How to End a Cover Letter & Cover Letter Closing Examples

In some cases, hiring managers may require you to submit a cover letter along with your resume or CV. This document is also known as a “job application letter” or “letter of motivation”, that provides further details about why you’re applying for this role and what you can bring to the organization in addition to your resume.

The cover letter closing sounds like no big deal. After all, it is just about ending your letter and most would say that the body paragraphs of the cover letter are the most crucial. But, how you end your cover letter allows you to sign off with grace and professionalism, and create a lasting impression. If your cover letter is a marketing tool to promote yourself as an applicant, think of the cover letter closing as a CTA (call to action) that motivates the hiring manager to read on your resume. 

Most of you may already know how to end a cover letter, but perhaps many of you are still not quite sure how to do it professionally. You don’t not want to “exit" on a bad note with a negative impression. 

Read on to learn how to write a cover letter closing paragraph and what good cover letter closings look like, so that you can create an impressive and professional cover letter closing that brings your cover letter quality to the next level.

To guide you in the right direction, we’ve put together what you should keep in mind for a proper cover letter ending.

Many people focus only on the body paragraph and overlook the last paragraph of the cover letter. But do you know that to make an impression on employers, you need solid content all the way till the end? 

Consider it as an attempt to leave the last impression of you with them and also, convince them that you would be an asset to the company.

Signing off your application letter is a straightforward task. All you have to do is insert your signature (or full name) and other essential components such as: 

• Complimentary close (closing salutation)
• Name
• Contact details
• Other information (i.e., address, LinkedIn, personal website, social media handles)
  
  

While finishing a cover letter, make sure you capitalize the first letter, use your real name, and adopt the same font as the rest of your letter.  

Though adding a PS to the last paragraph of your cover letter might seem unprofessional, it is a great way to grab the hiring manager's attention. This also helps to restate or remind them of some important information. Some employers may even read it first instead of other parts of the letter. 

Keep in mind that you don’t want to let the use of postscripts in your cover letter conclusion make you sound unprofessional. Avoid writing such a statement like this:  

As a rule of thumb, you need to maintain a professional, friendly, and upbeat tone throughout your application, including the cover letter ending paragraph and sign-off. That's because hiring managers want to make sure you take the recruitment seriously and act as a professional individual in a work setting. 

What's more, a cover letter that uses a more "formal" tone rather than "conversational'' will give a much better impression. Even if you’re applying for a creative job or a role at a start-up (which tends to have a more relaxed working culture), still make sure your cover letter strikes the right tone. 

It's now time for a cover letter closing, although you might still have a lot to express. Similar to a resume, your application letter length should not exceed one page, ideally between half a page and one full page. 

Here’s a pro tip! Divide your letter into three or four paragraphs, including one for the introduction, two for the body, and one for the cover letter final paragraph. For each part, you should not write more than 5 sentences. 

Before finally finishing your cover letter hitting “Send”, don't forget to check if you have attached all the required documents and that they are working perfectly (i.e., resume, portfolio, certificates).

There's nothing more embarrassing than a letter containing typos and grammatical mistakes. Take an extra minute to go over it to ensure that grammar, spelling, and sentence structure all look good and make sense. By doing so, employers can fully see your attention to detail, ability to communicate, and level of professionalism.

It’s not as complicated as it sounds! Just read it out loud, use a grammar check tool like Grammarly, or have your cover letter proofread by a friend or Professor.

And remember, closing remarks for your cover letter also matter!

Not sure exactly how to end an application letter impressively?

Check out the 5 ways to create a strong cover letter closing paragraph as well as good and bad examples for your reference. 

💡 Summarize your strengths and restate your values.

To prove that you're the right fit for the position, it's important to demonstrate what you are capable of as well as what you can bring to the organization. These make a cover letter different from a resume/CV. 

Though you may already mention your key strengths and values in the body paragraph, this is also one of the best ways to end your cover letter. Instead of repeating the same words, try to re-phrase and match it with the job posting.

💡 Be willing to provide further information.

Employers speak highly of the candidates who are always ready to invest their time in getting to know more about the company and position. This can be indicated by two things in the cover letter ending paragraph:

• Your promise to share any additional information if needed.
• Leaving a time or date for following up with the hiring manager. 

💡 Promise to show good performance and growth.

In the cover letter ending paragraph, write a sentence that focuses on the company's future. That way, the hiring manager can see you're a dedicated employee and take this job seriously. Also, emphasize how your career objectives align with the organization’s goals and development. 

💡 Convey your enthusiasm and passion.

The key difference between an application letter and a resume/CV is that you can show your passion for the industry and your enthusiasm for the company. There's no question that passionate employees tend to be more devoted and improve their performance over time.

Thus, use the last paragraph of your cover letter to express your fondness for the career you're pursuing and your determination to be an exemplary employee at the company. 

💡 Show your in-depth knowledge about the company.

Every employer will be impressed if you've done thorough research on the company, including mission and goals, products, clients, etc. To do so, you have to review the job description carefully and take time to check out the company website as well as business pages like Facebook and LinkedIn. 

In the cover letter ending paragraph, show that you've researched the company and the role by matching your qualifications with the job requirements, as well as your career goals with the company missions. Also, it'll be a great idea if you offer to boost specific metrics.

You appear as a professional candidate at first, and you will still need to maintain that till the end. That's why you need to pay attention to cover letter sign-offs, which seem to be simple but easy to get wrong.

--- Originally written by May Luong ---