College Student
Cover Letter Example

Whether you’re writing a college freshman resume or an undergraduate resume, having limited work experience may seem like an obstacle as you search for jobs. But even if you don’t have much experience to highlight, you likely possess valuable hard and soft skills.

Showcase these skills — and your passion to succeed — by marketing yourself in an outstanding cover letter.

Follow our tips to write a college student cover letter (also known as a resume cover page) that highlights why you deserve your first job offer out of college.

Highlight college student skills

Show employers that despite having little work experience, you have the skills they’re looking for.

You can highlight relevant skills you’ve acquired from a part-time job, volunteer work, relevant coursework, or college clubs.

Here are some of the skills you might have that you can include on your college student cover letter:

• Organizational skills
• Adaptability
• Active listening
• People skills
• Leadership skills
• Initiative
• Collaboration
• Dependability
• Decision-making
• Problem-solving skills
• Professionalism
• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills 
• Attention to detail
• Time management skills
• Google Drive and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Relevant technical skills (for example, Photoshop for a graphic design job)

Provide examples of when you used these skills in your cover letter, but only include accomplishments that illustrate you’ll perform effectively in your targeted role.

For example, if you’re writing an entry-level hair stylist cover letter, then talk about how you loved giving your friends and family makeovers when you were growing up.

Use proper cover letter format

Formatting your cover letter properly ensures you make the best first impression for what may be your first job. A disorganized or unprofessional cover letter won’t impress hiring managers, who’ll have dozens of other applications to choose from instead.

A well-written cover letter indicates you know how to be professional despite recently graduating. It also shows employers you’re serious about the job since you’ve taken the time to make it as good as possible.

Here are tips on how to format your cover letter properly:

• Cover letter format includes an introduction, at least two body paragraphs, and a conclusion
• Since you lack relevant work experience, write a short cover letter (between 100 and 200 words)
• Your font size should be between 10.5 and 12 points (be sure to choose a professional cover letter font)
• Your margins should be ½”–1” on all sides side

Open with a strong introduction

Knowing how to write a compelling cover letter introduction is especially important for entry-level cover letters. Since you have less industry-specific experience to highlight, summarize your skills and explain why they’ll help you adapt to your first job out of college.

Here are some tips for starting a cover letter strongly:

• Convey enthusiasm for the company and the role. Explain why you’re interested in the job so employers know you have the drive to succeed.
• Identify the skills that are most essential to the role and include relevant accomplishments that highlight them.
• Research the company so you can market your talents to it effectively. Knowing what its long-term goals are will help you write an impactful introduction because you can emphasize how your talents will help deliver these long-term goals in your cover letter.