How to write a cover letter for an IT job

A recruiter goes through dozens of applications a day and reads the first two or three lines. Here is how to make sure yours get read.

Do you need a letter at all

Yes. On Djinni the application is a message; on DOU the letter is read together with the CV. An application with no text looks like a mass mailing, while a few sentences written for the job show you actually read it.

A three-part structure

Which job and why you. "I am writing about the Middle Backend Developer role" tells the recruiter right away what this is about.
One or two concrete things from your experience that matter for this job: a technology, a kind of project, a result. Not your whole stack, only what the post asks for.
The next step: "Happy to talk" or "Details are in my CV". No "I look forward to hearing from you".

That makes 3–5 sentences, under 600 characters. Longer letters rarely get read.

An example

"Hi Anna! I am writing about the Middle PHP Developer role. I have worked with Laravel and PostgreSQL for four years, the last two on a high-load API for logistics. Happy to tell you more on a call."

It has the recruiter's name, the job title, concrete experience that matches the requirements, and a simple next step.

Common mistakes

Corporate filler: "I have extensive experience developing complex business logic".
Generic praise of the company that fits any job.
Made-up numbers and facts: the recruiter will check them at the interview.
The same letter for every job with nothing changed.
Long dashes, lists and bold text in a Djinni chat: it reads like AI output.

How not to write every letter from scratch

Make a template with variables: [Recruiter name], [Company], [Position]. Then either fill them in by hand or let AutoApply do it: the AI adapts the template to each job and your CV, and an A/B test shows which variant gets more replies.

Want to try it without signing up? Open the cover letter generator.

FAQ

Which language should the letter be in?

The language of the job post. If the post is in English, write in English, even if the company is Ukrainian.

Should I write a letter if the message field is optional?

Yes. A few sentences make it more likely your CV gets opened.