How to Write a Cover Letter That Does Not Sound Like a Template
Recruiters can tell a template from a real letter in the first two lines. The opening is where most letters die. This guide walks through the three parts that carry a letter, and the one line that instantly marks it as copy-paste.
The opening is the whole first impression
The line that kills a letter is, I am writing to express my interest in the [job title] position. It is not wrong, it is just so common that the reader has read it a hundred times before the first coffee. The fix is to open with the reason you are specifically interested in this company, not this role. One sentence on the company, a product, a project, a value, that is the signal you have done the minimum. The reader then knows the rest of the letter is about the fit, not the application.
One paragraph of proof
A cover letter is not a resume summary. It is a one-paragraph argument that you have done this specific kind of work. Pick one project from your last role, the one that is closest to what this job will actually look like day to day, and walk through it in three sentences: the situation, what you did, the outcome with a number if you have one. If the number is confidential, say so. The proof paragraph is where the letter stops sounding like a template and starts sounding like a hire.
The close should not be a plea
The line that most letters end with, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my skills and experience could contribute to your team, is the line that makes the reader want to close the tab. The close should be two sentences: a thank you, and a statement of availability. I would be glad to talk through how the project above maps to the work in this role. I am available the week of [date]. That is it. No urgency, no apology, no restating the obvious.
Before you send it
Read the letter out loud. Any sentence that sounds like it was written for a job posting, not a person, is the one to cut. A cover letter is the shortest sales document you will ever write. If it does not fit on one page, it is too long. See the Resume Templates category for the template your letter should sit next to.