Why the posting comes first
Generic cover letters fail the same way generic resumes do: they ignore the employer’s vocabulary. Recruiters skim for proof that you read the role — tools, outcomes, domain language. Starting from the job description forces every paragraph to earn its place.
Pull must-haves vs nice-to-haves, note repeated phrases, and mark anything you can honestly claim. That list becomes the outline of the letter.
Write the letter from the requirements
- Open with the role title and one concrete reason you fit the top requirement — not “I am excited to apply.”
- Devote the middle to 2–3 proof points that map to the posting’s must-haves, using their wording where your experience supports it.
- Address an obvious gap briefly if needed, then close with availability and a clear ask for the interview.
- Keep it under one page. If a bullet belongs on the resume, leave it there; the letter should interpret, not duplicate.
Pair it with a tailored resume
The letter and CV should tell the same story. MaxCV decomposes the job description into requirements, maps them to evidence in your resume, and returns an ATS-ready PDF with a match score — so when you write the cover letter you already know which claims are backed by the CV and which are gaps for the interview.
Related: tailor your resume to a job description and the ATS resume checker.