How to Write a Cover Letter With No Experience

Including a cover letter along with your well-written resume shows you’ve put effort into your application and provided employers with relevant details explaining why you can handle the work.

But what if you’ve never worked before and have no idea what to include in a cover letter? Don’t worry. Writing a good cover letter is possible — even if it’s your first time writing one.

Here are some tips and an example to show you how to write a cover letter.

1. List your contact information
2. Include the hiring manager’s contact details
3. Address the hiring manager by name
4. Write an attention-grabbing opening paragraph
5. Explain why you’re the best fit for the role
6. Describe your relevant skills
7. Mention your top achievements
8. Close your cover letter professionally
9. Proofread your cover letter
10. Submit your cover letter as a PDF

How to write a cover letter with no experience in 10 steps

Follow these 10 steps to write a cover letter that highlights your strengths:

1. List your contact information

Before writing your cover letter paragraphs, make sure your personal details are visible and up-to-date.

Your contact information belongs in your cover letter header, which sits at the top of your cover letter. Listing your contact details lets hiring managers easily find your information if they decide to interview you.

Add these contact details to your cover letter header:

• First and last name: Use bigger and bolder text compared to the rest of your cover letter so your name looks more memorable to employers.
• Phone number: To avoid confusion, include your area or country code if you’re applying for a job in a different country.
• Email address: List a professional email address such as your.name@gmail.com.
• Address: Adding your address is optional. Include your mailing address, city, state, and ZIP code if you want to, or if a hiring manager asks for it.

Here’s an example of what an address looks like in a cover letter header:

1345 Briar Road, San Diego, CA 91980

You can also just list your city and state, like this:

San Diego, CA

Your header should also use a cover letter font that employers can read easily.

Here’s an example of an applicant’s cover letter header with their listed contact details:

2. Include the hiring manager’s contact details

After filling in your cover letter header, format your cover letter properly by adding the current date and the hiring manager’s name and contact information.

Listing these details shows you’ve taken the time to research the company and contact the correct person.

Leave a space between today’s date and the hiring manager’s contact details, like so:

3. Address the hiring manager by name

The next step of writing your cover letter is to address your hiring manager by name using a polite cover letter salutation (also known as a greeting).

Addressing the hiring name by their name quickly establishes a personal connection and shows them you’re a detail-oriented applicant.

Leave a space between the hiring manager’s company details and the salutation so employers can easily follow along when reading your letter.

Also, don’t forget to use the proper gender titles [Mr./Ms./Mx.] before the hiring manager’s name, like so:

Dear [Mr./Ms./Mx.] [Hiring Manager’s Last Name],

After the cover letter salutation, leave a space and start writing your first paragraph.

4. Write an attention-grabbing opening paragraph

Hiring managers scan through applications quickly, so starting your cover letter with an effective opening paragraph will make them want to keep reading.

Begin your cover letter by stating your name (optional), the role you’re applying for, and where you found the job posting, like in this example:

My name is Daria West and I’m applying for the part-time role of Retail Sales Associate for Hollister I found listed on Monster.com.

If a friend, former classmate, or someone who works at the company told you about this job opening — and let you use them as your cover letter referral — then use this section to mention their name and connection to you.

Here’s an example of how you can name drop someone in your cover letter’s opening paragraph:

You can also use the opening paragraph to:

• express your passion or excitement for the role
• briefly state your top skills or achievements
• mention the company’s values and how they align with yours
• explain your purpose for applying
• demonstrate what you can do for the company

For instance, this college student’s cover letter opening for an internship position mentions their enthusiasm for the company:

5. Explain why you’re the best fit for the role

The next step after your opening paragraph is to write 1–3 body paragraphs explaining why you’re the perfect job candidate.

Even if you don’t have any work experience, hiring managers will still want to interview you if they think you’re a good fit and can handle the work.

So prove you’re a top applicant by providing specific examples to show you’ve done your research and have some knowledge of what the company values.

Because you’re new to the job world, write about your experiences from school (such as relevant coursework or academic achievements), volunteering, internships, or extracurricular activities.

Additionally, always try to connect your experiences back to the company and describe how you can help it achieve its goals.

Here’s an example of an applicant’s body paragraph connecting their relevant experience to the organization’s goals:

6. Describe your relevant skills

Employers want to hire an applicant who has a good mix of hard and soft skills, so make sure to include them in your cover letter.

Even if you’ve never worked before, you can still describe your hard and soft skills if they’re relevant to the position.

Here’s an example of how to describe your hard and soft skills in a cover letter:

7. Mention your top accomplishments

Don’t neglect your previous accomplishments. Achieving a high GPA, receiving an award, or reaching a personal fitness goal are all examples of achievements that look good on a cover letter.

So if you have any academic or personal achievements you’re proud of, include them in your cover letter. Just make sure to relate them back to the position you’re applying for.

Have a look at the accomplishments described in this cover letter’s body paragraph:

8. Close your cover letter professionally

Now that you’ve written your main body paragraphs, it’s time to end your cover letter in your final body paragraph.

End your cover letter effectively by summarizing the skills and qualifications you discussed earlier in your cover letter and restating why you want to work for the company.

You should also thank the hiring manager for their time and include a call to action (CTA) by providing your phone number and email address so the hiring manager knows how to reach you.

Finally, close your cover letter by using an appropriate sign off. Rather than sounding overly formal or too friendly, you want to end on a clear and professional note.

Here are examples of good and bad cover letter sign offs:

After writing your cover letter sign off, leave two spaces, and then type or sign your name.

9. Proofread your cover letter

Proofreading your cover letter is an important step in cover letter writing because you can catch any mistakes or errors you’ve made before submitting your application.

Even if you’re a strong applicant with many relevant skills or qualifications, hiring managers won’t be impressed if they see any errors in your cover letter.

So make sure you check and revise your work for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting errors by using a tool like Grammarly or asking a friend or family member to look over your cover letter.

10. Submit your cover letter as a PDF

Congratulations! You made it to the last stage of the cover letter writing process.

When uploading your cover letter, remember that the software you use may change your cover letter’s formatting. And because employers might not have the same version of Microsoft Word as you, your cover letter may look different from its original format after they download it.

So ensure your cover letter looks the same no matter who downloads your documents by saving it as a PDF.

A PDF preserves the formatting of the original version of your cover letter and prevents others from changing to it.

Cover letter with no experience example

If you’re still unsure about the cover letter writing process, have a look at other cover letter examples to give you some inspiration.

This is a cover letter example for a high school student with no experience:

Download This Free Cover Letter Example