The 46 Best Cover Letter Examples: What They Got Right

I’ve sent plenty of cover letters throughout my career, so I know it isn’t usually fun to write one. Fortunately, the cover letter examples I painstakingly gathered below show that it’s possible to have a little fun with your job search — and maybe even make yourself a better candidate in the process. I was shocked upon learning 45% of job seekers don’t include a cover letter when applying for a job. I definitely don’t recommend following the crowd on this matter because your cover letter is a chance to tell the stories your resume only outlines. It’s an opportunity for you to highlight your creativity at the earliest stage of the recruitment process. Are you ready to showcase your unique skills and experience? Or are you looking for more tips and cover letter inspiration? Keep reading for 40+ cover letter examples, then check out tips for cover letter formatting and what makes a cover letter great. Table of Contents Customizable Cover Letter Examples In a hurry for a cover letter example you can download and customize? Check out the ones below from HubSpot’s cover letter template kit. 1. Standard Cover Letter Example Download a Customizable Copy of This Cover Letter Example This standard cover letter is among my favorite approaches because it hits all the right notes: It includes a space to give a brief summary of your experience, as well as a space to delve in-depth into the specific responsibilities of your current role. You also have the chance to describe the challenges you’ve mastered in previous roles, showing that you’re capable of facing any problem that comes your way. Why I Love It I love this cover letter because it allows you to describe the high points of your career while still being professional, personalized, and succinct. 2. Data-Driven Cover Letter Example Download a Customizable Copy of This Cover Letter Example Numbers are worth a million words — or that’s how I think the saying should go (if only we could include pictures in cover letters). Citing data and statistics about your achievements at your current company is an assured way to capture a hiring manager’s attention. Over the years, I\’ve learned most hiring managers don’t read the entire letter, so a bulleted summary of your achievements can be a powerful way to increase the effectiveness and scannability of your message. Why I Love It I love this cover letter because it’s adaptable to any role. Even if you don’t work in a data-centric role, you can include any enumerable achievement. If I worked in a creative industry, for instance, I could include the number of creative assets you designed for your current company. 3. Entry-Level Cover Letter Example Download a Customizable Copy of This Cover Letter Example Many of us have had “first job jitters” (that‘s what I’m calling it) when applying for our first career opportunity. However, my experience taught me to increase my chances of getting that first interview by including a cover letter that explains how my education can help me succeed in the role I applied for. In fact, HubSpot staff writer Erica Santiago says highlighting her education was key to snagging her first role out of college. “When I graduated from journalism school, I only had a couple of internships under my belt and maybe some writing clips — not enough to compete with most young professionals with more experience,” she recalls. “So, I highlighted the classes I took such as ‘News Reporting and Writing’ or ‘Electronic News Gathering,’” she says. “And I explained the assignments I did and how they gave me real-world experience in interviewing and reporting.” She says that\’s how she got her first job as a digital journalist for WSVN in Miami. If you need help understanding how to highlight your education in a cover letter, look no further than this example from HubSpot. While other cover letter samples give experienced professionals the opportunity to share their experience at length, this one gives you the chance to describe your personal and professional attributes. You can then convey how you can use your knowledge to help your target company reach its goals. Why I Love It I love this cover letter because it’s easy and simple to use for a student who has little experience in their target industry — including those who haven’t yet completed an internship. Looking for more? Download the entire kit below. Best Cover Letter Examples What does a good cover letter look like in practice, and how can you make yours stand out? I found six examples from job seekers who decided to do things a bit differently. Note: Some of these cover letters include real company names and NSFW language that I\’ve covered up. 4. The Cover Letter That Explains ‘Why,’ Not Just ‘How’ You may already know how to talk about how you’ll best execute a certain role in your cover letter. But there’s another question you might want to answer: Why the heck do you want to work here? The Muse, a career guidance site, says that it’s often best to lead with the why — especially if it makes a good story. I advise against blathering on and on, but a brief tale that illuminates your desire to work for that particular employer can really make you stand out. Image Source Here’s another instance of the power of personalization. The author of this cover letter clearly has a passion for this prospective employer — the Chicago Cubs — and if she’s lying about it, well, I\’m sure that would eventually be revealed in an interview. Make sure your story is nonfiction and relatable according to each job. While I love a good tale of childhood baseball games, an introduction like this one probably wouldn’t be fitting in a cover letter for, say, a software company. But a story of how the hours you spent playing with DOS games as a kid led to your passion for coding? Sure, I’d find that fitting. If you’re really passionate about a particular job opening, think about where that deep interest is rooted. Then, tell your hiring manager about it in a few sentences. Why I Love It This example shows how effective personalization can be. The writer is passionate about the employer, drawing from her own childhood experience to communicate her enthusiasm. Further reading: Sales Cover Letter Tips 5. The ‘We’re Meant for Each Other’ Cover Letter This cover letter example is a special one because it was submitted to us here at HubSpot. What does the letter do well? It makes a connection with us before we’ve even met the letter’s author. “Content Marketing Certified” shows the applicant has taken the content marketing certification course in our HubSpot Academy (you can take the same course here). Our “records” indicate he/she did indeed give an interview with us before — and was a HubSpot customer. The cover letter sang references to a relationship we didn’t even know we had with the candidate. The letter ends with a charming pitch for why, despite him/her not getting hired previously, our interests complement each other this time around. (Yes, the applicant was hired.) Why I Love It This cover letter example does an excellent job of building rapport with the employer. Despite not getting hired for previous roles they applied for at HubSpot, the writer conveys exactly why they are right for this role. Read more: Customer Service Cover Letter Tips 6. The Cover Letter with H.E.A.R.T. HubSpot has a lot of H.E.A.R.T. — Humble, Empathetic, Adaptable, Remarkable, Transparent. Our Culture Code is the foundation of the company’s culture, the driving force behind our mission to help millions grow better, and serves as the scaffolding for our hiring practices. Recruiters at HubSpot look for applicants who demonstrate how they embody the Culture Code and job description, paying extra attention to cover letters that are super custom to HubSpot. In another HubSpot submission, a HubSpot applicant writes about how she found out about HubSpot, why she likes the company, and how her professional experience aligns with H.E.A.R.T. Why I Love It HubSpot’s recruiting team was impressed with her dedication to the company and how she went beyond what was asked for by linking her portfolio in her closing paragraph. Featured Resource: 5 Free Cover Letter Templates Download our collection…



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