How to start a cover letter (and how to end it)

Start a cover letter with a single specific line that names the role, says where you saw it, and gives one clear reason you fit. Skip "I am writing to apply for the position of", it burns your best sentence on nothing. Open with something like: "I saw your advert for a Care Assistant at a local care home on Indeed, and I am applying because I have looked after my own relative for three years and want to do it professionally." That tells the reader who you are and why to keep reading, all in one breath.

This guide is only about the first line and the last line. For the whole letter, see the pillar, how to write a cover letter. For a fill-in structure, use the cover letter template.

What a strong opening line does

Your first sentence has one job: make the reader want the second sentence. The best openings do three things at once.

• Name the role exactly as it appears in the advert, including a reference number if there is one.
• Say where you saw it, so your application is easy to place.
• Give one specific reason you fit, tied to what the advert actually asks for.

The National Careers Service puts it simply: introduce yourself and explain how you found the job. Do that in a way that shows you read the advert, not a template you send to everyone.

Five opening lines that work

Here are openings for different situations. Swap the bracketed parts for your own details.

You have direct experience

"I saw your advert for a [Warehouse Operative] on [Indeed] and would like to apply. I have spent [two years] picking and packing to tight dispatch deadlines, which is what your advert asks for."

You are changing career or starting out

"Your advert for a [Trainee Administrator] on [the company website] caught my eye. I am moving into office work after [five years in retail], where I handled cash, rotas, and customer complaints daily."

You are keen on the specific company

"I have used [Company] for years and was pleased to see you are hiring a [Sales Assistant]. I would like to bring my [three years on a busy shop floor] to a brand I already rate."

You were referred by someone

"[Sam Okafor] in your [dispatch team] suggested I apply for the [Driver] role you advertised on [Reed]. I have held a clean [Category C] licence for [six years]."

You have a standout, relevant result

"I am applying for the [Kitchen Assistant] role at [a local pub]. In my last job I helped a [40-cover] kitchen pass its [food hygiene inspection] with the top rating."

Notice none of them start with "I am writing to". They lead with the useful bit.

What to avoid in the opening

• "I am writing to apply for the position of..." True, but dull, and it delays the point.
• "To whom it may concern" as a greeting. It reads as dated and like you did no homework.
• "I am the perfect candidate" or any big claim you have not yet earned. Show it, do not assert it.
• A generic line you paste into every application. If the opening would fit any job, it fits none of them well.

Your opening line should quote the advert's own words back where you honestly can. Matching your language to theirs is the single easiest way to look like a fit, both to a human reader and to any screening software. If you want to see where your CV already lines up with a specific advert, run it through the free checker below.

For more worked openings in full letters, see cover letter examples.

The greeting: use a name where you can

Always try to address a real person. Check the advert, then the company website, then LinkedIn for the head of the department, an HR contact, or the recruiter. Get their preferred title right, for example Dr, Mr, Mrs, or Ms.

"Dear Hiring Manager" is a sensible modern fallback when you have genuinely looked and found nothing. Because it stands in for a name, "Yours sincerely" still fits. Steer clear of "Hi there" or "Hello" for a formal application, and steer clear of "To whom it may concern" entirely.

How to end a cover letter

The close should feel confident and give the reader an easy next step. Do three things.

1. Thank them for reading your application.
2. Point to your CV for the full detail, and mention your availability.
3. Say how to reach you if it is not already obvious from your contact details.

A close might read:

"Thank you for considering my application. My CV has the full detail of my experience. I am available for interview any weekday and can start with two weeks' notice. You can reach me on [phone] or at [email]."

That is warmer and more useful than "I look forward to hearing from you", though there is nothing wrong with adding a short line like that if you want. Keep it honest: a good letter gets you read and gets you a fair look. It does not guarantee an interview, and no wording can promise one.

The UK sign-off rule

This one trips people up, so keep it simple. Your sign-off matches your greeting.

• If you opened with a named person, close with "Yours sincerely".
• If you opened with "Dear Sir or Madam", close with "Yours faithfully".

The old memory trick: two words starting with "s" (sir, sincerely) never go together, so it is sir with faithfully, and a name with sincerely. Put your full name underneath, and your phone and email if they are not in a header.

Quick recap

• Open with the role, where you saw it, and one specific reason you fit.
• Cut "I am writing to apply for the position of".
• Use a real name where you can, "Dear Hiring Manager" as a fallback, never "To whom it may concern".
• Close by thanking them, pointing to your CV, and stating your availability.
• Named greeting takes "Yours sincerely"; "Dear Sir or Madam" takes "Yours faithfully".

Get those first and last lines right, then build the rest with the cover letter template.