How to Write a Cover Letter with no Experience?

While a CV mainly focuses on your skills and qualifications, your cover letter is a chance to persuade recruiters that they should hire you. So even if you feel that your CV lacks work experience, you can make up for this with a great cover letter. It allows you to talk about skills you’ve gained in other areas of your life that you could carry over into work, as well as personality traits that would make you a great worker. A well-written cover letter with no experience also demonstrates that you are willing to learn, have enthusiasm, can take the initiative, and can meet professional standards.

Here are some step-by-step instructions on writing a cover letter if you have no experience.

Research the company and the job role

To write a great cover letter, you need to know who you’re writing to and what the role involves. That way, you can make your cover letter relevant. Find out about the company: what they do, how big they are, when they were founded, etc. Use Google to look at the company’s website and any news or articles about the company. Look through the job description to see what skills they want for their new hire. You could also Google the job role to find out more about what’s involved in that kind of job.

Make a list of your relevant skills and qualities

After looking at the job description, write down all the skills you have that would make you good at the job. Then, try to think of examples to demonstrate your skill set. For instance, do you have examples you can use from volunteer work, school or university, or any activities you do? Next, think of your personality traits that might help you. For instance, perhaps you’re good at interacting or collaborating with others, or maybe you deal well with pressure. These would make excellent communication skills while proving your adaptability! List only relevant skills for the job you’re applying for.

Start your cover letter with an address and introduction

Begin your cover letter by addressing whoever will be reading it. If you know their name, use that. If you don’t know their name, do some additional research online or call the company directly. You should avoid the use of generic salutations, such as “Dear Hiring Manager”. Next, add a sentence saying which job role you’re applying for.

Say why you want the job

Here’s where your company research comes in. First, write why you want this job, including what you like about the company and why you would like to work for them. This will show that you’re enthusiastic and have taken the time to research the business, which will impress hiring managers.

Explain why you’d be good for the job

In a new paragraph, write the skills and qualities you gathered earlier that would make you suitable for the job. Remember to be specific and use examples. Think about how your unique abilities can help the business and explain this.

Add a conclusion and sign off

Your final paragraph should thank them for reading your application and say you’d be happy to attend a job interview. You can also say that you’re happy to answer further questions to show that you’re open and helpful. Then, sign off. You can use “Yours sincerely” if you’ve used the person’s name, or simply “Best regards,” followed by your name underneath.

Proofread your cover letter with no experience

It’s important to read through your cover letter to ensure there are no spelling or grammar errors. You might also notice that you want to change or phrase something differently if you read through it a few times. You could also ask a friend or family member to proofread it for you.

Here is a good cover letter example for someone with no work experience. Feel free to use it as inspiration for your cover letter.

 

Dear Mrs. Smith,

 

I am writing to apply for the role of [job title] at [company].

 

I have been an admirer of [company] for a long time. The service you offer to your customers is second-to-none, and your range of products is extremely impressive. I also admire the growth the company has seen over the last few years, and I would love to be a part of that success and contribute my skills, ideas, and abilities.

 

As a people person, I regularly arrange social activities for my netball team and was voted “Friendliest Team Member” at our annual awards. I feel this would be advantageous to me in the role of [job title], as my confidence and interpersonal skills put people at ease. This voluntary role for my sports team has also allowed me to improve my organisational skills, as I had to create spreadsheets in Excel to track attendance and payments for events.

 

I also have experience organising long-term projects. At university, I had to work in a group with three other students to carry out research and prevent our findings at the end of term. I took on a leadership role within the group, delegating tasks and putting together everyone’s work for the final presentation. I feel that these leadership and teamwork skills would help me at [company] as I can work well with others and achieve results.

 

I think I would be an excellent fit for the role and would be delighted to attend an interview to discuss my skills and experience further. Please also feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions.

 

Best regards,

 

Mary Doe

 

Following these cover letter tips will set you off on the right track for a cover letter that will impress potential employers and help you land the job. But there’s more. Why not check out our other resources for extra support? We have many options available, from free cover letter templates to detailed guidance on how to format your cover letter.