How to Start a Cover Letter: 25 Opening Lines That Get Read (2026)

Knowing how to start a cover letter matters more than any other part of it. Hiring managers often skim the first lines to decide whether to keep reading, and most letters open with the same sentence: "I am writing to apply for the position of…"

This guide covers the two parts of every cover letter start: the greeting line and the opening paragraph. You'll get greeting rules by country, five opening formulas, 25 copy-ready openers sorted by situation and a list of openers to retire. For the full letter, from opening to sign-off, see our guide on how to write a cover letter that gets read.

How do you start a cover letter? The two parts

1. The greeting (salutation): who the letter is addressed to.
2. The opening paragraph: two or three sentences that name the job and give the reader a reason to continue.

MIT's career office advises stating "clearly in your opening sentence the purpose for your letter and a brief professional introduction" (MIT CAPD). The UK's National Careers Service says to introduce yourself and explain how you found the job (National Careers Service). The formulas below do both without sounding like a template.

How to address a cover letter: greeting rules

Try to find a name first. Check the job ad, the company's LinkedIn page and its team page, or call reception and ask who leads hiring for the role. The University of Sheffield's careers service recommends addressing the letter to a named person and phoning the organization if the name isn't clear (University of Sheffield).

Situation	Greeting	Sign-off
You know the name (US, Canada)	Dear Ms. Rivera,	Sincerely,
You know the name (UK, Ireland, Australia)	Dear Ms Rivera, (no period)	Yours sincerely,
No name, UK formal	Dear Sir or Madam,	Yours faithfully,
No name, anywhere	Dear Hiring Manager,	Sincerely, / Kind regards,
You know the team	Dear Finance Recruitment Team,	Kind regards,
Doctor or professor	Dear Dr. Al-Hashimi,	Sincerely,
Gulf (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar)	Dear Mr. Al Mansoori, or Dear Hiring Manager,	Best regards, / Sincerely,
India, Pakistan	Dear Ms. Sharma, or Dear Hiring Manager,	Sincerely, / Regards,

The UK pairing matters: the National Careers Service says to end with "Yours sincerely" if you know the name and "Yours faithfully" if you wrote "Dear Sir or Madam".

Avoid "Dear Sir" alone, "Hi there," "Hey team," and guessing a gender from a first name. If unsure, use the full name: "Dear Sam Okoye,".

Five formulas for a strong cover letter opening

1. The achievement hook

Lead with your most relevant result, then name the role.

In my two years at Coastline Logistics I cut late deliveries by 22% by redesigning our route schedule. I'd like to bring that same focus to the Operations Coordinator role at Meridian Freight.

2. The referral

Name the person (with their permission) in the first sentence.

Amira Haddad, a senior analyst on your risk team, suggested I apply for the Credit Risk Analyst role after we discussed the model validation work I've been leading at Gulfstone Bank.

3. The company connection

Show you know something specific about the employer.

Your move into same-day pharmacy delivery across Riyadh caught my attention, because I spent the last three years building exactly that kind of dispatch operation in Jeddah.

4. The skills match

Mirror the two requirements the ad stresses most.

You're looking for a Payroll Specialist with multi-country experience and strong Excel skills. For the past four years I've run monthly payroll for 600 staff across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, with every report built in Excel and Power Query.

5. The career-story opener

Best for career changers and graduates: explain the move in one line.

After six years teaching chemistry, I've spent the past year retraining in data analysis, and I'm excited to apply for the Junior Data Analyst role at Brightwell Health.

25 cover letter opening lines by situation

Experienced professionals

1. "Over the past five years I've grown monthly recurring revenue at two SaaS startups from under $50K to more than $400K, and I'd like to do the same as your next Head of Sales."
2. "As a registered nurse with seven years in emergency care, I've learned to stay calm and precise when every minute counts, which is why your Emergency Department RN opening stood out."
3. "I'm applying for the Senior Accountant role because I've spent four years doing exactly what your ad describes: leading month-end close under IFRS across multiple entities."
4. "Your job ad asks for someone who can bring order to a growing warehouse. At Northgate Retail, I reorganized a 40,000 sq ft site and cut picking errors by 35%."
5. "I've managed construction projects worth up to AED 30M across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and I'm writing about your Senior Project Manager role."

Graduates and students

1. "As a final-year computer science student who built a booking app now used by 300 classmates, I'm excited to apply for your Software Engineering Internship."
2. "I'm graduating in December with a BSc in Accounting and Finance, and your Graduate Audit Program is the first one I'm applying to."
3. "During my placement at Lakeside Hospital, I saw how much good discharge planning matters, which is why your Graduate Nurse Program appeals to me."
4. "I'm a business student at the University of Nairobi applying for your Marketing Internship, with a portfolio of three social media campaigns for student societies."
5. "Your Summer Analyst role asks for strong Excel and curiosity; I've got both, plus a year of tutoring statistics to first-year students."

Career changers

1. "After eight years managing retail stores, hiring and training more than 100 people, I'm moving into HR and applying for your HR Coordinator role."
2. "I've spent a decade in hospitality solving guest problems under pressure, and I'm now bringing that experience to customer success, starting with your Customer Success Associate role."
3. "Teaching taught me to explain complex ideas simply. I'd like to use that skill as an Instructional Designer at your company."
4. "Following ten years in the army, where I led logistics for units of up to 500 people, I'm applying for your Supply Chain Coordinator position."

Referrals and networking

1. "Daniel Cruz from your engineering team mentioned you're hiring a QA Analyst, and he thought my test automation work would be a good fit."
2. "We met at the Lagos Tech Fair last week, where you described the new payments team; I'd like to apply for the Product Analyst role we discussed."
3. "Your recruiter, Leila Sabbagh, reached out about the Business Analyst role, and after reading the full description I'm keen to apply."

Relocation and applying abroad

1. "I'm relocating to Toronto in February with an open work permit, and I'm applying for your Payroll Administrator role, bringing five years of multi-country payroll experience from a multinational in Manila."
2. "As an Indian-qualified civil engineer moving to Dubai next month, I'm applying for your Site Engineer role and can join immediately."
3. "I'm a UK-registered pharmacist relocating to Sydney and applying for your Community Pharmacist role ahead of my move in March."

Creative and direct openers

1. "Three numbers sum up my last role: 18 product launches, 2 international markets and zero missed deadlines."
2. "Most people use your app to pay bills. I used it to run my family's shop for two years, and that's why I want to join your merchant team."
3. "Your latest annual report says you aim to double renewable capacity in Oman; I've spent five years commissioning solar plants and want to help you get there."

Speculative (no advertised job)

1. "I'm writing to ask whether your design studio has any openings for a junior UX designer, as your work on accessible banking apps is exactly the kind I want to do."
2. "I've followed your clinic's growth in Doha for two years and would welcome the chance to join as a medical receptionist if a role opens up."

For full letters built on openers like these, browse our cover letter examples, such as the software engineer cover letter or the internship cover letter.

Which cover letter openings should you avoid?

Avoid	Why	Try instead
"My name is Ahmed and I am applying…"	Your name is already on the letter	Lead with the role and a result
"I am writing to apply for the position of…"	Every letter starts this way	"I'm applying for X because…" plus proof
"I believe I am the perfect candidate"	Unprovable claim	Show the match with one fact
"To Whom It May Concern"	Distant and dated	"Dear Hiring Manager,"
"I saw your ad on [job board]" as line one	Wastes your hook	Mention the source in sentence two
A famous quote	Says nothing about you	Your own result

How to write your opening in five minutes

1. Copy the job title exactly from the ad.
2. Pick the one requirement you meet best.
3. Find a number that proves it (money, time, volume, people, percentage).
4. Choose a formula above and draft two sentences.
5. Read it aloud. If it would fit any company, add one detail about this employer.

Common mistakes when starting a cover letter

• Getting the person's name or title wrong, or using the wrong company name from a previous letter.
• Repeating your resume summary word for word.
• Over-apologizing ("Although I don't have all the requirements…") in the first line.
• Opening with flattery that could apply to any employer ("your prestigious company").
• Writing a long opening paragraph that buries the role you're applying for.

Build it in EZProCV

Pick one of EZProCV's cover letter templates and write your greeting and opening in the cover letter builder, with a live preview that matches the downloaded file. You can match fonts and colors to your resume, download a free text-based PDF, or share the letter with a link.

Sources

• National Careers Service: How to write a cover letter
• MIT CAPD: How to write an effective cover letter
• University of Sheffield Careers Service: Writing a covering letter

Frequently asked questions

Is "To Whom It May Concern" okay to start a cover letter?
It's not wrong, but it sounds dated and impersonal, and it suggests you didn't try to find a name. "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear [Team name] Hiring Team" is warmer and just as safe. Use "To Whom It May Concern" only for formal letters where no person or team could reasonably be identified, such as some government applications.

Should I use the hiring manager's first name?
In most formal applications, use a title and last name: "Dear Mr. Okafor" or "Dear Dr. Lim". In startups and some tech or creative companies in the US, UK and Australia, a first name is acceptable if the job ad or recruiter used first names with you. If you aren't sure of someone's preferred title, use their full name: "Dear Jordan Lee".

Can I start a cover letter with a question?
You can, but it's risky. A rhetorical question ("Have you ever wondered…?") often reads like advertising copy. A direct statement of a relevant result is almost always stronger. If you do use a question, make it specific to the company's work and answer it in your very next sentence with evidence about yourself.

How long should the opening paragraph be?
Two to three sentences, or roughly 40 to 70 words. It needs to name the role, give your hook and point to what follows. Anything longer starts repeating your resume. The UK's National Careers Service notes that a cover letter is usually 3 to 5 paragraphs in total, so the opening is a small share of a short letter.

Should the opening mention where I found the job?
Mention it if it helps you: a referral from an employee, a careers fair, or a recruiter who contacted you. If you found it on a general job board, it's fine to include briefly, as the National Careers Service suggests, but it shouldn't be the first thing the reader sees. Put your hook first and the source in the second sentence.