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When you need a cover letter
- The job ad asks for one. Then it is required, and leaving it out can disqualify you.
- You are applying by email. Your email body works as a short cover letter, so it needs the same care.
- NGO, development sector, bank and multinational roles, where a letter is often expected even when it is optional.
- You need to explain something your CV cannot: a career change, a move to a new city, or why you are applying for a role that looks different from your current one.
The structure that works
- Header: your name, phone, email and city, matching your CV. Then the date, and the employer's name and address if you know them.
- Subject line: the job title and any reference or job ID from the ad.
- Greeting: the recruiter's name if the ad gives it ('Dear Ms Rahman'). Otherwise 'Dear Hiring Manager'.
- Opening paragraph: the role you are applying for and, in one sentence, why you fit it.
- Middle paragraph or two: two specific examples from your experience that match the most important requirements in the ad.
- Why this organisation: one or two honest sentences about why you want to work there.
- Closing: a short line saying you would welcome an interview, then 'Sincerely' and your full name.
Length and format
Keep it to about 250 to 350 words, comfortably inside one page. Recruiters reading many applications skim, so short paragraphs of 2 to 4 sentences work best.
Use the same font and header as your CV so the two look like a set. Save it as a PDF named clearly, such as 'Rahim-Uddin-Cover-Letter-Sales-Executive.pdf'. If the ad asks for one combined file, put the letter first and the CV after it.
Email body vs attached letter
When an ad says 'send your CV to' an email address, your email is the first thing the recruiter reads. Never send an empty email with only an attachment.
If the ad asks for a cover letter, attach it as a PDF and write a short email body of about 80 to 150 words that introduces you and lists what is attached. If the ad does not ask for a letter, your email body can be your cover letter: a shortened version with the opening, your strongest example and the closing.
Write a clear subject line that follows any instruction in the ad. If there is none, use the job title, job ID and your name.
Subject: Application for Sales Executive (Job ID SE-1024), Rahim Uddin
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am applying for the Sales Executive role at Example Foods Ltd advertised on Bdjobs. For the past two years I have managed secondary sales for 3 distributors and about 220 outlets in Chattogram, which matches the FMCG distribution experience your ad asks for.
My CV and cover letter are attached as PDFs. I would welcome the chance to discuss the role.
Sincerely,
Rahim Uddin
01712 345678 | rahim.uddin@email.com
Opening lines: before and after
The first sentence decides whether the recruiter reads the rest. Most letters in Bangladesh start the same way, which wastes it.
Before: 'With due respect, I am writing to apply for the post of Sales Executive as advertised in your esteemed organisation.'
After: 'Your Sales Executive role asks for B2B experience in FMCG distribution, which is what I have done for two years at Example Distribution Ltd, managing secondary sales across about 220 outlets.'
A full sample letter
Nusrat Jahan | Mirpur, Dhaka | +880 1812 345678 | nusrat.jahan@email.com
16 October 2026
Subject: Application for Programme Officer, Livelihoods (Ref: PO-LH-07)
Dear Hiring Manager,
Your Programme Officer role asks for field experience in livelihoods projects and strong reporting skills. For the past three years at Example Development Foundation, I have coordinated a skills training project for about 400 women in Sirajganj, and written the monthly donor reports for it.
In that role I planned training schedules with 6 field facilitators, tracked attendance and income data in Excel and KoboToolbox, and prepared the quarterly progress report that went to the donor. When attendance fell during the monsoon, I worked with the team to move sessions closer to participants' homes, and attendance recovered within two months.
I am applying to Example Aid Bangladesh because your programmes focus on women's economic participation in northern districts, which is the work I want to keep doing and growing in.
My CV is attached. I would welcome the chance to discuss how I could support the Livelihoods team.
Sincerely,
Nusrat Jahan
What to avoid
- Old formulas: 'With due respect', 'I beg to state that', 'your esteemed organisation', 'Respected Sir'. They read as copied.
- Repeating your CV line by line. The letter should pick two strong examples and connect them to the job.
- One letter for every job. If the company name and role could be swapped for any other, it is too generic.
- The wrong company name or job title. Check both before you send; this mistake is common and costly.
- Claims you cannot support, such as 'expert in all MS Office applications' or results you did not achieve.
- Salary demands, unless the ad asks for your expected salary. Then state it briefly.
- Long letters. Anything over one page is usually skimmed or skipped.
Government jobs and formal application letters
Government circulars often prescribe their own application format, usually an online form through Teletalk, and sometimes a formal application letter addressed to a named official. In that case, follow the circular exactly, including the addressee, subject format and any details it asks for. The modern cover letter style in this guide is for private-sector, NGO and multinational jobs.
Final checklist before you send
- Is the employer's name, job title and reference number correct?
- Does the opening sentence name the role and why you fit?
- Have you used two specific, true examples that match the ad?
- Is it under one page, about 250 to 350 words?
- Do the header and facts match your CV?
- Have you read it aloud once to catch mistakes?
Want a cover letter written for one specific job?
Send us your CV and the job ad and answer two short questions. We write a specific letter in your voice from your real experience, plus a short email version. We cannot guarantee interviews or jobs.