A long cover letter is not automatically thoughtful. A short one is not automatically effective.

The real test is whether the reader can quickly answer four questions:

  • Which role does this person want?
  • What relevant value can they offer?
  • What evidence supports that claim?
  • What should happen next?

Andrew LaCivita’s popular four-sentence approach treats a cover letter as a focused introduction rather than a second CV. You can adapt that principle without copying a fixed template.

Give each sentence one job

Sentence 1: Name the target and establish context

Make the role unmistakable. Include the reference number if the advert uses one.

“I am applying for the Junior Procurement Assistant position advertised on your careers page.”

For an email application, the subject line should also identify the vacancy.

Sentence 2: Match your value to the work

Do not list every skill. Choose the combination most relevant to the advert.

“My experience tracking stock orders and resolving supplier queries has developed the accuracy and follow-through the role requires.”

This sentence should sound different for each application. If it could be sent unchanged to a hotel, mine, bank and non-profit, it is probably too generic.

Sentence 3: Provide one proof point

Use a result, project or responsibility.

“In my current role, I introduced a weekly order-checking routine that reduced repeated follow-ups and made outstanding items easier for the team to see.”

Use figures only when they are truthful and explain something meaningful. A clear observable improvement is better than an invented percentage.

Sentence 4: Invite the next conversation

Close professionally without claiming the interview is yours.

“I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how this experience could support your procurement team.”

Together, the four sentences create a compact case for reading the attached CV.

A complete example

Subject: Junior Procurement Assistant — Ref JPA104

Dear Ms Naidoo,
I am applying for the Junior Procurement Assistant position advertised on your careers page. My experience tracking stock orders and resolving supplier queries has developed the accuracy and follow-through highlighted in the advert. In my current role, I introduced a weekly order-checking routine that made outstanding items easier for the team to identify and resolve. I would welcome a conversation about how I could bring those habits to your procurement team.
Kind regards,
Thabo Molefe

The example is concise, but it still contains targeting, fit, evidence and a respectful next step.

Adapt the evidence to your career stage

First-time applicant

Use coursework, workplace-based learning, volunteering or a practical project.

“During my final logistics project, I maintained the team’s supplier comparison sheet and checked supporting documents before submission.”

Career changer

Translate your experience instead of pretending the change does not exist.

A teacher applying for training coordination might highlight scheduling, facilitation, reporting and stakeholder communication.

Experienced candidate

Choose an achievement that reflects the level of the vacancy. A management application needs more than “I am a hard worker.” Show the scope of a team, budget, operation or change you led—without disclosing confidential information.

Four sentences are a tool, not a law

Some applications explicitly request a motivation letter, a response to selection criteria or a detailed statement. Follow those instructions. Government, academic and specialised roles may need more information than a compact introduction.

The University of Pretoria’s career guidance recommends tailoring a cover letter to the job, using language from the specification where accurate, avoiding repetition of the CV and explaining interest in the organisation. It also advises keeping a conventional cover letter within one page unless the vacancy says otherwise.

Use the four-sentence format when a brief cover note is appropriate. Expand only when additional detail has a clear purpose.

Personalise without flattery

Research the organisation and choose a meaningful connection: its customers, service model, recent project or the actual work described.

Avoid lines such as:

  • “I have always dreamed of working for your prestigious company.”
  • “I am the perfect candidate.”
  • “I know I will exceed all expectations.”

Those claims ask the employer to accept a conclusion before seeing evidence.

A better cover letter is confident but proportionate. It says, in effect: this is the role, this is the relevant value, here is proof, and I am open to discussing the fit.

The 60-second editing test

Before sending, check:

  • Correct employer and job title.
  • Correct contact name and spelling.
  • No claim copied from another application.
  • One clear piece of evidence.
  • No contradiction with the CV.
  • Required documents attached in the requested format.
  • Professional filename and email subject.
  • No promise you cannot defend.

Then read the letter aloud. If a sentence needs several breaths, simplify it.

A concise cover letter cannot guarantee that someone opens your CV. It can remove unnecessary work from the reader and present a credible reason to continue.

Sources and limits

The example and wording are original. The four-part concept is adapted at a high level; no source template or transcript has been reproduced, and a cover letter does not guarantee an interview.