How to end a cover letter: closing lines and sign-offs (2026)

The last paragraph of a cover letter is short, and it’s easy to write on autopilot. But it’s the part the reader sees just before deciding what to do with your application, so it should leave them with a clear picture: who you are, why you fit, and what happens next.

This post covers what the closing paragraph needs to say, which sign-off to use in the US and in the UK, how the ending changes between an email and an attached letter, what goes in the signature block, three example closings and the mistakes worth avoiding. If you’re still deciding whether to send a letter at all, start with what a cover letter is for.

What the closing paragraph has to do

A good closing does four small jobs, usually in three or four sentences:

• Restate the fit in one line. Not a summary of the letter: one sentence that ties your strongest point to what the employer needs.
• Invite the next step. Say you’d welcome the chance to talk about the role. Confident, not pushy.
• Mention availability if it matters. A notice period, a start date, a planned move, or the days you can’t interview. Leave it out if there’s nothing useful to say.
• Thank them. One short line is enough.

The UK’s National Careers Service suggests a similar ending: thank the employer, point them to your CV for more detail, say you look forward to hearing from them, and make sure your contact details are correct (National Careers Service).

Sign-offs: US and UK

The sign-off is the word or phrase before your name. In the US the choice is simple. In the UK, traditional business letters follow a rule that pairs the sign-off with the greeting.

The UK rule comes straight from the National Careers Service: “Yours sincerely” if you know the person’s name, “Yours faithfully” if you started with “Dear Sir or Madam” (National Careers Service). With a generic greeting such as “Dear Hiring Manager”, practice is less settled: “Yours faithfully” is the traditional choice in a formal letter, and “Kind regards” is common in email. Either is safe; mixing “Dear Ms Patel” with “Yours faithfully” is the one to avoid.

In the US, “Sincerely,” is the default for a formal letter and “Best regards,” works everywhere. Two small details: only the first word is capitalized (“Best regards,” not “Best Regards,”), and in US style the sign-off ends with a comma.

What to avoid in any country: “Cheers”, “Thanks!”, “Love”, “Warmly” and anything with an emoji. They’re fine with colleagues; in a first letter to an employer they read as too casual.

Email or attached letter: what changes

When the email is the letter, the ending is the same paragraph, then the sign-off, then your name and a short signature block. There’s no need for a handwritten or scanned signature. Make sure the subject line names the job, and check the attachment is there before you press send.

When you attach a letter as a PDF, it ends like a printed letter: closing paragraph, sign-off, a blank line where a signature would go, then your typed name. Your contact details usually sit in the header at the top, matching your resume. A scanned signature is optional; most employers won’t expect one for an online application.

In both cases, keep the same contact details as your resume. A different phone number in the letter and the resume creates doubt about which one to use.

The signature block

Keep it short and useful. For an email application:

Best regards,

Jordan Lee
+1 555 0100 · jordan.lee@email.com
linkedin.com/in/jordanlee

For the UK, the same block works with “Yours sincerely” or “Kind regards” and a UK phone number. Add a portfolio link if your work is visual or published. Leave out quotes, logos, your current employer’s branding and long legal footers from a work account (better still, apply from a personal address).

Three closings that work

Each one restates a reason to hire you, opens the door to a conversation, adds availability only where it helps, and ends with thanks. For a speculative application, where there’s no job posted, the closing can be a little more concrete: say what kind of role you’d be interested in and ask whether there’s someone you could speak to.

Mistakes to avoid

• Mismatching the UK pair. “Dear Ms Patel” with “Yours faithfully”, or “Dear Sir or Madam” with “Yours sincerely”.
• Sounding unsure. “I hope you might consider me despite my limited experience” undoes the rest of the letter. State your fit and stop.
• Overstepping. “I will call you on Monday to arrange an interview” sounds presumptuous. Inviting a conversation is enough.
• Adding new material. The closing isn’t the place for a skill you forgot to mention. Move it up or leave it out.
• Bringing up pay unasked. Unless the posting asks for salary expectations, leave pay for later. When it does come up, know the market range for the role.
• Wrong details. A misspelled company name or an old phone number in the signature undoes a good letter.
• Ending with a generic line. “Please do not hesitate to contact me” says nothing. One specific sentence beats three polite ones.

If the letter leads to an interview, the next step is preparation: our job interview guide covers it.

How Jobra handles the ending

Jobra, an AI job search agent, writes a cover letter for each job it applies to, closing included, from your profile and the posting. When it applies by email, the letter is the body of the email, sent as “Your Name via Jobra” with your CV attached as a PDF, and the reply-to address is set so the recruiter’s answer reaches your inbox. Before every send it checks that the letter is complete, with no placeholder left. In “You approve what goes” mode you can read each letter, ending included, before anything leaves.

Frequently asked questions