How to use an example without sending a copy
- Read the notes before the letter. The notes say why each paragraph is there. That reasoning transfers to your job; the sentences do not.
- Swap the evidence, keep the shape. Replace every result with one of your own, with its own scale: where it happened, over how long and measured how.
- Write the first line last. Once the evidence is in place, the opening that names the post and your strongest fact almost writes itself.
- Set the format for the country. Date, greeting and sign off change between the UK, the US and elsewhere. The formats table above shows each one.
Recruiters read the same example letters you do. If a sentence of yours could be found by pasting it into a search engine, rewrite it in your own words.
Frequently asked questions
Can I copy a cover letter example word for word?
Use an example for its structure and its reasoning, and write your own sentences. A recruiter who has read the same example will recognise it, and a letter built on someone else’s results cannot survive the first interview question about them. Keep the order of the paragraphs and replace every piece of evidence with your own.
How long should a cover letter be?
One page. The median letter drafted on FreeCV in 2026 ran to 229 words, and the middle 80% fell between 190 and 260. Letters for senior or regulated posts can run longer because they carry more evidence; the nurse example is about 360 words.
Is Dear Hiring Manager acceptable?
It is acceptable when no name can be found, and it is by far the most common opening: 92.1% of the letters we counted used it. So a name stands out: look for one in the advert and on the company’s website first. In the UK, a letter that starts Dear Hiring Manager closes with Yours faithfully.
Should my cover letter repeat my CV?
No. The CV lists what you have done; the letter picks the two or three pieces of it this job needs and tells them properly, with their scale. Every example here is paired with the CV of the same person, so you can see what was left out and why.
Do I need a cover letter if the application form has its own questions?
Often the form replaces it. NHS posts, UK schools and many large employers ask for a supporting statement or answers to set questions instead of a letter. The same evidence goes in, set out against their criteria, and each example shows how.
About these examples
Each example is written for one job and one reader. The people in them, the vacancies and the recipients are invented; employers are named only to show where a name belongs. Every fact an example states about a profession, a regulator or a law was checked against the official source, and each page says when. To write your own from a job ad, use the cover letter writer; to choose a design, see the cover letter templates.