A good cover letter has four short paragraphs:

  1. Opener — who you are, what you're applying to, one specific reason you care about this role.
  2. Why you — one or two specific reasons you're a fit.
  3. Why them — one specific thing about the company you want to contribute to.
  4. Close — reaffirm interest, ask for next step.

Total length: 200-300 words. One page max.

Template

Dear [Hiring Manager / Hiring Team],

I'm applying for the [Role] position at [Company]. [One sentence on why this specific role caught your eye — a recent product, a specific team, a problem they're solving.]

A bit on why I think I'm a fit: [one specific achievement with a number]. [One additional specific reason — a tool you use, a relevant project, a domain skill.]

What I'd want to bring to [Company] specifically: [one specific area you'd contribute to — a project on their roadmap, a problem you'd help solve]. [Why your experience is the right shape for that.]

I'd welcome a call to talk through how I'd approach the role. Thanks for considering.

Best regards, [Your Name] [Phone] | [Email] | [LinkedIn URL]

Example (filled in)

Dear Hiring Team,

I'm applying for the Senior Backend Engineer role at Acme Corp. I've watched your team's work on the real-time pricing engine and want to be part of it.

At BetaCo, I led a team of 6 engineers rebuilding our pricing system from scratch — processing 12K events/sec at 99.99% uptime. We reduced p95 latency 40% and shipped on schedule. Before that, I spent 3 years at GammaTech on systems serving 5M+ daily users.

What I'd want to bring to Acme specifically is the experience scaling distributed systems under real-time SLAs. The pricing engine you've described in your engineering blog reads like the same problem space I've worked in for the last five years.

Open to a call when you have time. Resume attached.

Best regards, Maya Chen (555) 123-4567 | maya@example.com | linkedin.com/in/maya-chen

That's roughly 220 words. Tight, specific, no fluff.

What to skip

  • Generic flattery. "Your innovative culture" — meaningless.
  • Restating the resume. They have it; don't repeat it.
  • Begging language. "I would be so honored" — confidence over deference.
  • Generic openers. "I am writing to apply for..." — yes, of course you are.

What to include if relevant

  • A connection. "I worked with [Person] at [Previous Company]; they recommended I apply."
  • A specific project of theirs you've followed. Shows you've done homework.
  • A relevant link. Portfolio, writing sample, GitHub.

Should you write a cover letter?

If the application requires one: yes, do it well.

If optional: depends on:

  • High-stakes role. Yes — it can tip a close decision.
  • Volume application. Skip — your time is better spent applying to more roles.
  • Direct connection. Yes — leverage the connection.

The bigger pattern

The marginal value of one perfect cover letter is small. The marginal value of one applied role is real. Volume + decent quality beats one polished application most of the time.

Sorce auto-generates a tailored cover letter for every application — using your resume and the JD. 40 free swipes a day. Polished enough to pass, tailored to each role, no copy-pasting.

For more: how to end a cover letter, how to close a cover letter, is a cover letter necessary.