Cover letter for a resume: examples and structure

A cover letter is 150–250 words explaining why you are applying for this particular role and what you will bring to it. It has four blocks: the greeting, your reason for applying, your single strongest argument, and a call to action. Below are two ready-made examples you can adapt, a structure with target lengths, and the phrases that undermine an otherwise good application.

What a cover letter is and why it matters

A cover letter accompanies your resume and answers a question the resume cannot: why you want to work here specifically. The resume describes the past; the letter states intent. Not every employer asks for one, but on competitive vacancies it often decides whose resume gets opened first. The effect is strongest when you are changing fields or your experience does not match the requirements perfectly — the letter lets you explain that before the recruiter draws their own conclusions.

Cover letter structure

The working structure has four blocks and a total of 150–250 words. The letter should take 30–40 seconds to read; longer texts are rarely finished.

Cover letter examples

The first example is for a candidate with experience. Replace the specifics with your own: company, role, figures, and the reason you are interested.

Example 1: experienced sales manager

Hello Oksana, I am writing about the sales manager vacancy at Technopolis. Looking through your B2B catalogue, I noticed you are moving into the mid-market segment — which is exactly where I have spent the past three years.

In that time I managed a portfolio of 45 corporate accounts and hit 115–130% of target for four consecutive quarters. My strongest result was winning a new client on an annual contract worth UAH 2.4m, which I ran from the first cold contact to signature. I know long sales cycles well, work daily in Pipedrive, and have handled tender documentation.

I would be glad to discuss how that experience maps onto your new segment. My resume is attached, and I am reachable on +380 XX XXX XX XX. Best regards, Andrii Kovalenko.

Example 2: candidate with no work experience

Hello, I am applying for the marketing assistant role. I have followed your blog on e-commerce analytics for about a year, and the data-first approach you describe is one I share.

I am finishing a marketing degree and running my own project alongside it: the Instagram account of a local coffee shop, which grew from 300 to 2,800 followers in six months with no paid promotion. I completed the Google Analytics 4 course and work confidently in Google Sheets and Canva. I do not have commercial experience yet, but I do have the habit of taking a task through to a measurable result.

I would appreciate the chance to talk it through in more detail. My resume and a link to the project are attached. Best regards, Mariia Lytvyn.

How to write a cover letter step by step

1. 1
   Find the recipient's name

   Check the ad, the company page, or LinkedIn. Addressing someone by name immediately separates your letter from a mass mailing.

2. 2
   Find one concrete reason

   A product, a market, an approach, a recent announcement. One sentence about it proves you are not sending identical text to everyone.

3. 3
   Pick a single main argument

   Do not retell the resume. Take the result closest to the tasks in the ad and back it with a number.

4. 4
   Address any weak spot

   A career change, an employment gap, missing experience — better explained by you than guessed at by the recruiter.

5. 5
   Close with a call to action

   Keep it short: happy to discuss the details, contacts alongside. Skip formulaic sign-offs.

6. 6
   Cut it down

   Remove anything already in the resume. Past 250 words, most readers stop halfway.

Phrasing that works and phrasing that hurts

Common cover letter mistakes

• Restating the resume in different words — the recruiter reads it twice and learns nothing new.
• One template for every vacancy. Changing two sentences is enough: the reason and the main argument.
• Leaving the previous company's name in place — the fastest route to an instant rejection.
• Writing about your own needs ('looking for stability', 'want to grow'). The letter should be about value to the employer.
• Going past 300 words, or writing a wall of text with no paragraph breaks.
• Attaching a file when the vacancy expects the text in the message body.

Cover letter versus motivation letter

The two are often confused but serve different purposes. A cover letter targets a specific vacancy and argues that you match the employer's tasks. A motivation letter is broader: it is written for university admission, scholarships, and grant programmes, and it describes your path, goals, and reasons for choosing a field. A motivation letter runs to a page or more; a cover letter stays at 150–250 words. In a job search, the cover letter is almost always what is meant.

Where to put the letter: message body or separate file

When applying through a job board, write the text in the application message field — a separate file is redundant there. When emailing directly, the letter belongs in the body of the email and the resume goes attached as a PDF. Format the letter as its own document only when the vacancy explicitly asks for it, which is more common at international companies. Keep the subject line clear: 'Sales manager — Andrii Kovalenko'.

Frequently asked questions