What the closing paragraph needs to do
The final paragraph of a cover letter has one job: make the next step clear and easy, then stop.
It does not need to summarise the letter. It does not need to thank the hiring manager for their time. It does not need to express enthusiasm for the role again. All of those things either add nothing or actively weaken the ending.
What it needs to say, in roughly two sentences:
1. You'd welcome a conversation about the role.
2. Where to reach you (or a reference to your attached CV for contact details).
That's it. A closing paragraph that does this clearly and confidently in 30 to 50 words is the right length. If yours is longer, you're probably repeating something from earlier in the letter or adding padding.
The closing formula that works
Here is the structure of a strong cover letter close:
Sentence 1 — The invitation: "I would welcome the opportunity to discuss [the role / how my experience with X applies to what you're building / this further]."
Keep it confident and specific where possible. "I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my three years building the compliance function at [company] maps to what you're doing here" is better than "I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further" — but both are fine.
Sentence 2 — The contact reference: "My contact details are on the attached CV, and I'm available at your convenience." Or: "I'm available for a call at any time — please find my contact details on the attached CV."
Sign-off: "Yours sincerely" (if addressed to a named person), "Yours faithfully" (if addressed to "Dear Hiring Manager" — UK convention), or "Kind regards" / "Best regards" (works everywhere, increasingly standard in professional contexts).
Your name: Your full name below the sign-off.
That is the entire close. Two sentences, a sign-off, your name. If you've written more than that, look for what can be removed.
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These are the closing phrases that consistently weaken good cover letters:
"Thank you so much for taking the time to read my application." You're thanking them for doing their job. It positions you as subordinate and adds nothing.
"I look forward to hearing from you." Weak and passive. You're hoping for an outcome rather than making it easy for them to act. Replace with a direct invitation.
"I hope you will consider my application." Worst of all. You're begging for consideration in your final sentence. This is the last impression you leave.
"I am available for interview on..." followed by a list of your available times. You're solving a problem they haven't raised. Let them contact you and schedule from there.
"Please don't hesitate to contact me." Filler. Of course they can contact you; you've applied for a job.
"References available on request." They know. Don't write it.
"I am confident that I would be a great asset to your team." After a strong middle section, this is redundant. They can draw their own conclusion. Stating it for them sounds defensive.
Any sentence in your closing paragraph that doesn't either invite a conversation or make contact easy can be cut.
Closing examples for different situations
Standard professional role:
"I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience with [X] contributes to what you're building. My contact details are on the attached CV and I'm available at your convenience. Kind regards, [Name]."
When you have a specific follow-up in mind:
"I'd love to walk you through the specific work I've done on [relevant project] in more detail — I think the approach we took maps directly to what you're trying to do here. Please do reach out at any time. Kind regards, [Name]."
For a casual or startup environment:
"Would love to talk through this more — details on the CV. Thanks for reading. [Name]."
When responding to a referral:
"[Referrer's name] suggested I get in touch, and having read more about what you're doing, I'd love to have a conversation. I'm available at your convenience. Kind regards, [Name]."
Notice what all of these have in common: they're short, they make the next step easy, and they stop without apologising, summarising, or hoping. The tone varies by context; the structure doesn't.