Cover Letter Examples and Writing Tips for 2023

A cover letter is a business letter that summarizes your career by highlighting your most impressive work experience, education and skills while offering a glimpse into your personality. It accompanies your professional resume and job application. A cover letter shows your interest in the company you are applying to and gives you the opportunity to explain how you’d benefit the company.

A strong cover letter needs to be short, to the point and clearly communicate what you can bring to a company. Bullet points are a great way to communicate this information easily, especially if you’re adding a lot of information to the cover letter.

Here’s how this might look in an effective cover letter:

In my previous jobs, I was regularly tasked with helping the company manage large sums of money. This includes advertising campaigns with multi-million-dollar budgets that I was in charge of. These campaigns include:

• $16 million for a 3M campaign
• $22 million for an Apple campaign
• $26 million for a Ford campaign

Your cover letter should also have a closing paragraph with a request for further dialogue including an interview. Your document should not be more than one page long.

It’s also important that you proofread your cover letter before you send it. It doesn’t matter how perfect you are for a job opening; if a hiring manager notices typos and grammatical errors, you’re almost certainly not going to make it past the first review.

Our cover letter samples can help you with each of these key points. Just pick an example that best fits the position you’re aiming for and use our content as a base for crafting your own letter. For more tips on how to shape your cover letter, visit our guide on how to write a cover letter.

The three primary parts of a cover letter are known as the 3P (three paragraphs)s: the introduction, the pitch and the conclusion. All cover letters should follow a specific format using the following elements:

• Introduction: Write an introductory hook that makes the reader want to continue reading.
• Pitch: Write a brief explanation telling why you want to work for the company.
• Conclusion: Write a call to action thanking the reader and requesting a job interview.

Just follow these tips on structuring your cover letter and one of our examples to better understand how it works. Sample cover letters give you a quick start to writing a cover letter.

Yes, cover letters are an important part of a job search. A letter allows you to expand on your accomplishments and how your skills will benefit the company. Unless you come across a job description that specifically indicates a cover letter isn’t necessary, you should always assume that a cover letter is required. Even if it isn’t clearly required in the job ad, it can be incredibly helpful to write one to accompany your resume.

Think of your cover letter as an additional tool for your application. When you submit a cover letter with your professional resume, you’re complementing your resume with more information on your background and making a case for how you can help a company.

A good cover letter example allows you to see what works in the field where you’re hoping to get a job. Our examples feature job-specific details and suggestions that can aid you in creating your perfect letter and separate yourself from the competition.

Just use our examples in conjunction with our professional cover letter builder, which provides step-by-step guidance and tips to write a cover letter from the opening paragraph to closing. Use the right cover letter template for inspiration as well as suggestions that help you zero in on important skills and qualifications you can highlight in a perfect cover letter.

A cover letter example, especially one written with a specific job in mind, will be filled out with all the sections you need in a cover letter: a header, salutation, opening and body paragraphs, and a closing. Once you have a cover letter example in hand, you should think of it as a foundation for your letter, and update the content where needed. For example, if the job you’re looking at stresses customer service, you should update your letter to include an example or two of your customer service skills, or how you showed superior customer service in a previous job. Always customize your letter to fit the job you’re applying for, while keeping to the structure that’s already set up in the letter.

No. Everything about your application, even your resume, should be tailored for each job. Submitting a different cover letter is worth the effort during your job search. The best cover letters highlight skills and experiences that fit the specific job’s requirements.

One of the ways hiring managers can often tell whether job seekers are just using a template is by checking the greeting. Avoid using general terms like To whom it may concern or Dear sir. Be specific and use Dear Mr./Ms. [Name].

In many ways, the individuality of your cover letter is one of the things that could be the difference between getting hired and getting passed over. The perfect cover letter gives you the chance to demonstrate how you fit the job and why a company should hire you, so take full advantage and mention qualities about the company that interest you or point out specific ways in which you can fill the role.

Don’t submit a resume you’ve spent time, effort and substantial thought creating without including a professional customized cover letter. Get started now with our examples and create your cover letter. Using a cover letter builder can help you create and tailor each cover letter in just minutes. You will get expert suggestions and a professionally designed template to craft an impressive cover letter.

A cover letter should be a one-page document, including the header, salutation, introduction, pitch and conclusion.

Remember that the resume and cover letter are the way to get your foot in the door and get an interview. Point out the best achievements of your career, the best skills you can offer and why you’re interested in this particular company. Check out our article Everything You Should Include in a Cover Letter in This Year for some ideas.

Cover letters are a one page document, generally around 250-400 words. This means that you need to pack a lot of information in a short space. Unless the employer is asking specific questions that need to be answered in the cover letter, you should keep it to 250-400 words. You can do this by following the 3Ps — the introduction, pitch and conclusion — and keeping each to a concise word count.

For example:

Dear Mr. Wayne,

When I learned that Big Tech Company had an opening for a customer service representative, I knew I had to apply. I’ve been using your products as a student and in my personal life for the past decade. I am familiar with the user experience and as a current customer service representative, I can bring my personal knowledge and professional experience to your brand.

For the past year, I’ve been working at Call Center Services, where I handle an average of 30 calls per hour. I assist customers with their issues in the quickest, most accurate way possible. This was noticed by management, who recognized me as the Employee of the Trimester during our summer season and awarded me Excellence in Customer Service at the end of the year. I am a leader among my peers and I am currently studying to become a backend developer — knowing the issues users face have helped in my studies.

My ability to learn quickly, experience in customer service and passion for your product make me an excellent candidate for this role. I look forward to further discussing my qualifications with you at your earliest convenience.

Thanks for your time.

Regards,

Kathleen Smith

In this example we can see that the writer followed the 3Ps rule.

• An introductory paragraph stating what they’re applying for and their personal interest in the company.
• A pitch paragraph where their daily tasks and recognition by management highlight their abilities and skills.
• A closing paragraph, also known as the final paragraph, on why they’re the best candidate for the position.

If you’re looking to create a straightforward cover letter, focus on including the following in your letter:

• A statement about who you are (i.e., sales representative) and the specific job you want
• A few sentences about your top skills and career highlights so far. A single example or two with details (i.e., “I have ten years of experience managing teams of 50+ people”) often goes farther than stating a lot of skills and experiences without context
• A few reasons why you’re interested in the job and the company, and why you think you’d be the right fit

And that’s it! Make sure you have a professional greeting addressed to the hiring manager’s attention (use hiring manager’s name not Dear Sir,) and closing, and all your contact information is correct, and you have the makings of a good, simple cover letter.

All the elements of a cover letter work together to help show your strengths as a candidate. As a whole, the cover letter can show your attention to detail and give a storytelling side to your accomplishments and skills.

You must included these three elements in your cover letter:

• What makes you unique for the role
• How you can benefit the company
• Your best achievements

Remember, that the cover letter allows you to expand on your resume, showcase your skills and address head on any concerns. It also gives you an opportunity to ask for a job interview.

A cover letter is a good idea even if you have no experience. Focus on your best skills, especially soft skills that are your personality traits and demonstrate your work ethic, such as attention to detail or flexibility. You can also include any key hard skills that you’ve learned through education and other training. Look to feature any volunteer work or extracurricular activities that show you do have experiences that exhibit transferable skills you can bring to the new job role. To make writing your cover letter easier, write your resume first. The cover letter will allow you to expand on the information featured on your resume.