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Cover letter examples for every situation

Cover letter examples you can learn from: 8 complete letters for a first job, an internship, a career change and common jobs, each with notes on why it works. Every person in them is fictional.

Write my cover letterSee cover letter templates
Cover letter example with no experience: a one-page letter from a fictional marketing graduate in the Whitespace design

Cover letter example with no experience

A cover letter with no work experience works when it puts a project, a part-time job or volunteering where the job history would go, and links each one to the advert.

Junior Marketing Assistant at Coastline Retail Group

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am applying for the Junior Marketing Assistant role at Coastline Retail Group. I finished my Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing this year, and I would like to start my career in a team that sells to everyday shoppers.

In my final year I ran the social media pages for our student market day. I planned two weeks of posts, wrote the captions and answered every message, and the stall holders told us more people came than the year before. During holidays I worked weekends at a family clothing shop, where I learned to arrange displays and to talk to customers who were not sure what they wanted.

I am organised, quick to learn new tools, and happy to take on the small tasks that keep a campaign moving. I would be glad to show you the market day posts at an interview. Thank you for considering my application.

Sincerely,

Thandiwe Nkosi

Why this cover letter example works

  • Opens with the job title and the degree, so the reader knows who is writing in one line.
  • Uses a student project and a weekend job as proof, with what was done, not just a list of skills.
  • Offers something to show at the interview, which gives the employer a reason to call.
Write yours in the Whitespace templateCV with no experience
Cover letter example with no experience: Thandiwe's one-page letter for a junior marketing assistant job in the Whitespace cover letter template

Cover letter example for an internship

An internship cover letter should name the course you are studying, the dates you are available, and one piece of work that shows you can do what the internship needs.

Software Engineering Intern at Brightpath Software

Dear Ms. Kavya Rao,

I would like to apply for the Software Engineering Internship at Brightpath Software. I am in the third year of a BTech in Computer Science, and I am available full time from January to June 2027.

For my course project I built a small web app that lets students in my hostel book the shared washing machines. I wrote it in React with a Node.js back end, and about sixty students used it last term. Fixing the bugs they reported taught me more than any exam: how to read an error log, write a test that fails first, and ask for a code review before shipping.

Your internship would let me learn from engineers who build for real users at scale. I would be happy to walk you through the code of my project. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Arjun Mehta

Why this cover letter example works

  • States the course, the year and the exact dates available: the three things an internship recruiter checks first.
  • One real project with the tools used and who used it beats a list of languages.
  • Says what the student wants to learn, which is what an internship is for.
Write yours in the Contempo templateApplication letter for an internship
Cover letter example for an internship: Arjun's one-page letter for a software engineering intern job in the Contempo cover letter template

Cover letter example for a career change

A career change cover letter should explain the move in one sentence, then show the skills that carry over from the old job to the new one.

Customer Success Associate at Northgate Software

Dear Ms. Laura Bennett,

I am writing to apply for the Customer Success Associate role at Northgate Software. After six years as a retail store supervisor, I am moving into software customer success, where I can keep doing the part of my job I enjoy most: helping customers get what they came for.

As a supervisor I trained new staff on our till and stock systems, handled the complaints that reached the manager, and kept regular customers coming back. This year I completed an online course in customer success and used your product on a free trial to understand how a new user gets started.

I know I would be new to software, and I am ready to learn quickly. I would welcome the chance to talk about how my experience with customers could help your clients. Thank you for reading my letter.

Sincerely,

Daniel Okafor

Why this cover letter example works

  • Names the old job and the new one in the opening, so the change is clear rather than hidden.
  • Picks only the skills that transfer: training people, handling complaints, keeping customers.
  • Shows effort to learn the new field (a course, using the product) instead of asking the reader to imagine it.
Write yours in the Refined templateCareer change CV guide
Cover letter example for a career change: Daniel's one-page letter for a customer success associate job in the Refined cover letter template

Cover letter example for a nurse

A nursing cover letter should state your registration, the ward or specialty you know, and how you care for patients, in plain words a ward manager can check.

Registered Nurse, Medical Ward at Riverside Community Hospital

Dear The Nurse Manager,

I am applying for the post of Registered Nurse on your medical ward. I am a registered nurse with four years of experience on a busy general medical ward, and my registration is current.

On my ward I care for up to eight patients a shift, many with diabetes and heart conditions. I give medicines, keep accurate notes, and explain care plans to families in a way they can follow. I also mentor student nurses on their placements, which keeps my own practice careful.

I would be glad to bring steady, patient-centred care to Riverside Community Hospital. Thank you for considering my application. I am available for an interview at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Grace Wanjiru

Why this cover letter example works

  • Puts registration and years on the ward in the first paragraph: the first thing a nurse manager checks.
  • Describes a normal shift (patient load, conditions, notes, families) instead of adjectives.
  • Keeps the tone calm and plain, which suits a clinical reader.
Write yours in the Professional templateApplication letter for a nurse
Cover letter example for a nurse: Grace's one-page letter for a registered nurse, medical ward job in the Professional cover letter template

Cover letter example for a teacher

A teacher cover letter should name your subject and the classes you teach, then give one example of how you help students learn.

Mathematics Teacher at Greenhill State High School

Dear The Principal,

I am writing to apply for the Mathematics Teacher position at Greenhill State High School. I have taught mathematics to Years 7 to 10 for five years and I hold full teacher registration.

My students who find maths hard often say it is the words, not the numbers, that stop them. So I start each topic with a real problem from their lives, like planning a budget for a school trip, before we write a single formula. I also run a lunchtime help session twice a week, which has become one of the busiest rooms in the school.

I would love to bring this approach to your maths department and to help with extra-curricular activities. Thank you for considering my application.

Sincerely,

Chloe Martin

Why this cover letter example works

  • Subject, year levels and registration in the first two lines.
  • One teaching habit described in detail shows more than "passionate educator".
  • Offers to help beyond the classroom, which schools value.
Write yours in the Managerial templateApplication letter for a teacher
Cover letter example for a teacher: Chloe's one-page letter for a mathematics teacher job in the Managerial cover letter template

Cover letter example for customer service

A customer service cover letter should show how you handle an unhappy customer, because that is the moment the job is really about.

Customer Service Representative at Sunvale Home Services

Dear Hiring Team,

I am applying for the Customer Service Representative position at Sunvale Home Services. I have three years of experience answering calls and chats for a busy internet provider.

Most of the people who called me were already frustrated. I learned to let them finish, repeat back what went wrong, and tell them exactly what would happen next and when. I kept clear notes so the next agent never had to ask the same questions, and I was often given the calls that had been escalated twice.

I would like to bring the same patience to your customers. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Maria Lopez

Why this cover letter example works

  • Describes the hard part of the job (frustrated callers) and a method for it.
  • Mentions notes and escalations: small details that tell a team lead you are reliable.
  • Short: three paragraphs that fit well inside one page.
Write yours in the Pacific templateCustomer service CV example
Cover letter example for customer service: Maria's one-page letter for a customer service representative job in the Pacific cover letter template

Cover letter example for an accountant

An accountant cover letter should list the work you do each month and the qualification you hold or are finishing, because both can be checked.

Accountant at Pwani Agro Processors Ltd

Dear Ms. Rehema Kileo,

I would like to apply for the Accountant position at Pwani Agro Processors Ltd. For the past three years I have kept the books of a busy wholesale distributor, and I am ready to bring that discipline to a growing processing business.

In my current role I prepare the monthly bank and supplier reconciliations, file VAT returns on time, and process payments to our suppliers. I am a CPA finalist, and I enjoy the part of the job most people avoid: finding the one entry that does not match and fixing the reason it happened.

I would welcome the chance to talk about how I can support your finance team. Thank you for reading my application. I am available for an interview at any time that suits you.

Sincerely,

Neema Mushi

Why this cover letter example works

  • Names concrete monthly tasks (reconciliations, VAT returns, supplier payments).
  • States the qualification stage honestly: "finalist", not "qualified".
  • One personal line about the work keeps it human without leaving the facts.
Write yours in the Professional templateAccountant CV example
Cover letter example for an accountant: Neema's one-page letter for a accountant job in the Professional cover letter template

Cover letter example for a software developer

A software developer cover letter should point to work the reader can see, such as a product, a repository or a feature you shipped, and say what you did on it.

Backend Developer at Ledgerline Payments

Dear Mr. Tunde Bello,

I am applying for the Backend Developer role at Ledgerline Payments. I have three years of experience building APIs in Python and Go, most recently for a logistics company that tracks deliveries across Lagos.

At my current job I rebuilt the service that sends delivery updates to customers. It used to fail quietly when the SMS provider was slow; now it retries, logs every failure and alerts the team. I write tests for anything that touches money or customer data, and I review my teammates' code as carefully as I want mine reviewed.

Payments is the kind of work where small mistakes matter, and that is why I want to do it. My public projects are on my GitHub profile, linked in my CV. Thank you for considering my application.

Sincerely,

Ifeoma Adeyemi

Why this cover letter example works

  • Languages and years in one line, then one system the developer changed and why it mattered.
  • Mentions tests and code review: what a lead developer looks for in a hire.
  • Points to public work the reader can check.
Write yours in the Whitespace templateIT CV example
Cover letter example for a software developer: Ifeoma's one-page letter for a backend developer job in the Whitespace cover letter template

How to write a cover letter from an example

Use an example for its shape, not its words. The cover letter generator drafts your own version from the job advert and what you tell it.

  1. 1

    Find the cover letter example closest to your situation

    Look at its order and length, and how it proves each point. Do not copy the words.

  2. 2

    Write your own proof

    Swap in one or two things you really did that match the advert: a task, a project, a result.

  3. 3

    Put it in a template

    Choose one of our free cover letter templates. The AI can draft the letter from what you tell it, and never invents facts.

  4. 4

    Read it aloud, then send it

    Cut anything that sounds like every other letter. Download it as a PDF and send it with your CV.

Cover letter examples, answered

  • A good cover letter example fits on one page in three or four paragraphs: the job you want and who you are, one or two things you have done that match the advert, and a short close that asks for an interview. It names the company and the role, and it gives proof instead of adjectives.

Turn a cover letter example into your letter

Pick a free template, tell us about the job and your experience, and download your cover letter as a PDF. Sending a CV too? See our CV examples.

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