No experience / first job: cover letter example
When to use it
For graduates and first-time job seekers: puts education, projects, volunteering and how fast you learn in place of work history.
The full letter
Dear [Hiring manager's name],
I am applying for the [job title] position at [Company name]. I graduated this year from [University] with a degree in [subject] [and a GPA of X, if strong], and I would like to start my professional career with your team.
While I don't yet have formal work experience, my studies gave me real results. In [project or coursework] I [what you did and the outcome]. As [your role] at [volunteering, internship or student organisation], I also learned teamwork, time management and how to own a result.
I learn quickly: [short example — for instance, "I taught myself Excel pivot tables in two weeks and built my department's annual report"]. For the [requirement] you list, I already have [knowledge/certificate] and I keep building on it.
I am eager to learn from your team and become useful fast. My CV is attached, and I would be glad to be invited for an interview.
Kind regards, [Your full name] [Phone] · [Email]
Replace the parts [in square brackets] with your own details. Cut generic phrases; add specific facts and numbers.
💡 Expert tips
- 1Don't apologise for lacking experience — show what you can already do, with facts.
- 2Thesis, course projects, hackathons, volunteering — all of it counts; state the result.
- 3Prove you learn fast with one concrete example (how quickly you picked up a new tool).