Resume and Cover Letter Tips, Tricks, and Examples

6 Best Ways to End a Cover Letter with Examples

Marcie Wilmot

Certified Resume Writer, Career Coach, and Business Owner


Including a cover letter with your resume is a great way to introduce yourself to the hiring manager, tell them why you’re the ideal fit for the role, and provide context about your personal situation. A strong cover letter will give you an advantage over other applicants. But it’s important that you structure it properly and write it powerfully so that it carries an impact. This article will discuss how to end a cover letter effectively so you catch the eye of a hiring manager and increase your odds of landing an interview. Read on to learn more.

How to End a Cover Letter | Five Best Ways to End a Cover Letter

Why is a Cover Letter Conclusion Necessary?

Any letter feels incomplete without a strong ending. A cover letter is no exception. In fact, one might argue that a solid conclusion is essential. There are several reasons why it’s imperative to nail this section of your cover letter:

  • The hiring manager will realize you appreciate their time and consideration. The end of your cover letter is a great place to thank the person viewing your resume for taking the time to consider you. Doing so will show that you are polite and appreciative.
  • Your desire for an interview will be apparent because of your persuasive call to action. What’s the ultimate purpose of your resume and cover letter? To get a call from the company asking that you come in for an interview! If you incorporate a call to action in your cover letter’s concluding paragraph, it’ll remind the hiring manager that you’d love to hear from them and talk more.
  • Correctly written, you’ll appear professional, intelligent, and determined. Making sure your cover letter is properly structured with an impactful ending will ensure the hiring manager views you in a positive light, which is exactly what you want!

What You Should Not Do When Writing a Cover Letter Ending?

The tone of your cover letter’s conclusion matters. Don’t write it in such a way that you appear ungrateful, desperate, or too casual. Instead, you want to seem appreciative, confident, and professional. So, how do you do this? Consider the following tips on what NOT to do:

Bad summary example
  • Forget to thank the hiring manager for their time and consideration. Showing gratitude and an understanding that the person viewing your resume and cover letter is spending valuable time goes a long way. You will appear courteous and considerate.
Bad summary example
  • Forget to emphasize your interest with a call to action. While you don’t want to come off as needy, it is important that you remind the hiring manager at the end of your letter that you’d love a chance to speak with them further about the position and your qualifications. Do this in a straightforward and friendly manner so you appear sincerely interested and motivated.
Bad summary example
  • Use contractions or casual closings. The tone of a cover letter should be relatively formal (yet friendly) and professional. You can convey professionalism by avoiding contractions (like, for example, don’t, can’t, and wouldn’t) and casual closings (like “yours truly,” “love,” and “fondly.”) Acceptable closings include “regards,” “sincerely,” and “respectfully”.
Bad summary example
  • Have typos, misspellings, and other grammatical errors. Have someone you trust proofread your cover letter before you send it to guarantee there are no errors that will diminish the appearance and impact of your letter.  

6 Best Ways to End a Cover Letter

Let’s talk through six of the best ways to end a cover letter. See below:

Express Your Confidence

You don’t express your confidence by just saying “I’m confident that I am the best”. Saying something like this will make you look arrogant. Instead, briefly talk about why your skill set is unique and what value it can bring to the company. Simply boasting on your skills a little will make you look more confident than simply stating that you are confident.

Show Your Passion

Hiring managers want people on their team who are enthusiastic and excited about their organization and industry. Though you can show how passionate you are about the role throughout the entire cover letter, it is extremely important to flat out say it. Towards the end of your cover letter you should tell the recipient how excited you are to go through the process and potentially land the job.

Define Why You Are a Good Candidate

Defining what makes you a good candidate is a great way to close out your cover letter. However, this is not an opportunity to reiterate your resume. Instead draw on unique experiences and skills not mentioned in your resume. Not only does this personalize your cover letter, but it adds a bit of flair and provides an opportunity for the hiring manager to connect with you.

Explain Your Goals and Expectations

In the body of your cover letter, you’ve likely sold yourself with information that you couldn’t squeeze into your resume. As you bring your cover letter to its end, don’t be afraid to briefly state goals and expectations you have for yourself if given the chance to work for the company. You know what you bring to the table, so holding yourself to a standard shows that you are forward-thinking and confident enough in your skills to make an impact.

Thank Them

You should never end a cover letter without showing appreciation. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy tribute. All you need is a simple “thank you for taking the time to review my application”.

Choose the Right Sign-Off

There is no such thing as being too professional when you sign off a cover letter. However, there is such a thing as being too casual. Always go for the safer (more professional) option, and consider using a closing like “best,” “regards,” or “respectfully.”

How to Sign Off a Cover Letter?

It might not seem overly important, but the sign off you choose to use at the very end of your cover letter – if done right – will convey respect, formality, and professionalism.  Here are some appropriate and suggested sign offs for your cover letter:

  • Regards
  • Best
  • Sincerely
  • Respectfully
  • Kind regards
  • Best regards
  • Thank you

How to Sign a Cover Letter?

A cover letter that is mailed or handed to the hiring manager in person should include your written signature on it. Your signature carries significance because it personalizes the letter. So after your closing put a comma (for example: “Regards,”) and then underneath a line or two of space before your typed name. Sign your name using a pen in the space. Here is an example:

Respectfully,

Signature

Your Name

If you choose to email your cover letter (which is common these days), include your contact information underneath your name and disregard the space altogether (since you can’t sign an email with a pen!) like below:

Sincerely,

Your Name
Your Email Address
Your Phone Number
Your LinkedIn Profile URL

Best Cover Letter Closing Examples?

Sometimes it’s easier to see an example than to read about what you should do. Keeping this in mind, let’s take a look at some examples of good cover letter closings, starting with this one from Resume Genius. Note that it includes a final body paragraph, cover letter closing, and appropriate sign off with a space for a signature.

Figure 1: An example of a cover letter ending from ResumeGenius.com

As you read the examples below, notice that they strike an appreciative tone and confidently highlight the skills and qualities that the applicant can offer the organization. Number 3 also includes a call to action that encourages the hiring manager to contact the applicant. 

Figure 2: Three examples of cover letter closings from LiveCareer.com

Frequently Asked Questions on Cover Letter Ending

Read below for answers to some frequently asked questions about how to end cover letters.

How Should You End a Cover Letter for an Internship?

Ending a cover letter for an internship opportunity is very similar to how one closes a cover letter for a regular job. Thank the person reading your letter for taking the time to do so, reiterate how interested you are in the internship and why you’re qualified for it, and add in a call to action (like, for instance, requesting a time to discuss the role and your qualifications in further detail).

How Can You Write an Attention-Grabbing Cover Letter Ending?

To truly grab the hiring manager’s attention, mention an impressive contribution you’ve made to an organization. If possible, use numbers (like percentages) to draw their eyes to the statistic(s) you’ve highlighted. Emphasize how your skills will benefit their company.

Should You Close a Cover Letter with a P.S.?

It is not necessary, nor is it common to include a P.S. at the end of your cover letter. However, if you want to stand out and can think of something meaningful and impactful to say, give it a try! Just make sure your P.S. is strong, accurate, and catchy.

Conclusion

There’s absolutely no doubt that a resume accompanied by a cover letter will likely carry more weight than one that lacks this additional context. But if you choose to include a cover letter, make sure it’s well written, error-free, and correctly structured, especially its closing. Before you sign off, remind the hiring manager what you can offer them, why you’re a great fit for their company culture and the role, and how passionate you are about their industry. Include a call to action and thank them for their time and consideration. Do it right and the professionalism and power of your cover letter may just help you land your dream job!

If you think you’re ready to give your cover letter a shot, check out some of the most in-demand jobs in these career fields.

Write A Comment

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.