How to write a cover letter in 2026: examples and tips

How do you write a cover letter?

A cover letter has a fixed structure. Name the job in the first sentence. Then give one or two examples from your work or studies that match the vacancy. Close with an invitation to an interview.

Do not start by writing, start by reading. Put the vacancy next to your CV and mark the two or three requirements that come up most often or appear at the top. For each requirement, pick one situation from your own work. Those situations are the core of your letter. Anything you cannot back up, leave out.

• Salutation: the name of the contact person from the vacancy, or ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ (Geachte heer/mevrouw) if there is none.
• Opening: the job you are applying for and why it appeals to you.
• Body: what you have done that matches the requirements in the vacancy, with a concrete example.
• Motivation: why you want to work for this organisation.
• Closing: an invitation to an interview, your name and your contact details.

Example of a cover letter

Below is a full cover letter for the job of receptionist, including the details above the letter as you would put them in a PDF. The names and situations are made up. Replace everything in square brackets with your own details and choose examples that suit your vacancy.

View the CV example for a receptionist

Layout of a cover letter

If you send the letter as an attachment, it follows the layout of a business letter. At the top are your own details, below them the details of the organisation, the place and date and a subject line. The salutation, the paragraphs and the sign-off follow. Keep the letter to one A4 page.

Use the same font as in your CV, so that the two documents visibly belong together. Choose a calm typeface such as Arial or Calibri at 10 to 12 points, with margins of about 2.5 centimetres. Align the text to the left and leave a blank line between paragraphs instead of indenting.

• Your details: name, address (optional), phone number and email address.
• The organisation: name, the contact person and the address, if you have it. In Dutch, the line for the contact person starts with ‘t.a.v.’, which means ‘for the attention of’.
• Place and date: the date on which you send it, written out in full.
• Subject: ‘Re: application for [job title]’, with the vacancy number if the vacancy gives one. In Dutch this line starts with ‘Betreft’.
• File: save the letter as a PDF, with a name such as ‘Cover-letter-first-name-last-name.pdf’. That way the layout stays the same on every device.

A cover letter by email or through a form

If you apply by email, the letter can go in the body of the email itself. You then leave out the address block and the date: they are already in the email. Put the job and your name in the subject line, for example ‘Application receptionist – Sanne de Boer’, and attach your CV as a PDF. If the vacancy asks for a letter as an attachment, send it as a PDF and keep the email itself short.

With an application form, you paste the letter into the text box. Formatting such as bold text or headings is often lost there, so make sure the text reads well without any formatting. Mind the maximum number of characters. If the letter does not fit, use the shortest version of your example and save the rest for the interview.

Which salutation do you use?

If the vacancy names a contact person, use their name: ‘Dear Ms Peters’ or ‘Dear Mr Jansen’. If you do not know how someone prefers to be addressed, write the full name: ‘Dear Sam de Vries’. If there is no name, ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ (Geachte heer/mevrouw) is still the usual choice. You can also phone or look on LinkedIn to find out who manages the vacancy.

If the vacancy addresses you with the informal ‘je’ and the tone is informal, ‘Dear Sam’ (Beste Sam) is fine too. If in doubt, choose the formal version. After the salutation you put a comma and begin the first sentence with a capital letter.

How do you begin a cover letter?

The first sentence decides whether the reader carries on. Name the job straight away and give one reason why you are responding: a task from the vacancy that you already do, an experience that matches, or something that appeals to you about the organisation. An opening that could appear in any letter gets skipped by the reader.

• Strong: ‘In your vacancy for a receptionist you ask for someone who handles a busy front desk calmly. I have been doing that for three years at a dental practice with four chairs.’
• Strong: ‘Your new branch in Utrecht is looking for a warehouse operative with a forklift licence. I hold that licence, and I currently work in a warehouse of a similar size.’
• Weak: ‘I hereby apply for the position that I saw on the internet.’ The reader still knows nothing about you.
• Weak: ‘My name is Sanne and I am 24 years old.’ Your name is already under the letter, and your age says nothing about your suitability.

How do you end a cover letter?

End with one or two sentences: you refer to your CV in the attachment and invite them to an interview. Keep it active and short. ‘I would be glad to tell you more in an interview’ works better than ‘Awaiting your reply, I remain, yours faithfully’. That last sentence sounds old-fashioned and adds nothing.

Then comes the sign-off: ‘Kind regards’ (Met vriendelijke groet) is always fine. Put your name underneath. A signature is only needed if you print the letter and post it, or if the employer asks for one. Your contact details are already at the top or in your email, but it does no harm to repeat them under your name.

A modern cover letter

A modern cover letter is shorter and more personal than the classic one. You drop the stock phrases, such as ‘I hereby apply’ and ‘Please find my CV enclosed’, and write the way you would talk in a business email. Each paragraph makes one point, and that point is about what you do for the employer.

Modern does not mean casual. You still use whole sentences, a proper salutation and correct spelling. What changes is the tone: concrete, honest and without big words. A sentence such as ‘I am a real team player with a passion for customers’ is replaced by what you actually do in a team and with customers.

A cover letter for a part-time job

For a part-time job (bijbaan) in hospitality, a supermarket or a shop, a short letter of three paragraphs is enough. Employers mainly want to know when you can work, whether you are reliable and whether you are keen on the work. Work experience matters less. A sports club, volunteering or babysitting also shows that you keep to agreements.

• State your availability: which days, evenings or weekends, and from when.
• Give one example that shows you are reliable or good with people.
• Say why you want to work here in particular, even if the reason is simple, such as that you often shop there yourself.

Common mistakes

Most letters go wrong not on content but on carelessness. A recruiter who reads dozens of letters spots a mistake in the name of the organisation immediately. So always have someone else read your letter before you send it.

• The letter repeats your CV line by line, instead of explaining why you are a good fit.
• The name of the organisation, the job or the contact person is wrong, because the letter comes from an earlier application.
• The letter is about what you want, such as ‘a challenging job’, and not about what you bring to the employer.
• Qualities without an example: ‘I am flexible, resilient under pressure and eager to learn.’
• The letter is longer than one page, or consists of one long paragraph with no blank lines.

Writing a cover letter to go with your CV

On CVmakenOnline.nl you first create your CV, in the wizard or with the CV coach. You do not need an account to get started. Once you have paid for that CV, you can have up to five letters written: you paste in the vacancy text and the AI writes a first draft based on your CV. You then adapt that draft yourself.

Filling in and previewing your CV is free. You pay a one-off €12.95 per CV, with no subscription. The AI then writes up to five letters and you download them as a PDF. Those letters do not count towards the messages of the CV coach.

Frequently asked questions