A strong cover letter closing does three things in a few sentences: it thanks the reader, asks for a conversation, and makes it easy to reach you. Then you sign off with a formal, warm phrase such as "Sincerely," or "Best regards," followed by your full name. That is the whole formula. The rest of this guide shows how to make it sound like you, with examples you can adapt, including versions for career changers.
If you are staring at a nearly finished letter and a blinking cursor, take a breath. The ending is the easiest part to fix, and a few thoughtful sentences can leave the reader wanting to meet you.
TL;DR
- Three jobs: thank the reader, ask for a next step (an interview or conversation), and give your contact details. NACE describes the close the same way: a quick summary, a call to action, how to reach you, and thanks.
- Be active, not passive. "I look forward to hearing from you" is fine, but "I would welcome a conversation about how I can help your team with X" is better.
- Sign off formally: Sincerely, Best regards, or Kind regards, then your full name. Skip Cheers and other casual sign-offs.
- Never promise a follow-up call you will not make. If you write that you will call, put it on your calendar.
- Career changers: use the last paragraph to bridge your past experience to the role you want, in one or two sentences.
Table of Contents
- What a closing paragraph needs to do
- Cover letter closing lines you can adapt
- Should you say you will follow up?
- Closing paragraph examples for common situations
- How to close a career change cover letter
- Perspective: why the ending is where confidence shows
- Cover letter sign-offs: what to write above your name
- A quick checklist before you hit send
- Get a draft closing without starting from a blank page
- FAQ
- Sources
What a closing paragraph needs to do
The last paragraph is the one the reader is left with. It should not be a second résumé. Career guidance repeatedly says the final paragraph should synthesize your value, show real enthusiasm and offer a clear call to action, rather than rehashing your work history; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics career guide on résumés and cover letters is one place that says so.
Here is a simple structure for two to four sentences:
- A one-line tie back to the role. Name one thing you would contribute, in terms of the employer's needs.
- The next step. Ask for a conversation, a call or an interview.
- Thanks. One sentence, not three.
- Contact details. Your email and phone number, either in the paragraph or under your name.
The Carnegie Mellon Tepper guide to effective cover letters advises ending positively and graciously, thanking the reader for their time and consideration, and closing with a call to action. Nothing exotic, and that is the point. Hiring managers read many letters, and a clear, courteous ending is easy to act on.
Cover letter closing lines you can adapt
Treat these as raw material. Swap in the company, the role and the specific problem you would help solve. A closing that could be pasted into any application is the weakest kind; Monster's closing guide warns against generic, robotic endings that are disconnected from the employer's needs.
Confident but polite calls to action
- "I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my skills can contribute to [Company Name]. I can be reached at [phone] or [email]."
- "I would enjoy talking with you about how my experience in [specific area] could support the [team or project] goals you described."
- "I'd be glad to walk you through how I would approach [challenge from the job posting] in a short call. Please let me know what times work for you."
- "Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to the possibility of speaking with you about the [job title] role."
The first example echoes the kind of phrasing Grammarly's guide to ending a cover letter suggests: a polite invitation that shows both your value and your curiosity about the role.
Lines that name a specific contribution
- "My background in scheduling and vendor coordination is a direct match for the logistics work this role involves, and I would be glad to discuss it further."
- "I am excited about the chance to bring my customer-support experience to your onboarding team, and I would welcome a conversation about how I can help new customers get started faster."
- "Your focus on [company priority] is what drew me to this opening. I would like to talk about how I can help with it."
The pattern is the same each time: one concrete thing you offer, then an invitation. If you have to choose between sounding enthusiastic and sounding specific, choose specific. Enthusiasm lands better when it is attached to something real.
Short closings for when the letter is already tight
- "Thank you for considering my application. I would welcome the chance to talk."
- "I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss the role with you. Thank you for your time."
- "Thank you for your consideration. I am available at your convenience at [phone]."
If your letter is already short, a two-sentence close keeps it that way. Our guide to cover letter length explains why recruiters favor letters that can be scanned quickly.
Lines to retire
- "Thanks in advance." It can read as presumptuous in a formal application. The Monster guide notes that career experts tend to discourage it for job applications, even though it has tested well for email replies in general.
- "I hope to hear from you soon." Not wrong, but passive. It hands all the action to the reader.
- "Please find my résumé attached for your perusal." Stiff, and it repeats what the reader already knows.
- "I am the perfect candidate." Let the letter show it.
Should you say you will follow up?
You can, but only if you mean it. The BLS guidance notes that stating you will phone at a specific time shows initiative and keeps your name in front of the hiring manager, but failing to call after promising to can hurt your candidacy.
A safer middle path is to commit to something you fully control:
- "I will follow up by email next week to confirm you received my materials."
- "I will check in on [date], and I am happy to talk before then if helpful."
If the posting says "no phone calls" or "apply online only," respect that and skip the promise entirely. When the interview happens, a prompt thank-you note is the next step. Our interview follow-up email generator and the guide to sending thanks within 24 hours can help with that part.
Closing paragraph examples for common situations
Here are complete paragraphs, so you can see the pieces working together.
Experienced applicant, direct match
My six years managing multi-site scheduling are a close fit for the operations coordinator role, and I would welcome a conversation about how I can help your team reduce handoff delays. Thank you for your time and consideration. You can reach me at (555) 555-0100 or jordan.lee@example.com.
Applying to a mission-driven organization
I admire how your organization has expanded its literacy programs, and I would be glad to bring my program-coordination experience to that work. I would welcome the chance to talk about how I can contribute. Thank you for considering my application.
Entry into a new field after a layoff
I am eager to apply what I learned in eight years of client services to a data-focused role, and I have completed coursework to back that up. I would appreciate an opportunity to discuss how I can support your analytics team. Thank you for your time.
The examples above are illustrative templates, not real letters. Change the details so they are true for you. A hiring manager can tell when a closing is borrowed.
How to close a career change cover letter
If you are changing fields, the closing paragraph carries extra weight. The reader may be wondering, "Why this person, why now?" The final lines are your chance to answer briefly and calmly.
Columbia's IEOR cover letter guidance is a good reference for the sign-off style, and career-center guidance more broadly suggests bridging your past experience to your future goal and presenting the move as deliberate rather than accidental. In practice:
- Name the bridge. Point to one transferable strength that the new role uses.
- Show the pull, not the escape. Say what draws you to this work, instead of what you are leaving behind.
- Invite the conversation. Make the ask as plainly as any other applicant would.
For example:
After a decade in retail management, I have found that what I enjoy most is training new hires and helping them succeed, which is why I am pursuing instructional design. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my coaching experience and recent certificate work could support your learning team. Thank you for your time and consideration.
We go deeper on this in our career change cover letter examples and templates. If you are still deciding which direction to pivot toward, the closing is not where you solve that. Start with the target role, then write toward it.
Perspective: why the ending is where confidence shows
We talk with a lot of working adults who feel stuck, and one pattern comes up again and again. People spend an hour on the opening and then rush the ending with a limp "I look forward to hearing from you." That is understandable. By the last paragraph you are tired, and asking for an interview can feel like asking for a favor.
We see it differently. A closing is not a plea. It is a calm statement that you have something useful to offer and would like to talk about it. When the closing is specific to the job, it also quietly shows that you did your homework, which matters more for career changers than for anyone else.
Our advice: write the closing last, after you have reread the job posting, and choose one thing from it that you can genuinely help with. If you cannot name one, that is useful information about the role, not a failure of your writing. That is also why we built NueCareer around strengths first: when you know what you do well and which paths fit it, the closing nearly writes itself.
— Shane
Cover letter sign-offs: what to write above your name
The sign-off is the short word or phrase before your name. The safe choices are well established. SHRM's guidance on cover letter salutations lists respectful endings, such as "Sincerely" and "Sincerely yours," as appropriate for a cover letter, an interview follow-up or other business communication. Columbia's IEOR guidance lists Sincerely, Kind Regards, Best and Respectfully, followed by the exact name on your résumé.
| Sign-off | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sincerely, | Nearly any application | The default. Hard to get wrong. |
| Best regards, | Email applications, most corporate roles | Slightly warmer than Sincerely. |
| Kind regards, | Email, friendly but professional cultures | Gentle and courteous. |
| Respectfully, | Government, academia, formal settings | Very formal. |
| Best, | Email when you have already corresponded | Shorter and more casual; use it with care. |
| Cheers, Ciao, Adios | Avoid | Too casual for a job application. |
The Monster closing guide recommends against overly casual closings like Cheers, which can undermine the professional image of an application. Match the sign-off to the employer. A law firm or hospital system calls for "Sincerely." A small creative studio may be fine with "Best regards." When in doubt, pick the more formal option. Nobody has lost an interview over "Sincerely."
Signature and contact details
For email applications, you do not need a scanned handwritten signature. The NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education cover letter guide points to a typed full name, with email and phone number below it. If you send a printed letter by mail, leave three to four blank lines for a handwritten signature above the typed name. The BLS guide describes a signature above your typed name for printed letters, and notes that emailed letters do not include mailing addresses.
A tidy email signature block looks like this:
Sincerely,
Jordan Lee
(555) 555-0100
jordan.lee@example.com
Make sure the contact details match your résumé exactly, and use a readable font such as Arial or Times New Roman.
A quick checklist before you hit send
- Does the last paragraph mention something specific to this employer or role?
- Is there a clear next step, such as a conversation or interview?
- Did you thank the reader once, briefly?
- Are your phone number and email correct and consistent with your résumé?
- If you promised a follow-up, is it on your calendar?
- Is the sign-off formal, followed by a comma and your full name?
- Did you avoid repeating your résumé line by line?
If you are also revisiting the rest of the letter, our guides to cover letter openings, cover letter format and the full how to write a cover letter walkthrough cover the parts before the ending. Tailoring your résumé to the same posting helps the whole application hang together; see résumé tailoring with AI and human checks.
Get a draft closing without starting from a blank page
If you would rather start from a draft than from scratch, our free cover letter generator builds a letter tailored to a specific job, closing included. You can then edit the last paragraph with the examples above so it sounds like you.
If you are unsure which roles to apply to in the first place, the 7-minute career quiz is a gentle place to begin. It identifies your strengths and matches you to career paths, including some you may not have considered, and the platform then helps with roadmaps, coaching chat and application tools. A clearer target makes every closing line easier to write.
FAQ
What is a good closing sentence for a cover letter?
A good closing sentence thanks the reader and invites a next step, for example: "Thank you for your consideration. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience can support your team." Make it specific by naming the role or one contribution you would make.
How do I end a cover letter without sounding desperate or pushy?
Use a polite, active invitation rather than a demand or a plea. "I would welcome the chance to talk" is confident without being aggressive. Avoid language that pressures the reader, and avoid promising calls you do not intend to make.
Is "Sincerely" or "Best regards" better for a cover letter?
Both are safe. "Sincerely" is the most traditional and suits formal fields, while "Best regards" works well for email and most corporate roles. Pick one, add a comma, and type your full name beneath it.
Do I need to include my contact information at the end?
Yes, it is a good idea. Under your typed name, include your email and phone number, matching your résumé. This makes it easy for the reader to reach you without opening another document.
Should a career changer explain the switch in the closing?
Briefly, yes. One or two sentences linking your past experience to the new role show the move is intentional. Keep the longer story for the body of the letter or for the interview.
Sources
- Résumés, applications, and cover letters (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- Writing a new cover letter (NACE)
- How to Write an Effective Cover Letter (Carnegie Mellon Tepper)
- Cover Letter Closing (Monster)
- How to end a cover letter (Grammarly)
- IEOR Required Cover Letter Format (Columbia University)
- Salutations in Cover Letters and E-Mail (SHRM)
- Guide to Cover Letters (NIH OITE)