What to say in a cover letter when you’re not sure what they’re looking for

When the job ad is vague, here’s how to write something that still hits the mark

Jun 18, 2025
What to say in a cover letter when you’re not sure what they’re looking for
Photo by Jacky Chiu / Unsplash

Sometimes job descriptions are brilliant — clear, detailed, and full of clues about what kind of person they want. But other times they’re vague, confusing, or clearly copied and pasted from somewhere else. So how do you write a cover letter when you’re not even sure what they’re really looking for?

The answer: focus on what you do know, show how you can help, and make it easy for them to picture you in the role.

Here’s how to do that.