You studied the job application, polished your resume, and are ready to hit “send.” But before you do, you need to craft a cover letter to support your candidacy.
A hiring manager’s job is to quickly gauge whether you have the know-how to fit the roles and responsibilities of a job. And they also want to know if you possess soft skills that bring value to company culture and the business as a whole. Every document you send to a potential employer should prove you’re the best person for the job.
Your resume or CV showcases your professional development based on skills and work experience. But the best resumes are concise, with bullet points that lead the reader to the most important information. You often don’t have enough space to truly express your value.
A good cover letter is an opportunity to highlight your experience and display your workplace personality. It gives a hiring manager a taste of what it’ll be like to work with you — and going the extra mile shows you’re genuinely interested in the job description.
To help you write a successful application for your dream job, here’s information around cover letters plus three cover letter examples to adapt to your needs.
What’s a cover letter?
A professional cover letter is a document you submit to a hiring manager or recruiter with your application. It’s a persuasive letter that dives deeper into your skills and experience.
But an effective cover letter should do more than just copy and paste the content of your resume. It describes how you’ll use those skills on the job. You can highlight your most relevant personal achievements and speak directly about the value proposition you’ll bring to the company.
Think of your cover letter like a movie trailer. It should make an engaging first impression, tell an exciting story, and entice the hiring manager to learn more about you.
Many people dread writing cover letters. They take time to compose, and you never know if hiring managers will actually take the time to read them. But submitting one at all shows the company that you’re serious about earning a position, proving you’re a high-quality applicant who cares about the job.
What does a cover letter include?
Most professional emails and letters follow the same format, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Typically, a cover letter is between 250 and 400 words and fits onto one page.
You can send a cover letter in three ways: as an email attachment, in the body of an email, or as part of an online application. Pay careful attention to the instructions in the job posting.
Some companies may prefer a specific file attachment for easy internal sharing, and sending the right format tells the hiring manager you have an eye for detail and take direction.
Here’s an example of what you’ll find in a basic cover letter template:
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Header with contact information: Let your reader know who you are, with your full name and professional email address at the top of the page. You may include additional information like a personal website or LinkedIn profile, location, and contact information like a phone number.
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Opening paragraph: Begin with a professional salutation. Research the company and try to find the hiring manager or recruiter's name to demonstrate professionalism and due diligence. Your opening paragraph should be a quick show of gratitude that thanks them for their time and consideration.
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Body: Your second and third paragraphs should tell an engaging story introducing you as a person and an employee.
This might include a relevant anecdote about why you’re interested in the company and a personal achievement that connects the role to your professional development goals.
Always tie in skills and keywords from the job posting, and consider researching the company’s core values and wrapping them into the text.
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The closing sale: Your final paragraph should reiterate your main selling points, demonstrate your enthusiasm for the job, and thank the person for their consideration. Conclude with an appropriate email sign-off.
3 cover letter samples to make your own
Professional communication should be short and to the point, whether you’re writing an out-of-office message, letter of interest, or promotion announcement. Developing a cover letter format that self-promotes your best qualities without losing your reader’s attention requires careful, purposeful writing.
To write your own, here are three examples to edit based on your needs and the new job's requirements:
1. Simple cover letter template for an entry-level job
This basic application letter tells a hiring manager or recruiter what they need to know about your potential, even without years of experience.
It shows off important soft skills like enthusiasm, initiative, and goal-setting that provide insights into the type of worker you are. This cover letter also highlights necessary information and your unique value proposition.
[your name]
[email address]
[date]
Dear [hiring manager’s name],
I hope this letter finds you well. Thank you for considering me for the [position] at [company name]. As a recent college graduate with a [degree title], I’m eager and excited to enter the workforce.
I’m a creative and innovative person who excels in [type of work]. When deciding what major to choose, I found that [topic] was a career path that allowed me to nurture my natural critical thinking abilities and find out-of-the-box solutions.
At school, I balanced my coursework between [subject], [subject], and [subject], which helped grow my passion for [industry]. That led me to find [company name], an organization I really admire for its [attributes and company goals].
While wrapping up my degree, I completed an internship at [company name] as part of [department]. The experience tested my understanding of [topic] with real-life scenarios and proved that I excel equally in independent research and fast-paced, collaborative environments.
It cemented my motivation to continue to push my career in this direction, and I hope to continue my work with your team.
Thank you again for taking the time to read my application. I hope to have the opportunity to interview and discuss more about the job, along with how I can contribute to [company name]’s goals. I have attached my resume and am happy to provide you with professional references.
Sincerely,
[your name]
[LinkedIn profile URL]
2. Creative cover letter template for an internal promotion
A great cover letter grabs a hiring manager's attention like a gripping story, and this is especially true when you’re already passionate about the company you work for.
This cover letter provides an emotional hook and supports itself with specific examples that promote the right experience level, attitude, and know-how for an internal promotion.
[your name]
[email address]
[date]
Dear [hiring manager’s name],
Thank you for the opportunity to apply for the [job title] opening. Having dedicated the past [number] years to working on [previous team], I feel deeply connected to [company name]’s mission and culture.
I’m ready to take the expertise I’ve learned in my current [title] role to contribute to the success of the business in new ways while also pushing my own career growth forward.
If you’re unfamiliar with my work, last summer, I supported [project] and used my [skills] to bring it to fruition. Building a [type of project] from the ground up and working strategically across [fields] was an eye-opening and formative new experience, and it taught me [more specific skills].
I’m proud to say we [achievements with metrics], and I know I can bring that expertise to [new position],
While I have enjoyed the challenge of [previous title], that experience taught me that I excel with [skills], which I know I can apply to [new title]. I'm ready to translate my knowledge of [topic] to a more wide-reaching role handling [new responsibilities].
The creativity, collaboration, and flexibility I’ve shown in my current role show that I’m up for the next challenge.
Thank you again for inviting me to apply. I look forward to this opportunity to continue pushing our company toward success.
Best,
[your name]
3. Best cover letter template for a freelancer or contractor
For a contract or freelance job, a hiring manager wants to know that you’re thoughtful, competent, and independent enough to finish your work on time without too much guidance.
Similar to a letter of intent, researching the company and drawing parallels to your skills and experience will capture the hiring manager’s attention.
[your name]
[email address]
[date]
Dear [hiring manager’s name],
I hope you’re doing well. I’m excited to apply for the [contract role] you’ve posted.
With [number] years of experience working independently for a wide range of companies, including startups, small businesses, and national brands, I have a proven ability to adapt my skills to any business model and complete [type of work] that meets your goals.
Throughout my career, I’ve always prioritized working with companies that emphasize impact beyond their bottom line. Your commitment to [company values] speak directly to the values guiding my work.
I’m confident we can develop the solutions you’re looking for [cite goal listed in the job post, like increasing market share] while respecting the ethos of our work philosophies.
As a [job title or topic], I’ve worked with nearly [number] brands and continue to regularly consult with [number]. My approach is [describe work ethos]. I value quality over quantity. Building trust and long-term relationships while contributing truly valuable work is what matters most.
I’m fluent in [skill], stay on top of emerging AI technologies, and thrive on [skill/topic]. My top concern is always making the right recommendation for the client, not the market.
I pride myself on my adaptability and ability to tease out the best strategy for my clients. Over the past year, my work has contributed to over [number] in net profits for clients of a similar size to your own.
I’m eager to hear more about your long-term objectives and bring my expertise to your mission.
Best regards,
[your name]
[LinkedIn profile URL]
[professional website URL]
3 more tips for a winning cover letter
Remember that a cover letter is specific to the job and to your experience, and even putting in just five extra minutes of effort can show a potential employer you care. Here are some extra tips to make sure your application is perfect:
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Prepare ahead of time: There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all application. The perfect resume is specific to the job search, responsibilities, and company you’re applying to — and the same goes for your cover letter.
Read the job post thoroughly for keywords and use them to guide your writing. Incorporating company language into your own will show that you fit the team.
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Double-check your work: Misspellings, grammar mistakes, and inconsistent formatting can ruin your chances of getting an interview. Small or consistent errors insinuate that you lack effort and care.
Ask a colleague to give it a read-through to make sure you're effectively representing yourself. Likewise, run your final draft through a grammar app to ensure punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure are perfect.
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Use a cover letter builder: If you’re drawing a blank on the best cover letter design or can’t find the right words, lean on available online tools. You can use a professional cover letter template on a resume builder site to guide you and ensure you check off all the right boxes for a hiring manager.
Letter for success
While your resume highlights your skills in a structured format, the cover letter gives you more freedom to showcase your positive personality traits, celebrate your achievements, and impress a potential employer. While not every job will require a cover letter, it’s never a bad idea to go the extra mile to make a case for yourself as the best candidate.
Now that you have several cover letter examples, it’s time to get writing. Research the company, study the role, and draw the right parallels between its needs and your abilities. It could be just the motivation for a hiring manager to give your resume a little extra attention — and for you to land your next job.
