How to Structure a Cover Letter With All Essential Parts
Banish writer’s block with an easy-to-use cover letter structure that works for everyone. See every section you need to include for job-hunting success.
It’s easy to sit back and think “job done” after finishing your CV. Although definitely worthy of a moment’s celebration—
You still need a cover letter to really sell that CV. But writing the best cover letter ever is an uphill battle if you’ve never seen a good one.
So—
Here are some of the best cover letter examples you’ll find.
This post will show you:
- Five of the best cover letter examples out there.
- The best cover letter template to showcase your strengths and achievements.
- How to write the best cover letter for a job, for any job.
- Why the right few achievements can take your CV to the top of the pile.
Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. Choose from 20+ professional cover letter templates that match your resume. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.
Sample Cover Letter for a CV—See more cover letter examples and create your cover letter here.
Looking for more expert advice on how to write the best cover letter for a job possible? See some of our other posts:
- How to Address a Cover Letter
- How to Format a Cover Letter
- How to Start a Cover Letter
- What to Include in a Cover Letter
- How to End a Cover Letter
Need help writing the best cover letter ever for a particular industry? See our full selection of cover letter examples for every job: Cover Letter Examples & Samples
Don’t have a CV yet? See our guide: 20+ Expert CV Writing Tips & Advice for 2023 (With Examples)
Best cover letter examples
These examples will give you some idea of what the best cover letters out there look like. Scroll down for a quick take on how to get your cover letter to be at least as effective. Check out our detailed guides for full, step-by-step instructions and plenty of expert advice and tips.
Best cover letter template for a receptionist position
Sophie Fraser
Receptionist
39 South Crescent
LONDON
N1P 3AG
07953 547 117
sophie.fraser@zety.co.uk
29th July 2022
Alexander Burns
Office Manager
Doors & Co.
5 Park Place
LONDON
N1P 3AU
Dear Mr Burns,
I was thrilled to learn about the opening at Doors & Co. As a receptionist with Brothers LLC, I implemented a new filing system that made file retrieval 33% more efficient. Being formally recognised by the director for this was a huge honour. I am sure I can translate my experience into similar results for Doors & Co.
The job advert mentions that you are looking for a receptionist with excellent organisation, teamwork, and communication skills. The following skills and achievements show how I am a perfect fit:
- Organisation. Routinely worked with an archive of 10,000+ files. Commended in writing on three occasions by head receptionist for flawless adherence to administrative procedures.
- Teamwork. Worked closely with five other members of administrative staff, boosting overall productivity by over 10% by prioritising and sharing workloads.
- Communication. Handled 20+ phone enquiries per day. Wrote 30+ emails per day, including 5+ emails on the director’s behalf.
The reason I am so excited by the prospect of working for Doors & Co. is its reputation for striking a balance between maintaining a good culture of collegiality while excelling in productivity. I have long believed that a friendly and collaborative atmosphere is conducive to higher performance when handled well.
Can we schedule a call to discuss how I can help Door & Co. modernise and digitise its archives?
Yours Sincerely,
Sophie Fraser
Best cover letter for an accounting job
Zoe Lord
Accountant
20 Caerfai Bay Road
BRIGHTON
BN1 1AG
07952 375 059
zoe.lord@zety.co.uk
1st August 2022
Elliot Kirk
Head of Accounting
Teal Ocean
89 Bishopthorpe Road
BRIGHTON
BN1 1EG
Dear Elliot,
I was very happy to learn about the opening at Teal Ocean. As a senior accountant with Elevation Inc., I reduced expenses by £10,000+ by revising income statements on a weekly rather than a monthly basis. Doing this while training two new junior accountants provided me with a great teaching moment.
In the job advert, you mention that you are looking for a senior accountant with proven problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and accounts receivable / accounts payable experience. The following achievements show why I am a perfect fit:
- Problem-solving. Isolated gross margin allocation errors to correct influential report by 150 basis points. Reconciled bank activity for 2020 and 2021 to clear variance of £375,000+.
- Attention to detail. Tracked and managed expenditures in excess of £2.5 million annually. Maintained 98.76% accuracy even as throughput grew by 17% without an increase in staff.
- Accounts receivable / accounts payable. Retrieved over £25,000 in past-due receivables in less than two months. Oversaw the processing of 450+ invoices each month.
The reason I am so excited about this job in particular is the sheer variety of accounting activities Teal Ocean is involved in. Such a diversified portfolio is perfectly suited to my varied experience.
Can we schedule a call to discuss how I can help Teal Ocean reduce operating costs through purely accounting means?
Yours Sincerely,
Zoe Lord
Best cover letter for a senior management position
Kyle Coleman
Regional Manager
46 Kent Street
LIVERPOOL
L10 0AQ
07901 453 310
kyle.coleman@zety.co.uk
8th August 2022
Caitlin Pickering
HR Manager
Stockton Stools
40 Mounthoolie Lane
LIVERPOOL
L10 1LJ
Dear Ms Pickering,
As a regional manager looking for the next big challenge, I was thrilled to learn about the opening at Stockton Stools. At Sund Industries, I implemented the CNOK system in only seven months, taking operational efficiency up to +37% within three months of implementation. I am sure I can translate my plug-and-play skill set into similar results for Stockton Stools.
The job advert puts a lot of emphasis on leadership, collaboration, and Kaizen skills. The following achievements show how my experience uniquely qualifies me for this role:
- Formed a new department with 110 staff, taking it to fully operational status within six weeks.
- Negotiated with trade unions to secure a three-year salary freeze across all production units.
- Worked closely with CEE and UAE regional leads over a 12-month period to integrate production schedules, saving the capital group £17.6 million annually.
- Oversaw the implementation of Kaizen protocols at three production plants, taking compliance rates from 28% to 83% in six months and over 98% in 12 months.
The reason I’m so enthusiastic about this job in particular is that Stockton Stools’ mission of putting a stool in every household by 2030 is very much in line with personal values. I have worked in raising stool awareness in one form or another for over 15 years.
Can we schedule a call to discuss how I can help lead Stockton Stools to market dominance in the region without cutting into profits in the meantime?
Yours Sincerely,
Kyle Coleman
Best cover letter for an engineering job
Louis Douglas
Mechanical Engineer
80 Caradon Hill
BIRMINGHAM
B10 0BG
07018 394 157
louis.douglas@zety.co.uk
5th July 2022
Melissa Gregory
Hiring Manager
Carnot Compressors
19 Gloddaeth Street
BIRMINGHAM
B10 0DE
Dear Melissa,
I was thrilled to learn about the opening at Carnot Compressors. As a mechanical engineer at Mt Isa Heating, I led a heat pump redesign project worth over £2,000,000. Completing this project seven weeks ahead of schedule and 6% under budget was particularly satisfying.
In the job advert, you stress the importance of design, project management, and communication skills. The following achievements show why I am such a good fit:
Design. Used FEM analysis to optimise bespoke pressure vessel design, saving over 4% on materials without reducing safety margins. Implemented software-based compressor control system, boosting heat pump efficiency by 21%.
Project management. Took the lead on three £1,000,000+ projects over a two-year period.
Communication. Reported to non-technical managers, received three written notes of thanks for explaining complex engineering concepts and constraints clearly. Prepared 8–10 comprehensive progress reports per month for stakeholders.
The reason I am so excited about the prospect of working for Carnot Compressors in particular is the company’s stellar environmental record. Its “leave no trace” philosophy is ahead of its time in heavy industry and reflects my professional values perfectly.
Can we schedule a call to discuss how I can reduce Carnot Compressors’ carbon credits expenditure with only a few simple design tweaks?
Yours Sincerely,
Louis Douglas
Best cover letter for a customer service job
Victoria Hart
Customer Service Representative
67 Temple Way
BRADFORD
BD10 0PL
07864 046 335
victoria.hart@zety.co.uk
17th August 2022
Jessica Collier
Manager
F&B Fashion
74 Well Lane
BRADFORD
BD11 1AS
Dear Ms Collier,
I was excited to see the customer service representative opening at F&B Fashion. At Hout, I placed in the top three in our internal CSR ranking every month since March 2020. This is partially due to my retention rates being 17% higher than the average. I am sure I can translate the skills that led to this success into similar results for F&B Fashion.
In the job ad, you note that you are looking for a representative skilled in conflict management, sales, and communication. The following achievements show why your job is a perfect fit:
Conflict management. Offered alternative options to customers, reducing personal monthly refund rate by 16%. De-escalated 15–20 complaints every week.
Sales. Upsold 11% of phone orders placed during webshop outages.
Communication. Handled enquiries from people with strong accents and broken English representing 35+ different countries of origin. Completed weekly reports, five of which are still used as exemplars during training sessions.
The reason I am so thrilled about this job in particular is that I have always admired F&B Fashion’s environmental mission. Its commitment to ameliorating some of the ill effects of the fast fashion industry is very much in line with my values.
Can we schedule a call to discuss how I can help boost F&B Fashion’s resolution rates by at least 15%?
Yours Sincerely,
Victoria Hart
How to write the best cover letter for a job
This is just a quick rundown of the basics. If you want to know how to write the best cover letter for a job, check out our detailed guides.
Use the right cover letter template
The best cover letter template will be laid out like a business letter—because a cover letter is a business letter. It should include a formal header, three or four body paragraphs, a call to action, and professional sign-off. Formatting-wise, keep standard one-inch margins and use an easy-to-read font. The best cover letter fonts are the classics: Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica.
Start your cover letter properly
Set your header out following the standard business letter format. Include your name, job title, mailing address, email address, and phone number. Greet the hiring manager by name and include their company mailing address.
Pack your body paragraphs full of achievements
From the first sentences in which you introduce yourself to the main body paragraphs in which you show what a great fit you are for the job, achievements are your recipe for success. Use the PAR (Problem-Action-Result) formula to structure your achievements.
End your cover letter with a confident CTA
Rather than passively dropping the ball into their court, end on a confident call to action (CTA). This can hardly fail to make a good impression and might even pique hiring managers’ interest enough to set their minds on an interview before they even see your CV.
When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional CV template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.
Key takeaway
Here’s a recap of the best way to write a cover letter:
- Follow a good cover letter format. It’ll make sure your cover letter is as short as it is sweet.
- Hit the ground running with a big achievement. You can see for yourself how impressive that is.
- Back up your claims with hard facts. Summarise the main job requirements and then provide evidence for how to fulfil each one.
- End with a CTA. Give them a reason to call you in for an interview.
Want to know more about what makes the best cover letters tick? Wondering how you can make your cover letter sit proudly among the best of the best? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply!
