How To Write a Cover Letter: Structure, Example and Tips

Most cover letters fail because they restate the CV. The reader already has the CV. What they do not have is your reasoning: why this role, why this organisation, and what you would bring that the next applicant would not.

Four paragraphs, one page

1. Open with the specific role and one strong reason

Skip "I am writing to apply for the position advertised on your website." State the role and lead with your best evidence.

I am applying for the Marketing Coordinator role at Dashen Brewery. In my current position I run a four-person content team whose campaigns lifted retail footfall 22% year on year — the same growth challenge your Addis expansion describes.

2. Prove you match the two or three headline requirements

Pick the requirements the advert emphasised most and evidence each with a concrete result. Do not attempt to cover all ten. Two well-evidenced matches are more persuasive than ten assertions.

3. Show you understand this employer specifically

One or two sentences that could not be copied into another letter. Reference a product, a recent expansion, a programme, a market they operate in. This paragraph is where generic letters expose themselves.

4. Close with a clear, confident next step

I would welcome the chance to discuss how I would approach your first quarter of retail activation. I am available for interview at short notice and can be reached on +251 9XX XXX XXX.

A full example

Dear Ms. Alemu,

I am applying for the Programme Officer position at Selam Development
Association, advertised on ACT Jobs. For the past three years I have
managed community health activities across four woredas in Oromia,
reaching 12,000 households and delivering all six donor milestones on
schedule.

Your advert emphasises two things I have done directly. On monitoring
and evaluation, I built the data quality assurance process for a
USD 400,000 grant and reduced reporting errors by 60% within two
quarters. On government coordination, I chaired monthly review meetings
with woreda health offices, which is how we secured the office space
that let us expand into a fifth district at no additional cost.

I have followed Selam's shift towards locally led implementation with
real interest, particularly your decision to move budget authority to
regional teams. It matches what I have seen work: decisions made closest
to the community are usually the fastest and the cheapest.

I would welcome an interview to discuss how I could support your Oromia
portfolio. I am available on +251 9XX XXX XXX or at
liya.bekele@email.com.

Sincerely,
Liya Bekele

Practical rules

• Address a person. Check the advert, the website or LinkedIn. "Dear Hiring Manager" only if you genuinely cannot find a name.
• One page, four paragraphs, under 350 words.
• Match the wording of the advert for key requirements — it helps both human readers and screening software.
• Never apologise. Cut "although I lack direct experience in..." and describe the closest thing you have done instead.
• Send it as a PDF named Firstname-Lastname-Cover-Letter.pdf, unless asked to paste it into an email body.
• Change the company name. Every time. This is the single most common self-inflicted rejection.

Is a cover letter still necessary?

If the advert asks for one, it is mandatory — skipping it is a filter you fail immediately. If it is optional, send one anyway when you are changing sector, explaining a gap, applying to a small employer where the founder reads applications, or when your CV alone does not make the connection obvious. When you are a precise match for a large-volume vacancy, a short, sharp letter is still worth the fifteen minutes.