How to end a cover letter: the last paragraph, the last line, the sign-off

The end of a cover letter isn't one thing. It's three small pieces, and each one has a different job:

CareerOneStop, the U.S. Department of Labor's career site, gives the final paragraph a clear brief: mention that your resume is attached, say you'd like to meet to discuss the position, give your availability if your schedule is busy, include a statement or a question that encourages the reader to respond, and thank the employer for considering your application. Its template then closes with “Sincerely,” and your name.

Pick three of these four jobs, not all four. A closing paragraph that tries to do everything reads as padding.

1. Tie it together in one line. Name the one or two strengths the posting cares about most, and the job title. “Your posting asks for someone who can run inbound scheduling for three clinics; that is what I do every day at Lakeview.”
2. Ask for the next step. An interview, a call, a chance to show a project. This is the one part you should never skip.
3. Say thank you, once. “Thank you for your time and consideration” is enough. Two thank-yous in two sentences sound nervous.
4. Handle one practical point, if it helps. Your start date, a relocation, your availability for a call, a portfolio link. Only when the posting asks or when it removes an obvious doubt.

Don't add new evidence at the end. If you're tempted to slip a fresh achievement into the last paragraph, it belongs in the body. Don't retell your resume either: the reader has just read it, a few lines up.

The second version isn't too long. It's empty: swap the company name and it works for any job. The first one names a need, a proof, an action and a time slot.

The closing line is the last sentence before your sign-off. Adapt one of these to the job; don't paste it as is.

• The direct ask: “I'd welcome the chance to discuss how I can help your team reach its Q1 sales targets.”
• The availability: “I'm available for a call or an interview any weekday next week.”
• The concrete offer: “I'd be glad to walk you through the dashboard I built during a short call.”
• The portfolio: “My portfolio, linked below, includes the three campaigns I mentioned.”
• The entry-level ending: “I'm eager to learn from your team, and I'd love to talk about how my coursework in data analysis could support your reporting.”
• The career change: “I'd appreciate the chance to explain in person how ten years of teaching translate into training your new hires.”
• The referral: “Sarah Lin suggested I reach out, and I'd be glad to continue the conversation with you.”
• The relocation: “I'm moving to Denver in January and can interview in person from December 15.”
• The formal thank-you: “Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to discussing the position with you.”
• The confident close: “This is the role I want, and I'd like the chance to show you why.” Use it only when the body backs it up with facts.

The sign-off, or complimentary close, sits two lines below your last paragraph, followed by a comma and your full name. In a printed letter, leave room for a handwritten signature between the two. In a US job application, the safe choices are short and neutral:

Capitalize only the first word (“Best regards,” not “Best Regards,”) and always add the comma. Below your name, an attached letter needs nothing else if your contact details are in the header. An email needs them under your name.

When the email itself is your cover letter, end it the same way, then add a short signature block so the recruiter can reply or call without opening an attachment:

If you attach the cover letter as a PDF, the email body is just two or three lines, with the same sign-off. Keep the closing of the attached letter formal, even if the email is lighter.

Only if you know who reads the letter and you will really do it. Yale Law School's career office suggests you may say you'll contact the employer in a couple of weeks, and then actually do so. Promising a follow-up to an anonymous applicant tracking system is a promise nobody can receive.

• Named recipient, direct email: “I'll follow up the week of December 7 if I haven't heard back.” A week, not a day.
• Online application, no contact name: skip the follow-up line and ask for the interview instead.
• Never a demand: “I will call your office on Tuesday to schedule a meeting” takes the decision away from the reader.

• Ending with a summary of the letter. “In conclusion, my skills, experience and passion make me an ideal candidate” repeats what the reader just read.
• Sounding desperate or entitled. “I really need this job” and “You won't find a better candidate” both end the conversation.
• Apologizing. “Although I don't have all the required experience...” plants the doubt on the last line.
• No ask at all. A polite letter that requests nothing gets nothing.
• Forgetting your name or contact details, or leaving a template placeholder like [Company] in the last paragraph.
• A casual sign-off or an emoji, even in an email.

Then check the whole page. A good ending can't save a letter that runs onto a second page: our guide to cover letter length gives a word budget for each paragraph, closing included.

In this fictional letter for a patient scheduling role, look at the last paragraph: one line of fit, a concrete offer, an availability, a thank-you, then “Sincerely,” and the name.

Example letter

Copy the letter

Example

Alicia Romero

Tucson, AZ

alicia.romero@example.com

(520) 555-0134

November 10, 2026

Grace Holloway

Practice Manager

Saguaro Family Health

Tucson, AZ

Re: Patient Scheduling Coordinator

Dear Ms. Holloway,

Your posting for a Patient Scheduling Coordinator asks for someone who can keep three clinic calendars full without overbooking providers. For the past two years, I have done exactly that at Desert Ridge Pediatrics, where I schedule for six providers across two locations.

Last year, I set up a same-day waitlist for canceled appointments that filled 85% of open slots and cut our no-show rate from 14% to 9%. I also trained four front-desk staff on our scheduling system and wrote the reminder scripts we still use for text and phone confirmations.

Saguaro's plan to add evening hours at its east clinic caught my attention. Extending hours without adding chaos at the front desk is the kind of project I enjoy, and I would like to help your team get it right from the first week.

I would welcome the chance to walk you through the waitlist process I built and how it could work across your three clinics. I am available for a call or an interview any weekday after 2 p.m. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Alicia Romero

Kandiq's cover letter generator writes a first draft from the job posting and your resume (2 AI credits per letter, 5 credits when you sign up). The draft always ends on the next step: your availability for an interview, in one sentence. The sign-off is a separate “Closing” field, set to “Sincerely,” by default, that you can change in one click.

If the last paragraph sounds stiff, the “Warmer” or “More specific” rewrite reworks the body for 1 credit, or you can type your own instruction, like “end with my availability next week.” The review, which uses no AI, flags any placeholder left behind and checks that the company is named in the body. You see the whole letter before paying anything: you only pay to download it.