cover letters with no experience

Sample Cover Letter With No Experience in Field (And How to Write Yours)

By Biron Clark

Published: November 10, 2023

Cover Letters | Recent Grads

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

Writing an articulate cover letter is challenging for all job seekers. But if you have little or no work experience in a field, the stakes are higher. It’s more challenging to prove your value when you don’t have a series of professional accomplishments to back up your assertions. On the bright side, you probably have more to offer an employer than you realize. You just have to package your strengths the right way.

In this article, you’re going to learn how to write a cover letter for a job with no experience in that field. And we’ll look at a full sample after going through the steps.

Let’s get started…

How to Write a Cover Letter With No Experience

1. the main purpose of your cover letter with no experience.

The purpose of a cover letter is to complement your resume and convince more employers to interview you. You may refer to your resume when writing a cover letter for a job application, but you must expand upon points made in the resume when writing the cover letter.

The cover letter should breathe life into the points made in the resume, and create a compelling—or even emotional—narrative around your career hopes and aspirations . It’s your chance to tell your story and show that you have the passion and the drive to come into a job and make a difference.

And at the end, it should ASK for the interview. We’ll talk about that coming up. Let’s get started by going through how to write a cover letter with no experience, step-by-step…

2. Cover Letter Contact Information

When beginning a cover letter for a job application, start with your contact details in the top left-hand corner of the page. Include your name, city of residence, phone number, and email address. (To preserve your privacy, do not include your physical address). You should also include your LinkedIn URL. Next, write the name of the company you’re applying to, and its city of residence.

3. Your Salutation

Ideally, you address your reader by name in your salutation. Internet sleuthing may reveal the name of the hiring manager. If you can’t find a name, you have two options: call the organization and ask to learn more about the position, or write “Dear ” or “Dear Hiring Manager.”

This isn’t ideal, though. You should really only be sending a cover letter if you know the hiring manager’s name and have some specific information about the position. So if you know nothing specific about the hiring manager or job, and the company hasn’t asked for a cover letter specifically, then you probably don’t need to send it .

4. Cover Letter Introduction

Use this section of your cover letter to introduce yourself and share your enthusiasm and why you applied for the position .

Start with your name and provide some background on your strengths. Always identify the position you’re seeking and how you learned about it. If someone at the company told you about the job, then mention that person’s name (only after asking their permission, though). Aim for one to two sentences in your Introduction—keep it short, sweet, and precise.

Example Cover Letter Introduction with No Experience in the Field:

“Hello, my name is Grace Addington, and I’m a goal- and detail-oriented civil engineering graduate from Petaluma College. I was excited to learn about the Junior Engineer internship at Bay Area Rapid Transportation through my former classmate Katie Heinz.”

5. Body Paragraphs

Here comes the most critical part of writing a cover letter with no experience. The purpose of your body paragraphs (one to two brief paragraphs, tops) is to prove that you’re the best candidate for the position. Seeing as how you have little or no previous professional work experience to fall back on, you’ll want to place emphasis on soft skills —attributes of a personal nature that say a lot about your work ethic and ability to work in sync with others. Or, if you have job-related skills (AKA hard skills) from another type of role, point out how those skills will help you transition into this next job and succeed quickly.

That’s what hiring managers are looking for! So while it’s great to write about soft skills and put together a cover letter talking about how you’re willing to learn their job… it’s much better to point out any hands-on experience that you have. So if you’re able, always highlight that first and foremost.

For example, if you had an internship, worked in an unrelated field, did a few academic projects while studying, gave a presentation, etc., those are still valuable pieces to put on your resume AND in your cover letter.

Your resume likely already consists of part-time jobs or school activities or memberships in school associations that maybe aren’t 100% related to the job you’re going after.

Look closer, though—you’ve probably garnered skills in these experiences that can carry over to the job you’re applying for. Below are two examples of cover letter body paragraphs that hone in on two key phrases noted in a job advertisement as requirements: “strong interpersonal skills” and “positive work ethic.” You should be able to figure out pretty quickly which example hits the mark.

Let’s look at two sample paragraphs now from cover letters with no experience in a field:

“I am Twig & Twine’s ideal office manager. As my resume states, I served as an RA at my dorm. I know how to manage an array of things.”

“You’re looking for a candidate with strong interpersonal skills and a positive work ethic. While serving as an RA at Porter College’s main dormitory, I planned monthly social events for over 200 students, settled two to five student disputes per week, and mentored a select group of students in Composition. The experience taught me, rather quickly, how to efficiently multi-task, and how to effectively settle conflicts of all types in a calm, level-headed manner. I feel confident stating that I can bring these talents to Twig & Twine’s office manager position.”

The second example takes the duties that likely appeared in the RA position on the resume and then digs deep, illustrating how the tackling of those duties turned into accomplishments, and led the applicant to grow the crucial skills needed for the office manager position.

One last thing about body paragraphs—remember to frame your message around the employer’s needs, and not yours. Focus on what you can bring to the job, and how your talents will translate into success for the company. That’s important in any cover letter, and becomes even more crucial in a cover letter with no previous work experience.

6. Concluding Your Cover Letter

End your cover letter by reiterating why you’re the best candidate and express your interest once again in the position. And ask them for the interview! It’s surprising but most job seekers don’t do this, and it’s been shown to improve your chances of getting a call to come in for an interview!

So conclude your cover letter by thanking the reader for the time they took to review your application, and tell them you’d like to find a time to meet for an interview to see if it might be a good fit to work together. To close, sign off formally. Try “Respectfully yours” or “Sincerely.”

7. Proofread Everything

Before sending out your new cover letter, read it out loud to catch errors quickly. Ask a trustworthy person to read it as well. Nothing stops you from getting interviews faster than an obvious typo or error in your cover letter or resume, and you only have to check once, but make sure you’re checking it thoroughly!

8. Save it as a PDF

Once the content is finalized, save it as a PDF and title it “ Cover Letter” to prevent confusion. Voila! You’re done. If you follow the tips above, you’ll have a great cover letter with no experience so you can get interviews and job offers in this new field!

Sample Cover Letter With No Experience in Field:

Next, let’s look at a full sample of a cover letter that explains why you’d fit well in a role ( and why you chose to apply for this type of role ):

Dear Name, I’m writing to you regarding the Sales Associate job posting, which I believe reports to you. I can offer 5+ years of experience working directly with customers over the phone and in person, primarily in customer support. Although I haven’t worked directly in sales, my customer support experience has helped me build skills in communication, persuasion, and problem-solving, which I believe will translate well into selling software subscriptions for your firm. I’m motivated to transition into sales to continue challenging myself and growing in my career, and I’ve always enjoyed a challenge, which I think working in sales will provide me. I’ve attached my resume for your review. If any of the above sounds interesting, I’d welcome the chance to talk on the phone this week. Thanks for considering my note today. Best regards, Your Name

This cover letter is upfront and clear that you have no experience in the field of sales, but shows that you’re willing to learn and excited to learn this new job. That’s essential!

You don’t JUST want to say you’re willing to learn, though. You want to PROVE that you’ll be able to learn. That’s why this letter also mentions the experience you have that is most similar. In the case of the example above, it’s the customer service experience and communication skills.

While this person may not have sold anything to customers, they still interacted with customers directly, which will be seen as a plus.

One other thing you should always point out if possible: Experience working in the same industry. So if you’ve never done sales, but you did customer support in the exact same industry as the employer, that’s a huge plus… because it means you’ll have less learning needed on the job!

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This really helped me

Thanks for this! Really helpful for me as a new graduate and non native English speaker. I’ve started using the steps here and am planning on sending a lot of applications this week to see how it works.

Thank you for the examples. I hav ea little bit of experience so I’m not writing the cover letter with absolutely no work experience but this still is helpful and seems to work for me.

One hiring manager told me that the reason they chose to call me was my cover letter.

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Cover Letter Examples with No Experience (with Templates To Use)

What Is a Cover Letter?

Can you write a cover letter with no experience, how to write a cover letter with no experience in 5 steps, when you’re done writing your cover letter with no experience, frequently asked questions, final thoughts, cover letter examples with no experience (with templates to use).

Updated June 18, 2024

Unsure about how to write a cover letter with no experience? Sometimes, the best way to grasp the concept is through practical examples.

Composing a cover letter can be a daunting task, especially when you lack work experience. However, there are effective strategies for showcasing your pertinent skills or accomplishments that can pique the interest of the hiring manager. Articulating how your skills can contribute to the employer's needs is the key to setting your cover letter apart from the competition.

In this guide, we delve into the art of crafting a cover letter with no experience, providing you with a template and a real-life example to aid you in constructing a compelling cover letter with no experience.

When you apply for a job, it is best practice to include a cover letter, along with your resume and/or application form.

If you are interested in how to approach writing a cover letter when you have no experience, read on for tips, advice and examples.

A cover letter is a letter that you send to potential employers when you are applying for work or enquiring about job vacancies. It is usually accompanied by your resume.

You might write a physical cover letter or send one electronically as an email or as a separate file, such as a PDF. Your cover letter needs to include your contact details and some information about the job you are applying for, why you want it and why you are a good fit for the role.

A cover letter is an initial chance to showcase a bit of your personality, interests and work ethic to your potential employer.

You may be asking yourself ‘How do I get hired with no experience?’ – the answer is simple:

A well-written cover letter will help you to stand out from other applicants and persuade the hiring manager to take a chance on you.

If you are new to the world of working for a living, you will likely be wondering how to write a cover letter with no experience and whether you need a cover letter to complement your resume at all.

The short answer is yes , you certainly do.

If you lack direct experience, it is true that it may be more difficult to think of relevant and persuasive information that may help to win the hiring over and secure an interview.

However, the chances are that you do already have some experience, even if it has not been directly gained from the workplace.

Most jobs require you to have strong organizational skills , so you could mention a time when you organized an event within your school, at church or within your community.

If you are trying to draft a no experience retail cover letter, you could talk about how you love fashion and helping people find the right color combinations to make them look and feel good.

Teamwork is vital to most job roles and is a key skill that managers look for in recruits. You can demonstrate your ability to work as part of a team in sports that you play or tasks that you have completed with classmates.

Many jobs require cash handling or other types of payment transactions to be performed accurately.

If you have strong numerical reasoning skills, this makes you a good candidate and you should find a way to mention this; perhaps you recently excelled on a test or have won an award for math.

Cover Letter for Job with No Experience: What to Include ?

When applying for a job, your cover letter will often vary depending on the position. However, there are some basics to keep in mind that every cover letter should have.

Later on in the article, you will find some short cover letter examples with no experience.

However, you should always include the following core elements in your cover letter:

Your Name and Contact Information in the Header

If you are shortlisted for an interview, the hiring manager needs to know how to contact you.

Don’t rely on them extracting the information from your resume – they might get hundreds of applications so make it easy for them to get in touch.

At a minimum, you should include a cell number, email address and city/town, if not your full address.

A Friendly Opener/Greeting

Keep it professional. You will usually open with ‘Dear (insert name of hiring manager)’, assuming that you know it.

In some circumstances, you may also write ‘Dear Sir/Madam,’ or ‘Dear Hiring Manager’.

You can check the job advertisement for details on who to address your cover letter to.

Mention the Position That You Are Applying For

If you are responding to an ad for a job vacancy, you should mention the job title that you are applying for.

You might be writing an no experience entry level cover letter, simply enquiring if there is anything at all available.

In this case, you can list a few relevant jobs that the company may have, for example ‘I am writing to enquire if you have any jobs available as a server, dishwasher or cashier’.

A Clear Paragraph Structure

Your cover letter should be coherent and clear. If it is jumbled, rambling, too long or makes no sense, it is likely to be cast aside.

A Professional Conclusion

As you come to the end of writing your cover letter with no experience, you will want to conclude it and sign off in a professional way.

Thank the person reading for taking the time to read it and sign off with either ‘Yours sincerely’ and your name or ‘Kind Regards’ and your name; the former being more professional, the latter more friendly.

In addition to the advice above, whether you are an experienced professional applying for a new role or writing a cover letter with no experience, you should always keep in mind the following:

Use a sensible font – Preferably the same font that you have used on your resume, in black text on a white background. Avoid bright colors, emojis or clip art.
Your cover letter should look clear and professional – A greeting at the start, a few paragraphs of text and a sign off at the end. Additionally, make sure there is a line break between paragraphs: more white space makes it easier to read.
Check your spelling, punctuation, and grammar – Failing to do this might make you appear to lack attention to detail.
Use a professional (but friendly) tone and correct wording – Avoid slang or abbreviations.

During your career, there may be a time when, although you have work experience, you decide to apply for a position in a completely new industry and will have to write a cover letter for your application.

In this instance, you may wonder how to approach writing a cover letter with no direct experience. You should focus on your transferable skills, which might include:

Organization
Good communication – Verbal and written
Timekeeping
Solid work ethic
High standards
Problem solving

These skills are highly sought after across the board and are benchmarks of a good employee.

Below is a guide on how to write a cover letter with no experience in 5 simple steps.

In the next part of the article, you will explore some cover letter examples with no experience.

Step 1 . Read the Job Posting Carefully

If you are sending a cover letter with no experience in response to a job advertisement, make sure to read and review the original advert carefully.

While you write, keep checking that your letter aligns with the job posting and that you sound like the ideal candidate (as far as possible).

This will also help you to prepare for questions once you reach the interview stage .

Step 2 . Research the Company You Are Applying to and the Job Role That You Want

It is important to know the company that you are applying to and to be able to talk about what it is they do and possibly how their goals or values align with yours. Remember, the purpose of your cover letter is to demonstrate that you are the right person for the role and a good fit for the company.

Step 3 . List Your Relevant Skills and Accomplishments

You may not have direct work experience, but it is highly likely that you will have gained some important transferable skills throughout your life, education or extra-curricular activities.

In particular, try to think about how you can demonstrate key skills that all jobs require such as organization, good timekeeping and a good work ethic. Hiring managers always like to hear about a time you overcame an obstacle or solved a difficult problem.

Step 4 . Discuss How You Fit the Role

Try to make yourself sound like the ideal candidate for the role (without being overtly untruthful) and, even better, try to convey how the role fits with your aspirations for the future.

Even if you are applying for an entry level position to help you through school or college, try to talk about how you want this valid work experience and strive to work your way up the ladder after learning key skills that only an entry level role could offer.

Step 5 . Directly Ask for an Interview Opportunity

In your cover letter, you can appeal directly to the hiring manager or business owner and say that you are looking forward to discussing the job role further at interview stage . This shows that you are a genuine and serious candidate.

Cover Letter With No Experience: Examples/Samples/Tips

Cover Letter Examples with No Experience

You will want to adapt and personalize your no experience cover letter depending on the role you are applying for, but you can use the below some cover letter examples with no experience for inspiration.

Here, you’ll find a cover letter with no experience samples.

Cover Letter Template with No Experience – Generic Sample

Your name Your contact info [Address, cell phone and email address] Date [optional] [Employer’s Name/Business Name] [Employer’s mailing address] Dear [Name of hiring manager] I am writing to express my interest in [insert name of role]. During my time at [Name of school/college], I have won several awards/organized events, etc., and I am currently working towards [insert relevant credentials]. I have an [X] GPA. The job role for [insert job title] at your company especially caught my eye because [list a couple of relevant skills that show you fit the role well]. I am very keen to build on my skills in [X] and feel that this role could help me to utilize my talents and develop my skills further. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter, and I look forward to discussing the job with you further at the interview stage. Your sincerely, [Your signature (optional)] [Your name]

Cover Letter for Receptionist with No Experience – Sample

Karly Simpson 555 666 4231 [email protected] Simone Batts Jade Tanning and Beauty Memphis, TN. Dear Ms. Batts, I saw that you have an opening for a receptionist at your beauty salon, and I would like to apply for the role. I realize that you will want someone who is friendly, organized and reliable – luckily, I am all three! During my time at Central High School I have mastered all aspects of using Microsoft Office and even won an award as part of our Girls Can Code program for some of my IT work. I am highly organized and love working with computers and all kinds of tech. I know how valuable reliability is; I think I can show my commitment to reliability with the fact that I hand in all of my work on time and have not been marked late or absent once all semester. I love helping others and have given up my Saturday mornings for the last year to coach my cousin’s softball team, leading them to their first-ever win, which was so exciting. This is soon coming to an end, giving me greater availability for work. I am also passionate about fashion and beauty and have had my nails done several times at your store in the past – I am really looking forward to being part of the team and helping you all to stay organized and offer the best customer service possible. Looking forward to talking this through further at the interview stage. Yours Sincerely, Karly Simpson

Cover Letter for Internship With No Experience – Sample

If you need to write a cover letter for an internship with no experience, you can use the above information, but rather than talking about the job role, you would mention an internship at the company.

You would then go on to spend some extra time discussing why you want to do your internship at that particular place.

You would need to sell yourself to make the company want to accept you over all of the other potential interns.

Consider mentioning how you could save the company money or improve their productivity: quantify this if possible.

I have been working on an app that could reduce admin costs by at least 10% by offering customers the chance to schedule repeat orders where they are not locked into a contract and can pause at any time. After studying your website, I feel that this could potentially benefit your business model.

Remember not to lie – if shortlisted for an interview, you may be expected to have some tenable numbers and projections ready.

You would open and sign off your internship cover letter with no experience in the same way as in the other examples.

To see an example in practice, you can search for ‘cover letter sample for students with no experience’ online.

Here is a full example:

[Your Name] [Your Address] [Email Address] [Phone Number] [Date] Dear [Recipient's Name] I am writing to express my strong interest in an internship opportunity at [Company Name]. As a [current or recent] [college/university] student majoring in [Your Major], I am eager to apply my skills and knowledge in a practical setting that aligns with my career aspirations. While I may not have direct experience in the field, I am a highly motivated and ambitious individual with a strong desire to learn and contribute to [Company Name]. After extensively researching your company and its values, I am particularly drawn to [Company Name]'s innovative approach to [specific aspect of the industry]. The opportunity to be part of a team that drives positive change and creates innovative solutions greatly appeals to me. During my academic journey, I have acquired a solid foundation in [relevant coursework or skills]. Additionally, I have been actively involved in [mention any extracurricular activities, clubs, or projects relevant to the internship]. Through these experiences, I have developed exceptional [specific skills or qualities] that I believe will enable me to make a valuable contribution to your organization. Moreover, I have recently been working on a personal project that could potentially benefit [Company Name]. I have developed an app that offers customers the flexibility to schedule repeat orders without being locked into a contract, thus allowing them to pause their orders at any time. By implementing this app, I believe that [Company Name] could reduce administrative costs by at least 10% while enhancing customer satisfaction. The potential impact of this innovation on your business model further fuels my enthusiasm to be part of your team. I would be delighted to contribute my dedication, strong work ethic, and enthusiasm to assist [Company Name] in achieving its goals. The opportunity to work alongside experienced professionals in a supportive and challenging environment would provide me with invaluable knowledge and growth. Enclosed is my resume, which provides additional details about my qualifications. I would welcome the opportunity to further discuss how my skills and passion align with the goals of [Company Name] during an interview. Thank you for considering my application. Yours sincerely, [Your Name]

Once you have a draft cover letter that is almost ready to send, you should pause and check it over for the following to make sure it is of the highest standard possible:

Always proofread your work for any spelling, grammar or other errors – attention to detail is key if you want to stand out from other applicants, even for an entry-level role.

Check you have included a mention of your relevant skills . This will get easier once you have experience, however, you need to try to highlight at least a couple of relevant skills (even if they are not workplace-related) and link these back to the role in question.

Save it in the correct format . Most companies like files sent as PDFs, but in some cases another format may be suitable, such as a Microsoft Word document or a Google Doc. Sometimes you might send a cover letter in the body of an email or even as a physical piece of paper. Whichever format you use for your no experience cover letter, it should be professional, clear, and well written.

Delete any unnecessary information . Your cover letter should be concise with just the relevant details included. Hiring managers do not have the time to read your full life story or read any unnecessary filler words or information.

Do I need a cover letter for my resume if I have no experience?

You should always include a cover letter along with your resume even if you have no experience. Your cover letter can help to highlight why you are deserving of an interview over other candidates and why you are a good fit for a vacancy.

What is the best way to start a cover letter with no experience?

You should begin your cover letter with a friendly but professional opening such as ‘Dear (name of hiring manager),’ followed by an opening paragraph that mentions the role you are interested in and why.

How likely is it for my cover letter with no experience to be considered by the employer?

A professional-looking and well-written cover letter can help you to get noticed by an employer even if you have no experience. Most employers will understand that everyone has to start somewhere.

How long should my cover letter be?

Your cover letter needs to cover key information such as your name and contact details, relevant skills and why you are a good fit for the job role, but it should be short and without unnecessary information. Your cover letter should ideally be only a few hundred words long and fit onto a side of 8.27 by 11.7 inch piece of paper.

Where can I get more samples of cover letters with no experience?

You can search for ‘cover letter examples no experience’ online, including a ‘cover letter sample for students with no experience’ or ‘how to draft an internship cover letter with no experience’.

How do I end a cover letter with no experience?

Whether you have experience or not, you should write a short and professional cover letter. The final sentence should thank the person reading for their time and mention that you look forward to speaking to them further at the interview stage. End with a sign off such as ‘Yours Sincerely’ or ‘Kind Regards’ followed by your name.

Can I lie on my cover letter if I have no experience?

It is not a good idea to lie when you are applying for a job on your cover letter or resume .

Often, you will be found out and this can lead to your job offer being withdrawn. Instead of lying on your cover letter, consider applying for jobs that fit with your goals and skills.

How do I get hired with no experience?

To get hired with no experience, you should show that you are a willing and able worker. Send a well written and professional looking resume and cover letter that highlights your skills, experience and achievements. If you lack experience, don’t let this put you off, everyone has to start their career somewhere.

Should I apply for a job if I don’t meet all qualifications?

If you have seen a job that you really want but do not meet all of the qualifications, you should go for it.

Use your cover letter as an opportunity to persuade the hiring manager to take a chance on you. Showcase yourself as a potential asset to the company and mention how you are willing to work towards any further qualifications needed whilst on the job.

Writing a good cover letter is arguably even more important when you have no experience. Your cover letter is the first opportunity you have to showcase yourself in the best light and give the hiring manager the confidence to take a chance on you.

Use your cover letter to demonstrate your skills and aspirations and follow the steps above to help you to create a succinct, persuasive and successful cover letter.

Remember, at some point everyone had to take the first step in their career. Write your no experience cover letter with charisma and confidence and aim to persuade anyone who reads it that they would be missing out if they failed to secure you as an employee.

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