How to write a cover letter that gets you interviews

Step 1: Research the job and the employer

Read the advert carefully and list the top three or four requirements. Then spend ten minutes on the employer's website, social media or recent news. Find one thing you genuinely like or connect with, such as a product, a project, their values or their growth plans. You will use it in your letter.

Step 2: Set up the header and greeting

Use the same header as your CV (name, phone, email, town), then the date and the employer's details. Address a real person when the advert gives a name, e.g. “Dear Ms. Mensah,”. Otherwise use “Dear Hiring Manager,”. Add a subject line with the job title.

Step 3: Write a strong opening

Your first two sentences decide whether the reader continues. Name the job and lead with your most relevant strength. Examples:

• “I am applying for the Staff Nurse (Emergency) role at Lagoon Hospital. With four years in a busy emergency unit and zero medication errors in three annual audits, I bring the calm, precise care your team needs.”
• “As a sales representative who delivered 112% of an R18M target last year, I was excited to see your opening for a Key Account Manager in Gauteng.”
• “I am a recent Business Administration graduate applying for your Supply Chain Graduate Trainee programme, with attachment experience supporting four public tenders.”

Step 4: Prove your fit with evidence

In one or two paragraphs, take the main requirements from the advert and give a concrete example for each. Use the STAR idea in a compact form: the situation, what you did and the result. Keep each example to two or three sentences.

Step 5: Explain why this employer

Recruiters want people who chose them on purpose. Mention what you found in your research and link it to your skills: “Your expansion into mobile banking for small traders is exactly the kind of customer-focused growth I helped deliver at SwiftPay.”

Step 6: Close confidently

End by referring to your attached CV, saying you would welcome an interview and thanking the reader. Use “Yours sincerely,” when you addressed a named person and “Yours faithfully,” after “Dear Sir/Madam”.

Step 7: Edit, then edit again

• Cut it to one page (250–400 words).
• Remove clichés and replace them with evidence.
• Check names, titles and dates twice.
• Read it aloud to catch awkward sentences.
• Save as PDF with a clear file name.

Full cover letter example, paragraph by paragraph

Opening: “I am applying for the Receptionist position at Umhlanga Family Medical Centre advertised on your website. With four years on busy medical and corporate front desks, I keep reception calm, organised and welcoming, even on the busiest days.”

Evidence: “At my current practice I book appointments for eight doctors, answer more than 120 calls a day and verify medical aid details before each visit. I also introduced SMS reminders the day before appointments, which noticeably reduced no-shows.”

Why them: “I admire the centre's focus on family care and long-term patient relationships. I know how much a friendly first contact matters to patients, and I would love to bring that to your team.”

Close: “My CV is attached. I would welcome the chance to meet you and discuss how I can support your practice. Thank you for your time.”

Tone and length

Aim for a confident, warm and professional tone, the way you would speak in a good interview. Avoid begging, exaggeration and clichés. Three to four paragraphs and 250–400 words is the right length for most jobs; a short email cover note can be just five sentences.

Cover letter tips for different situations

Short cover letter examples

Example 1: Short cover letter (email body)

Dear Ms. Mensah,

I am applying for the Receptionist role advertised on your website. I have four years of front-desk experience in a busy medical centre, where I handle 120+ calls and 60 visitors a day and manage bookings for eight doctors. I am friendly, organised and calm under pressure. My CV is attached, and I would welcome the chance to meet you.

Kind regards,
Nomvula Dube · +27 73 456 7890

Example 2: Short cover letter for a graduate

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am a recent Business Administration graduate applying for your Graduate Trainee (Supply Chain) programme. During my attachment at Eldoret Water, I updated a 300-vendor supplier database and supported four public tenders. I am keen to learn and confident with Excel and reporting. Please find my CV attached.

Yours sincerely,
Brian Kiprotich · +254 798 765 432

Frequently asked questions