Having a well written cover letter to accompany your resume is a very important thing when you are job hunting. It introduces you to the hiring manager, explains why you are a good fit for the position you are applying for, and convinces them to take a look at your resume.

When writing the cover letter, most job seekers understand the importance of quickly capturing the recruiter’s or hiring manager’s attention with an engaging and amazing introduction.

They know that a poor introduction will have their cover letter tossed into the trash bin without being read, along with their resume.

After writing a great introduction, most job seekers will then follow it up with a compelling body, highlighting their amazing skills and qualifications, their extensive job experience, and their stellar achievements. They carefully explain how these skills, experience, and achievements make them the best fit for the job.

Unfortunately, there is one part that most job seekers do not pay much attention to when writing their cover letter – the closing section.

I want you to imagine for a minute that you are a real estate salesman showing a house to a prospective buyer. You take them around the house, showing them all the nice features of the house, accompanied by an amazing pitch that you practiced over and over. Throughout the house tour, you can tell that the client loves the house.

At the end of the house tour and your pitch, instead of pushing for the close and trying to get them to pay a down payment for the house, you end with a poor statement like

Well, that’s it. I don’t know if you like the house. You can go and think about it, and if you decide that you really want to purchase it, you will give me a call.”

What are the chances that this prospect will actually buy the house? Not very high. If they come across a more aggressive sales agent, they might end up purchasing another property, even if it is not as appealing as the one you tried to sell to them, because you didn’t really push them to take action when their interest in the house was at its highest.

This is the same thing that happens when you write a cover letter with a poor close.

After impressing the hiring manager with your skills, qualifications, achievements and job experience, if you have a poor closing statement, this is probably the only thing they will remember about your cover letter.

And as they continue reading more cover letters from other interested candidates, they will probably forget all about yours, because you didn’t close with the same momentum you started with.

If you want your cover letter to be effective, you should end it the same way you started – with energy, enthusiasm, and confidence. A good cover letter closing should do three things.

First, it should thank the recruiter or hiring manager for taking their time to go through your cover letter.

Second, it should emphasize your interest in the position you are applying for.

Finally, your closing should spur the recruiter or hiring manager to take some action, such as calling you to learn more about how you can help the company.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR COVER LETTER CLOSING

If you want your cover letter closing to be effective, it should contain three parts: a final paragraph, a call to action, and a sign off. Let’s take a deeper look at each of these three elements:

The Final Paragraph

The final paragraph is the main element of your cover letter close.

This is where you get to express your appreciation to the recruiter or hiring manager for taking the time to go through your cover letter, provide a short summary of the value you will bring to the table should you get hired, and reiterate your interest and enthusiasm for the position.

Here, you want to focus entirely on what you can do for the organization, rather than what they can do for you.

By the time they finish reading this final paragraph, the recruiter or hiring manager should have no doubts that hiring you will be beneficial for the company, and that you are excited about getting a chance to work for the company.

Below, let’s look at the different examples of closing statements you can use for your final paragraph.

Show Your Passion And Enthusiasm

Showing how truly passionate and excited you are about the position you are applying for and the company itself is a great way to close your cover letter.

This closing statement also shows that you are a good fit for the company culture and that you have the kind of personality they are looking for.

If you are passionate, there is a high chance that you will be motivated, and that you will be proactive in creatively solving the company’s problems. This is the kind of employee most companies are looking for.

Below is an example of a closing statement that shows passion and enthusiasm:

“I am very excited about this opportunity and I am looking forward for a chance to show the value I will bring to the company.”

Mention What You Love About The Company Or The Position

Another good way to make sure that your cover letter sticks in the mind of the hiring manager or the recruiter is to mention what you love about the position or the company.

This shows that you actually took your time to research the company and the position. It also demonstrates your passion for the job, and gives the hiring manager the assurance that you will be a highly engaged and dedicated employee who loves their job. Below is an example of how to talk about what you love about the position or company in your closing statement:

“I love the fact that this company is so dedicated to providing opportunities for the youth, and I would like to become part of this and make my contribution in making a positive impact to the youth”

Alternatively, you could say,

“I love how Company ABC uses simple design concepts to come up with architectural masterpieces, and I would love to apply my skills and experience to push the envelope even further and create beautiful architectural designs that will keep clients falling in love with the ABC brand.”

Show That You Are Ready To Hit The Ground Running

Every employer wants to hire an employee who is ready to start delivering on their objectives and making an impact right away, instead of one who will need months of training before their impact can be felt.

Therefore, by showing that you are this kind of employee, you will definitely raise the hiring manager’s interest, and there is a high chance they will want to reach out to you and see how you can help the company. Below is an example of how you can do this:

“Owing to my extensive experience in similar roles, I will be ready to hit the ground running if hired and help the company achieve the same kind of results I was able to achieve at my current position.”

Show Your Confidence

Employers want employees who know what they are doing, and there is no better way to show that you are qualified for the job than giving the closing paragraph of your cover letter a breath of confidence.

It shows that you are not afraid of being tasked with big responsibilities or facing challenges in an unfamiliar environment. To show your confidence, you can say something like:

“Over the course of my career, I have been able to use my exemplary digital marketing skills to consistently achieve double digit growth in sales, and I would love the opportunity to use my skills to do the same for your company.”

Show How Your Talents Connect To The Role

Having highlighted your skills and talents in the body of the cover letter, finish by showing how these talents tie to the role that you are applying for.

This acts as a way of showing the hiring manager the contribution you are going to make to the organization in case you get hired. To do this, you can close with a statement like:

“I am really thrilled about the opportunity to leverage my extensive experience as one of the best software engineers at Google to take Company XYZ to the next level and transform it into a market leader in the provision of enterprise IT solutions for businesses.”

Set Expectations

When hiring, employers don’t want just anyone to fill the open position. They want employees who know what they are being hired to do and are clear on the impact they are going to have once hired.

You can show you are this kind of employee by helping the hiring manager understand what they should expect from you once you are hired. You can do this using a statement like:

“It has always been a goal for me to ensure that customers get the highest level of service, and if you hire me for this position, you can expect that I will apply the same energy to increase Company XYZ’s customer satisfaction levels and establish a name for Company XYZ as a highly customer oriented company.”

Show That You Are Aligned To The Company’s Goals

Your role as an employee is to help the company achieve its goals, and therefore, if you can show that your goals are aligned with those of the company, you will greatly increase your chances of getting the job. To do this, start by researching the company and identifying its vision and mission.

This will help you figure out what the company’s goals are. Once you figure out the company’s goals, you can then mention them in your closing statement and show how you are connected to these goals. Below is an example of how to do this:

“I have always been a strong champion for environmental conservation, and I am therefore greatly inspired by the company’s mission to provide solutions that empower local communities to conserve the environment. I have a couple of ideas that will help the company drive even more impact in its cause, and I am really looking forward for a chance to share these ideas with you.”

Promise To Help Them Save Money

Every company will jump at opportunities to save money, and therefore, if you have some ideas on how a potential employer can save money, they will be glad to hear them.

This is your ticket to getting a hearing with the hiring manager, either through a phone call, or a job interview.

However, this will only work if you actually have ideas that can help the company. If you use this kind of closing statement without any helpful ideas, you are only setting yourself up for failure up ahead.

Below is an example of how to use this kind of closing statement:

“Over the last two years, I have helped company A save over $100,000 in inventory costs, and I would be honored to have an opportunity to show you how the same can be done at company B.”

You can bet that any prospective employer will be quite excited to learn how they can save money. Who knows, they might even ask you if you are ready to start on Monday.

THE CALL TO ACTION

The above closing paragraph statements are meant to provide a final pitch to convince the hiring manager that you are the best person for the job.

However, if you want to make your cover letter even more effective, don’t stop there. Now that you have given your pitch, go for the sale by including a call to action.

After delivering their final pitch, most job seekers end their cover letter with a statement like, “I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

The problem with such a statement is that it doesn’t show your enthusiasm, nor does it really urge the hiring manager to do anything.

Using such a statement is akin to saying something like, “Thanks for reading my cover letter, you can now go back to whatever you were doing.”

Savvy job seekers don’t leave hiring managers hanging. Now that they have promised something, they include a call to action urging the hiring manager to follow up in order to redeem this promise.

Below are some examples of calls to action you can use to close your cover letter:

“I am excited about the opportunity to show you how the company can increase its media reach by over 30%. You can reach me on this number XXX XXX XXXX for a more detailed conversation about this.”

“I would love to hear your thoughts about this (the promise you just made). I am available to get on a call at your earliest convenience for a discussion on how I can help you solve problem ABC.”

“I would love a chance to meet with you to discuss the contribution I can make to your company as it moves towards goal ABC.”

“I would be honored to demonstrate to you how my experience and success at company ABC can translate to impact X at company XYZ. You can reach me on XXX XXX XXXX.”

As you can see, these statements don’t leave the hiring manager hanging. They are basically telling the hiring manager that if they make the effort to reach out to you, you will make it worth their while. In other words, they are pushing for the hiring manager to give you an opportunity to interview with them, which is the main objective of a cover letter.

This simple thing – including a call to action in your cover letter – will significantly increase the effectiveness of your cover letters.

SIGN OFF WITH AN APPROPRIATE SALUTATION

For every open position, recruiters and hiring managers receive hundreds of job applications. According to Glassdoor, every open job position attracts about 250 applications.

Source: Zety

With so many applications to go through for every open position, you can bet that recruiters will use the flimsiest reason to disqualify candidates, including the kind of salutation on your cover letter.

After spending so much time crafting the best possible cover letter, you don’t want it to get tossed to the trash bin simply because of something as small as a salutation. Therefore, you need to make sure that you have signed off your cover letter with an appropriate salutation.

Ideally, you should use a salutation that is formal, respectful and polite. It should also show appreciation for the recruiter or hiring manager. Avoid the temptation to use informal salutations, or to overdo the salutation.

Some of the salutations you should consider using to sign off your cover letter include:

  • Best regards
  • Kind regards
  • Respectfully
  • Best
  • Sincerely
  • Thank you for your consideration

All these salutations are formal and respectful. Avoid informal salutations such as:

  • Fondly
  • Cheers
  • Affectionately
  • Yours truly
  • Warm regards
  • Godspeed
  • Take care
  • Best wishes

Using such informal salutations will make things awkward and can easily ruin an otherwise stellar cover letter.

MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN CLOSING A COVER LETTER

Now that you know the kind of statements to use when closing your cover letter, let’s look at some types of cover letter closing statements you should avoid at all costs.

The Cliché Closing Statement

You know that closing statement that has been used by almost everyone at some point in their professional lives. I’m talking about a closing statement like…

Thank you for your time and consideration.”

Recruiters have seen such closing statements hundreds of times, and if you want the recruiter to remember your cover letter, you definitely don’t want to sound like everyone else. In addition, such a closing statement doesn’t give the recruiter any incentive to reach out to you and schedule a job interview. Avoid it.

Closing Statements That Are Too Pushy

While confidence is a virtue that is admired by most employers, don’t push it too much on your cover letter. Saying something like “You can reach me on XXX XXX XXXX for a chat on how my skills and experience can help company ABC achieve results XYZ” is confident. Saying something like “If you hire me, you will have made the best decision of your life” is pushing it. It even comes off as disrespectful. You are allowed to show confidence, but don’t push it too far.

Don’t Focus On Your Needs

When writing a cover letter, the aim is not to get the employer to hire you because you really need the job, but rather to convince them that you will actually provide value if you get hired. Therefore, avoid using closing statements that focus on your needs. Don’t say something like “I would really appreciate it if you invite me for an interview.”

This only focuses on your needs, without showing what you can do for the company. Instead, say something like “I would love a chance to show you how I can help your company achieve such and such results.”

Avoid Goofy Endings

While a sense of humor can help you in many different situations in life, your cover letter ending is not one of these situations.

While a closing statement like “I know you don’t like reading cover letters any more than I do, so how about you just move on to reading my resume?” will definitely make you memorable in the mind of the recruiter, he or she will remember you for the wrong reasons, and you can bet that you won’t be getting anywhere near the interview room.

Keep such goofiness to yourself, at least when it comes to job applications.

WRAPPING UP

While every job seeker pays attention to the introduction and body of their cover letters, most do not put much effort when it comes to the closing part of the cover letter.

However, this section is as important as the other sections of your cover letter. Considering that it is the last thing they will read on your cover letter, this is what most recruiters will remember about you, and therefore, you need to ensure that it is as good as the rest of the cover letter.

Follow the tips shared in this article to close your cover letters with the same momentum you started with and increase your chances of getting invited to the job interview.

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