What is a cover letter, and what goes in one?
A cover letter is a short letter sent with your CV that names the job, says why you want it and shows evidence you fit. UK career services describe three to five paragraphs on no more than one page.1
Written 8 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
What a cover letter is
A cover letter is the letter that travels with your CV. Harvard's Mignone Center for Career Success describes it as a way to introduce yourself to an organisation in narrative form, alongside your resume, so that the employer wants to interview you. Prospects, the UK graduate careers service, calls it a personal introduction that helps sell your application and says it should complement your CV, not repeat it.
Cover letter, covering letter, motivation letter, ön yazı
The names change by country; the document does not. Cover letter is the US and general term. Covering letter is common in the UK, and the National Careers Service files its guide under that name. Motivation letter is common in European applications. In Turkey it is the ön yazı, which Kariyer.net, the Turkish job site, keeps as a separate field you attach when you apply.
How it differs from your CV
| CV or resume | Cover letter | |
|---|---|---|
| Its job | Lists what you have done, for any reader | Argues why you fit this one job |
| Form | Sections and bullet points | Three to five paragraphs of prose |
| Reuse | One master version, tailored per posting | Rewritten for each application |
| Evidence | Every role and result | Two or three examples chosen for this posting |
MIT's career office (CAPD) puts the difference this way: the letter expands on a few experiences and what you learned from them, linked to the role's responsibilities, instead of restating the resume.
In the first minute: write your opening sentence
Open the job advert and copy three things: the exact job title, the reference number if there is one, and where you saw the advert. The National Careers Service and Prospects both start the letter with these. Then write one sentence that uses them.
- Copy the job title exactly as the advert writes it.
- Add the reference number, if the advert gives one.
- Say where you saw the advert. Prospects adds that the opening can say when you could start.
- Stop there. The reasons and the evidence go in the next paragraphs.
Illustrative opening, to adapt rather than copy: 'I am applying for the [job title] role, reference [number], which I saw on [site].' The square brackets mark what you replace.
What goes in a cover letter: the four parts
Prospects, the National Careers Service and MIT CAPD describe the same order; their pages were read on 5 October 2026 and are listed under Sources. Each part below has an illustrative line. None of it is a template to copy.
| Part | What goes in it | Where the advice comes from |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Opening | The job, the reference number, where you saw it | Prospects; National Careers Service; MIT CAPD |
| 2. Why this role and this employer | What draws you to the work and to this organisation, shown with something specific you know about it | Prospects; MIT CAPD |
| 3. Evidence | Two or three examples from your experience, matched to requirements in the advert | Prospects; National Careers Service; MIT CAPD |
| 4. Close | Your interest restated, a request for an interview, thanks, your contact details | Prospects; National Careers Service; MIT CAPD |
Opening: the job and where you found it
One or two sentences. Name the role and the reference number and say where you saw it. MIT CAPD adds that the introduction should highlight your main strengths for the role; the detail comes later.
Why this role and this employer
Prospects calls this the place to show what you know about the employer and what attracted you to the work. MIT tells you to research before writing: the job description, the employer's website and social media, and people in the industry. One specific reason is stronger than three general ones. Illustrative line: 'Your [named service or project] is the kind of work I did at [employer], where I [one thing you did].'
Evidence: two or three examples
Take the requirements in the advert one at a time and answer each with something you did. Prospects asks you to show how your skills match the specific requirements of the job. The National Careers Service says the middle of the letter is for the skills and experience that match what the employer wants, and the place to explain a gap in employment if you need to. MIT adds a twist: say what you learned from an experience, not only what you did. Illustrative line: 'At [employer] I [action] for [scope], which [result you can show].'
Every number in this paragraph should come from a record you can show, such as a report, a payslip or a contract. A figure you cannot source is a question you cannot answer in the interview.
Close: interest, interview, thanks
Restate that you want the role and would like an interview, thank the reader, and give your phone number and email. Prospects says the closing paragraph is also where to mention dates you are not available. MIT says the conclusion should not introduce anything new.
What else is on the page
- Your name and contact details at the top, or under your name in an email.
- The date.
- A greeting to a named person, where you can find one. MIT calls 'To Whom It May Concern' impersonal.
- The four parts above, in that order.
- A sign-off and your name.
Greeting and sign-off
| You are writing to | Greeting | Sign-off | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| A named person, UK letter | Dear Ms [surname] | Yours sincerely | National Careers Service; Prospects |
| Nobody by name, UK letter | Dear Sir or Madam | Yours faithfully | National Careers Service; Prospects |
| A US employer | The hiring manager by name; MIT advises against 'To Whom It May Concern' | Kind regards is the sign-off CitedCV's US letters use | MIT CAPD; CitedCV letter rules |
| A Turkish employer | Sayın [first name and surname]; without a name, Sayın Yetkili or Sayın İlgili | Saygılarımla, then your name | CitedCV letter rules; Kariyer.net career guide |
How long a cover letter should be
| Source | Length it gives |
|---|---|
| Prospects (UK, updated May 2025) | Three to five concise paragraphs, no more than one A4 page |
| National Careers Service (UK) | Usually 3 to 5 paragraphs |
| MIT CAPD (US) | Around a page or under, in 10 to 12 point type |
| Çankaya University career unit (Turkey) | Three or four short paragraphs, less than one page |
None of these gives a word count, so this page does not invent one. If your letter runs onto a second page, cut the evidence paragraph down to the two examples that match the advert most closely.
When you need a cover letter
Unless the advert says not to, send one. Prospects says applications should always include a cover letter unless the advert says otherwise. The National Careers Service says to include one whenever you apply with a CV. MIT says yes in most cases, unless the employer states it does not want one.
- The advert asks for one: always send it.
- The form has an optional cover letter field: fill it in. Kariyer.net tells its users that applications with a cover letter are viewed more than those without; it gives no figure.
- The advert says no cover letter: do not send one.
- You apply by email: Prospects suggests putting the letter in the body of the email rather than attaching it, so spam filters do not catch it.
- You upload a file: Prospects suggests saving the letter as a PDF so it opens the same everywhere.
One letter per application
Every source here says it: write a new letter for each job. Prospects says to rewrite it every time you apply; the National Careers Service says to tailor it to the company and the role; MIT warns against a generic letter. Kariyer.net, which lets you save up to 10 cover letters, suggests a more general one can serve several applications for the same kind of role, and a tailored one for the jobs you want most.
A checklist before you send it
- The job title and the employer's name are spelled as in the advert.
- Each example answers a requirement the advert actually lists.
- Every number, date and job title matches a record you can show.
- It does not repeat your CV line by line.
- It fits on one page.
- The greeting and the sign-off match: in a UK letter, a named reader takes Yours sincerely and an unnamed one Yours faithfully.
- You read it aloud once and cut any sentence you would not say in an interview.
Where CitedCV fits
CitedCV is a CV builder that writes only from the facts you give it, and it writes cover letters the same way. Letters open once you buy any credit pack and cost 4 credits each; a free account cannot write one.
- Before any credit moves, it checks that you have at least one job on file and something you did in it. Without both, it writes nothing.
- Code, not the language model, matches the posting's requirements to your facts and plans up to four paragraphs: one on fit, up to two stories from different jobs where possible, and one on motivation only when you have answered the questions about the employer.
- A requirement that nothing on file answers is left out of the letter, not claimed.
- The greeting, the sign-off and the date format come from fixed rules for the letter's language and region: Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely in UK letters, Saygılarımla in Turkish ones.
The guide to AI cover letters covers what employers say about AI help, how CitedCV checks each paragraph against your facts, and where that check stops.
Who this guide is not for
- You are applying for an academic or faculty post. Those letters follow their own conventions; Harvard's career office, for example, publishes a separate CV and cover letter guide for its graduate students.
- You want a letter to copy word for word. The illustrative lines here show a shape, and every source cited asks for a letter written for one job.
- The advert says not to send one. Then do not.
Other ways to get a cover letter written
| Option | What you get | Fits you if |
|---|---|---|
| Write it yourself from a career service guide | Free guides from Prospects, the National Careers Service, MIT CAPD and Harvard | You have time and want it in your own voice |
| Ask for feedback | MIT suggests feedback from career advisers, alumni, its Writing Center or peers | You have a draft and a few days before the deadline |
| Kariyer.net ön yazı field | A saved letter you attach to applications on the site; up to 10 saved, each with a name only you see | You apply in Turkey through Kariyer.net |
| ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini | A fast draft from general knowledge of jobs; every claim is yours to check | You will fact-check each line; the guide to writing a resume with ChatGPT shows the routine |
| CitedCV | A letter written only from facts on file, 4 credits after any credit pack | Your facts are already on file and you want each paragraph tied to them |
Questions people ask
What is a cover letter?
A cover letter is a short letter that goes with your CV, naming the job, saying why you want it and giving two or three examples of why you fit. Prospects and the National Careers Service describe three to five paragraphs.
What does a cover letter consist of?
Four parts, in order: an opening that names the job, a paragraph on why this role and employer, your evidence matched to the advert, and a close asking for an interview. Add your contact details, the date, a greeting and a sign-off.
How long should a cover letter be?
One page or less. Prospects says three to five concise paragraphs on no more than one A4 page; MIT CAPD says around a page or under, in 10 to 12 point type.
Do I need a cover letter if the application says optional?
Yes, in most cases. Prospects and the National Careers Service say to include one unless the advert says otherwise, and MIT CAPD says yes in most cases. Leave it out only when the employer asks you to.
What is the difference between a cover letter and a CV?
The CV lists what you have done; the cover letter argues why you fit one job, using a few examples. Prospects says the letter should complement the CV, not repeat it.
Should the cover letter go in the email or as an attachment?
In the body of the email, when you apply by email. Prospects suggests this so spam filters do not catch an attachment. When a form asks for a file, Prospects suggests a PDF.
How do I address a cover letter without a name?
Try to find a name first, in the advert or on the company website. In a UK letter with no name, the National Careers Service suggests 'Dear Sir or Madam' and 'Yours faithfully'; MIT advises against 'To Whom It May Concern'.
Is a covering letter the same as a cover letter?
Yes, they are the same document. Covering letter is the more common UK name; motivation letter, and ön yazı in Turkish, describe the same letter.
Can AI write my cover letter?
Yes, it can draft one, but every claim has to be true and checked by you. The guide to AI cover letters covers employer rules; CitedCV writes letters only from facts on file, once you buy a credit pack.
Sources
- Prospects: How to write a cover letterwww.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/cvs-and-cover-letters/cover-letters/
- National Careers Service: Covering letternationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/covering-letter
- MIT Career Advising and Professional Development: Career toolkit, writing a cover lettercapd.mit.edu/resources/career-toolkit-writing-a-cover-letter/
- Harvard FAS Mignone Center for Career Success: Create a resume, CV or cover lettercareerservices.fas.harvard.edu/channels/create-a-resume-cv-or-cover-letter/
- Kariyer.net Help (Yardım): cover letter questionswww.kariyer.net/yardim/
- Kariyer.net Career Guide: Ön yazı nasıl yazılırwww.kariyer.net/kariyer-rehberi/on-yazi-nasil-hazirlanir/
- Çankaya University Career Planning Unit: CV and cover letter (niyet mektubu) techniqueskultur.cankaya.edu.tr/kariyer-planlama-birimi/ozgecmis-cv-on-yazi-niyet-mektubu-hazirlama-teknikleri-ve-ornekleri/