Write a cover letter only when the application asks for one, or when a short note will explain something the resume cannot. Half a page is the full length: the role you are applying for, one result that matches it, and your notice period or joining date. Repeating the resume wastes the reader's time.
Open with the role and the company
The first sentence names the job title and where you saw it. The second says why that team is a fit, in concrete terms. "I am excited by this opportunity" adds nothing. "I have closed month-end for a retail business of a similar size" does.
- Use the job title exactly as it is posted.
- Mention a referral in the first sentence if you have one.
- Address a named recruiter when you know the name. Otherwise "Hello" is fine.
Add one proof point the resume only lists
Choose the bullet on your resume that is closest to the posting and add the context that did not fit: the size of the team, the constraint, or the customer. One story. Then stop.
- Keep the letter under 250 words.
- Use the same facts as the resume. Do not introduce a new job title here.
- Skip your life story and your school prizes unless you are a fresher and they are the proof.
Close with logistics
End with your city, your notice period or earliest joining date, and a thank-you. Attach the resume with a clear file name. If you are emailing, the letter is the email body, not a second attachment.
- Put the job title in the email subject along with your name.
- Send it from the email address on the resume.
- Proofread names. A wrong company name is an instant skip.
Half a page, one proof point, a joining date. Send it when it adds something the resume does not.
Questions people ask
Do Indian employers read cover letters?
- Many applicant systems store them, and a person reads them when the form required one or when the resume is a close call. A required letter left blank is a negative signal.
Should freshers write one?
- Yes, when you need to explain a project. Keep it short and specific. A template that could be sent to any company is easy to spot.
Can the cover letter be the email?
- Yes. For an emailed application, the email body is the cover letter. Attach only the resume unless they ask for more.
Related reading
Meera Iyer
Meera edits WePlacement career guides for people searching, interviewing and negotiating offers in India. She writes from questions recruiters and candidates ask every week.
