A practical structure for writing a cover letter that answers the job description directly: what to put in each paragraph, how long it should be, and how to tailor it in minutes.
5 min read · Updated 2026-11-08 · By the JobLens team
Recruiters disagree about a lot, but not about this: a cover letter that could have been sent to any company is worse than no cover letter. The good news is that a strong one is short, follows a predictable structure, and is built almost entirely from the job description you are answering.
Paragraph one — why them, why now. One or two sentences naming the role and something specific about the organisation or the opportunity that made you apply. Not flattery; a reason.
Paragraph two — your strongest match. Take the requirement they care about most and give one concrete example with a result. "You need someone who can stabilise a support function: at Northgate I took a team with 40% backlog growth to within SLA in four months by…"
Paragraph three — the second and third requirements, more briefly. One sentence of evidence each, in their vocabulary.
Paragraph four — close. What you would do in the first months if hired, and a straightforward request for a conversation. Then sign off.
Because the structure is fixed, tailoring is mainly swapping the three requirements and the examples that prove them. JobLens generates a first draft from your CV and the job description in that structure, so you can edit specifics rather than start from a blank page — and the CV it travels with is already optimized for the same advert.
Paste the job description and JobLens writes a focused first draft from your CV, ready to edit and download.
Many do, especially for roles with lots of applicants at similar levels, and for anything client-facing or writing-heavy. When the form makes it optional, a good short letter is a cheap advantage.
No. The CV lists; the letter argues. Pick the two or three facts that answer the advert and explain why they matter for this role.
Use the same structure and some of the same evidence, but rewrite the opening and swap the requirements to match each advert.
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