Sample Motivation, Cover Letter

A motivation letter (also called a cover letter) is not a summary of your CV in sentence form — it's the place to explain why you specifically want this role, and to make a case your CV can't make on its own.

The three paragraphs that work

Opening: Name the role and one specific reason you're applying to this company — not "I am writing to apply for the position of X," but something that shows you've actually looked at the company. Example: "Your team's recent expansion into logistics software is exactly the kind of scaling challenge I want to work on next."

Middle: Pick one or two achievements from your CV and explain the context behind them — the part a bullet point can't capture. This is where you connect your experience directly to what the job posting is asking for.

Close: A short, confident closing line and a call to action — "I'd welcome the chance to discuss how this experience applies to your team" — not a passive "I hope to hear from you."

A full example

Dear Hiring Manager,

Your team's recent expansion into logistics software is exactly the kind of scaling challenge I want to work on next. In my current role at ExampleCorp, I led the migration of our order-tracking system to a new platform, cutting processing errors by 40% during a period of 3x order volume growth — a similar scale of challenge to what your job posting describes.

I'd welcome the chance to discuss how this experience applies to your team.

Thank you for reading my curriculum vitae. I look forward to an interview with you.

Sincerely, [Name]

Common mistakes to avoid

• Restating your CV instead of adding context to it
• Generic opening lines that could apply to any company
• Length over one page — keep it to 3–4 short paragraphs

Write yours

Once you know the structure, writing your own is quick. Pair your letter with a CV built in our generator, and see how to write a motivation letter step by step for more detail.

Build the CV to go with your letter