How to write a cover letter in 10 minutes
A four-paragraph letter that does the one job a cover letter has.
4 minute read · Last updated 5 October 2026
Four paragraphs, one page
Paragraph one: the role, where you saw it, and one sentence on why you are applying. Paragraph two: the two or three things from the advertisement you can already do, each with a short example.
Paragraph three: anything the CV cannot show — availability, a visa that allows the hours, or why you want this employer specifically. Paragraph four: a clear closing line and your contact details.
The tone
Plain and confident. Do not apologise for your experience; show what you can do. Do not repeat the CV word for word — a cover letter that restates the CV wastes the reader's time.
Address it to a person where you can find one. "Dear hiring manager" is fine; a blank generic greeting is not.
Ten minutes, honestly
Two minutes reading the advertisement and highlighting the three things it wants. Five minutes writing the four paragraphs. Three minutes cutting anything that does not serve those three things.
Keep a master version and adjust the highlighted parts for each job. You will get faster every time.
The one thing to take away
Say why this job, why you, and what you will do next — in one page.
Always check the official source. Rates, fees and rules change.