How to write a cover letter for a UK job application

Address it properly

Find a named contact if you can — LinkedIn and the company website usually reveal the hiring manager. If you can't find one, open with 'Dear Hiring Manager' rather than guessing.

If the job advert is anonymous, the word for the recruiter is 'Sir or Madam' — in writing, that means 'Dear Sir or Madam'.

The structure: four moves in five paragraphs

• Paragraph 1 — the role: which job you're applying for and where you saw it
• Paragraph 2 — the hook: one or two strengths that match the spec, with a concrete achievement as evidence
• Paragraph 3 — the fit: an example that shows you understand the company or the sector
• Paragraph 4 — the closer: why you'd be a good colleague, and any practical details (notice period)
• Paragraph 5 — a single sign-off line, then the closing phrase

Length and tone

Keep it to one page. UK letters are measured in tone — confident, but not boastful; warm, but not casual. Avoid 'I'm a people person' or 'I believe I would be perfect'. Prefer evidence: 'I led a three-person team that cut complaint response times by 40% over six months.'

Use British English throughout — organise, programme, analyse — and double-check the company name, role title and spelling of any person you address. A misspelled name ends more applications than anything else.

How to sign off

The closing phrase in UK letters follows a strict rule:

• 'Yours sincerely' — when you named the person (Dear Mr Patel...)
• 'Yours faithfully' — when you did not (Dear Sir or Madam...)
• Sign with your full name. Nothing else follows the comma on the same line.

Let the generator do the drafting

The CV Room cover letter generator writes a UK-conventional draft from your CV and the job description in seconds — structured, sign-off included, ready to personalise. Then export it as a .docx that matches the UK letter format you'll see above.