The first lines of a cover letter: how to start without sounding like everyone else
Why most cover letters begin the same way, what a good opening has to do in two sentences, and several ways to start that fit different situations.
By Avowly · Last reviewed 6 November 2026 · 6 min read · How we write these
In short
- A good opening names the role and gives one specific reason you fit, in about two sentences.
- Avoid form letter lines, piles of adjectives, apologies, quotations and life stories.
- Useful starts: a relevant result, a true link to the company, a permitted referral, a problem you can help with or a short statement of who you are.
- Cover the company name. If the opening could suit any job, add a fact.
Most cover letters begin the same way. "I am writing to apply for the position of..." or "I am excited to submit my application for..." A hiring manager who has read forty of them that morning sees the pattern within a few words, and a reader who expects nothing new reads the rest less carefully.
You do not have to be clever. You only have to be specific. A good opening does two things in two sentences: it says what you are applying for, and it gives the reader a reason to keep reading.
What the opening has to do
Think about the reader. They have a stack of letters, a few minutes and a job to fill. In the first lines they want to know three things. Who is this? What do they want? Why might they be right?
If your opening answers those, the rest of the letter has a fair chance. If it spends two sentences on thanks and enthusiasm, the answer does not arrive until the second paragraph.
Openings to avoid, and what to write instead
The form letter. It is correct and says nothing. Keep the role, and add the one fact that makes you a fit.
Before
I am writing to apply for the position of Care Assistant.
After
Night shifts on a 30-bed dementia unit taught me how to keep residents calm and safe, and I would like to bring that to your care assistant role.
Why it works: The unit size came from asking her where she worked nights. The role is still named, and now the reader also learns why she fits.
The adjective pile. Anyone can write it, so no one believes it. Swap the adjectives for one thing you did that proves them.
Before
I am a motivated, hardworking and dedicated professional.
After
Since 2023 I have trained every new cashier on our tills, and I would like to take that into the supervisor role you have open.
Why it works: The year came from when her manager first asked her to train new starters. Training others shows the reliability the adjectives were reaching for.
The apology. You have handed the reader a reason to doubt you in your first sentence. Start with what you have, not what you lack.
Before
Although I do not have much experience, I hope you will consider me for the junior analyst role.
After
My internship at a mid-size logistics firm had me cleaning delivery data every week, and the junior analyst role looks like the natural next step.
Why it works: Nothing was invented; the internship was already on her resume. The opening now leads with it instead of hiding it behind an apology.
The quotation. A famous line about success or teamwork rarely helps, and readers have seen most of them.
The life story. Unless it is short and directly relevant, it delays the point. Keep the feeling, and show it through work.
Before
Since I was a child I have loved cooking and dreamed of working in a top kitchen.
After
Six years on the grill section of a busy steakhouse, the last two running it, have prepared me for the sous chef role you advertised.
Why it works: The years and the step up came from his own job history. The love of cooking is still there, but now it shows in work a head chef can check.
Form letter
Could be sent to anyoneI am writing to apply for the position of Sales Executive.
Specific opening
Only you could write it“Last year I cut our branch’s missed deliveries by a third, and I would like to bring the same approach to your supply planning team.”
Five ways to start that work. Pick the one that is true for you.
A simple formula
Name the role and add one specific fact about you that fits it.
I am applying for the customer success role on your business accounts team. For the last four years I have handled renewals for small business accounts, and I enjoy the kind of problem solving that keeps customers for the long term.
It states the job, gives a fact and shows a reason for interest. That is enough. In a real letter, name the company where these examples say "your team".
Five ways to start that work
1. Lead with your most relevant result.
Last year I cut our branch's missed deliveries by a third, and I would like to bring the same approach to your supply planning team.
2. Lead with a connection to the company.
I have bought your bread for years, so when I saw the supply planning role at your bakery I wanted to apply.
Use this one only when it is true. A made up connection is easy to spot.
3. Lead with a referral, if you have permission.
Priya Nair on your logistics team suggested I get in touch about the supply planning role.
4. Lead with the problem you can help with.
Your posting mentions reducing waste in fresh produce ordering. That was the main project of my last two years at a regional grocery chain.
5. Lead with a short statement of who you are, then the role.
I am a stock analyst with five years in retail operations, applying for the supply planning role on your team.
The last is the safest and works for almost any situation, including a career change when you add one clause of context.
When you are changing fields
An opening can name the move openly and offer a reason it makes sense.
After six years teaching math, I am moving into data analysis, and the junior analyst role in your planning department is the kind of work I have been preparing for.
Naming the change at the start removes the question from the reader's mind and leaves room to answer it with evidence.
When you have little experience
You can start with what you do have: a project, an internship, a strong interest backed by action.
For my final year project I built a booking tool for a local gym, and I would like to apply that experience to the junior developer role on your team.
Our guide on cover letters with little experience covers this in more detail.
Tone
Warm and direct is best. You can show enthusiasm by being specific about what interests you, not by adding exclamation marks and adjectives. "I was glad to see you are expanding into regional delivery, because that is where my experience sits" shows more interest than "I am thrilled and so excited".
Test your opening
Cover the company name and the role. Could the opening have been written about any job? If so, add a fact. Then read it aloud and ask whether it sounds like you. If it does not, simplify until it does. Once the opening works, the free cover letter generator can draft the rest from your own facts, and tailoring your resume to the job keeps both documents telling the same story.
Common questions
- Is it all right to start with "I am writing to apply"?
- It is acceptable but forgettable. A more specific start costs nothing and helps you stand out.
- Should I mention where I found the job?
- A short mention is fine, particularly if it is a referral. It does not need its own sentence.
- How long should the opening be?
- One to three sentences. The aim is to get the reader to the next paragraph, not to say everything at once.