Keep it to one page
Three or four short paragraphs, about 250 to 400 words. The letter adds context your CV cannot: why this job, why this company and the one or two results that make you a strong fit.
A structure that works
- Opening: the role you are applying for and one line on why you are a good match.
- Evidence: one or two achievements, with numbers, that match the advert’s main requirements.
- Fit: what you know about the company and why you want to work there.
- Close: say you would welcome an interview and give your availability.
A short example opening
“I am applying for the Senior Professional Nurse post in your high-care unit. In six years on adult medical wards, including two as night-shift leader, I helped cut medication errors on my ward by more than half by introducing a bedside handover checklist.”
Tailor every letter
Use the hiring manager’s name if you can find it, mirror the advert’s key words and mention something specific about the organisation. A generic letter is easy to spot and often worse than none.
Avoid: repeating your CV line by line, starting with “To whom it may concern” when a name is available, and long paragraphs about what the job would do for you.
Toolzeroo’s cover letter builder uses this structure and matches your CV template.