FresumeYou have opened with a strong hook and proven your fit in the body, and then the letter fizzles out with “Thank you for your time” and nothing else. The closing is the last thing a hiring manager reads, so it carries more weight than its length suggests. A good ending restates why you fit, points to the specific job, and asks for the interview without sounding needy. This guide shows you exactly how to end a cover letter, with closing paragraph templates, sign-off options, and call-to-action lines you can adapt to any role.
How do you end a cover letter?
End a cover letter with a short closing paragraph that restates why you fit the role, names one specific reason you want this company, and asks directly for an interview. Follow it with a professional sign-off such as “Sincerely” or “Best regards,” then your full name. Keep the whole closing to two or three confident sentences, and avoid apologetic or generic filler like “I hope to hear from you.”
The best closings do three jobs in a small space: they remind the reader of your value, show genuine interest in this employer specifically, and make the next step easy. Everything below breaks those pieces down, with examples you can borrow the logic from. For the full letter structure that leads into the close, see our guide on how to write a cover letter.
What makes a strong cover letter closing paragraph?
A strong closing paragraph is confident, specific, and forward-looking. It summarizes your fit in one line, connects to something only this company would recognize, and ends with a clear request to talk. Weak closings hedge (“I hope you might consider me”), repeat the whole letter, or trail off with a bare “thank you.” Confidence without arrogance is the tone you want: you are a good fit, and you would welcome the conversation.
Weak closing: “Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I hope to hear from you soon and look forward to your response.”
Strong closing: “Your move into usage-based billing is exactly the kind of pricing problem I like solving, and I’d bring the same test-and-learn approach that grew our organic channel from zero. I’d welcome the chance to talk it through. Thank you for your consideration.”
Cover letter closing paragraph examples by situation
Your best closing depends on where you are coming from. Use these closing paragraph examples as patterns, then swap in your own role, employer, and one real result. Each one restates fit, names something specific, and invites a conversation.
| Your situation | A closing paragraph that works |
|---|---|
| Direct fit | “I’d bring the same results to [Company] that I delivered at [Employer], where I [quantified win]. I’d welcome the chance to discuss how I can help your team. Thank you for your consideration.” |
| Career change | “My background in [old field] gives me a perspective most candidates for this role won’t have, and I’ve already used [transferable skill] to [result]. I’d love to talk through how it fits your team’s goals.” |
| Internship or student | “I’m eager to bring the [skill] I built through [project or coursework] to [Company] this summer, and to learn from a team doing [specific work]. I’d be grateful for the chance to discuss the internship further.” |
| Returning to work | “I’m excited to reapply the [skill] I used to [past result] and have kept current through [action]. I’d welcome a conversation about how I can contribute to [team or goal] right away.” |
| Referred by someone | “[Name] spoke highly of the work your team is doing on [project], and I’d be glad to bring my experience in [area] to it. I’d love to set up a time to talk. Thank you for the opportunity.” |
Want to see how these read inside a full letter? Browse role-specific cover letter examples, or study the tighter format in our short cover letter examples.
Which cover letter sign-offs should you use, and which should you avoid?
The sign-off is the single word or phrase right before your name. Stick to professional, widely accepted closings and skip anything casual, overly familiar, or dated. When in doubt, “Sincerely” or “Best regards” is never wrong. Match the formality to the company: a law firm or bank leans formal, a startup can take a slightly warmer tone, but none of them wants “Cheers.”
| Safe, professional sign-offs | Sign-offs to avoid |
|---|---|
| Sincerely, | Cheers, |
| Best regards, | Love, / Warmly, |
| Kind regards, | XOXO, |
| Regards, | Thx, / Thanks!, |
| Respectfully, (formal roles) | Yours truly, (dated) |
| Thank you for your consideration, | Talk soon, / Take care, |
Tip: Add a comma after the sign-off, then your full name on the next line. In an email cover letter, include your phone and email under your name so a recruiter can reach you in one click. Keep the same name and contact details you used on your resume so nothing looks mismatched. Our cover letter format guide covers the spacing and layout around the sign-off.
How do you write a strong call to action to end a cover letter?
The call to action is the sentence that invites the next step. It should be direct and confident, not a plea. Name what you want (a conversation or interview), make it easy to reach you, and thank the reader once. Avoid demanding a specific time or apologizing for taking their attention. These call-to-action lines work across most roles:
- “I’d welcome the chance to discuss how I can help your team hit [specific goal].”
- “I would love to talk through the [priority] challenge in more detail. You can reach me at [phone or email].”
- “I’m excited about the possibility of contributing to [team or mission] and would be glad to set up a call.”
- “Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss the role in person.”
Full closing with a call to action: “I’d bring the same data-driven approach that cut our support response time by 40% to [Company]’s growing customer team. I’d welcome the chance to talk through how I can help. Thank you for your consideration — I look forward to hearing from you.”
What mistakes should you avoid when ending a cover letter?
Most weak closings fail in one of a few predictable ways. Each is quick to fix once you know to look for it:
- A limp, generic close. “Thanks for your time” with no request wastes your final impression. Always ask for the next step. (This is a classic error we cover in our roundup of cover letter mistakes.)
- Sounding desperate. “I really hope you’ll give me a chance” reads as anxious. State your fit and invite a conversation as an equal.
- Repeating the whole letter. The close summarizes in one line; it does not restate every point you already made.
- A casual or dated sign-off. “Cheers,” “XOXO,” or a bare “Thanks!” undercuts a professional letter.
- Forgetting your contact details. Make it effortless to reach you — a missing phone number or email adds friction at the exact moment interest peaks.
How can Fresume help you finish and send your cover letter?
You can write a strong close by hand using the templates above. If you’d rather start from a tailored draft, the Fresume cover letter generator builds a first version from your resume and the job posting, closing paragraph included, that you can edit into your own voice. Pair it with the resume builder and 50+ ATS-friendly designs so your whole application looks consistent from header to sign-off.
Before you send, run your resume through the free ATS resume checker to confirm it parses cleanly against the job description — the same care you put into the closing belongs in the document it carries. The core tools are free, with Premium at $17.49 per month for everything unlocked. End with confidence, ask for the interview, and let the rest of your application back it up.
What does a complete cover letter closing look like?
Here is how the pieces fit together — closing paragraph, call to action, and sign-off — as the last few lines of a real letter. Copy the shape, then swap in your own result, company detail, and name.
Your recent expansion into the enterprise market is exactly where I’ve spent the last four years, and I’d bring the same playbook that grew our mid-market pipeline by 35% in a single year. I’d welcome the chance to discuss how I can help your team do the same.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
Jordan Ellis
[email protected] · (555) 018-2245
Quick closing checklist:
- One line restates your fit, tied to this specific job.
- One line names something only this company would recognize.
- A clear call to action asks for the interview.
- A professional sign-off (“Sincerely,” or “Best regards,”) sits above your full name.
- Your phone and email are easy to find.
Frequently asked questions
01How do you end a cover letter?
End with a short closing paragraph that restates why you fit the role, names one specific reason you want this company, and asks directly for an interview. Follow it with a professional sign-off such as “Sincerely” or “Best regards,” then your full name. Keep it to two or three confident sentences and skip apologetic filler like “I hope to hear from you.”
02What is the best sign-off for a cover letter?
“Sincerely” and “Best regards” are the safest, most widely accepted sign-offs and work for almost any role. “Kind regards,” “Regards,” and “Respectfully” are also fine, with “Respectfully” leaning more formal. Avoid casual or dated closings like “Cheers,” “Warmly,” “Yours truly,” or a bare “Thanks!” — they undercut a professional letter.
03How do you end a cover letter with a call to action?
Invite the next step directly and make it easy to reach you. A line like “I’d welcome the chance to discuss how I can help your team hit [goal]” or “I look forward to the opportunity to talk in person” works well. State what you want, thank the reader once, and avoid sounding desperate or demanding a specific time.
04How do you end a cover letter for an internship?
Lead with the skills you built through coursework, projects, or past roles, and show genuine eagerness to learn. For example: “I’m eager to bring the research skills I built in my capstone project to your team this summer and would be grateful for the chance to discuss the internship.” Then add a professional sign-off and your contact details.
05Should you say “thank you” at the end of a cover letter?
Yes, a brief thank-you is polite, but it should not be your entire closing. Pair it with a call to action so the letter ends on momentum, not a flat note. “Thank you for your consideration — I’d welcome the chance to discuss the role” does both jobs in one line and reads far stronger than “thank you” alone.
06What should you never write at the end of a cover letter?
Avoid desperate or over-apologetic lines (“I really hope you’ll give me a chance”), demands about timing, and casual sign-offs like “Cheers” or “XOXO.” Don’t restate your whole letter or forget your contact details. The close should be confident and specific: restate your fit, name a reason you want this company, and invite the conversation.