The cover letter is an important part of any job or internship application. It lets you personalize your application in a way that a resume or transcript just doesn’t allow you to do. In short, it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself, show your passion and enthusiasm for the role, add context or highlight relevant skills, and allows you to explain how your skills and experiences are suitable for the role you are applying for — which, in turn, is convincing the hiring manager why you’re a good fit for the position. There’s just one problem: For many, cover letters are hard AF to write, and even harder to write well.
As the old saying goes, a person can form a first impression of you within seven seconds — and a similar concept can apply to your cover letter. Within seconds, a hiring manager can glance at your cover letter and make a judgment call, deciding whether or not you’re a good fit worth moving along in the application process. Not, not to mention, the job search is a b of a numbers game. Hundreds, or maybe even thousands, of people can be applying to the same role you are, so you need to make sure that your cover letter and application stands out immediately. All this is to say: You cover letter needs to start strong, with an eye-catching, attention-grabbing opener.
“The framework we teach every client is that an opener should be specific, human, and answer: Why you?” Stephanie Turner, early career coach and co-founder of LaunchPoint Talent tells Her Campus. “Generic and vague don’t land, so if it sounds like it could have been written by anyone, it’s not ready to be sent.” And if you hook the reader at the start, they’re going to want to keep reading to learn more about you.
So, if you’re struggling to get your cover letter started, here are six stand-out cover letter opener ideas, according to three career experts.
The Lesson
As a student or recent grad, the main thing you’ve been doing the past few years while in school is learning — whether in a class, a club, or an internship. Brianne Rush, founder of the Independence Lab recommends highlighting a specific lesson you’ve learned to show how it makes you a better employee in the role you’re looking to get. This strategy allows for transparency and vulnerability while showcasing your ability to adapt and willingness to grow as a working professional. “Entry-level applicants often feel pressure to lead with credentials they don’t even have yet. This opener reframes it as a positive. It shows a hiring manager you have already been tested and had to adapt,” Rush says. “The structure allows students to be honest about being early-career, and it signals that experience produced real-world thinking. Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for people who are good at adapting right now.”
Template: “I learned a difficult lesson in [class/internship/experience]: how to [adaptable skill or mindset]. Now I call on that lesson often.
The Micro-Story
People are natural storytellers. It’s what helps us connect emotionally with one another. Rush suggests using that human instinct to tell a short story that introduces your passion for the industry you’re entering. “A one-sentence scene puts the reader inside a moment. The specificity builds curiosity and intrigue. Passion is obvious. For early-career candidates with limited experience, a micro-story levels the playing field because everyone has a moment that explains why they’re drawn to this work,” Rush says. Just because the story is short, doesn’t mean it can’t be impactful or engaging for the reader; it will leave them wanting to know more about who you are.
Template: “[Specific moment or scene in one sentence]… that’s when I knew [role/field/company] was where I wanted to build my career.”
The Enthusiast
Time for a reality check: When applying for a job, you don’t want to give off the vibe that you’re mass-applying to anything that remotely suits your skillset (even if that’s exactly what you’re doing). The hiring manager should feel you’re passionate and knowledgeable about the exact role you are applying for, and that you feel connected and inspired to the missions of the company. Ellen Raim, CEO of People Matter, wants applicants to understand the value of authentic interest — express that you’re excited about the role, and more importantly, why you’re excited about it. “Your cover letter is not going to land you the job, especially if you do not meet the job qualifications. But it can set a positive tone so that when the recruiter or hiring manager reviews your resume, they already have a good impression of you,” Rain says.
Template: “As an early career professional passionate about [something about the company and/or the role], I am eagerly applying for the [name the position].”
The Outcome
As a college student or recent grad, you probably don’t have years of formal work experience (yet). However, you still have plenty of experiences to dwell on from! Lacey Kaelani, CEO of Metaintro, suggests a hook that draws upon that experience, showing the reader how the skills you learned from your other roles as a student are transferable to the role you’re applying for. “Though many entry-level applicants will have potential customer outcomes from their non-traditional work experiences (i.e., campus groups, part-time jobs and volunteerism), they often discount those results,” Kaelani says. Instead, she suggests pointing out a specific outcome from your non-traditional experiences, and translating it to the job you want. “[This] indicates to the recruiter that you have already begun to think of your impact as an employee vs. simply what you do,” Kaelani says.
Template: “In my [internship, role on campus, part-time job], I was able to [achieve something measurable – e.g., cut our club’s event no-shows from 40% to 12% by redesigning how people RSVP]. The opportunity at [Company] is doing this same task but at a larger scale; therefore, I am interested in applying.”
The Artifact
Another approach Kaelani suggests is to “open with a specific artifact.” This essentially means providing a number or statistic to show how you deliver results. “Having a concrete artifact — a project, a paper, or a side project with measurable results – provides the quickest evidence to recruiters of your ability to perform the position’s work,” Kaelani says.
Template: “I built [project] (e.g., a Python scraper to collect 12,000 job postings) last semester and, when I saw that [Company] is looking for someone to fill the [role], it was clear that you’re addressing the same problem I just worked on.”
The Industry Insider
If you have some sort of connection to the role or company you’re applying for, Kaelani says the cover letter hook is your time to use it. Demonstrating specific knowledge about your industry is a huge plus coming from an early-level applicant, one that can give you an instant leg up in the application process. “Many entry-level applicants use the opening paragraph of their cover letter to talk about what they want from you … [instead, this hook] demonstrates research, business knowledge, and sincere interest — three qualities most hiring managers will assume entry-level applicants do not possess by default.” Kaelani says.
Template: “I have been following your [specific decision, product launch, or strategic decision] at [Company] for the last [timeframe], and I’m applying because [a specific observation on that decision, and how it suggests a particular path for the company going forward].”
Happy writing!