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What a cover letter is, and when to send one
A cover letter and a job application letter are the same thing. It is a short letter that goes with your CV and says why you suit one job. Sri Lankan adverts use both names, so use whichever the advert uses.
Your CV lists what you have done. The letter picks the two or three facts that matter for this job and says why, in your own words. A reader should know in half a minute which job you want and why to call you.
Many adverts say only “send your CV to” an email address and do not mention a letter. Send a short one anyway: in an email, the body of the email is the letter (see the email version below). If an advert gives its own form, a format or a subject line, follow it exactly and skip the layout here.
A letter helps most when your CV alone does not tell the story. You may have just graduated, be changing field, or be applying for a job that asks for something your CV shows in one line.
How to set out the letter, part by part
Keep to this order. Each part has a reason, and a reader who finds the parts where they expect them reads your letter faster.
Your contact lines.
Put your name, town, mobile number and email address at the top. Write your town only, as on your CV, with no NIC number and no full address. The employer needs only a way to reach you.
The date, and the employer.
Write the date, then the name of the person who will read it, the company name and its address if you know it. A named person shows you read the advert. If the advert gives no name, write the company name alone.
The greeting.
Write Dear and the person’s name, such as Dear Mr Silva. Use Dear Sir/Madam only when no name is given. Look for the name in the advert or on the company’s website, or ask at its reception. A few minutes of effort stands out.
The subject line.
Write one line, such as “Application for the post of Accounts Executive”. Add the reference number if the advert has one. It lets a busy reader file your letter under the right job at once.
The opening.
Say the job you want and where you saw the advert, in one or two sentences. Then name the one thing that makes you suit it. That is the reason to read on.
One or two paragraphs of evidence.
Choose the two or three facts from your CV that best match the advert. For each, say what you did and what came of it, with a number where you have one. The CV lists these. The letter says why they matter for this job.
Why this employer.
Write one or two sentences on what draws you to this company. Use something true that you found out, such as its work, its customers or a project it has done. This is what stops the letter reading as a copy.
The close.
Say you are available for an interview. If you are working, say you will need to serve your notice. Add one line of thanks. Do not beg or plead.
The sign-off.
Write “Yours sincerely” when the greeting uses a name, and “Yours faithfully” after “Dear Sir/Madam”. Then type your name. On a printed letter, sign in the space above it.
Keep the letter to one page, which is about 250 to 400 words. The samples below are a little shorter so that you can see the shape. Yours can run longer if you have more to say that matters for the job.
Cover letter sample for a software graduate
A fresh graduate with a degree project and an internship applies for a first developer job. With no job to list, the project and the internship are the evidence.
KAVISHKA DISSANAYAKE
Kandy | 07X XXX XXXX | kavishka.dissanayake@example.com
[Date]
[Hiring manager’s name]
[Company name]
Dear [Hiring manager’s name],
APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF JUNIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER
I am applying for the post of Junior Software Engineer, advertised on BetterJobs.lk. I have just completed my BSc in Information Technology, and I would like to start my career building web applications.
My final-year project was a web app that lets small shops record their daily sales and see them on a simple dashboard. I wrote the back end in Node.js with a MySQL database and the screens in React, and I kept the work in Git with automated tests for the sales calculations.
In a six-month internship at a software company in Colombo, I fixed bugs in a live React application and took part in the daily stand-up meetings. A senior developer reviewed every change I sent, and that taught me to write code others can read.
I am applying to [Company name] because your team builds software for local businesses, the work I enjoyed most at university. I would be glad to walk you through my project code at an interview.
Yours sincerely,
Kavishka Dissanayake
- It names what was built and with what. A project with its tools and a result tells a reviewer more than “good programming skills”. Name only the tools you have really used.
- It shows teamwork. Code reviews and daily meetings show that you have worked in a team. Add a link to your code if it is tidy.
- See software jobs Open vacancies in this field on BetterJobs.lk.
Cover letter sample for an experienced accountant
An accountant with six years of experience, part-qualified, applies for a senior post. The close, the reconciliations and the exam progress are in the letter, and the full list stays on the CV.
RUWAN JAYASURIYA
Gampaha | 07X XXX XXXX | ruwan.jayasuriya@example.com
[Date]
[Hiring manager’s name]
[Company name]
Dear [Hiring manager’s name],
APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF SENIOR ACCOUNTANT
I am applying for the post of Senior Accountant that you advertised this week. I have six years of experience in manufacturing companies, and I am part-qualified: I have passed AAT and am now studying for CIMA while I work.
In my present company I run the month-end close for two factories. I prepare the bank reconciliations, check the supplier statements against our ledger and send the management accounts to the finance manager. This year I brought the close forward by two working days by asking each department to send its figures on a fixed date.
I also prepare the monthly VAT working in Excel, using lookups to match each invoice to the ledger, and a pivot table of overdue receivables that the directors now review every week. When a figure moves, I can explain the reason to someone who is not an accountant.
I would like to bring this discipline to [Company name], where your advert mentions a growing finance team. I can attend an interview on any weekday, and I need to serve my notice before I can start.
Yours sincerely,
Ruwan Jayasuriya
- It says how far the qualification has come. Employers ask about it, so say what you have passed and what you are studying. Do not call yourself qualified until you are.
- It gives a result. One change in the way you work and what it saved is stronger than a list of duties.
- See finance and accounting jobs Open vacancies in this field on BetterJobs.lk.
Cover letter sample for a banking trainee
A school leaver with A/Ls and eight months of customer service applies to a bank that gave no name to write to. The letter uses Dear Sir/Madam, so it ends Yours faithfully.
HASINI GUNAWARDENA
Kurunegala | 07X XXX XXXX | hasini.gunawardena@example.com
[Date]
The Human Resources Manager
[Company name]
Dear Sir/Madam,
APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF TRAINEE CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICER
I am applying for the post of Trainee Customer Service Officer that you advertised on BetterJobs.lk. I sat my A/Ls in the Commerce stream, with Accounting and Economics, and I want to build a career in banking.
For eight months I worked at the service desk of a mobile phone dealer in Kurunegala. I took bill payments, answered complaints face to face and balanced my cash drawer every evening, and my balance was correct on almost every day. I learned to stay calm with an angry customer and to explain a problem in simple Sinhala or English.
I type quickly and accurately in English and Sinhala, and I use Excel for simple records. I also completed a short computer course after my A/Ls. I know a bank holds other people’s savings, so I check every detail twice.
I am willing to work at any branch and to follow the training your bank provides, including the checks on customers’ identity that every bank must do. I can attend an interview on any day, and I can start at short notice.
Yours faithfully,
Hasini Gunawardena
- It turns a shop job into banking evidence. Cash balanced every evening, bill payments and handling complaints are what a branch needs.
- It shows care with details. Banks hold other people’s money. A letter with no spelling mistake supports the claim.
- See banking jobs Open vacancies in this field on BetterJobs.lk.
Cover letter sample for an executive assistant
An assistant with five years of experience wants a role with more responsibility. The letter answers the advert’s own words and says how the work is done.
NIRMALA THEVARAJAH
Colombo | 07X XXX XXXX | nirmala.thevarajah@example.com
[Date]
[Hiring manager’s name]
[Company name]
Dear [Hiring manager’s name],
APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
I am applying for the post of Executive Assistant to the Managing Director, advertised on BetterJobs.lk. For five years I have supported a director at an engineering company in Colombo, and I am looking for a role with wider responsibility.
I keep a busy diary without clashes, arrange local and overseas travel, and prepare the board papers and minutes. When a visitor or a caller is difficult, I stay polite and find the person who can help. I handle confidential contracts and staff letters daily, and nothing has ever been shared by mistake.
I also manage the office petty cash with a monthly reconciliation, and I moved our paper files to a clear folder system that anyone on the team can follow. I use Word, Excel and PowerPoint every day, and I write most of the director’s letters myself.
Your advert asks for an assistant who can work independently and set priorities, and that is how I work best. I am available for an interview at your convenience, and I would be glad to meet you in person.
Yours sincerely,
Nirmala Thevarajah
- It uses the advert’s words. If the advert asks for someone who “works independently”, say how you have done so.
- It keeps secrets. Say that you handle confidential papers. Never name the people or the contents.
- See admin and office support jobs Open vacancies in this field on BetterJobs.lk.
Cover letter sample for an HR executive
An HR executive with three years of experience in recruitment and payroll is studying for the CIPM diploma. The company is building its onboarding.
CHAMODI RATNAYAKE
Negombo | 07X XXX XXXX | chamodi.ratnayake@example.com
[Date]
[Hiring manager’s name]
[Company name]
Dear [Hiring manager’s name],
APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF HR EXECUTIVE
I am applying for the post of HR Executive that you advertised on your careers page. I have three years of HR experience in a services company with about two hundred employees, covering recruitment, onboarding and payroll.
I schedule interviews, screen CVs against the job description and prepare offer letters. I also run the monthly payroll inputs, including leave and overtime, and I prepare the EPF and ETF returns for the finance team to approve. When a new employee joined, I made sure that the contract, the documents and the first-week plan were ready on day one.
I am studying for the CIPM diploma in the evenings, and I apply each topic to my daily work. I am applying to [Company name] because your advert mentions building a stronger onboarding programme, which is the part of HR I enjoy most. I would like to help new colleagues feel settled in their first weeks.
I am free for an interview on any weekday, and my notice period is a month.
Yours sincerely,
Chamodi Ratnayake
- It covers the whole job. Recruitment, onboarding and payroll inputs show the range an HR executive needs.
- It links the study to the work. Studying while you work shows commitment. Keep the line short.
- See HR jobs Open vacancies in this field on BetterJobs.lk.
Cover letter sample for a media or content writer
A writer in English, Sinhala and a little Tamil applies with a portfolio. The portfolio link carries the proof, so the letter points to it and explains the rest.
ISHARA WIJERATNE
Colombo | 07X XXX XXXX | ishara.wijeratne@example.com
[Date]
[Hiring manager’s name]
[Company name]
Dear [Hiring manager’s name],
APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF CONTENT WRITER
I am applying for the post of Content Writer that you advertised on your website. I write in English and Sinhala, and I read Tamil. For two years I have written articles and social media posts for a lifestyle website.
My portfolio is at [link to your portfolio]. It holds feature articles, a Sinhala and English version of the same story, and a campaign that I planned and wrote for Facebook and Instagram. I check names, dates and figures against the source before anything goes out, and I credit every photograph and quotation.
I write to a deadline, and I have never missed a publishing day. I also read the page statistics each week, and I changed our headlines after I saw which ones readers opened.
I admire the way [Company name] writes about everyday life in simple words, and I would like to write for your readers. I am glad to take a writing test.
Yours sincerely,
Ishara Wijeratne
- It points to the portfolio. Put the link in the letter and also on your CV. An editor wants to see the work first.
- It shows habits editors need. Checking facts, crediting pictures and quotations, and meeting a deadline matter in every newsroom and agency.
- See media and communications jobs Open vacancies in this field on BetterJobs.lk.
Applying by email: a short version
Many applications in Sri Lanka go by email. The body of your email is then your cover letter, in a short form. Never send an empty email with only a file attached.
Write a clear subject line.
Use the post and your name, such as “Application for the post of Executive Assistant – Nirmala Thevarajah”. If the advert says what the subject line must say, write exactly that.
Keep the body short.
Write three or four sentences, about 60 to 120 words. Give the job, where you saw it, your best one or two facts and a note that your CV is attached.
Attach your CV as a PDF with a clear name.
Name the file after yourself, such as Nirmala-Thevarajah-CV.pdf, as the CV format guide advises. If you attach the letter too, name it in the same way, such as Nirmala-Thevarajah-Cover-Letter.pdf.
Check before you send.
Read the company name and the post once more, and open the attachment to be sure it is the right file.
Subject: Application for the post of Executive Assistant – Nirmala Thevarajah
Dear [Hiring manager’s name],
I am applying for the post of Executive Assistant, advertised on your careers page. I have five years of experience supporting a director at an engineering company in Colombo, where I manage the diary, travel and board papers.
My CV is attached as a PDF. I would be glad to talk about the role at an interview, and I am available on any weekday.
Yours sincerely,
Nirmala Thevarajah
07X XXX XXXX | nirmala.thevarajah@example.com
Attached: Nirmala-Thevarajah-CV.pdf
Mistakes that cost you the interview
- One letter for every job. A letter that fits any job fits none. Change the post, the company and the evidence each time. Read the advert, and use its words where they are true.
- Repeating the CV. Do not copy your job list into the letter. Pick the two or three facts that matter and explain why.
- A begging tone. “Please give me a chance, I am very poor” or “I will do any work” sounds weaker than your evidence. Say what you can do for them.
- The wrong company name. A letter that names another employer, left in by mistake after copying, goes straight in the bin. Read it for names before you send it.
- A long letter. More than one page is rarely read to the end. If a sentence does not help you get this job, cut it.
- Salary when nobody asked. Leave pay out unless the advert asks for your expected salary. Then give it in the way the advert asks.
- Details nobody needs. The CV checker takes marks off for a NIC number or a full address, so leave both out of the letter too. Your date of birth, civil status, religion and a photograph add nothing to a letter either. Add your town only.
- Spelling and grammar slips. Read it aloud once. Ask a friend to read it too. A mistake in a letter about your attention to detail costs more than in any other.
Get a first draft from the CV checker
Upload your CV as a PDF to the CV checker and read your report first. In your report you will find Cover Letter by BetterJobs AI. Press “Write my cover letter” and it writes a draft from the work in your CV. If you pasted a job description with your CV, the button reads “Tailor my cover letter to this vacancy”. The draft is then written for that vacancy. Nothing is written until you press it.
It is a draft to edit, not a letter to send as it is. It greets “Dear Hiring Manager” and closes “Sincerely”, so change both to match the advert, with the manager’s name where you know it. Add why you want this employer, and delete any line that is not true of you.
More guides:
- ATS CV guide How employer software reads a CV, and how to write one it reads well.
- CV format guide The sections in order, what to write in each, and what to leave out.
- Interview questions guide The questions interviewers ask, with sample answers for six fields.
- Spot fake job adverts The warning signs of a fake advert, and how to check one.
- Minimum wage guide The national minimum wage, who it covers and where to complain.
- Salary calculator Your take-home pay after EPF and APIT tax.
- New APIT and the Budget What the Budget changes for APIT income tax, and when it would start.