How to Write a Cover Letter in 2026: Template + Examples

Prefer Polish? Read the Polish version.

Every application that lands in my inbox gets about fifteen seconds of reading before I decide whether to open the CV. On a screening day I go through forty or more of them in a sitting. A cover letter has exactly one job: to earn your CV that second look. A missing or generic letter usually ends the process before your CV is even opened. Below is a step-by-step guide, a fill-in template, example opening lines, a short version, and full examples. Swap in your own details and you are ready to apply.

What is a cover letter and do you actually need one?

A cover letter is a short text, usually no longer than one page, that explains why you are applying for the role, what you know about the company, and what specific experience you bring. The key parts:

• It answers "why you". Your CV lists your facts, the letter argues the case for hiring you. I read the letter first, and if it does not say why you, I move on.
• It is short. Half a page, six to eight sentences. Nobody reads more, and on a screening day a second page signals that you could not prioritise.
• It is tailored. One letter per role, written against the job ad. I can tell within two sentences whether you wrote this for me or for ten employers.
• It has one job. To get the recruiter to open your CV and invite you to an interview. Nothing else matters if that fails.

Is it required? Only when the job ad asks for one. If they do not ask, a short, well-written letter still gives you an edge for roles where written communication matters: product management, marketing, sales, customer success. If you have nothing concrete to add beyond your CV, skip the filler letter. A generic one does more damage than none at all.

How to write a cover letter, step by step

Step 1. Read the job ad twice and list the requirements

Highlight the ones you meet and prepare one concrete example for each. If the ad says "managing key accounts", your example is one client you grew, not "I have experience in account management". This mapping is the skeleton of your letter. Without it, the letter describes you and the ad describes the job, and the two never meet.

Step 2. Learn something about the company

Open their newest job ads, their product or service page, and their recent posts. Find one specific thing: a new market they entered, a product they launched, or a value they repeat. Name it in one sentence and tie it to what you would do in the role. A line like "I have followed your expansion into logistics, and the client-onboarding problems it creates are exactly what I solved at my last job" beats "I admire your company" every time.

Step 3. Tailor the letter to the ad, not the other way around

Do not send the same letter to ten jobs. Recruiters match your experience against the requirements, and the mismatch shows in the first two sentences: the opening names a role you did not apply for, or the value paragraph could come from any ad. If you are applying to several similar roles, write one skeleton and change the opening, the company reason, and the value paragraph for each.

Step 4. Use specifics, not adjectives

Instead of "I am organised and detail-oriented", write "in my last role I ran five projects in parallel and delivered all of them on time". Every third letter I read uses the same four adjectives: hard-working, motivated, detail-oriented, team player. I cannot check any of them, so I skip to the number. Real numbers and facts beat personality traits because they are the only claims I can verify.

Step 5. Polish the form

Read the letter out loud and cut every sentence that does not answer a requirement from the ad. Then check the file itself: save as a PDF named firstname-lastname-cover-letter.pdf, not scan_002.pdf. A badly named file tells me you did not prepare the application, and I have seen good letters disqualified on that alone.

Getting past the ATS filter

Many employers run applications through an applicant tracking system (ATS). Most ATS parse the CV for keywords; many also scan the letter, and some recruiters read the letter with the same filter in mind. Mirror two or three exact phrases from the ad, in context: if the ad says "account management", write "account management" rather than paraphrasing it into "client care". Keep the sentences natural. A wall of keyword stuffing gets filtered anyway, and a human reader spots it in a second.

Cover letter structure to follow

1. Header. Your contact details, the date, and the recipient's details. Use the recruiter's name if you know it: "Dear Mr Smith" beats "Dear Hiring Team".
2. Opening sentence. The role you are applying for and where you saw the ad, in one sentence. Name the role exactly as the ad does.
3. About you. Two or three sentences on your experience, each one answering a requirement you listed in Step 1.
4. About the company. One or two sentences showing you know what the company does. The best version names something specific, a new market or product, and ties it to the role.
5. The value paragraph. One concrete achievement with a number. This is the paragraph I read twice, so make it the strongest sentence in the letter.
6. Closing. A polite request for an interview, thanks for their time, and your name. Two sentences, no filler.

Cover letter template (fill in the blanks)

[Full name]

[Phone] · [Email] · [City]

[City], [date]

Dear Hiring Team,

I am applying for the position of [role] advertised on [where you saw the ad], because [one specific reason, e.g. the role matches the B2B sales experience I describe below].

I have spent the last [number] years in [field, e.g. B2B sales], where I was responsible for [main responsibility]. In my most recent role [one concrete achievement with a number, e.g. I grew the number of signed contracts by 20%].

I am interested in joining [company] because [one specific reason, e.g. your customer success team is expanding into new markets].

I would welcome the chance to discuss my experience in an interview. Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely,

[Full name]

📄 Download this template: PDF · Word (.docx). Fill in the blanks and you are ready to send.

The template only works when you fill in the specifics. A skeleton without your numbers and examples reads as a form letter, and recruiters can tell.

How to start a cover letter

The first sentence decides whether the rest gets read. Openings that work:

• The role match. "I am applying for the Account Executive position because it matches what I have done for the past four years in B2B sales."
• The company reason. "Your recent expansion into logistics is exactly the kind of problem I worked on in my last role."
• The achievement lead. "I grew signed contracts by a third last year, and I want to do the same for your sales team."
• The referral. "Jakub from your product team suggested I apply for the Customer Success role."

Avoid the essay opener, "ever since I was young, I have dreamed of..." I do not reach the relevant part until sentence four, and on a screening day I do not get to sentence four.

Short cover letter (the 30-second version)

Some application forms only allow a short message or do not ask for a letter at all. Three sentences are enough:

I am applying for the [role] position because my [X years] of experience in [field] matches the requirements in the ad. In my last role [one concrete achievement]. I would be happy to discuss the details in an interview.

The short version has the same requirement as the long one: one concrete achievement and a clear fit with the role.

Full cover letter example (Account Executive)

The person, company, and numbers below are fictional and exist only to show the structure and the level of detail to aim for.

Alex Nowak

+44 700 000 0000 · alex.nowak@email.com · London

Dear Hiring Team,

Your careers page lists an Account Executive opening, and it matches what I have done for the past four years in B2B sales.

In my current role I own the full sales cycle for small and mid-market accounts. Last year I increased the number of signed contracts by a third compared with the year before, mainly by cutting the response time to inbound leads.

I am interested in joining your team because your recent expansion into the logistics sector matches the area where I have the deepest experience, and the planned growth of your sales team means real room for impact.

I would be glad to walk you through how I grew signed contracts by a third, and what that would look like in your team.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Nowak

The example is fictional, but every sentence carries information and none is a generalisation. "I own the full sales cycle for small and mid-market accounts" names a concrete scope; "increased signed contracts by a third" gives a number; "your expansion into logistics matches the area where I have the deepest experience" connects the company's situation to your background. That last sentence is what makes a letter feel written for one employer, not for ten.

Cover letter example with no experience (graduate or career changer)

No track record yet? Lead with transferable skills, study projects, or volunteering, and show you understand the role. The example below is fictional.

Sam Taylor

+44 700 000 0000 · sam.taylor@email.com · Manchester

Dear Hiring Team,

The Junior Marketing Assistant role you posted this week is the first job I want after finishing my marketing degree.

At university I ran the student union's social media account and grew its following from 400 to 2,300 in one term by testing a weekly content calendar. I am early in my career, but I am comfortable with analytics tools and I learn quickly.

I want to join your team because your focus on data-led campaigns matches how I like to work, and a junior role is exactly where I can contribute and grow.

I would love the chance to show you what that account taught me about growth.

Yours sincerely,

Sam Taylor

Cover letter example for a career change

Changing industries? Translate what you did before into the language of the new role. The example below is fictional.

James O'Connor

+44 700 333 4444 · james.oconnor@email.com · Leeds

Dear Hiring Team,

I am applying for the Customer Success Associate role because it is the closest match I have found to the work I loved as a teacher.

For the past six years I managed a caseload of 150 students, tracked individual progress, and communicated with parents weekly. The core of that job, understanding what someone needs and helping them get there, is the same skill your customer success team is built on.

I chose your company because your onboarding materials are the clearest I have seen in the sector, and I would be proud to help customers get the same experience.

I would welcome the chance to talk about what a 150-student caseload taught me about customer success.

Yours sincerely,

James O'Connor

Cover letter example for a promotion (internal move)

Internal applications still need a letter, but the proof changes: cite results you delivered inside the company, not generic traits. The example below is fictional.

Jordan Lee

jordan.lee@email.com · Internal candidate

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am applying for the Senior Account Manager role in our team. In my two years as Account Manager I have grown my portfolio from 40 to 60 accounts and mentored two new joiners through onboarding.

I know the product, the clients, and the reporting rhythm, so I can take on the senior remit without a handover period.

I would be glad to walk you through the handover plan I have in mind.

Yours sincerely,

Jordan Lee

Common cover letter mistakes

• Repeating your CV. A letter that restates dates and job titles adds nothing, because I already have the CV. Focus on the "why you".
• Generalisations. "I am hard-working and motivated" does not distinguish you from anyone. Every third letter I read uses the same adjectives, and I cannot check any of them. A concrete example I can check is the only thing that moves you forward.
• Wrong company or role name. The fastest way to be rejected, and the easiest to avoid. The giveaway is usually the missing name, not the wrong one: a letter that never mentions the company could be sent to any employer.
• Too long. One page is the maximum. On a screening day a second page signals that you could not prioritise.
• No tailoring. Sending the same text to different roles is obvious within two sentences, because the opener could be pasted into any ad.
• The essay opener. "Ever since I was young, I have dreamed of..." I do not reach the relevant part until sentence four, and on a screening day I do not get to sentence four.
• Typos and clumsy phrasing. Read it out loud or ask someone to glance at it, then name the file properly. A sloppy file name undoes a clean letter.

Are cover letters still worth it in 2026?

Yes, but the bar has moved. Recruiters now see a flood of letters that were clearly written by AI: fluent, generic, and interchangeable. A tool can draft the structure for you, but if you paste the output without adding real numbers, a specific reason for this company, and one genuine achievement, it reads exactly like everyone else's. Use AI to get past the blank page, then make the letter yours. The letters that still work in 2026 are the specific ones, whoever or whatever wrote the first draft.

What recruiters actually look for

Jobscan analysed over 2.5 million applications for its State of the Job Search 2025 report and found that including a cover letter raised interview rates by 3.4 times (source: Jobscan, State of the Job Search 2025). That matches how I read letters: I scan for a number and one company-specific sentence, and only give a full read to candidates who are already being considered. The selective read is common. As one HR professional put it on r/AskHR in 2019: "I usually don't give them a full read unless the candidate is brought in for an interview. At which point I'm curious if the story/experiences they discuss are consistent with what they wrote."

That is why every section above comes back to the same three things: numbers, exact phrases from the ad, and one reason tied to the company. They are what I look for when I screen.

Cover letter FAQ

Is a cover letter required? Only when the job ad asks for one. Otherwise it is an optional advantage, not an obligation.

How long should it be? Half a page to one page. A short, specific letter beats a long, generic one, and a second page usually means you could not prioritise.

Should I send it as a PDF? Yes. A PDF looks the same on every device. Name it firstname-lastname-cover-letter.pdf.

Can the letter be the email body? Yes. If you apply by email, put the letter in the message body and attach your CV as a PDF. Keep the same structure: the opening still names the role and the ad.

Should I write one for a remote role? Yes, and mention your experience with remote work and self-organisation, since that is what remote employers screen for.

Can I use AI to write my cover letter? As a first draft, yes. But edit it: add your own numbers, name the company, and cut anything that could apply to any candidate. Recruiters spot untouched AI output quickly.

Ready to apply? Browse live openings

With your cover letter finished, it is time to send applications. Browse remote jobs in Europe for live openings that accept candidates from anywhere in the EU and the UK. New to remote work? Read our guide to remote jobs with no experience and how to spot scams. While you are at it, make sure your CV is in good shape and prepare for product manager interview questions if that is your target role.