200+ Professional Cover Letter Examples (& templates)

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Our list of 200+ cover letter examples is perfect for all job seekers, whether you need to write one for a specific life situation (like a career change) or you’re looking for an industry-specific sample.

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What does a cover letter look like?

Not sure what a cover letter is or what to include on yours? A cover letter is made of the following five parts:

Salutation: A professional greeting that addresses the hiring manager by name
Introduction: An attention-grabbing opening paragraph that introduces yourself and your intention to apply for the open role
Body paragraph(s): One or two paragraphs describing your relevant professional experience, achievements, skills, and education
Closing paragraph: A final paragraph that contains a call to action (CTA) asking the hiring manager to invite you in for an interview
Sign-off: End your cover letter with a professional sign-off (like “Sincerely, [Your Name]”)

The cover letter template below describes how to write each of these key sections:

YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME

Your street address, City, State | Email | Phone number

Today’s date
Employer name
Company Name
Street address
City, State

Salutation

Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],

Opening Paragraph (Introduction)

Your cover letter opening should contain a self-introduction. Write about who you are, where your expertise lies, where you found the job posting, and why you want to apply for the job.

Body Paragraphs

The second paragraph of your cover letter should respond directly to the job description written by the hiring manager. Describe how your previous job experiences, skills, and abilities will help you meet the company’s needs. To make that easier, you should include exact words and phrases from the job description in your cover letter.

You can include a bulleted list of your accomplishments
Make sure to use numbers or percentages to emphasize your bullet points (e.g. “Increased online revenue by 13%”)
Do some research about the company and find out what their current activities and goals are
Explain how you can help them achieve those goals

Closing Paragraph

Your cover letter closing is the call-to-action portion of your cover letter. Inform the hiring manager that you’d love to go in for an interview. Provide your email address or other contact information and tell them that you’ll reach out in a week if you don’t hear back. Thank them for spending their time reading your cover letter.

Sign-off

Sincerely,

Your Name

1. General cover letter example

This general cover letter was written by a candidate with two years of work experience.

In the example, the candidate is applying for a mid-level digital marketing position. In the first paragraph, the applicant:

used the hiring manager’s name (showing that effort was put into locating it)
mentioned where they found the job posting (HR managers love this)
highlighted relevant experience, establishing her ability to do the job

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Why this is a good example of a cover letter

It’s concise and direct.
It lists specific responsibilities from the job description, and mentions the candidate’s experience handling similar work and how they were able to achieve results for their employer.
The sign-off mentions that they’ll reach out if they don’t hear back from the hiring manager, highlighting the writer’s interest in the job.

2. Entry-level cover letter example

This entry-level cover letter was written by a recent graduate who only has a little part-time work experience.

In our example, the candidate is applying for an entry-level IT technician position. They quickly establish their enthusiasm about the opportunity, and then highlight their relevant skills to show they can do the job:

An example of an entry level cover letter

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What makes this a good cover letter

Stands out because the applicant emphasizes their enthusiasm about the opportunity from the very first sentence.
The candidate quickly (and convincingly) markets their professional strengths, including relevant hard skills (Linux, backend coding) and soft skills (precision, attention to detail).
Demonstrates that the candidate has researched the position, and is passionate about the work the company is doing.

Employers know they’re taking a risk by hiring a recent graduate. Showing some passion is especially important for new grads because they don’t have the work experience to win the job yet.

3. Internship cover letter example

This cover letter for an internship was written by a marketing student who’s looking to get their first real professional experience.

Example of a cover letter written for an internship position.

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Why this is a good cover letter

This cover letter excels because it’s concise and packed with substance.
The candidate knows they lack experience, so they heavily emphasize the qualifications they do have. For instance, their language skills and previous success as an intern.
Additionally, the candidate provides concrete examples of their achievements throughout their cover letter – which is a great way to impress employers.

4. Professional cover letter example

Are you a senior-level professional or an experienced manager trying to highlight your professionalism in a cover letter?

The restaurant manager cover letter example below will show you how to come off as a seasoned professional:

An example of a professional cover letter

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Why this is a good cover letter

Showcases the managerial skills the candidate developed while working in the service industry and highlights how they can apply those skills to make an immediate impact on the company.
The applicant mentions the company by name three times. It’s clear that they’re familiar with the business, have an interest in joining the specific team, and understand how they’d contribute if hired.

5. Creative cover letter example

A creative cover letter makes you stand out by adding a bit of personality and flair to your application.

In this creative cover letter example, the candidate is applying for a senior-level social media manager position. With a snappy opening that shows both the candidate’s personality and enthusiasm for the role, they effectively gain the reader’s attention. Then, they establish their qualifications:

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Why this is a good example of a cover letter

The candidate immediately shows their interest in the position, as well as their relevant qualifications and specific skills. Hiring managers are busy, so it’s crucial to be direct in both your cover letter and resume.
The candidate uses a casual, fun tone to add a personal touch and make their application more memorable.
Keeps the focus on their professional qualifications by listing specific accomplishments and explaining how these accomplishments are relevant to the position.

6. Career change cover letter example

Writing a cover letter for a job in your current industry is pretty straightforward. But writing a career change cover letter requires a slightly different approach.

The sample cover letter below includes the three elements you need to persuade a hiring manager you’re ready to transfer industries:

One reason (or more) for the career change
An example of a transferable skill in action
Proof of commitment to the new field

An example of a cover letter for career change

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Why this is a good example of a cover letter

It’s sincere. The applicant is genuinely passionate about their target industry, and even provide a relatable story to emphasize their sincerity.
The cover letter directly addresses the reason for the applicant’s career change, answering any questions the hiring manager might have.
It’s clear the candidate is committed to the new job. They even worked on their skills to prepare for this change in profession.

Taking a 150-hour course and volunteering are both great signs our candidate is dedicated to switching industries.

7. Cover letter for promotion example

Have you been with your current company for a while and want to take on more responsibility? You’ll likely need to write an internal cover letter for promotion to convince your boss that you’re ready to move up the corporate ladder.

A cover letter for promotion differs from a regular cover letter in two ways:

It emphasizes your managerial or higher-level skills
It focuses on your dedication to your current company

In the following example, the candidate is writing to the marketing director of their company to apply for an open senior-level sales manager position:

A sample cover letter for an internal promotion

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Why this is a good example of a cover letter

Highlights specific accomplishments expected of a managerial-level employee.
The candidate emphasizes their loyalty to the company, and quickly moves on to discuss the contributions they’ve made to their team.
Includes examples of leadership and management experience to demonstrate readiness to take on a more significant and senior role.

Job-specific cover letter examples

You can download any of these job-specific cover letter examples for free and customize them to fit your own needs.

Click your industry below to find examples for different jobs:

Accounting & Finance

Administration & Office Support

Business & Management

Business Development

Construction & Maintenance

Customer Service & Retail

Customer Support & Sales

Digital Art & Production

Education & Human Services

Emergency Services

Engineering

Finance & Banking

Fine Arts & Aesthetics

Food Service

Healthcare & Wellbeing

Housing

Interior Design Cover Letter

Human Resources (HR)

Information Technology (IT)

Law & Legal

Life Situation

Stay at Home Mom Cover Letter

Maintenance

Marketing & Sales

Medicine

Nursing

Personal & Child Care

Public Safety & Security

Science & Research

Spa & Salon

Student

Teaching

Transportation & Travel

Warehouse & Logistics

Web Development & Design

Writing & Media

Once you’ve found a cover letter example for your target position, use a matching resume sample to help you write a resume and complete your job application.

Frequently asked questions about cover letters

Still have questions? Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about cover letters:

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

Three things you should include in a cover letter are:

An introduction – tell employers who you are and what kind of experience you have.
Your qualifications – convince employers you’re the right person for the job by highlighting your qualifications, accomplishments, and skills.
A convincing conclusion – restate your excitement about the position and urge the employer to contact you.

Combined, these three elements make for a compelling cover letter that communicates why you’re the ideal person for the job.

How do you write a simple cover letter?

Here’s how to write a simple cover letter in six steps:

Opening: start with “Dear” and the hiring manager’s name.
First paragraph: write a short introduction that states what job you’re applying for and what kind of background you have.
Second paragraph: describe your current (or most recent) role and some of your greatest accomplishments at that job.
Third paragraph: highlight your skills that are relevant to the job you want.
Fourth paragraph: close out with a call to action restating your interest in the job and encouraging the employer to contact you.
Sign off: end with a formal closing like “Sincerely,” and sign or write your name.

How important is a cover letter?

A cover letter is very important because it not only shows off your professional qualifications, it also gives you an opportunity to express your enthusiasm for the position and explain why you’re the ideal person for the job.

According to a recent survey on cover letters, 68% of hiring managers view cover letters as important, fairly important, or very important in the hiring process.

A well-written cover letter is often the difference between being offered an interview or being outright rejected for a job, so why not write one to improve your odds on the job hunt?

How do you build a cover letter?

There are three ways you can build a cover letter:

1. Use a professional cover letter generator tool

The fastest (and easiest) way to build a cover letter is by using an online cover letter builder.

These tools use AI to automatically write a strong cover letter for you based on a few bits of information that you provide.

However, most cover letter generators aren’t free, so if you need to save money you may want to build a resume the old-fashioned way.

2. Write it from scratch

Writing your cover letter yourself is the highest effort and most time-consuming way to make your cover letter. However, it’s also free and you have complete control over the content.

If you’re applying for a job that requires writing skills, it’s a good idea to write your cover letter from scratch because it gives you an opportunity to highlight your writing abilities.

3. Use a cover letter template

A simple cover letter template is a good starting point from which to make your cover letter. Most cover letter templates provide a general format that you can quickly fill in with your information, so you don’t need to use as much energy as you would writing your letter from scratch.

Using a template is a good way to make your cover letter if you’re unsure where to start and need some guidance. However, the end result is that your cover letter might come across as generic or awkward if you’re not careful, so it’s not always the best method.