Each paragraph, from a complete letter
One paragraph from each of four letters on this site, each doing one job. The link under each opens the whole letter.
Your website describes the reading recovery work in your Key Stage 1 classes, and I would value being part of it. I follow safeguarding procedures closely and have read Part one of Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026.
Why it works: A reason that only fits this school, and the safeguarding knowledge every school checks.
From the teaching assistant cover letter.
My CV is attached, and I would be glad to come in for a trial shift. Thank you for considering my application.
Why it works: The CV, a practical next step and thanks, and nothing more.
From the receptionist cover letter.
Read the complete fictional example
Hannah Price is applying for a project support role after seven years in hospitality. She, the employer and the vacancy are invented; the facts match her career-change CV, so you can compare the two. The notes under the letter say what each paragraph is for. For a letter in your own line of work, see the examples by job: each is written by the applicant of one of our CV examples, from a first job at 16 and a student's part-time job to a nurse, a chef and an engineer.
Read the full letter and paragraph notes
Hannah Price
Manchester | [email protected] | 07700 900105
7 September 2026
Priya Shah
Programme Delivery Manager
Northbridge Community Projects
18 Alder Street, Manchester M1 4AB
Dear Ms Shah
Application for Project Support Officer (reference NCP-247)
I am applying for the Project Support Officer vacancy (reference NCP-247), advertised on your website. After seven years coordinating people, suppliers, budgets and time-critical venue changes in hospitality, I am moving into project support and would welcome the opportunity to bring that practical delivery experience to Northbridge Community Projects.
Your advert asks for accurate action tracking and coordination across several contributors. During a six-week refurbishment at Alder Table Group, I built the weekly action tracker used to sequence contractors, stock moves, staff training and reopening checks. I chased each task with the person responsible before its deadline, and all mandatory checks were completed before the venue reopened.
I also bring the budget and reporting work that project support relies on: I track monthly operating costs, check invoices against purchase orders and write performance and incident summaries for my regional manager. I would particularly like to support your community kitchens programme, which your website describes as running across 11 partner venues. Keeping contractors, suppliers and my own team on one refurbishment schedule showed me how much a shared tracker and a weekly update matter when several organisations work to the same dates.
Alongside my current role, I completed the APM Project Fundamentals Qualification in 2026 and intermediate Excel training in 2025. My CV is attached, with more on leading my team and running private events. Thank you for considering my application; I would welcome the chance to discuss it.
Yours sincerely
Hannah Price
Why each paragraph is there
- Name the exact role, where you found it and the relevant direction of your application.
- Connect one important requirement to a specific, supportable example from the CV.
- Add further evidence in the new job's terms without claiming experience you do not have, and give one specific reason for choosing this employer.
- Add the training that shows you are ready, point to the CV and close politely. Your contact details are already at the top.
Check the instructions and research the employer
Read the advert, person specification and application instructions before drafting. Note the exact role title, reference number, requested format and closing date. If the employer asks for answers in an application form rather than a separate letter, follow that process. If the advert says not to send a cover letter, leave it out. If a letter is optional, use it to add a specific reason for applying or useful evidence rather than repeating the CV.
Research enough to explain a real connection. Use the employer's own website and the vacancy to identify the work, priorities or service that interest you. Avoid generic praise that could be sent to any organisation. Try to find the person handling the application in the advert or on the employer's website; if no name is available, use a professional general greeting.
- Confirm the role title, employer name and reference number.
- Choose one or two requirements you can prove with truthful examples.
- Record one specific reason for applying to this employer.
- Check whether the letter should be an attachment, an email or part of a form.
Use a three-to-five-paragraph structure
The National Careers Service describes a cover letter as a short letter, usually three to five paragraphs. Open by naming the role and purpose of the letter. Use the middle paragraphs to connect selected requirements to evidence and to explain why the employer's work interests you. Close by pointing to the CV, thanking the reader and giving a clear way to contact you.
A named greeting usually closes with ‘Yours sincerely’; a general ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ greeting closes with ‘Yours faithfully’. For an email, a concise subject line should name the role and, when supplied, its reference number. Keep the same professional tone whether the letter is pasted into an email or sent as a document.
- Paragraph 1: name the vacancy and your reason for writing.
- Paragraph 2: prove one important requirement with a focused example.
- Paragraph 3: connect another requirement and your motivation to the employer's actual work.
- Final paragraph: confirm interest, refer to the CV and close politely.
Add context to evidence from your CV
Choose evidence that answers the vacancy rather than the most impressive sounding fact. State the situation briefly, make your action clear and give the result you can support. The CV can hold the compact bullet; the letter can explain why that example matters for this role.
For a career change, keep your real job title and translate the overlap in the work. The Hannah Price career-change CV foregrounds schedules, action tracking, budgets and stakeholder updates from hospitality because those are relevant to project support. It does not claim project experience that the candidate does not have.
If a gap needs context, keep the explanation proportionate and use the guide to explaining a gap in your CV to decide whether it belongs in the CV, cover letter, application form or interview. You control how much health or personal information you share.
Fictional wording example
BeforeI have excellent project skills and would be perfect for this role.
AfterDuring a six-week venue refurbishment, I built the action tracker used to coordinate contractors, stock moves, staff training and mandatory reopening checks.
Check your CV and letter together
Compare the final letter with the advert and CV. Names, dates, qualifications, results and notice period must agree. Remove claims that are not supported in the CV or that you could not explain at interview. Check that the employer name and role were not carried over from a previous application.
Use the employer's requested format. If you send a document, keep its typography consistent with the CV and follow the CV file checklist: reopen the exact attachment and inspect every page. The private CV editor can help you prepare the matching CV, but its checks are prompts rather than a hiring or parsing guarantee.
Use the cover letter builder to write and export a local draft. Keep the letter and CV together on your device so you can compare the exact application you send.
- Check the name you have addressed it to, the employer, the role and the reference number.
- Check every example is truthful and specific.
- Check contact details match the CV.
- Proofread the exact email or attachment you will send.
- Keep a copy so you can review it before an interview.