What should each paragraph of a tailored cover letter do?
Four short paragraphs are enough. The first names the role and connects you to it with one fact. The second and third each prove one requirement from the posting. The last proposes a next step. A hiring manager should be able to read it in under a minute and know why you fit.
| Paragraph | Job | Draw it from |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Opening | Name the role, the company and one fact about you that fits it | The job title on the posting, your strongest matching result |
| 2. First proof | Show you can do the most important requirement | The first item in the requirements list |
| 3. Second proof | Show the second requirement, or why this company | A duty the posting repeats, or the company's product or recent work |
| 4. Close | Propose a concrete next step | Something you could walk them through in an interview |
What does a tailored paragraph look like in practice?
It takes one requirement from the posting and answers it with a specific piece of your own work, in the posting's terms. Below, a sample posting for a data analyst asks for SQL, Looker dashboards and work with marketing. The paragraph answers that, using only things the invented candidate really did.
From the posting
You will build Looker dashboards for the marketing team and write SQL against our BigQuery warehouse. Experience with attribution reporting is a plus.
Tailored paragraph
At Northwind, I built the Looker dashboards our marketing team used every Monday to review paid campaigns, on SQL I wrote against BigQuery. When the team argued about which channel deserved credit for sign-ups, I set up a first-touch and last-touch report so they could compare both views side by side.
No adjectives about the candidate. Each sentence answers something in the posting with a piece of work.
How do you write a tailored cover letter step by step?
Read the posting twice before you write a word: once for requirements, once for what the team is trying to achieve. Then pick your proof, write the two middle paragraphs first, and add the opening and close last. Openings are easier once you know what the letter proves.
Find the two requirements that matter
Usually the first items in the requirements list and any duty mentioned twice.
Pick one result for each
Take it from your resume or your master document. It should be specific enough to be checked.
Write the two proof paragraphs
Three or four sentences each, in the posting's terms where they are accurate.
Write the opening
Role, company and the one fact that connects you. Skip "I am writing to express my interest".
Write the close
Offer something concrete: to walk through a named project, or to share a work sample.
Cut and check
Remove every sentence that would fit any company. Check names and the job title twice.
Who do you address the letter to if the posting names no one?
Try the posting, the company's team page and LinkedIn for the hiring manager of that team. If you cannot find a name in a few minutes, address the team ("Dear Data team" or "Dear Hiring Manager"). A correct generic greeting is better than a guessed name, and far better than the wrong one.
Avoid "To whom it may concern": it reads as a letter sent to many employers at once.
What makes a cover letter sound generic?
Sentences that would be true for any applicant at any company: "I am a passionate, results-driven professional", "I believe I would be a great fit". Recruiters skim past them. Replace each one with a fact, a number, or a reference to something specific in the posting. If a sentence survives a company-name swap, cut it.
Length matters less than density. The guide to cover letter length and the complete cover letter guide cover formatting and email applications.
How does Ruubu draft a cover letter for a posting?
The Ruubu cover letter builder (Resume Pass and Pro) drafts a letter from the resume you pick and the posting you paste. The draft names the company and role in the first paragraph and proves two points from your resume. It never claims a skill or tool your resume does not show just because the posting asks for it.
- You edit every word in a live editor and choose from 10 designs before downloading a PDF.
- The free cover letter generator writes a short draft without an account.
- The keyword matcher shows which of the posting's terms your resume already covers before you write.
A draft is a starting point. Read it as the hiring manager would and change anything that does not sound like you. More on the cover letter builder page.
Frequently asked questions
Do employers still read cover letters?
Some do, some skip them. When a posting asks for one, it is often read, and a weak or generic letter can count against you. When it is optional, a short tailored one rarely hurts.
How long should a tailored cover letter be?
Under one page, usually three or four short paragraphs. In an email or a form field, shorter still.
Can I reuse a cover letter for similar jobs?
Reuse the proof paragraphs if the requirements match, but rewrite the opening and anything about the company each time.
Should I mention skills I do not have yet?
Only honestly, as something you are learning, with evidence (a course, a side project). Never claim them as experience.
Should the cover letter repeat my resume?
No. It picks two points from it and explains them for this job. The resume has the full list.
Is it fine to use AI to write a cover letter?
Yes, if you give it your real facts and edit the result. Check every claim, and remove phrases you would never say out loud.
Related answers and guides
- How do I tailor my resume to a job description?Answers
- How can I practice a mock interview with AI?Answers
- How do I keep track of the jobs I applied to on LinkedIn?Answers
- Free cover letter generatorA short first draft
- How to write a cover letterGuide
- How long should a cover letter be?Guide
- Job description keyword matcherFree, no sign-up