Your cover letter closing matters. Here are some tips on how to end a cover letter — and some examples highlighting what not to do.
Many job seekers focus all their attention on polishing their resume, giving less importance to writing a strong cover letter. But the cover letter isn’t just a formality. It’s as important as your resume. In fact, it can be even more essential because, if it doesn’t capture a hiring manager’s attention, your resume might not get a look at all.
Your resume may spell out your skills, but it’s your cover letter that gives you the opportunity to convince a potential employer that you would be an asset to the company and can hit the ground running. And the final paragraph of your letter is key — it’s what leaves the last impression of you with a hiring manager. Your conclusion should propel them to action, namely to schedule an interview.
Key components of a good cover letter closing
Use the closing to accomplish three tasks and move the process forward.
- Sum up your strengths. In recasting your professional strengths, don’t simply repeat phrases the hiring manager has already read. Use fresh language to succinctly make your case in the close. (See examples below.)
- Be polite and confident. A cover letter closing like, “I look forward to hearing from you,” won’t spur a manager to pick up the phone. Instead, you could write, “I look forward to speaking with you about how I can put my skills to work for ABC Widgets.” Politely request an interview; don’t demand one or say you’ll call the office in the coming week. You want to be confident, not pushy.
- Say thanks. Make sure to offer thanks for their time and consideration, and choose a professional closing salutation such as, “Sincerely,” “Best regards” or “Thank you for your consideration.” Avoid overly familiar phrases like, “Yours,” “Cheers” or “Take care.”
As far as tone, use the same style in your final paragraph that you employed in crafting the rest of your cover letter: Keep it professional. This isn’t the place or time for jokes, text-message shorthand, strong emotion, exclamation points or casual language.
Be sure to keep your cover letter to one page and indicate any email attachments, as well as enclosures or documents the hiring manager may expect to receive related to your application.
Examples of how to end a cover letter
Here are some options to help you draft a strong cover letter closing:
- “Thank you for your time. I look forward to speaking with you about my experience and passion for all aspects of web development. You can reach me at [phone number and email].”
- “I would love the chance to further discuss the position and what skills I’d bring to the job. Thank you for considering my application.”
- “I believe my five years of experience in user design, specifically working in the finance industry, will be an excellent match for this job. I welcome the chance to discuss how my qualifications will contribute to [name of firm]’s success. Thank you for your consideration.”
- “With my extensive accounts payable experience, I believe I can quickly get up to speed in this position. I’d welcome the opportunity to speak with you more about my qualifications at [phone number and email]. Thank you for your time.”
Cover letter closing fails
You can also benefit from studying examples of what you should absolutely not do. Resumania® offers examples of resumes and cover letters that missed the mark. Here are some amusing real-life cover letter closings our company has come across:
- “All I ask is for you to consider my perspicacious aspiration to become an erudite factotum in your organization.”
- “Finally, as an overview, I love to collaborate to enlighten direction based on targeted markets.”
- “Please, before you blow me off as ‘overqualified,’ understand that what I am overqualified for is being a department-store greeter.”
- “Making me an addition to this workforce will not be a problem.”
- “Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you in the new future.”
- This last embarrassing typo is from a job candidate whose first name is Doug: “Sincerely, Dog.”
As with other parts of the note, your cover letter closing should be informative, concise and correct. Bad grammar, punctuation errors or misspellings might be all the incentive a hiring manager needs to toss your application aside for lacking attention to detail. Don’t rely on spell-check. Proofread your submission carefully and get someone else to look at it as well. A carefully written final statement can help you close the deal.
