How to Write a Job Application in the U.S. (That Actually Gets Read)

Writing a job application is one of the most soul-crushing parts of job searching. You spend an hour tailoring a cover letter and perfecting your resume, hit submit, and then… nothing. Radio silence. You start wondering if anyone even looked at it.

Here’s the truth: most applications get screened by software before a human ever sees them. And when a human does look, they’re spending maybe 10-15 seconds on your cover letter and resume combined. That’s brutal, but knowing how the system works helps you beat it.

So let’s talk about how to actually write a job application in the U.S.—what works, what doesn’t, and what hiring managers are really looking for when they’re drowning in 200 applications for one position.

Writing a Job Application: Do You Even Need a Cover Letter?

First question: Does this job actually require a cover letter?

If you’re applying through an online portal and it doesn’t explicitly ask for one, many hiring managers won’t even look at it. They’re focused on your resume. Tech companies especially tend to skip cover letters—they want to see your GitHub, your portfolio, your work.

But if the job posting asks for a cover letter, or if you’re applying to a more traditional corporate role (finance, consulting, nonprofits, government), then yes, you need one. And it better be good, because a bad cover letter can actually hurt your chances.

Here’s when a cover letter really matters:

You’re changing careers and need to explain the pivot
You have an employment gap that you should address
You’re applying to a company where culture fit and communication skills are crucial
The job explicitly requests one
You have a personal connection to the company or role worth mentioning

If none of those apply, and it’s optional? Skip it and focus on making your resume stellar. Don’t waste time writing a mediocre cover letter that won’t get read in the job application.

What Actually Makes a Cover Letter Stand Out

Most cover letters are terrible. They’re generic, boring, and sound exactly like the 50 other letters the hiring manager just read.

Here’s what doesn’t work:

“I am writing to express my interest in the Marketing Manager position at your esteemed company. I believe I would be an excellent fit because I have strong communication skills and am a team player who is passionate about marketing.”

That’s every cover letter ever written. It says absolutely nothing. The hiring manager’s eyes glaze over by the second sentence.

Here’s what works better—leading with something specific and interesting:

“When I saw that Acme Corp launched a referral program that increased customer acquisition by 40% in Q3, I immediately wanted to learn more about your growth strategy. In my current role at Beta Inc., I built a similar program from scratch that drove 2,000+ new customers in six months with a $15K budget.”

See the difference? The second version shows you researched the company, demonstrates relevant experience with specific numbers, and immediately proves you can do the job. You’ve earned the hiring manager’s attention for another 30 seconds.

The opening paragraph is everything. If you don’t hook them in the first 2-3 sentences, the rest of your letter doesn’t matter because they’ve already moved on.

The Structure That Actually Works

Forget the formal business letter format with your address and their address and “To Whom It May Concern.” That’s outdated. Here’s what a modern cover letter looks like:

Header (simple and clean):

Your Name Your Email | Your Phone | LinkedIn URL (if relevant) Date

Greeting:

If you can find the hiring manager’s name (check LinkedIn, the company website, the job posting), use it: “Dear Sarah Johnson,”

If you truly can’t find it, “Dear Hiring Manager” is fine. Don’t stress about this part too much.

Opening (2-3 sentences):

State what position you’re applying for and immediately demonstrate why you’re a strong fit. Skip the “I am writing to apply…” fluff. Jump straight into something compelling.

Example: “I’m applying for the Senior Product Manager role at Stripe. Having scaled two fintech products from launch to $5M ARR, I’ve lived the challenges of building payments infrastructure—and I’m excited about the opportunity to tackle them at Stripe’s scale.”

Middle section (2-3 short paragraphs):

This is where you connect your experience to what they need. Pick 2-3 specific qualifications from the job description and show how you’ve done exactly that.

Don’t just list your responsibilities. Tell a mini-story with results:

“At my current company, we were struggling with a 60% churn rate among new customers. I redesigned our onboarding flow, built an automated email sequence, and personally called the first 100 customers to understand their pain points. Within four months, we reduced churn to 25% and increased product activation by 40%.”

That’s way more compelling than “Managed customer success initiatives and improved retention.”

Closing (2-3 sentences):

Express genuine interest, mention why this specific company matters to you (not just any company), and include a clear call to action.

Example: “I’ve been following your work in carbon accounting since your Series A, and I believe my background in enterprise SaaS and climate tech makes this a perfect match. I’d love to discuss how I can contribute to making corporate carbon tracking accessible to mid-market companies. I’m available for a call anytime next week.”

Sign-off:

“Best regards,” or “Sincerely,” Your Name

That’s it. One page. Maybe 250-400 words total. Any longer and you’re losing their attention.

The ATS Problem (And How to Beat It)

Here’s something most people don’t realize: your beautifully written cover letter might never reach a human because Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) filter applications first.

ATS software scans your resume and cover letter for keywords from the job description. If you don’t have enough matches, you’re automatically rejected before anyone reads your application.

This is why you need to tailor every application. I know it’s exhausting. I know you want to use the same letter for 50 jobs. But that’s exactly why your applications disappear into the void.

Here’s how to optimize for ATS without sounding like a robot:

Read the job description carefully. Identify the key skills and requirements they mention repeatedly. If they say “project management” five times, make sure those exact words appear in your cover letter and resume. Don’t say “managed initiatives”—say “project management.”

But integrate keywords naturally. Don’t just list them. Use them in context when describing your experience.

If the job requires “cross-functional collaboration,” don’t just say you’re good at it. Say: “I led cross-functional collaboration between engineering, design, and marketing teams to launch our mobile app, coordinating 12 stakeholders across three time zones.”

That sentence includes the keyword, but also shows you actually did the thing.

What Kills Your Job Application Instantly

Typos and grammar mistakes. One or two might be forgivable. Three or more and you’re done. It signals you don’t pay attention to detail or care enough to proofread.

Run spell check. Read it out loud. Have someone else review it. This is basic, but people mess it up constantly.

🔥 TRENDING JOB • US Postal Service Jobs

Generic, copy-pasted letters. If your letter could apply to literally any company or job, it’s worthless. “I’m passionate about joining your team and contributing to your mission” means nothing. Be specific about this company and this role.

Obvious lies or exaggerations. Don’t claim you “led” a project if you were on the team but not in charge. Don’t say you “increased revenue by 300%” if it was 30%. Lies catch up with you, and experienced hiring managers can smell BS.

Focusing on what you want instead of what you offer. “This role would be a great opportunity for me to grow my skills in data analysis” is about you. “My experience building predictive models that improved forecast accuracy by 25% would directly address the challenges you mentioned in the job post” is about them. Always frame your value in terms of what you solve for the company.

Being too long. If your cover letter is more than one page or takes more than 90 seconds to read, it’s too long. Hiring managers don’t have time. Respect that.

Desperate or apologetic language. Don’t say things like “I know I don’t meet all the qualifications, but…” or “I realize I may not be the most experienced candidate, however…” You’ve just undermined yourself. Lead with confidence about what you bring, not what you lack.

How to Research a Company (Without Just Repeating Their Website)

Everyone says “research the company,” but what does that actually mean?

Here’s what doesn’t work: “I admire your commitment to innovation and excellence.” That’s meaningless corporate speak that could apply to literally any company.

Here’s what works: Specific knowledge that shows you actually understand their business.

Check their recent news. Google “Company Name news” and filter to the past 3-6 months. Did they just launch a new product? Raise funding? Make a strategic hire? Win a major client? Mention it in your letter.

Read their blog or company updates. If they publish thought leadership or company updates, reference something specific. “I read your CEO’s post about scaling customer success without scaling headcount, and that resonates with my experience building automated onboarding systems.”

Look at their job posts. What are they hiring for? If they’re hiring 5 engineers and 3 product managers, they’re probably scaling their product team. Mention that: “I noticed you’re expanding your engineering team significantly, which suggests you’re in a growth phase—that’s exactly the environment where I thrive.”

Check LinkedIn. Look at the people who work there. Where did they come from? What’s the team culture like? Are they growing fast or steady?

Read reviews on Glassdoor. Not to find dirt, but to understand what matters to the company. If reviews consistently mention “mission-driven culture,” that’s something you can authentically speak to if it resonates with you.

The point isn’t to prove you stalked them. It’s to demonstrate genuine interest and understanding of their business challenges.

What to Do About Employment Gaps or Career Changes in a U.S Job Application

If you have a gap in your employment or you’re switching careers, address it briefly in your cover letter. Not defensively—just matter-of-factly.

For employment gaps:

“I took 18 months off to care for a family member. During that time, I stayed current in my field by taking online courses in SQL and data visualization. I’m now eager to return to full-time work and apply these updated skills.”

That’s it. Don’t over-explain or apologize. Acknowledge it, show you stayed engaged, move on.

For career changes:

“After five years in teaching, I’m transitioning to instructional design because I want to create learning experiences at scale. My classroom experience gives me deep insight into how people actually learn, and I’ve already completed certifications in adult learning theory and eLearning development tools like Articulate.”

You’re connecting the dots for them—showing how your experience is actually relevant, not a liability.

Writing a Job Application in the U.S: The Follow-Up Strategy That Works

You hit submit. Now what?

If the application portal had a specific person’s name, you can send a brief follow-up email 7-10 days later if you haven’t heard anything. Keep it short:

“Hi [Name],

I applied for the [Job Title] position on [date] and wanted to reiterate my strong interest. My experience with [specific relevant thing] makes this role a great match, and I’d welcome the chance to discuss how I can contribute to [specific company goal or challenge].

Thanks for your consideration. [Your name]”

That’s it. One follow-up. If you don’t hear back after that, move on. Don’t send multiple follow-ups. You’ll come across as desperate or annoying, not persistent.

And honestly? Most of the time, silence means “no.” They’re either still reviewing candidates, they’ve moved forward with others, or they’re disorganized. Following up once is fine. Repeatedly emailing won’t change their decision.

Writing a Job Application in the U.S: Industry-Specific Differences That Matter

Tech and startups: Cover letters matter less. Portfolio, GitHub, side projects, and referrals matter more. If you do write a cover letter, keep it short and focus on concrete skills and results.

Finance, consulting, law: Cover letters matter a lot. They want to see polished writing, attention to detail, and demonstrated interest in their specific firm. Do your research and be formal but not stiff.

Creative fields: Your portfolio does most of the talking, but a cover letter can showcase your personality and writing voice. Be more conversational and let your style come through.

Nonprofits and mission-driven organizations: They want to know why you care about their mission specifically. Don’t just say you’re passionate—explain why this cause matters to you personally or professionally.

Government and academic jobs: Formal cover letters are expected. Follow conventions closely, address specific qualifications from the posting, and be thorough. These hiring processes are often very structured.

Conclusion

Writing a job application in the U.S. is frustrating because you’re competing with hundreds of other candidates, dealing with automated screening systems, and trying to stand out in a sea of identical-sounding letters.

The way to win is specificity. Specific companies. Specific roles. Also, there are specific achievements with numbers. Specific examples of how you’ve solved problems similar to what they’re facing.

Skip the generic “I’m a passionate team player” garbage. Lead with something interesting. Show you researched them. Connect your experience directly to their needs. Keep it short. Proofread obsessively.

And then apply to 50 more jobs, because this is a numbers game and rejection is part of the process.

It sucks. But if you approach it strategically instead of just going through the motions, you’ll significantly increase your odds of actually getting a response.

Good luck. You’ve got this.