Free cover letter templates for UK jobs

Copy one of our example letters, or write your own from the job advert. Your letter downloads in the same design as your CV, with your signature, and you can write one with or without a CV.

  • Matches your CV design
  • PDF, plus a Word copy
  • With or without a CV
Write yours free See the examples

Cover letter examples to copy and adapt

Three letters for different situations. Change the names, the job and the evidence to your own: the structure is what to keep. The people and employers are made up.

Standard cover letter

Formal and complete: for an advertised job when you know who is hiring. This one is for an office administrator.

Sophie Marsh, Office Administrator · applying to a firm of solicitors

Dear Mrs Doyle,

I am applying for the Office Administrator role advertised on your website. I have four years of admin experience at a busy estate agency, where I look after the diaries, files and post for a team of nine, and I would like to bring that experience to a legal practice.

In my current role at Fenwick Homes I book viewings and valuations for three branches, raise and match purchase orders in Sage, and keep our client records accurate and in line with GDPR. Last year I moved our paper key log onto a shared spreadsheet, which ended the weekly search for missing keys and is now used in all three branches.

Your advert asks for accuracy, discretion and confidence with Microsoft 365. I use Excel every day for our lettings reports, take the minutes at our monthly branch meetings and handle confidential tenancy and financial information as part of my routine.

I would welcome the chance to talk about how I could support your team. I can attend an interview at short notice, and my notice period is one month.

Yours sincerely,
Sophie Marsh

Or write yours from the job advert

Short email cover letter

When you apply by email with your CV attached: three short paragraphs in the email itself. Put the job and your name in the subject line, for example "Warehouse Operative (nights): Kieran Walsh".

Kieran Walsh, Warehouse Operative (nights) · sent by email, CV attached

Dear Mr Hartley,

I would like to apply for the Warehouse Operative (nights) job on your careers page, and I have attached my CV.

I have worked nights for two years as a picker at a grocery distribution centre, using RF scanners and staying above the site’s pick rate target. I hold a counterbalance forklift licence (RTITB, refreshed in March 2026), and I am happy to work weekends and overtime.

I live ten minutes from your Daventry site and can start after one week’s notice. Thank you for considering my application.

Kind regards,
Kieran Walsh
07700 900318

Or write yours from the job advert

Cover letter for an internal job or promotion

For a job with your current employer. Shorter on background, longer on what you have already done there.

Nadia Rahman, Housing Officer applying for Senior Housing Officer, same employer

Dear Mark,

I would like to apply for the Senior Housing Officer post in the North team. I have been a Housing Officer here for three years, and this year I covered the senior role for four months, so I have a clear idea of what the job involves and where I can add to it.

While covering, I chaired the weekly case review, signed off new tenancies for the patch and supported two new officers through their first months. I also led our part of the damp and mould project, visiting every flagged home on the Riverside estate and agreeing repair plans with the repairs team.

I know our tenants, our systems and our partners well, and I would like to use that to help the North team bring down rent arrears and re-let empty homes sooner, which I know are priorities this year.

Thank you for considering my application. I would be glad to talk it through at any time.

Best wishes,
Nadia Rahman

Or write yours from the job advert

Need a letter for another situation? Our cover letter examples cover a Saturday job, an apprenticeship, a graduate role, a career change, a return to work and a speculative letter.

Cover letters that match your CV

Your letter downloads in the same design, colour and font as your CV, so the two look like a set. Here is the same made-up letter in a few of our designs.

Previews show a made-up letter with a typed signature. Yours shows your own name, details and words, in the colour and font you choose. Every design is free.

What you get with our cover letters

  • A start from the job advert

    Paste the advert and pick a tone. We draft a letter from your CV, with marked gaps for your own words, plus tips and a checklist.

  • The same design as your CV

    Download the letter in your CV’s design, colour and font, as a PDF, plus a Word copy.

  • Your signature

    Save it once, typed, drawn or uploaded, and it goes on your PDF letters. It stays private to your account.

  • With or without a CV

    No CV yet? Write from the job advert and a few lines about you, and still pick any design.

  • Saved to your account

    Come back to a letter, change it and download it again for the next job.

  • Free to start

    Each draft uses one free use, and a free account comes with 3. Downloads are always free.

Write yours free

Cover letter templates by job

How to write a cover letter in the UK

How long

Less than one page: three to five short paragraphs, roughly 250 to 400 words. Use the same font as your CV, and send a PDF unless the employer asks for Word.

The letter is not a second CV. Pick the two or three things that matter most for this job and leave the rest to your CV.

The structure

  1. Opening. The job, where you saw it and the main reason you are a good fit.
  2. Evidence. Two or three things the advert asks for, with a short example of each.
  3. Why them. Something specific about the employer or the role that appeals to you.
  4. Close. Thanks, that you would welcome an interview, and anything practical, such as your notice period.

Who to write to

A named person if you can find one: the advert, the employer’s website or a quick call often tells you who is hiring. Start "Dear Ms Patel" and end "Yours sincerely".

If you cannot find a name, "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear Sir or Madam" is fine. After "Dear Sir or Madam", end with "Yours faithfully".

What to leave out

  • Your CV again, line by line. Add something new: why this job, and the proof that matters most.
  • The same letter for every job. At the least, rewrite the opening and the "why them" part.
  • Phrases with no proof behind them, such as "hard-working team player".
  • Pay, or why you are leaving your current job. Save both for the interview.
  • The wrong company or job title. Check them last, before you send.

Sending it

By email: the email itself can be your cover letter. Put the job title and your name in the subject line and attach your CV as a PDF. As an upload: put your name and contact details at the top, as our designs do, and name the file clearly, for example Sophie-Marsh-Cover-Letter.pdf. On an application form: paste the text into the supporting statement or covering letter box, and follow the person specification if there is one.

More help: do you need a cover letter?, seven more cover letter examples and how to prepare for an interview.

Cover letters: your questions

Do I need a cover letter in the UK?

Not for every job. Send one when the advert asks for it, when you email your CV to a person, or when you need to explain something, such as a career change or a move to a new area. Our article on whether you need a cover letter goes into more detail.

How long should a cover letter be?

Less than one page: three to five short paragraphs, roughly 250 to 400 words. If it runs onto a second page, cut it back.

Should my cover letter match my CV?

It helps. The same name heading, font and colour make your application look like a set. With CV Mojo, your cover letter downloads in the same design as your CV.

Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully?

Yours sincerely if you start with the person’s name (Dear Ms Patel), and Yours faithfully if you start with Dear Sir or Madam. Kind regards suits a short email.

Can I write a cover letter without a CV?

Yes. Our cover letter tool can work from the job advert and a few lines about your experience, and you can still download the letter in one of our designs.

Is the cover letter tool free?

Each draft uses one free use, and a free account comes with 3. Saving and downloading your letters is free, as a PDF in your CV’s design or a Word copy. A Job-ready pass (7 days £2.99, or 30 days £6.99, paid once) or Pro (£4.99 a month) lets you write as many as you like.

Can I add my signature?

Yes. Save your signature once, typed, drawn or uploaded, and it goes on your PDF letters. It stays private to your account, and you can leave it off any letter.

The rest of your application

Ready to write yours?

Paste the job advert, make the draft your own and download it in your CV’s design, with your signature.

Write yours freeSee the examples