The cover letter recruiters actually read

Its only job is to add what the CV cannot

A cover letter should never summarise your CV. It should explain the one thing a recruiter cannot infer from a list of roles: why this company, why this role, and what you would do in the first 90 days.

The three-paragraph structure

Keep it under 250 words.

• Paragraph 1 — the hook: the role, and one specific reason this company (a product, a market, a recent launch)
• Paragraph 2 — the proof: one achievement with a number that maps to their biggest requirement
• Paragraph 3 — the close: what you would focus on early, plus a simple call to talk

Phrases to delete

These sentences appear in thousands of letters and carry no information:

• "I am writing to express my interest in…"
• "I am a hard-working team player with excellent communication skills"
• "I believe I would be a great fit for your esteemed organisation"

Make it parseable too

If the application asks for a single upload, put the letter on the first page of the same PDF as your CV, in the same font and with plain text. Avoid tables, columns and images so the parser reads both documents cleanly.