How to Write a Cover Letter (UK): Structure and Example

Plenty of job seekers wonder whether anyone still reads cover letters. Some recruiters skip them. Others read them first, especially for entry-level roles, career changes and smaller employers, where the CV alone doesn't tell the whole story.

Since you can't tell which kind of recruiter you will get, the safe approach is to write a short, specific letter that is worth reading. Here is how.

What is a cover letter?

A cover letter is a short letter that goes with your CV when you apply for a job. Your CV lists what you have done. The cover letter explains why you want this particular job, why you are a good fit and anything your CV can't show on its own, such as a career change, a gap or a move to a new area.

In the UK it is usually a one-page document or the text of an email, between 250 and 400 words.

Do you still need a cover letter?

Send one when:

• The advert asks for one. Leaving it out can get your application rejected before anyone reads your CV.
• The application has an optional box for a supporting statement or covering message. Optional rarely means unimportant.
• You are changing career, returning after a gap or applying from another area. A letter lets you explain it in your own words.
• You really want the job. A strong letter can lift a borderline CV onto the shortlist.

You can usually skip it for quick-apply roles that have no way to attach one, and for agency applications where the recruiter will call you first.

How long should a cover letter be?

One page at most, and usually 250 to 400 words. Recruiters skim. Three or four short paragraphs that each do one job beat a page of dense text.

How do you structure a cover letter?

Use four paragraphs.

1. Opening: the role and your headline fit. Name the job you are applying for and, in one sentence, say why you are a strong match.
2. Why this employer. Show you know something specific about the organisation: a product, a project, a value or a recent piece of news. One or two sentences is enough.
3. Why you: two pieces of evidence. Pick the two or three requirements the advert stresses most and give a short example for each, with a result where you can.
4. Close. Say you would welcome the chance to discuss the role and thank them for their time.

Address it to a named person if the advert or the employer's website gives one. If not, "Dear Hiring Manager" is fine. Sign off with "Yours sincerely" if you used a name and "Yours faithfully" if you didn't, or simply "Kind regards" in an email.

What does a good cover letter look like?

Here is an example for an entry-level marketing role. Notice how each paragraph does one job and every claim has evidence behind it.

Dear Ms Patel,

I am applying for the Marketing Assistant role at Northfield Foods. I have spent the last year running social media for a 300-member university society and managing promotions in a busy retail job, and I would like to bring that mix of content and customer experience to your team.

Your shift towards plant-based ranges caught my attention, particularly the recent campaign aimed at first-time buyers. Making a new product feel familiar to a cautious audience is the kind of challenge I enjoy.

Your advert asks for content creation and attention to detail. As social media lead for the society, I planned and wrote a weekly content calendar and grew our Instagram following from 400 to 1,150 in eight months. In my retail role, I set up in-store promotions and checked every price and label against head office guidance, with no errors flagged in two audits.

I would welcome the chance to discuss how I could support your team. Thank you for considering my application.

Yours sincerely,

Sam Carter

The employer, names and figures here are made up. Swap in your own, and keep the shape.

What are the most common cover letter mistakes?

• Repeating your CV. The letter should add context and motivation, not list your jobs again.
• Writing about what you want from the job. Lead with what you bring. The employer is hiring to solve a problem.
• Sending the same letter everywhere. Recruiters can spot a generic letter in the first line, and a wrong company name ends the application.
• Letting AI write it for you. AI can help you plan and check a letter, but recruiters are wary of generic AI-written applications. In the Institute of Student Employers' 2026 survey, 92% of employers suspected or had confirmed candidates misusing AI in their recruitment process (ISE). Your own examples, in your own words, are what make a letter credible.
• Typos. Read it out loud before you send it. It is the fastest way to catch mistakes.

How do you write a cover letter with no experience?

Use the evidence you do have. School or college projects, part-time and seasonal work, volunteering, sport, caring responsibilities and things you have built or run yourself all show the skills employers want: reliability, teamwork, communication and learning quickly. Pick the two that best match the advert and describe what you did and what happened.

If you are changing career, use the letter to make the link the CV can't. Our guide to transferable skills shows how to describe your experience in the language of your new field.

How can MyPathfinder help?

A cover letter works best alongside a CV that is tailored to the same role. MyPathfinder's CV Builder tailors your CV to each job description and scores it against the role, so your CV and letter make the same case. We explain why tailoring matters in should you tailor your CV for every job.

Write it for the job in front of you, keep it short and back every claim with evidence. Tailor yours at mypathfinder.uk