A good cover letter is short, precise and written for one job offer. It does not repeat your CV: it explains why you are applying here, and what you will bring.
Start from the examples below, then adapt them. The names and careers are made up; keep the structure and replace the rest with your own story.
What the letter is for when you have a CV
The CV says what you have done. The letter says why you are applying to this company, and why now. When two profiles look alike, it is the letter that can make the difference.
- Many job offers ask for one: without it, your application is incomplete.
- It explains what the CV does not say: a career change, a break in your career, a move.
- It shows that you read the job offer, and that you do not send the same application everywhere.
A short, precise letter is better than a page of stock phrases. Aim for one page at most, often less.
Examples for each situation
Subject: Application for the sales assistant position
Dear Sir or Madam,
Your offer for a sales assistant caught my full attention. I hold a vocational diploma in sales and spent two years in the customer service team of an IT equipment distributor in Dakar.
There, I handled the orders of about a hundred business customers, prepared quotes and followed up on unpaid invoices. I learned to answer quickly, in writing and on the phone, in French as well as in Wolof.
Joining your team would let me put this rigour to work for a growing company. I would be glad to explain in an interview how I can support your sales team every day.
Yours faithfully,
Fatou Sarr
Subject: Unsolicited application for an accountant position
Dear Sir or Madam,
The opening of your branch in Thiès made me want to write to you: I would like to offer my application for an accountant position, even though no vacancy is advertised today.
I hold a bachelor's degree in accounting and management and have three years of experience in an accountancy firm: bookkeeping for SMEs, tax returns, preparing annual accounts. I am fluent with Sage and Excel.
I would be pleased to meet you and see how I could strengthen your finance team.
Yours faithfully,
Ibrahima Fall
Subject: Application for the digital marketing internship
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am in the second year of a master's degree in marketing and am looking for a six month end of studies internship starting in January. Your digital marketing offer matches the career plan I am preparing.
During my studies, I ran the social media of my faculty's student association: posting calendar, visuals, tracking statistics. Their audience doubled in one year.
I want to learn alongside a team that measures what it does, and in return bring you my energy and my knowledge of how young people use the internet.
I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully,
Aminata Sow
Subject: Application for the IT support technician position
Dear Sir or Madam,
I have just graduated with a bachelor's degree in networks and telecommunications, and I would like to start my career in your IT department.
During my three month internship in an SME, I supported some forty workstations: installation, troubleshooting, managing user accounts. My final year project was about securing a company network.
I learn fast and I enjoy explaining technical problems simply. I would be happy to show you in an interview.
Yours faithfully,
Cheikh Diallo
Subject: Internship request in human resources
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am in the third year of a bachelor's degree in human resources management and must complete a two month internship starting in July, so I am taking the liberty of offering you my application.
I can help you keep staff records, organise recruitment and update tracking sheets. People know me for my rigour and discretion, two qualities I know this job requires.
I remain available for an interview, on the dates that suit you.
Yours faithfully,
Khady Faye
Templates by sector
The structure stays the same everywhere. What changes is what you put forward in the paragraph about you. A few sentences to adapt:
Retail and sales: "In two years of shop sales, I reached my targets every quarter and built a loyal base of regular customers."
Health: "As a state registered nurse, I worked in a general medicine ward, where I learned to stay calm in emergencies and to reassure families."
IT: "I built the stock management application of an SME, from gathering the needs to going live."
Administration and management: "As an executive assistant for four years, I manage the diaries of two directors, the mail and the organisation of meetings."
Hotels and catering: "As a receptionist in a hotel in Saly, I welcome Senegalese and foreign guests every day, in French and in English."
The 4 paragraph structure
- The opening: the job you are aiming for and, in one sentence, who you are.
- You: two or three achievements that answer what the job offer asks for, with a number if you can.
- Them: why this company, and what you will bring to it.
- Next steps: suggest an interview, then end with the closing formula.
Above, put your contact details, the recipient's, the place and the date, then the subject line: "Application for the accountant position", for example. End with your first and last name.
The safest closing remains "Yours faithfully" when you do not know the recipient's name, and "Yours sincerely" when you do.
Mistakes that get a letter set aside
- The all purpose letter, where the company name could be swapped for any other.
- The CV repeated line by line, instead of two or three points that matter for this job.
- Talking about what the job gives you, never about what you bring.
- Spelling mistakes, especially in the name of the company or the recruiter.
- More than one page, or sentences five lines long.
- Forgetting the subject line, the date or your contact details.
Adapting the letter to the job offer
Read the job offer again and underline what it asks for: the duties, the skills, the level of education. Your letter has to answer these points, with the same words.
- Use the exact job title in the subject line and in the first sentence.
- Pick the two or three experiences from your career that best match the duties.
- Mention something specific about the company: its business, a project, a location.
On LYZY, the cover letter editor does this work with you. You pick one of your CVs and the job offer, the tone (professional, friendly or formal) and the length, and it writes a letter that starts from your career to answer the offer. You proofread, edit the text, then copy it or download it as a PDF. Generating a letter is paid, one at a time or included in a pack or a subscription.
Every job offer published on LYZY has a "Cover letter" button, which opens the editor with the offer already chosen.