How to End a Cover Letter: Examples & Expert Tips

A strong cover letter ending balances professional etiquette with a memorable final pitch that leaves employers wanting to know more.
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14 min read

What You’ll Learn
- A strong cover letter ending reinforces your fit, thanks the reader, includes a clear call to action, and finishes with a professional sign-off.
- Closing paragraphs should be concise and confident, typically 2–4 sentences that reinforce your fit without repeating the rest of your cover letter.
- Professional sign-offs such as “Sincerely,” “Best regards,” and “Thank you” are safer choices than casual closings like “Cheers” or “Ciao.”
- Career experts recommend being more formal than casual when closing a cover letter, even when applying to a company with a laid-back culture.
Your cover letter closing is your final opportunity to reinforce your candidacy, leave a strong impression, and give the employer a clear reason to continue the conversation. A few confident, purposeful sentences can bring your letter together and reinforce your interest in the role.
Below, we’ll cover how to close a cover letter step by step, with complete examples, professional sign-offs, common mistakes to avoid, and advice from career expert and recruiter Vicki Salemi.
How Do You End a Cover Letter? 4 Simple Steps
To end a cover letter, briefly reinforce why you’re a strong fit for the role, thank the hiring manager for their time, and include a clear call to action that expresses interest in moving forward. Then, close with a professional sign-off and your name.
A strong cover letter closing should feel confident and concise rather than simply repeating what you’ve already said. Since the ideal cover letter length is generally one page, every sentence should serve a purpose, including your closing.
Use these four steps to close out your cover letter effectively:
- Step 1:
Reiterate Your Interest & Fit for the Role
Start your closing paragraph by reinforcing your interest in the position and reminding the employer what makes you a strong candidate. Focus on one or two qualifications, strengths, or experiences that directly connect to the role rather than summarizing your entire cover letter.
For example:
With five years of customer service experience and a track record of improving client satisfaction, I’m excited about the opportunity to bring my skills to your team.
- Step 2:
Thank the Reader
Thank the hiring manager for taking the time to review your application. A brief expression of appreciation adds a courteous, professional note to your closing without taking attention away from your qualifications.
Keep it simple, such as:
Thank you for your time and consideration.
- Step 3:
Include a Clear Call to Action
Next, signal that you’d welcome the opportunity to continue the conversation. Your call to action should express confidence and interest in an interview or next step without sounding demanding or assuming you’ll receive one.
For example:
I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience could contribute to your team.
- Step 4:
End With a Professional Sign-Off & Your Name
Finish your cover letter with a professional closing followed by your full name. “Sincerely,” “Best regards,” and “Thank you,” are all appropriate options for most job applications.
Your closing should look something like this:
Sincerely,
Your Full Name
8 Sample Cover Letter Closing Paragraphs
A strong cover letter closing can take different forms depending on your experience, circumstances, and the tone you want to convey. The following sample cover letter closing paragraphs show how to bring your qualifications and interest together while ending with a clear next step.
Standard
With five years of experience supporting customers and resolving complex service issues, I’m confident I could contribute to your customer experience team from day one. Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss my experience and qualifications with you in an interview.
Why it works: It reinforces how to close a cover letter with a relevant qualification, a thanks to the reader, and a direct expression of interest in an interview.
Enthusiastic
I’m excited by the opportunity to bring my digital marketing experience and passion for audience-focused storytelling to your growing marketing team. The chance to help expand your content strategy is especially compelling, and I’d love to contribute to what’s ahead. Thank you for your consideration, and I hope to speak with you soon.
Why it works: Genuine enthusiasm comes through without overshadowing what the candidate can contribute.
Confident
My track record of exceeding quarterly sales goals and building long-term client relationships has prepared me to make a meaningful contribution as an account executive. I’m confident my experience aligns well with what you’re looking for and would appreciate the opportunity to discuss the role further. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Why it works: Specific evidence supports the candidate’s confidence, so the example shows how to close out a cover letter in a way that feels assured rather than presumptuous.
Career Change
After seven years in classroom teaching, I’m ready to bring my strengths in communication, training, problem-solving, and relationship-building to a career in customer success. I’m excited by the opportunity to apply those skills in a new setting and help customers get the most from your products. Thank you for considering my application—I’d welcome the chance to discuss what I could bring to the team.
Why it works: It clearly connects the candidate’s past experience to their new career while keeping the focus on transferable skills and the value they can bring to the role.
Entry-Level
My coursework in finance, leadership role with the university investment club, and summer experience assisting a local accounting firm have prepared me to begin my career as a financial analyst. I’m eager to put that foundation to work while continuing to develop my skills as part of your team. Thank you for considering my application. I’d be glad to discuss my qualifications further.
Why it works: It draws on multiple sources of relevant experience instead of focusing on the candidate’s limited time in the workforce.
Internship
Through my journalism coursework and two years writing and editing for my university newspaper, I’ve developed reporting, interviewing, and deadline-management skills I’m eager to bring to your editorial internship. I’d value the opportunity to contribute to your publication while gaining hands-on experience from your editorial team. Thank you for your consideration, and I hope to discuss the internship with you further.
Why it works: It shows how to end a cover letter for an internship by balancing the skills and experience you already have with enthusiasm for contributing, learning, and growing in the role.
Internal
Over the past three years with the company, I’ve developed a strong understanding of our customers, processes, and team goals while taking on increasing responsibility within the operations department. I’m excited about the opportunity to build on that experience as an operations manager and contribute at a higher level. Thank you for considering my application. I’d welcome the chance to discuss my candidacy with you.
Why it works: It uses the candidate’s existing company knowledge and record of growth to support their readiness for an internal move.
Referral
After speaking with Maya Rodriguez about the team’s collaborative approach to product development, I was especially interested in the product designer opening. My four years of experience designing accessible digital experiences would allow me to bring a relevant perspective to the team and its upcoming projects. Thank you for considering my application. I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss how my background could contribute to your work.
Why it works: It shows how to end a cover letter when you have a referral, providing meaningful context for the candidate’s interest without making the referral the primary reason they should be considered.
Best Ways to Sign Off a Cover Letter
The best cover letter sign-offs are simple, professional, and appropriate for communicating with a potential employer. Examples include “Sincerely,” “Best regards,” and “Respectfully.”
These are some good ways to sign off a cover letter:
- Sincerely
- Thank you
- Best
- Best regards
- Kind regards
- Respectfully
- All the best
- With appreciation
- With gratitude
- Warm regards
- Regards
- Cordially
- Yours sincerely
- Yours respectfully
Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster who spent 15 years in corporate recruiting, recommends sticking with professional options. Her preferred choices include “Thank you,” “best,” “kind regards,” “best regards,” “sincerely,” and “all the best.”
After your sign-off, add a comma, move to the next line, and include your full name.
For example:
Sincerely,
Jordan Taylor
Cover Letter Sign-Offs & Closings to Avoid
Avoid cover letter sign-offs that are overly casual, unprofessional, demanding, or too familiar, such as “Cheers,” “Ciao,” or “Talk soon.” You also shouldn’t skip the closing altogether or end with language that sounds desperate or assumes the employer will contact you.
When in doubt, it’s generally safer to be slightly more formal than too casual. Salemi compares a professional closing to a firm handshake, noting that being overly casual can give a recruiter pause.
Avoid overly casual cover letter sign-offs like these:
Cheers
Adios
Ciao
Talk soon
Best of luck
XOXO
Even if you’re applying to a company with a laid-back culture, your cover letter is still part of your professional introduction. Salemi specifically cautions against closings such as “Adios,” “Ciao,” and “Cheers,” which can come across as too informal when you’re presenting yourself to a potential employer.
You also shouldn’t skip the closing entirely. Ending abruptly with only your name and contact information can make an otherwise polished letter feel unfinished. As Salemi puts it, “You need to come full circle and close it out.”
Finally, avoid closing statements that sound demanding, presumptuous, or desperate. Instead of insisting that you’ll hear from the employer or repeatedly emphasizing how much you need the opportunity, confidently express your interest and leave the next step open for conversation.
For example:
Recommended
“I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience could contribute to your team.”
Avoid
“I look forward to hearing from you so we can schedule an interview.”
Quick Tips for a Strong Cover Letter Closing
Your cover letter closing should be brief, confident, and tailored to the job while giving the employer a clear sense of your interest in moving forward.
Before sending your application, use these quick tips to strengthen your closing:
- Keep it concise. Aim for a closing paragraph of about two to four sentences. Just as your cover letter opening should quickly capture the employer’s attention, your closing should make a strong final point without repeating the rest of your letter.
- Be confident. Focus on the value you can bring to the role rather than using passive, apologetic, or uncertain language.
- Match the company’s tone. You can adjust your wording to suit the employer’s culture, but keep your closing professional even when the company communicates more casually.
- Proofread carefully. Check names, job titles, company names, spelling, grammar, and punctuation before submitting your cover letter.
- Include your contact information. Make sure your contact details are easy to find, whether they appear in your header or signature block.
The End of Your Cover Letter Can Make a Recruiter Take Action
Even when a cover letter isn’t required, a strong one can add context and personality to your application that your resume alone may not convey. If you choose to submit one, make sure the ending is as purposeful as the rest of the letter by reinforcing the value you bring to the role, showing genuine interest in the opportunity, and giving the hiring manager a natural reason to continue the conversation.
Keep your final paragraph concise and confident, thank the reader, and make your interest in an interview clear without assuming you’ll get one. Then, choose a professional sign-off that fits the tone of your letter.
As Salemi advises, it’s always better to err on the side of a firm handshake than a fist bump when communicating with a potential employer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good final sentence for a cover letter?
A good final sentence for a cover letter confidently expresses your interest in moving forward and invites further conversation. For example, you might say, “I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience and skills could contribute to your team.”
How do you end a cover letter sincerely?
To end a cover letter sincerely, finish your closing paragraph, then write “Sincerely,” followed by your full name on the next line. “Sincerely” is a professional, widely appropriate sign-off for a cover letter.
What is the best closing for a cover letter?
The best closing for a cover letter briefly reinforces your qualifications and interest, thanks the hiring manager, and invites a next step. Follow your closing paragraph with a professional sign-off, such as “Sincerely,” “Thank you,” or “Best regards,” and your full name.
Should you say “looking forward to hearing from you” in a cover letter?
Yes, you can say “I look forward to hearing from you” in a cover letter, but phrasing it as an invitation can sound less presumptuous. For example, try: “I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications with you further.”
How do you end a cover letter for an internship?
To end a cover letter for an internship, reinforce your interest in the opportunity, highlight what you can contribute, thank the employer, and express interest in an interview. For example: “I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss how my coursework and experience could contribute to your team. Thank you for your consideration.”