Cover Letter Opening Lines That Aren't Boring

Skip "I am writing to apply for..." — the hiring manager already knows that from the subject line.

1. Lead with a specific, relevant accomplishment: "Last year I rebuilt our onboarding flow and cut drop-off 20% — I'd love to bring that same instinct to [Company]."
2. Lead with genuine, specific interest in the company's work: reference an actual product, decision, or blog post, not "I've always admired your brand."
3. Lead with a shared value or approach if it's authentic: "I care as much about how work gets done as what gets shipped, which is why [Company]'s engineering blog caught my attention."
4. Avoid leading with your name and the job title — that's what the header and subject line are already for.

Related reads