Cover letter examples & guides

How to write a cover letter

A cover letter's job is to connect the dots a résumé can't: why you, why this role, why now.

Career change

A career-change letter has one extra job an ordinary one doesn't: answer "why the switch" before the reader wonders about it.

Entry-level / new grad

With little or no job history, an entry-level letter has to prove capability from what you do have: coursework, projects, internships, part-time jobs, and volunteer work.

Military to civilian

A military-to-civilian letter's core task is translation: turning service accomplishments into outcomes a civilian hiring manager immediately understands, with the jargon and acronyms stripped out.

Returning to work

A returning-to-work letter should name the gap in a single, matter-of-fact sentence and then move on fast to what matters: that you're current, capable, and ready now.

Internal promotion

An internal letter has an advantage no outside applicant has — a track record the reader can verify — and one trap: leaning on tenure instead of readiness.