Ask a Manager

here’s a template to make writing cover letters easier

I recently received this letter from a reader:

I wanted to add another chorus to the thank you’s for your straightforward cover letter advice. I am a reasonably strong and fast writer, but for some reason always used to get futzed over a cover letter. Now I can bang out a high quality one in an hour, or even less! Your templates of favorite cover letters helped me extrapolate “genre rules” and ideal lengths for how to write my own cover letters. I have applied to a few gigs so far since learning those rules, and have gotten at least one call back pretty much every time.

If you’re curious to see how I used it, this is a sample doc I made myself where I tried to pull out the themes across several examples, and start with notes about the gist of how I want each section to go, and then I write it out, and edit it until it’s succinct enough. (I tend to be overly verbose.) And by including samples from multiple letters, I protect myself against being overly derivative of any one letter.

This writer generously agreed to let me share her template with readers here, and it’s below. Some notes:

• Each of the sections contains lines pulled from real-life cover letters I’ve shared here in the past. (example 1, example 2, example 3).

• The point is NOT to use those lines yourself! (Doing so would be plagiarism, and also bad strategy since those letters have now been copied widely across the internet, to the point that when I’m hiring, I receive them from applicants myself. You don’t want to use the same lines as your competition is using; that makes you look bad, which is the opposite of what a good cover letter is about.)

• Instead, the point is to organize your thinking about the sort of thing you could discuss in each paragraph; the sample lines are for inspiration, not copying.

• The numbers before each section are the word count the writer is recommending to herself.

Cover Letter Template

Paragraph 1: (37-44) (I am excited to apply because I am a person)

• It’s with great enthusiasm that I am applying to be your next Intergalactic Service Intern. I know that my background and expertise would serve the Mars Agency well and leave a lasting impression in your client management department.
• I am excited to apply for your posted Data Analyst position. While my recent experience is in a different heavily regulated industry, my background includes extensive data analysis and reporting to all levels of management, as well as a variety of internal and external stakeholders. I love to dive in and really understand not just the data – but the story that the data tells and how it fits into the broader picture
• I am excited to apply for the Director of Content position at [new media company] .

Paragraph 2: (78-96)

• I’ve worked in some level of customer service since I was young, moving my way up from cashiering to supervisory and office positions. My positions went beyond simply giving change with a smile and a thank you; for many of my customers I become friend and confidant, a familiar face with whom they could discuss their day and all its ups and downs. In my long tenure at Starbucks I knew hundreds of customers by name, knew their jobs, their children, their lives—I was there to support them beyond a transaction, living up to our core value of becoming a second home. My experience there helped shape me as a person, and I still keep contact with some of my customers and coworkers to this day.
• One of my favorite elements of my previous jobs has been pulling together just the right data elements to create a snapshot that’s easy for the intended audience to understand. I’ve developed everything from high level monthly dashboards of department performance to an in-depth look at a particular focus area. While many times data and reporting needs are clear, I have also met with stakeholders to help define the process and clarify the data needed to answer the questions that will support goal achievement.
• After my first week of working in [related field] as an [entry level position ] and observing how [employer’s] Program Director managed the station, something inside me clicked and I knew being a program director was what I wanted to do. I think it was the attention to detail — crafting the sound of a station, creating great content, and making memorable listener experiences.

Paragraph 3: (75-93) (I also work in X groups of my own accord)

• I carried these values over to my volunteering, allowing profession to grow into passion. At the Saturn Wildlife Exhibit, I prepare specimens in an open-air space that allows the public full access to our work. My days are spent speaking to children and adults alike about the exhibit, specimens, and local flora and fauna, stoking enthusiasm and awe for the natural world in the process. My interpretive conversations show a new generation that natural science is fun, exciting, and accessible to everyone.
• I also love the opportunity to flex my analytic muscles and create the opportunity to play “what if?” with the data. In my current role, that manifests as development of a $35M/year budget for a three year plan for stewpot production activities. I review previous expenditures and contract details to build a flexible model that ties spending (and stewpot production) to various levels of forecasted performance. As planned activities are rolled out, I track performance and dig into variances – not just the “what,” but also the “why”.
• Fast forward to 2019 where recently, I had occasion to fill in as [radio show] host. Imagine my delight when preparing for the shift, I saw a sticky note written by our substitute [other radioshow] host and posted in the studio with specific reminders about her delivery — the very attention to detail and opportunities she and I have been discussing since she first began hosting. It was a powerful reminder of my crucial role in working with on-air talent to make sure [my current media company] sounds as good as possible.

Paragraph 4: (67-81) (Beyond these examples, I also have my background in X)

• Beyond my love of working with people, I also have a broad and expansive set of technical skills. Working at the Saturn Veterinary Clinic doesn’t just afford me client interaction and puppies to adore: every day I’m on my feet and on the move, dealing with complicated system processes and problem-solving on the fly to help ease the workload of our six doctors. Scheduling, cleaning, pet wrangling, sample collecting—you name it, I do it. I have a knack for wearing many hats, and revel in the challenges of new experiences.
• In my previous role, I dug deep into a health plan’s claims data set to look for patterns of claim activity for targeted provider and facility audits. To facilitate that review, I worked closely with the clinical external audit staff to discuss what they were seeing in the field, and eventually became a certified professional coder.
• From coaching on-air hosts, to upholding [my specific field’s] core values, to something seemingly as routine as [specific task done in my field] , it’s all part of managing the station’s complete sound, no matter how that sound is being consumed. I bring this enthusiasm to the job every day because [my field] makes a difference in people’s lives. It’s what gets me out of bed in the morning – some days much earlier than others. [anecdotal and relevant due to thespecific nature of the work].

Paragraph 5 + 6: (79-97) (This job suits me well because)

• While the current pandemic has required many difficult adjustments, it has also dramatically accelerated changes to how healthcare operates. Data needs to drive these changes to connect them to current business models. This will require new data, and changes to how existing data is thought about and used. I’m excited to be a part of that.
• I’ve enjoyed visiting [city] every summer for the past six years. As a listener and a colleague, I’ve also enjoyed observing the success of [organization] both during my visits and from afar. I would welcome the opportunity to bring my passion and experience to [newmedia company] . I look forward to talking with you about ways to help grow [company’s] tradition of exemplary public service in [city].

◊ I’d be thrilled with the opportunity to learn more about this internship, and would love to talk to you about the contributions I can make at the Mars Agency. Thank you for your consideration, and I hope to hear from you soon.

◊ I look forward to speaking with you to learn more about your organization, and the career opportunities it offers me, as well as how my skills can help Stewpot Enterprises succeed. Thank you for your consideration.

◊ Thank you for your consideration, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you for your consideration,

In addition to the sample cover letters pulled from in the template above, you can find more sample cover letters here: