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Job Interviews & Careers vocabulary · CVs & Cover Letters

Cover letter

Meaning in job interviews & careers, with examples

/ˈkʌvər ˌletər/nounCore term

In job interviews & careers, cover letter means: A one-page letter sent with your CV that explains why you want a particular job and why you are a good fit for it.

In Turkish: ön yazı, niyet mektubu, motivasyon mektubu

How it is used

Many job ads ask for a CV and a cover letter. You write or attach a cover letter and, where possible, address it to the hiring manager by name. When you apply by email, the email text itself sometimes works as the cover letter.

Example sentences

  1. The ad asks for a cover letter of no more than one page.

  2. In my cover letter, I explained why I moved from teaching to marketing.

Common collocations

  • write a cover letter
  • attach a cover letter
  • tailored cover letter
  • cover letter template
  • CVA document that lists your education, work experience and skills, which you send to an employer when you apply for a job. It is short for curriculum vitae.
  • resumeA short summary of your education, work history and skills that you send to employers, usually one page long. This is the usual American word for a CV.
  • hiring managerThe manager who needs a new team member and who makes, or strongly influences, the final decision about who gets the job.
  • tailorTo change your CV, cover letter or answers so that they match a particular job and employer.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: CVs & Cover Letters

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