320+ Free cover letter examples (+expert guides)

Our free cover letter examples + expert guides are packed with useful tips and the best practices for getting hired in dozens of industries. Combine these samples with our templates and cover letter builder tool to finish your application in minutes.
Create My Cover Letter
4.5 out of 5
based on 49,584 reviews on Trustpilot
320+ Free cover letter examples (+expert guides)

Engineering
8

Our example cover letters for engineers of all types not only allow you to create a document with great structure and functionality but also the right amount of visual appeal to set your application apart. Whether you are a mechanical, chemical, or structural engineer, you’ll find a sample cover letter that will apply to your industry.

Transportation
9

Getting your career from point A to point B has never been easier with our collection of expert cover letter samples for various careers in transport and logistics. Use them in conjunction with our free example sentences and professional designs to complete your application hassle-free.

Administrative
17

Managing your next big career move has never been easier with our collection of administrative cover letter samples. Use these guides to create a professional tone, then finish off a strong application with our collection of professionally-designed templates and cover letter builder tool.

Accounting & Finance
23

We’ve crunched the numbers, and it turns out that creating a personalized, professional cover letter is one of the best ways to land your dream position. Learn how to capture a hiring manager’s attention with this collection of accounting and finance resources, then put it all together with our templates and builder tool to create a unique application in no time.

Sales
6

With an informative cover letter sample plus our professional templates and builder tool, highlighting your experience and achievements have never been easier. Close the deal with a potential employer hassle-free.

Real Estate
5

In the world of real estate, cultivating trust and a professional image is the key to success. Our cover letter samples along with our templates and expertly-designed builder tool, ensure you won’t miss your chance to seal the deal on a one-of-a-kind position.

Human Resource
6

Our cover letter samples for HR positions are designed to help you take your career to the next level. Our job-specific expert tips help you cultivate a professional tone, while our field-tested templates and cover letter builder tools allow you to create a personalized image frustration-free.

Business & Management
22

When it’s time to get down to business, we’ve got you covered. Our free cover letter samples help you write with confidence and authority no matter your role or experience level. Together with our trusted cover letter templates and builder tool, you can rest assured you’ve created the very best professional application.

Information Technology (IT)
30

Are you a dev or software engineer looking for a new position? When it’s time to create your next cover letter, our tech and IT cover letter samples teach you how to capture your skills and personality in a cover letter that’s as structured as it is unique.

Marketing
16

Give your skills and personality the best chance of making a great impression with our marketing cover letter samples packed with profession-specific tips. You can be sure to find a marketing cover letter example that will help you land that interview.

Retail
10

Whether you’re applying for your first job or are ready for a new challenge, our collection of cover letter samples for retail positions will teach you how to create a professional retail cover letter that makes hiring managers take notice. We even have specific cover letter examples for specific shops to help you target your application even further.

Hospitality & Catering
17

Our guides make writing a professional hospitality and catering cover letter a piece of cake. Learn how to stand out as a hard-working and reliable candidate in demand in today’s industry. Then, save time by putting it all together with our high-quality examples and assembly resources.

Maintenance & Repair
10

If that cover letter from your last application needs a bit of upkeep, our cover letter guides for the trades are just the thing to help you add a bit of TLC. If you find yourself at a loss for words, our cover letter examples will show you the best way to describe your skills and experience in a concise and compelling way.

Production
1

No matter your role in the manufacturing process, make your application stand out with our industry-specific cover letter examples. Share your story and strongest assets, then put your application together in a flash with our hassle-free builder tool and professional, customizable designs.
Show More

Beauty & Wellness
5

Whether you are ready to break into the field, change salons, or start your own, our beauty and wellness cover letter examples are groomed with the right knowledge for today’s industry. Pair them with our formatting resources and cover letter assembly tools for a polished application.

Security & Protective services
8

When it comes to landing your dream position, why leave anything to chance? Our collection of cover letter examples designed specifically for security and protective services positions teaches you how to create a unique professional image. Then, check out our adaptable, pre-written sentences to develop a rock-solid application.

Transport & Logistics
5

Getting your career from point A to point B has never been easier with our collection of expert cover letter samples for a variety of careers in transport and logistics. Use them in conjunction with our free example sentences and professional designs to complete your application hassle-free.

Sport & Fitness
5

Improve your chances of winning the perfect position with our collection of trusted sports and fitness cover letter examples. These samples, along with our professional formats and layout tips, are designed to get your cover letter in top shape to give you your best shot at reaching even the highest career goals.

Government
1

Show More

Other
34

Don’t leave your job search to chance. Our ever-expanding collection of cover letter examples for a variety of positions help you focus on your biggest strengths to land the job you want. Use these tips with our pre-written cover letter example sentences, spell checker, and other resources for an exceptional application.

Try our professional Resume builder now!

Save time with our easy 3-step resume builder. No more writer’s block or formatting difficulties in Word. Rapidly make a perfect resume employers love.

Cover letter example to copy & paste

A general cover letter example can serve as a great starting point for your application. If you’re feeling stuck, check out this copyable cover letter sample that you can copy and paste to modify for your own experience. You can also change the cover letter template at any time.

Example

Dear Mr. North,

My experience of managing teams through change has taught me that if you put people first, everything else will fall into place. I led a team through a turbulent 18 months of downsizing at Labsworth, while a blistering period of growth at Pine Inc. provided an entirely different experience. No matter what the trajectory of the company is, there are lessons to be learned.

Upon the completion of my MBA last year, I understood that I wanted to pursue a management role with an international dimension. I have never used my native Spanish in a business context and feel that your expansion into South America will allow me to employ my change management skills in a cultural setting that is familiar to me.

In a start-up, it is important to employ people with both operational and commercial expertise. I have negotiated contracts worth $9.5m, improved delivery efficiencies by 12%, redesigned warehouse packing flows, overseen staff disputes, and driven profitability to industry-leading levels. In my last year at Pine, I spearheaded three initiatives to improve the net profit from 5.2% to 6.1%. Profits improve when everything is considered.

I believe in letting my teams dictate the direction of their development. I have experience working with HR to design training modules, something that is particularly useful in a start-up. I enjoy the creativity and challenge of working out how to get the most out of a diverse set of professionals. 60% of my former team have enjoyed promotions over the past five years.

I cannot wait to find out more about your international expansion plans and hope that I am well-placed to assist.

Sincerely,

Lara Fernandez

Copied!

Our best sample cover letters

Check out our most popular cover letter samples below.

Internship cover letter example 

Accounting cover letter example 

Graduate cover letter example

Administrative assistant cover letter example

Teacher cover letter example

Nursing cover letter example

Software engineer cover letter example

Perfect cover letter structure

The perfect cover letter should have a clear and organized structure to make sure it highlights why you’re the right candidate for the job. Here’s what you should include to impress employers and increase your chances of landing the interview:

  1. Header: The cover letter header is the space at the top, or sometimes the side, of your cover letter that contains your name, contact information, and any relevant links. The header serves a vital role in identifying your cover letter and helping to create an attractive presentation.
  2. Greeting: The greeting of the cover letter is the way you address the person who will be reading it. We recommend using the hiring manager’s name whenever possible to establish a friendly, yet professional tone.
  3. Introduction: The introduction consists of the opening lines of your cover letter that serve to grab the hiring manager’s attention and encourage them to read the rest of your cover letter. The introduction should also include the company name and the role for which you are applying.
  4. Body (middle part): The body paragraphs are the middle part of your cover letter that give you the space and flexibility to discuss your accomplishments and key qualifications for the role.
  5. Conclusion & sign off: The conclusion is the final sentence of the cover letter that generally includes a call to action. This sentence expresses your enthusiasm for the job and politely encourages the hiring manager to schedule an interview.

You can also view our full guide on how to write a cover letter.

Science Teacher cover letter example
Science Teacher cover letter example

What makes a good cover letter example

A good cover letter example contains a combination of factors that work together to present you as the best possible candidate for the role. Remember that a cover letter sample is a starting point and should always be customized for your specific experience and the job you are applying to. In general, here are a few things to pay attention to that will make your cover letter stand out from the rest:

  • The right template: An attractive cover letter is more likely to be noticed by employers. The best cover letter template is one that combines your own professional personality with the brand and image of the company you’re applying to. Our adaptable cover letter sample can serve as a reference when creating your header.
  • Proper formatting: The right formatting makes your cover letter easier to read, and in turn, keeps the hiring manager interested for longer. Here are a few do’s and don’ts for great cover letter formatting.
Do
  • Keep a balance of white space to text
  • Use paragraph breaks and proper punctuation
  • Create an attractive header at the top of the page
Don't
  • Adjust the margins to cram in more text
  • Go overboard with flashy colors unless appropriate in your industry
  • Forget to proofread for spelling and grammar mistakes
  • A customized greeting: Your cover letter greeting should use the hiring manager’s name whenever possible. If you can’t find the name of a specific person, make sure to customize the greeting for the company or team.
  • A professional email address: Your email address should be a combination of your first and last name (with numbers if you have a common name). Unprofessional email addresses are a big mistake.
  • Clear structure: Even though a cover letter is one of the more freeform parts of your application, it should still appear organized. Use the sections of our cover letter example above as a model for your own.
  • Detailed examples: The writing of your cover letter should give concrete examples of your skills, qualifications, and accomplishments. Make sure to use numbers and statistics whenever possible.

Cover letter examples FAQs

What to write in a cover letter?

Your cover letter is an opportunity to expand on the skills and experiences described in your resume. Instead of simply repeating what’s written there, make sure to add new details and examples that are relevant for the role and will encourage the hiring manager to contact you for an interview. 

How do you start a cover letter?

There are plenty of ways to start a cover letter, including with an anecdote, a statement about your skills or passion, or your connection to the company. Check out our adaptable cover letter samples for more ideas to get you started writing your own cover letter.

What are 3 things you should include in a cover letter?

Three things that should always be included in a cover letter are:

  1. Your name and contact information
  2. The hiring manager’s name
  3. The name of the company and the role you for which you’re applying

How long should a cover letter be?

Ideally, a cover letter's length should be between 250-400 words. A shorter cover letter may not be able to capture your skills, while a longer one may become tiresome to read. A cover letter should always fit on one page. See our adaptable cover letter examples for details.

What are common cover letter phrases?

Every cover letter should be unique but a few phrases you may find useful are:

  1. I am excited to apply to the role of (Job Title) at (Company Name).
  2. I am looking forward to the possibility of an interview.
  3. Feel free to contact me by phone or email at (Your Phone Number) or (Email Address).
  4. Sincerely, (Your Name)

What words should not be used in a cover letter?

We recommend avoiding “ To Whom It May Concern” as it sounds impersonal and outdated. You should also avoid any language that sounds cold, arrogant, or entitled. Our cover letter samples can serve as an example of the right tone to use.

What does an employer look for in a cover letter?

Employers use cover letters to gauge whether you’re truly interested in the position and if you’ve understood the requirements. Make sure to consult the job description before writing your cover letter.

What is a simple example of a cover letter?

If you’re looking for a simple example of a cover letter, you’ve come to the right place! Here are some of our favorite simple cover letter samples:

Student cover letter example

Driver cover letter example

Customer service representative cover letter example

Build your cover letter in minutes
Build your cover letter in minutes
Stand out and get hired faster with our collection of free cover letter templates expertly-designed to land you the perfect position.
Create Cover Letter
Build your cover letter in minutes
Build your cover letter in minutes
Stand out and get hired faster with our collection of free cover letter templates expertly-designed to land you the perfect position.
Create Cover Letter

Free professionally designed templates

With over 10 million resumes and cover letters created, Resume.io is the leading online career builder that land you interviews
4.5 out of 5
based on 49,584 reviews on Trustpilot
Use This TemplateStockholm cover_letter template
Stockholm
1,300,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateNew York cover_letter template
New York
400,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateVienna cover_letter template
Vienna
110,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateSydney cover_letter template
Sydney
140,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateLondon cover_letter template
London
240,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateDublin cover_letter template
Dublin
210,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateMoscow cover_letter template
Moscow
56,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateAmsterdam cover_letter template
Amsterdam
140,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateMadrid cover_letter template
Madrid
130,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateSantiago cover_letter template
Santiago
120,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateSingapore cover_letter template
Singapore
47,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateOslo cover_letter template
Oslo
51,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateCape Town cover_letter template
Cape Town
7,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateParis cover_letter template
Paris
32,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateBerlin cover_letter template
Berlin
85,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateGeneva cover_letter template
Geneva
2,900+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateVancouver cover_letter template
Vancouver
41,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateTokyo cover_letter template
Tokyo
56,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateMilan cover_letter template
Milan
47,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateLisbon cover_letter template
Lisbon
26,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateBarcelona cover_letter template
Barcelona
27,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateCopenhagen cover_letter template
Copenhagen
20,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateChicago cover_letter template
Chicago
18,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateRio cover_letter template
Rio
26,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateRome cover_letter template
Rome
4,900+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateBoston cover_letter template
Boston
15,000+ users chose this template
Use This TemplateToronto cover_letter template
Toronto
92,000+ users chose this template
This website uses cookies to improve user experience and perform analytics and marketing. By using our website, you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
Accept Cookies