An effective cover letter fits in 250 words and does three things: it says why this company specifically, it offers one concrete piece of evidence from your history that answers the ad, and it proposes the next step. Everything else — the conventional openings, the paraphrased CV, the self-awarded qualities — takes up the room that the three things needed.
Length, before anything else
A full-page letter will not be read to the end. A letter of four short paragraphs will be. This is not a matter of style but of available attention: the person reading has a stack of applications and a few seconds per file before deciding whether to keep going.
What to take out
- "I am writing to express my interest" and all its variants. You have just spent your first sentence — the one that is certain to be read — announcing that you are writing.
- The paraphrased CV. The recruiter has the CV. Repeating your job titles in a different order teaches them nothing.
- Qualities with no evidence. "Rigorous, dynamic, self-motivated" costs nothing to write, so it is worth nothing to read. A sentence that demonstrates rigour beats the word.
- Reasons that are only about you. "This role would let me grow" explains your interest, not theirs.
- The paragraph about the company copied from its website. The recruiter works there. They know.
A four-paragraph structure
- Why them, in one specific sentence. Something true and checkable about the company or the role that you could not write to a different employer.
- The evidence. One achievement from your history that directly answers what the ad asks for, with a number attached if you have one.
- The link. One or two lines explicitly connecting that achievement to the need stated in the posting.
- The next step. A sentence proposing the interview, without begging and without demanding.
Numbers, when you have them
"I improved the invoicing process" and "I cut invoicing time from 12 days to 4" describe the same work. The second is evidence, the first is a claim. You will not always have a number — when you do not, use a checkable fact instead: a scale, a duration, a headcount, a scope.
Should I write a cover letter when it is optional?
Yes, when you have something specific to say — applying slightly outside your track record, a career change, a genuine connection to the company. No, when it would only restate the CV: an empty letter makes a worse impression than no letter at all.
Should I mention salary expectations?
Only if the ad explicitly asks. When it does, give a range rather than a figure, and put it at the end of the letter. Unprompted, raising it in a letter means negotiating before you have shown what you are worth.
Which language should I write in, in Morocco?
The language of the ad. A posting written in French calls for a letter in French, even at an international company. When the ad is in English, answer in English: it is a quiet but clear first signal that you will work in that language.