How to end a cover letter is yet another hurdle that almost every jobseeker faces. In my earlier article, you’ll find tips and examples on how to start a cover letter.
Therefore, I will conclude this topic by showing you some of the best and widely acceptable ways of how to close a cover letter.
Actually, it’s not as difficult as starting a cover letter. Understandably, because opening lines are always the toughest. However, once we get into that mood or mindset to write a cover letter, hopefully, it lasts till the end when we sign off.
Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. With some inspiration, we can start a fabulous cover letter. But when it comes to end a cover letter, we tend to flounder and fail by using incorrect language or words.
And that can prove fatal to your job prospects with any good employer who takes pains to go through your cover letter.
Therefore, let’s first understand the three points why it’s imperative and vital to end a cover letter in the right way.
Reasons to Close Cover Letter Correctly
These three points will clearly indicate why it’s important to end a cover letter in the proper manner.
1. Closing Words Indicate Consistency
If you start a cover letter with enthusiasm and inspiration but aren’t able to end a cover letter correctly, you’re clearly showing inconsistency in your thoughts. That’s exactly what employers or those who read your cover letter wish to see.
Maintaining consistency is important for every job. If there’s a mismatch between how you open a cover letter and its closing, the person reading it might take that as sign of inconsistency and reject your application outright.
After all, nobody wants employees that lose enthusiasm and inspiration midway.
2. Originality of Your Cover Letter
A lot of jobseekers, including veteran and experienced ones, ask relatives or friends to suggest how to open a cover letter. Once they have the first few lines, they create a cover letter and try to end it in their own fashion.
Any difference between your opening and closing of a cover letter also shows that it comes from a borrowed idea.
In such cases it shows that you’re unable to think outside the box to find original ideas. You’ll depend upon others for motivation or inspiration. As noted American motivational speaker Dr. Stephen R. Covey puts it, motivation is a fire from within.
If anyone tries to ignite this fire, chances are it would burn briefly and peter out. Employers want motivated staffers which don’t really require external prodding.
Instead, they want people who have adequate motivation and inspiration and are self-starters.
3. Clarity of Thought
And finally, how you close a cover letter also signifies your clarity of thought. It shows you are clear about why you’re applying for the job and what’s your career objective?
It’s signifies that you’ve given a clear thought before actually getting about writing a cover letter. When you’re clear about every reason to apply for a job, the cover letter would reflect that adequately.
Generally, most cover letters are sheer copies of others or replicas of templates available easily online. Instead, employers want to know how serious you are about working with them and what kinds of efforts you’ve exerted to draft that intricate cover letter.
Unless your cover letter aptly shows your efforts, chances are your application won’t get any further.
Indeed, how you close a close a cover letter will play a decisive role. It would decide whether the reader continues further to your CV or Resume and shortlists you for an interview. Therefore, it’s very essential to know how to end a cover letter.
And that’s what we’ll explore now.
How to End a Cover Letter
From my personal experience, I would recommend you end a cover letter using any of these six formats that I’ll be showing now.
Now here’s something important. Always start and end a cover letter yourself for reasons I mention above. That increases your chances of getting an interview call and possibly the job.
What’re these six ways? Continue reading.
1. Conclude With A Question
This is my favorite way to end a cover letter. By posing a question to the reader that tempts them to continue further to my CV or Resume. However, to do so, you’ll have to start a cover letter that presents various facts from research.
For example, you can highlight how the industry you’ll work for is shaping and various projections from reliable sources. These reliable sources can be news websites, consultancy companies, trade organizations or government departments.
Once you provide details on how an industry is faring and would do in future, end a cover letter by asking the employer whether they would love to benefit from the projections about future. And wouldn’t they consider someone like you that also has a mutual interest in such growth.
2. End a Cover Letter with Appeal
You can also end a cover letter with an appeal. In fact, this is something that I would recommend every fresher applicant to do. That’s because you require the job to launch or embark on a chosen career and profession.
And as fresher, you have no prior experience save for an internship or projects done during the course. At the same time, you’re serious about the career and would love to get that job.
As fresher, you can appeal to the employer to provide you an opportunity to embark on a career in the field where they operate. Generally, a humble appeal that clearly states you’re looking for a job to start a career is seen in a good light by employers.
They know you’re serious about the profession and would often be more than willing to provide you that opportunity.
To end a cover letter with appeal, it’s best to start your cover letter by saying why you’re entering the career or profession. And some reasons for selecting this particular employer.
Understandably, this would require a bit of research about the prospective employer. And such efforts can pay rich dividends by fetching you that first job as fresher.
3. Ending by Offering More Details
Another best way to end a cover letter is by offering the reader to provide more details about your work experience and skills. It’s worth noting that skills and experience are two entirely different things.
Skills signify your capabilities to do certain jobs or tasks according to your educational qualifications. Experience is the number of years you’ve put in developing an specific career or profession in that specific field.
To end a cover letter by offering more details, you’ll have to be a veteran in the field with plenty of skills and ample experience. In such cases, the CV or Resume as well as your reputation in the industry would do all the talking.
Your job is only to send a formal cover letter as application along with the CV or Resume.
In such cases, start the cover letter by speaking about your experience and skills in the industry. Also highlight your achievements and career landmarks over the years.
And finally, offer to provide more details about your education, skills, experience and other essential information upon request from the employer or during a personal interview.
4. End a Cover Letter Indicating Interest
If you’re eyeing a job change purely with the objective of career development, end a cover letter by indicating your interest in working with that particular employer.
This emphasizes two major elements: firstly, you’re willing to go that extra mile and work harder on the job to advance your career. Secondly, you’re making an informed choice by applying for the job rather than just sending in an application without thought and consideration.
Again, this would begin on how you start a cover letter. To end a cover letter in this manner, speak something about your interest in that specific organization or employer and how it would benefit your career.
Also, write about the roles you can play in that organization, in line with your skills and qualifications. Add a single sentence about your total experience in the profession or field or industry.
Point out how the job you’re applying for would help in the progress of your career. And how that organization can play a vital role in this endeavor? At the same time, clearly show that both parties- the employer and you- stand to gain mutually by hiring you for the position.
5. How to End Cover Letter for Freelancers
Often as freelancer, you’ll also have to send a cover letter that speaks about your skills, experiences, references and other details while bidding for a job or assignment.
The greatest hurdle here is that you’re competing against a multitude of freelancers from all corners of the world. Some of these would definitely have more skills and experience too.
However, when you end a cover letter in an excellent manner, there’re greater chances of getting that freelance job or assignment.
So, here’s how this works. The first thing to understand fully, the nature of the work that’s on offer. And deciding the price you’re going to quote.
Start your cover letter by opening with a brief introduction about similar projects, especially the latest one that you’ve done successfully and provide references if possible.
And go on to speak about your skills as freelancer and ability to complete a job or task on time.
Once that’s done, end a cover letter for freelancing jobs by giving strong reasons why the employer should consider your price or rate.
This can be your hourly rate or what you’ll charge for the entire assignment. Indicate clearly that you’re being very reasonable and how your services are valuable to the employer.
6. End a Cover Letter for Part-Time Jobs
Applying for part-time jobs doesn’t really require a very elaborate cover letter. The same is true if you’re applying for a temporary job or taking a vacation job.
However, you need to ensure that your cover letter clearly shows interest in the work. Normally, employers of part-time staff and vacation jobs are aware that you’re applying because you need the money or want to have a side-gig that would boost your income.
Hence, they’ll usually have a set figure on their mind that they’ll offer you for such jobs.
To end a cover letter for a part-time job or temporary job is very simple. You can end it simply by saying why you wish to work part-time or reasons for taking a temporary job.
In fact, it’s best to speak honestly about how that extra money can help make your life better. For example, you may wish to use that money for education or to provide a better life for the family or to invest on retirement plans.
When you end a cover letter in this manner, the employer knows you require the job and money for a specific reason and have set goals. This creates an excellent impression and helps you land the work.
More Ways to End Cover Letter
You can end a cover letter in a few more ways. One is by using the news style where you close by giving some verifiable information from reliable sources.
The other is a simple, straightforward conclusion where you end a cover letter by simply saying a few words such as requesting consideration of your application.
Nonconventional ways to close a cover letter include ending with a mild joke about you to amuse the reader. Or providing a quote from some world famous personality that would aptly describe what you feel about the work, profession, company or yourself.
Closing Thoughts
You can safely use these tips on how to end a cover letter with tips and examples while applying for any job. Before concluding, I’ll point out that it’s not the length of the cover letter that matters.
Rather, it’s how much punch your sentences carry that would attract an employer that matters. Usually, a cover letter doesn’t go beyond one-third of an A-4 size page.
And that’s the only size I’ll recommend because nobody usually reads a two-page cover letter. Therefore, end a cover letter in the best manner with tips I’ve given.
