Cover letter writing: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What cover letter writing is

A cover letter writer drafts a personalized letter that connects your experience to a specific job and employer. The letter supports your resume in a professional voice and explains why you want this particular role.

Signs you need it

  • You are applying for a specific job and your resume alone does not explain why you fit it.
  • You are changing fields and need to explain how your past work carries over.
  • The role asks for a letter and you are not sure how to open or close one.
  • You send the same generic letter to every employer and want one written for each.
  • You have a gap in your work history and want to address it briefly and professionally.
  • You are writing to an employer you admire and do not know how to explain your interest.

What the pro does

  • Reads the job posting and the employer's public material, then lists the requirements the letter has to answer.
  • Interviews you about your strongest example for each requirement.
  • Drafts the letter in a few short paragraphs, with an opening that names the role and a close that asks for a conversation.
  • Matches the tone to the employer, from formal to conversational.
  • Checks the letter fits on one page and delivers it in the format you need, with notes on what to change for the next application.

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Number of letters, and whether each one is written for a different employer.
  • Length of the letter and the level of the role.
  • How much research the employer needs, such as company background or industry terms.
  • Number of examples to build from and how much interview time is needed.
  • Whether the writer also checks your resume against the letter for consistency.
  • Number of revision rounds and the delivery deadline.

What a written quote should spell out

  • The number of letters and the job or employer each one is for.
  • The length of each letter and the file format delivered.
  • Whether the writer checks your resume against the letter.
  • Revision rounds and the deadline for each draft.
  • Who owns the letter, and whether the writer may reuse the template for other clients.

Questions to ask before you hire

  • How do you find the link between my experience and this particular posting?
  • Will you write a letter for each application, or one template I can edit?
  • How do you handle a career change, and will the letter explain it?
  • How do you check the letter against the posting's key terms without stuffing it with keywords?
  • Can you show a before and after of a letter you wrote for someone applying to a similar role?
  • Will you ask me to confirm each example before it goes in the letter?

Red flags

  • Sends a template with the company name swapped in.
  • Writes claims about your experience that you did not describe to them.
  • Promises that the letter will get you an interview.
  • Makes the letter longer than a page or fills it with praise of the employer that says nothing specific.
  • Asks for your login details to an application site.

What you can do yourself

You can read the job posting, mark each requirement you meet, and write one plain example for each mark. Hire a writer when you are changing fields, when you are applying for senior or specialist roles, or when you have several applications to send and no time to tailor each letter.

Licenses and permits

Cover letter writing is not commonly licensed, so a license is usually not required for this work. Check with your state or local licensing agency about business rules that apply to you, and ask the writer for before and after letters in roles like yours as proof of skill.

Cover letter writing questions

How long should a cover letter be?

Most cover letters fit on one page and are short. Ask the writer to keep yours to one page and to focus on the two or three strongest matches with the posting.

Should the letter repeat my resume?

No. The letter should pick the most relevant example from your resume and explain why it matters for this role. Repeating every line of the resume wastes the reader's time.

Do I need a letter if the posting does not ask for one?

It is a judgment call. A short letter can help when your background needs explaining, while a clear resume may be enough for a straightforward application. Ask the writer which fits your case.

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Pros who offer cover letter writing remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.

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