Cover Letter Examples 2026 — 5 Proven Templates
A great cover letter doesn't repeat your resume — it tells a 200-word story about why this role, why this company, why you.
The 4-paragraph formula
- Hook — one line on why you're applying.
- Proof — 1–2 quantified wins from your resume.
- Fit — what you'd do in the role in the first 90 days.
- Close — clear ask for an interview.
Example 1 — Entry-level
"Dear Hiring Manager, I'm applying for the Junior Marketing Analyst role at Acme. During my final-year project I grew a student newsletter from 0 to 1,200 subscribers in 4 months using A/B-tested subject lines and SEO-optimized content..."
Example 2 — Career change
"After 6 years in nursing, I'm transitioning into UX research. My clinical background trained me to interview, observe and document edge cases — the same skills your team uses to ship safer healthtech products..."
Example 3 — Software engineer
"Your job post mentions scaling Stripe webhooks. At my last role I rebuilt our webhook pipeline, cutting failures by 92% and saving ~$40k a year in disputes..."
Example 4 — Sales
"I closed $1.4M in net-new ARR last year against a $1M quota..."
Example 5 — Remote role
"I've worked fully remote since 2021 across three time zones. I default to async, document decisions in Notion, and respond within one business day..."
Mistakes to avoid
- "To Whom It May Concern"
- Repeating your resume verbatim
- Generic praise ("I love your company")
- More than one page
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