How to Write a Cover Letter With No Experience & Examples

Getting that first job can be daunting. The average recruiter expects candidates to have 10 years of experience by the time they’re 23 years old. But there’s no need to despair. Even if writing a cover letter with no experience sounds like the next Mission Impossible movie.

See how to write a cover letter with no experience without having to do stunts like Tom Cruise.

This guide will show you:

• Sample cover letter with no experience that is better than 9 out of 10 others out there.
• How to write a cover letter for a job with no experience in a field.
• What information you should include in a cover letter without experience to get yourself a date for an interview.

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.

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Sample cover letter for a resume—See more cover letter examples and create your cover letter here.

Hey, do you need cover letter examples for specific jobs? Check the guides below:

• Entry Level Cover Letter
• Cover Letter for an Internship 
• Receptionist Cover Letter 
• Fashion Cover Letter 
• IT Cover Letter 
• Restaurant Cover Letter 
• USPS Cover Letter
• Customer Service Cover Letter

Or see all of them here: Cover Letter Examples for 2024 (100+ Samples & Guides) 

Cover Letter With No Experience—Example

Alright, are cover letters even necessary in the era of TikTok, remote work, and online learning? The idea of a cover letter might seem like something straight from the boomer era. But the truth is that cover letters are very much alive and well. Many hiring managers expect them from job candidates, and not writing one might cost you a job. So, maximize your chances of starting your career, and let’s get down to writing!

Follow the steps to write a great cover letter for a job with no experience in that field:

1. Create a Professional Cover Letter Template for Inexperienced Candidates

No matter how experienced you are or what job you’re pursuing, a cover letter will always be a business letter that follows a specific order. So the first thing you gotta do is structure the parts of your cover letter to keep the reader interested in what’s about to come in every section that follows.

Here’s what you must include in a cover letter with no experience:

1. Cover letter heading with your full name and contact information
2. Date of the letter
3. Hiring manager’s name, title, and the company address
4. Professional cover letter salutation with the hiring manager’s name
5. Opening cover letter paragraph with an attention-grabbing introduction
6. Middle paragraph showing you’re the perfect candidate for this job
7. Closing cover letter paragraph with a call to action
8. Professional closing sentiment and your signature
9. Optional P.S.

So, we know the contents of a typical cover letter. But what about the layout? Just like you shouldn’t attend high school graduation in a tracksuit, you also shouldn’t send a cover letter that looks sloppy. The looks are important, too; otherwise, the halo effect wouldn’t work.

Follow these steps to create a professional cover letter format:

• Use easy-to-read cover letter fonts like Arial, Helvetica, or Calibri.
• Set the line spacing of your cover letter to 1.5 for a paragraph, and double between the paragraphs.
• Align the text to the left to keep formatting formal.
• Make sure the length of your cover letter doesn’t exceed one A4 page.
• Name the file with your cover letter like this: JobTitle_CoverLetter_YourName. 
• Save the cover letter in a PDF format unless the job ad says otherwise.

These guidelines are pretty universal for all business letters and are recommended by many reputable institutions, including Yale University.

If you don’t feel confident in your editing skills or face trouble setting up the cover letter layout, you can always pick a cover letter template to make your life easier!

Have you ever seen the perfect cover letter? Now you’ve got a chance to do so. See more: This Is the Perfect Cover Letter for Any Job

2. Use a Hook to Start Your Cover Letter With No Experience 

Let’s face it—cover letters aren’t as sensational as true-crime shows. So, how can you stop the hiring manager from dozing off while reading your application? What you need is a hook. It’s the same thing screenwriters use to make you watch another episode.

Here’s what you can use as your hook in the opening paragraph of your cover letter:

• Achievements relevant to the position: for example, if you want to work as an activity leader at a summer camp, you can mention sports-related accomplishments or volunteering with local kids’ groups.
• Exciting or little-to-known facts about the company: such as using ethically-sourced products, sustainable production methods, working with famous people, or making a huge technological breakthrough. 
• Your personal relationship with the company: have you been a devoted fan of the company for a long time? Maybe you are a regular customer at the coffee shop you’re applying to?
• Your admiration for the hiring manager or the business owner: it’s worth researching the people responsible for recruitment and referring to their accomplishments as the reason you want to work for them.

Whatever you choose, try to write in a natural yet professional manner. Avoid excessive flattery and over-the-top statements, and don’t lie about your accomplishments.

OK, let’s say you’ve decided on your hook. What now?

There are a few other rules you need to follow to start your cover letter with no experience:

• Address your cover letter to the recruiter/hiring manager/business owner directly.
• Introduce yourself and specify which position you’re applying for.
• Describe your relevant experience to show that you’re a good fit.
• Express your enthusiasm for the company.

Check the examples below:

Cover Letter Example With No Experience: Opening Paragraph

Short and to the point. As you can see, there’s no need for excessive length or fancy language. Relevant information and a professional manner are the essential factors.

First, “Dear Sir or Madam” or “Dear Hiring Manager” are a big NO. Second, this candidate uses a professional tone, but what they have to say is irrelevant to the recruiter. Business owners tend not to care about the future careers of others. They want to know what the candidate can do to help their business.

Want to practice introducing yourself? Try creating an elevator pitch. Check here: Write an Elevator Pitch Step-by-Step

3. Prove Your Worth in the Middle Part of Your Cover Letter

Your cover letter starts with a bang. Now, you must write the middle part to keep the expectations of the reader high. No, it’s not the time to tell stories about your spring break antics This is the time and space to prove you’re the best fit for the position. You can do this by mentioning relevant accomplishments and experiences, and referring to the requirements from the job advertisement.

Here’s how to write the middle paragraphs of a cover letter with no experience:

• Read the job advertisement carefully and mark 3–4 key requirements.
• Describe your experience by listing hard and soft skills that match the requirements.
• Give examples of relevant accomplishments that prove your abilities.
• Explain how your experience and knowledge can help the company reach its goals.

It might sound ambitious for a candidate with no work experience. But remember that other types of experiences also matter. You can talk about extracurricular school or academic activities, volunteering experience, personal projects, club activities, freelance gigs, or even household chores or family responsibilities.

See what this candidate has done:

Cover Letter No Experience Examples: Middle Part

This candidate has no work experience, yet they have some outstanding accomplishments to discuss. Volunteering, organizing a charity event, and serving as a spokesperson—these activities definitely helped them to develop skills that can prove useful at work.

The candidate above might be speaking the truth. But without any specific examples from their experience, it’s hard to say if they really are hard-working and able to learn fast. Also, saying that they might open a similar business in the future is not a great thing—why would the business owner want to train potential competition?

Is money the only reason you want a job? See more: What Motivates You at Work?

Creating a resume with our builder is incredibly simple. Choose a resume template and follow our step-by-step guidance to have a professional resume ready in minutes.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.

4. Finish Your No-Experience Cover Letter With a Call to Action

All good things come to an end, and so does your cover letter. However, you can’t just write “K THX BYE!!!” and email your application immediately. After you’ve put in so much work, you should close the cover letter on a good note to convince the recruiter to contact you.

How to finish a cover letter with no experience:

• Express your interest in the position again.
• Make a specific offer of how you can help the company succeed.
• Add a call to action to set up a meeting or a phone call.
• Use a professional salutation and your signature.
• Add an optional P.S. to make an even better impression.

Have a look at the sample cover letter for the no-experience candidate below:

Cover Letter Example (No Experience): Closing Paragraph

As you can see, there’s no need for a long paragraph. Even just one sentence is good enough if it includes all the points mentioned above.

Now, this candidate wrote a sentence so bland and overused that it’s just a meaningless cliché.

Once you finish writing, you can send your cover letter with no experience alongside your resume and wait for the recruiter to call you back! Afterward, wait a few days and send a follow-up letter to check in with the hiring manager.

Want to send your cover letter as an email message? See how: How to Email Your Cover Letter

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

Create my cover letter now

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaways

I hope the process of writing a cover letter with no experience is as clear as day now. Here are the key points for a reminder:

1. Start the cover letter with a heading including your name and contact details.
2. Add the date of the letter.
3. List the hiring manager’s name, job title, and business address.
4. Personalize the opening and greet the hiring manager by name.
5. Open your cover letter with a hook.
6. Prove you’re a good fit for the position in the middle paragraphs.
7. Close the letter with a tempting offer and a call to action.
8. Sign off with a professional sentiment and your signature.
9. Add an optional P.S. to be remembered.

That’s it!

Thanks for reading this article. Now, feel free to share your thoughts:

• What’s the most challenging part of writing a cover letter with no experience?
• Do you have any original ideas for the hook in the opening paragraph?
• Do you add a P.S. to every cover letter you write?

Let me know in the comments below!

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Sources

• https://scholarship.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/bitstream/handle/10066/14712/2014LoSardoD_thesis.pdf?sequence=1
• https://your.yale.edu/sites/default/files/maximizing_your_coverletter_guide_2016.pdf