Summary
A cover letter closing should run two to four sentences and stay under about 50 words: restate fit in one line, propose a specific next step, and thank the reader briefly. The failing version is rarely too long — it is empty. "I look forward to hearing from you" asks for nothing, and roughly a third of hiring managers never reach a long closing anyway.
Almost every guide on how to end a cover letter arrives at the same sentence: “Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.”
Four sentences and 46 words in its longer forms — so not too long. The problem is that it is empty. Swap the company name and it works for any job on earth, and it asks the reader for nothing at all.
A closing has one job the rest of the letter cannot do: propose a specific next step. Everything else in this article follows from that.
How to end a cover letter: which part do you mean?
Three different things. The closing paragraph is the final two to four sentences of the body. The closing line is the last sentence of that paragraph. The sign-off is the valediction — "Sincerely" — plus your name. Searches for "closing line" usually return sign-offs, which is why the advice feels contradictory.
Worth separating before anything else, because conflating them is why advice on how to end a cover letter reads inconsistently.
| Element | What it is | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Closing paragraph | The final paragraph of the body | 2–4 sentences, under ~50 words |
| Closing line | The last sentence of that paragraph | 1 sentence |
| Sign-off | “Sincerely,” or “Kind regards,” + your name | 2 lines |
Most advice on how to end a cover letter addresses the sign-off, which is the least consequential of the three. Nobody was ever rejected for choosing “Best regards” over “Sincerely.”
What should the closing paragraph do?
Four things in two to four sentences: restate your fit in one line, propose a specific next step, thank the reader briefly, then sign off. Keep the whole closing under roughly 50 words, since 36% of hiring managers spend under 30 seconds on the letter in total.
How to end a cover letter comes down to a structure small enough to memorise:
1. Recap in one line. Tie your strongest qualification to what the role needs. Not a summary of the letter — one sentence.
2. The ask. A specific next step. This is the non-negotiable part and the one most people omit.
3. Thanks. One short clause. Genuine, not effusive.
4. Sign off. “Sincerely,” or “Kind regards,” a blank line, your full name.
The word ceiling matters because of who is reading. A Resume Genius survey of 625 US hiring managers found 36% spend under 30 seconds on a cover letter, 48% between 30 seconds and two minutes, and 15% more than two minutes. Roughly a third of your readers will never reach a long closing, which is the practical argument for three sentences rather than six.
If you’re adding new evidence, the body is underweight
A useful diagnostic: if you find yourself introducing a fresh accomplishment in the final paragraph, it does not belong there — it belongs in the body, and the letter is telling you the body is too thin. The closing recaps and asks. It never presents new proof, because a reader who reaches your best material in the last three sentences has already decided.
What makes a closing fail?
Emptiness, not length. A closing that could be sent to any company asks for nothing and proves nothing. "I look forward to hearing from you" is passive — it hands the decision back with no proposal attached, which is the single most common weakness in the format.
In practice, the distinction is worth being precise about, because most advice diagnoses the wrong problem.
Fails (46 words): "Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I am very excited about this opportunity and believe my skills and experience make me a strong fit for your team. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Please do not hesitate to contact me."
Works (44 words): "The warehouse migration is the part of this role I'd most want to get into, and it's the closest thing to what I spent last year on. I'd welcome a short call to talk through how I'd sequence it. Thanks for reading."
Both are under 50 words. The first proposes nothing and could be sent anywhere. The second names a topic, asks for a specific conversation, and could only belong to this application.
Notice that the working version does not say “I am confident I would be a valuable addition.” Confidence claims are not evidence, and by the closing paragraph the reader has already formed a view — asserting your value at the end reads as filling space.
What counts as a specific ask?
A named next step rather than a passive hope. "I'd welcome a short call about the migration sequencing" proposes something concrete; "I look forward to hearing from you" proposes nothing. Both are polite; only one gives the reader something to act on.
Usefully, the ask can be a statement or a question, and both work:
As a statement: “I’m available for a call any afternoon this week if it would help to talk it through.”
As a question: “Would a short conversation about the reporting layer be useful before you shortlist?”
What matters is that it names something. A topic, a duration, a timeframe — anything that turns “let me know” into a proposal.
Two calibration notes. Do not over-assert: “I will call your office on Thursday to arrange a time” reads as presumptuous in most industries and occasionally as a red flag. And do not under-ask either — “I hope to hear from you at some point” is not humility, it is absence.
Name a topic in the ask. "A short call about how you're handling the migration" is specific enough that it could only be this letter, which is the same test the opening has to pass.
Say "please do not hesitate to contact me". It appears in a very large share of applications, adds nothing, and spends words you could have used on the proposal.
Which sign-off should you use?
"Sincerely" or "Kind regards" work almost everywhere. Finance, law and government lean formal; tech and creative roles tolerate "Best regards" comfortably. Avoid "Cheers", "Thanks a bunch", "Talk soon" and anything with an emoji — the downside is real and the upside is zero.
Meanwhile, this is the part people worry about most and it matters least. Still, there is a defensible order:
| Sign-off | Where it fits |
|---|---|
| Sincerely | Safe everywhere; standard in finance, law, government, academia |
| Kind regards | Safe everywhere; slightly warmer |
| Best regards | Tech, creative, startups, most commercial roles |
| Respectfully | Government, military, some legal contexts |
| Warm regards | Fine where you have had prior contact |
| Cheers / Thanks / Talk soon | Avoid — casual reads as unserious in a document you want taken seriously |
When in doubt, “Kind regards” is the default that never costs you anything.
Two formatting details: put a comma after the valediction, and leave a blank line before your typed full name. On an emailed letter, that is enough — nobody expects a handwritten signature.
How does the closing change by situation?
The structure holds; the ask changes. A referral closing can name the person. A career change closing can address the switch in one clause. A senior role closing can propose a conversation about strategy rather than about fit.
Four ways to end a cover letter, all the same shape:
Standard. “The reporting layer is the part I’d most want to get into. I’d welcome a short call to talk through how I’d approach it. Thanks for reading.”
Referral. “Priya suggested this role would suit me and I think she’s right. Happy to talk whenever is useful — thanks for your time.”
Career change. “I know the move from clinical operations to analytics is not the usual path, and I’d welcome twenty minutes to explain why the domain knowledge transfers. Thank you for considering it.”
Senior role. “I’d be glad to discuss how I’d approach the first ninety days, particularly the platform consolidation you mentioned. Thanks for your time.”
Each one names something. That is the only rule that transfers across all of them.
The failing version is four sentences and 46 words, so it is not too long. It is empty.
Does the ending really matter?
Less than the opening, more than the sign-off. The closing is where a reader who is undecided finds something to act on, so its value is concentrated in the ask rather than in the wording. A strong ending will not rescue a weak letter, and a passive one will not sink a strong one.
Finally, worth being honest about the size of the effect.
The opening carries more weight — how to start a cover letter covers why, and 41% of hiring managers say the introduction leaves the biggest impression. The ending’s job is narrower: it converts interest into a next step for a reader who was already leaning toward yes.
That still makes it worth ninety seconds. A closing with a specific ask costs nothing and occasionally produces the reply that a passive one would not have.
And keep the whole thing proportionate. At 250 to 400 words total, a 50-word closing is already an eighth of the letter — which is another reason not to introduce anything new in it. The evidence belongs in the middle, and the resume it accompanies has its own reader entirely, which an AI resume checker will tell you about.
Frequently asked questions
How do you end a cover letter?
With two to four sentences under about 50 words: restate your fit in one line, propose a specific next step, thank the reader briefly, then sign off with "Sincerely" or "Kind regards" and your full name.
What is the best closing line for a cover letter?
One that names something concrete — a topic, a duration, a timeframe. "I'd welcome a short call about the migration sequencing" works; "I look forward to hearing from you" proposes nothing.
How long should a cover letter closing be?
Two to four sentences, under roughly 50 words. Around a third of hiring managers spend under 30 seconds on the whole letter, so a long closing often goes unread.
Should I say "I look forward to hearing from you"?
It is polite but passive, and it appears in a very large share of applications. Replace it with a specific proposal — the reader then has something to act on rather than a hope to acknowledge.
What is the best sign-off for a cover letter?
"Sincerely" and "Kind regards" work in every industry. "Best regards" suits tech and creative roles. Avoid "Cheers", "Thanks a bunch" and anything with an emoji.
Should I ask for an interview directly?
Yes, politely. A statement or a question both work. Avoid announcing that you will call on a specific day, which reads as presumptuous in most industries.
Can I add a new achievement in the closing paragraph?
No. If you feel the urge to, that achievement belongs in the body — and the letter is telling you the body is underweight.
Does the ending matter as much as the opening?
Less. Research indicates the introduction leaves the biggest impression, and the closing's narrower job is converting an already-interested reader into a next step.
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