to break a tie. Write one when the form asks, or when a requirement needs a story the resume cannot hold. Skip the letter only when the application says not to send one.
Should a cover letter repeat the resume summary?
No. The letter is for one example. The resume is the list. If both open with the same sentence, delete it from one of them.
Can one letter go to every company?
Only the proof can be reused, and only when the requirement is the same. The role title and the company line have to change. A letter addressed to the wrong team is easy to spot.
HireMarq writes the resume and cover letter from your history, then fills the application for you to review.
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