Writing a Cover Letter That Gets You a Graduate Job Interview
By Muntasir • Published Nov 17, 2024 • Career Planning
Write a cover letter under one page that opens with the specific role and company, connects two or three real examples to what the job needs, and closes with a clear call to action.
📩 Address it to a named person where you can find one, not "To Whom It May Concern."
Open with the exact role and where you saw it, skip generic openers about your passion.
Connect your projects, attachment or SIWES experience directly to what the job posting asks for.
Keep it under one page, recruiters skim a cover letter in under a minute.
Structure a Cover Letter Around the Job, Not Your Biography
A cover letter's job is to connect your background to this specific role at this specific company, not to repeat your CV in paragraph form. Recruiters reading dozens of applications skim quickly, so open with the strongest, most specific point you have and let the rest of the letter support it.
The Opening Paragraph
Name the exact role you are applying for and where you saw it in your first sentence. Follow with one sentence connecting your background directly to the role, for example your degree, a relevant project, or an attachment placement in the same field.
Skip generic openers built around your passion for the industry with no evidence behind them. A specific, concrete opening line reads stronger than an enthusiastic but empty one.
The Middle Paragraphs
Pick two or three points from the job posting and match them to specific things you have done: a class project, an internship, SIWES or industrial attachment, a student leadership role, or volunteer work. Describe what you did and what resulted from it, using the same approach as an achievement-focused CV bullet point.
Address why this company specifically, not only why this type of role. Mention something concrete about the company, its work, or its market position that connects to why you want to work there, since this shows you researched the employer rather than sending the same letter everywhere.
The Closing Paragraph
Restate your interest in the role in one sentence, then close with a direct call to action: that you look forward to discussing your application further, and that you are available for an interview at their convenience. Thank the reader for their time and sign off formally.
Formatting and Length
Keep it to one page, three to four short paragraphs
Address it to a named recruiter or hiring manager where you can find one
Match the tone to the company, formal for a bank or government role, slightly less formal for a startup
Save and send as a PDF alongside your CV unless told otherwise
Common Mistakes That Cost Interviews
Repeating your CV word for word instead of adding context
Sending the identical letter to multiple employers with only the company name changed
Focusing on what you want from the job instead of what you bring to it
Typos or the wrong company name left over from a previous application
A letter longer than one page for an entry-level role
Before You Send It
Read it once for content, then again purely for typos and formatting, these are two different checks and combining them means you miss things. Ask someone else to read it if you can, since a fresh set of eyes catches an awkward sentence or a leftover company name faster than you catch it on your own draft.