In this guide
Resumes and cover letters
A cover letter example with notes on every paragraph
One complete cover letter for a realistic job advert, with notes on what each paragraph does, what it leaves out and how to adapt the plan to your own letter.
The role in the example
The invented advert is for a Customer Operations Coordinator at an energy supplier. It asks for experience of resolving customer complaints, accurate record-keeping in a case system, working with other teams to fix recurring problems, and clear written communication. The applicant currently works as a senior customer adviser at a broadband company.
The complete letter
Dear Ms Patel, I am applying for the Customer Operations Coordinator role. For the past three years I have resolved escalated complaints at Northline Broadband, and the part of the job I am best at, finding why the same problem keeps happening and getting it fixed, is the core of this role. In my current role I handle around 40 escalated cases a week and keep every case record complete in Salesforce, which our quality team audits monthly. Last year I noticed that a third of my billing escalations came from one direct-debit date error. I documented the pattern, took it to the billing team with examples, and after their fix those complaints stopped arriving. Your advert stresses clear writing. I wrote the template replies our team now uses for the five most common complaint types, rewriting them in plain English after customers told us the old versions were confusing. I am applying to Brightwater Energy because your published complaint handling commitments emphasise fixing root causes rather than closing tickets quickly, which is how I prefer to work. I would welcome the chance to discuss how I could support your operations team. Thank you for considering my application. Yours sincerely, Jordan Reyes
Paragraph by paragraph
| Paragraph | Its job | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Names the role and the central case | It connects current work to the role's core in one sentence, without a generic opening line |
| Second | Proves complaint handling, record-keeping and cross-team problem-solving | One specific example covers three requirements at once, with scale |
| Third | Proves written communication | It answers a requirement the advert stressed with something the reader could ask to see |
| Fourth | Explains why this employer | It refers to something the employer actually published, not general praise |
| Close | Sets a next step | It is short and polite, without pressure or false modesty |
What the letter deliberately leaves out
- A summary of the whole career: the resume does that.
- Adjectives about personality such as 'passionate' or 'dynamic'.
- Salary, notice period and availability, unless the advert asks for them.
- Apologies for gaps in experience; it focuses on what the applicant can show.
Adapting the plan to your own letter
- Underline the three requirements the advert stresses most.
- Find one real example that proves two of them at once, with scale or a result.
- Find a second example for the remaining requirement.
- Write one sentence on why this employer, using something specific they have published or said.
- Cut anything the resume already says in the same words.
Keep to one page unless the employer asks for more. A letter that runs longer is usually repeating the resume.
Common questions
Who should I address a cover letter to if there is no name?
Check the advert and the employer's site for the hiring manager or recruiter. If no name is available, 'Dear Hiring Manager' or addressing the team by name is acceptable.
Should a cover letter repeat what is on my resume?
It should refer to the same evidence but add context: why it matters for this role, and what you learned or changed. Copying resume bullets wastes the letter.
Put it into practice
See how Luceria helps with thisDrafted with AI assistance and checked against Luceria’s editorial standards. Examples are illustrative, not real people’s results. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.