# Cover letter for students and graduates: a template and a 20-minute method

> A cover letter for students with no experience: a four-paragraph structure, a ready template, an AI prompt to tailor it, and mistakes that get it ignored.
>
> tiswa lists the current student offers in Saudi Arabia for [Canva](https://tiswa.app/en/deals/canva/).

![Cover letter for students and graduates: a template and a 20-minute method](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/cover-letter/cover-letter-cover-en.webp)

## When do you need one?

- When the post asks for it. Not sending one usually means you are filtered out.
- When you apply by email; the email body itself becomes a short cover letter.
- For co-op and summer placements, where the company compares students with no experience and the letter shows motivation and understanding of their work.
- When moving from your major into a nearby field, since the CV alone does not explain why.

If the platform has no place for a letter, as with some online forms, do not force it; put your strongest line into the objective section of your [CV](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/cv-for-students/).

## The structure: four paragraphs, no more

| Paragraph | What it says | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Who you are, the role you are applying for, and one line that hooks the reader | 2 to 3 lines |
| Why you | One project or experience that proves a skill the post asks for, with numbers | 4 to 6 lines |
| Why them | Something specific about the company or team, proving you looked them up | 2 to 3 lines |
| Close | A clear ask for an interview, your availability, and thanks | 2 lines |

![Comparison card of the guide table](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/cover-letter/cover-letter-inline-2-en.webp)


Keep the whole letter to one page, ideally 250 to 350 words. Recruiters read dozens of applications, and long letters get skimmed.

## A ready cover letter template

Copy it and replace the brackets. Delete any line that does not apply to you.

Cover letter template:

```
[Full name]
[City] | [Mobile] | [Email] | [LinkedIn URL]

Dear [Company] hiring team,

I am applying for the [role as written in the post]. I am a [major] student at [university], graduating in [term], and the post's focus on [specific task or requirement] caught my attention.

In [project/course/volunteer role], I [what you did, past tense], which [number or clear result]. Along the way I learned [skill the post asks for], which is what I want to build on in [team].

I have been following [something specific: a product, project or news item], and I want to start my career somewhere that [quality linked to it].

I would welcome an interview to discuss how I can contribute, and I can start on [date]. My CV is attached.

Kind regards,
[Name]
```

## Writing it in 20 minutes

1. **Highlight the post**: Read the job post and mark three skills or tasks that repeat. Those are the words the reader is looking for.
2. **Pick one piece of evidence**: From projects, volunteering or part-time work, choose one experience that proves the strongest of the three. Detail on one beats a list of five.
3. **Research the company for five minutes**: Their website, recent news and LinkedIn page. Find one real thing to mention in the why-them paragraph.
4. **Write the draft**: Fill the template above without polishing, then delete every sentence that would work for any other company.
5. **Read it aloud**: Long, stiff sentences show up when spoken. Shorten them.
6. **Save as a clearly named PDF**: For example Sara-Alharbi-Cover-Letter.pdf, formatted to match your CV.

![5-step flow: Highlight the post / Pick one piece of evidence / Research the company for five minutes / Write the draft / Read it aloud](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/cover-letter/cover-letter-inline-1-en.webp)


## Tailor it with AI without sounding automated

AI tools save time, but a letter written by a tool from scratch reads generic and is easy to spot. Give it your own material and ask it to arrange, not invent:

Tailoring prompt:

```
Here is the job post: [paste post]
Here is my draft cover letter: [paste draft]
Revise the draft without adding any experience or number that is not already in it. I want you to:
1. Tie the why-me paragraph to the most important requirement in the post.
2. Remove generic phrases that would fit any company.
3. Keep it between 250 and 300 words.
4. List the sentences you changed and why.
```

> **Tip**: Read the output and change any phrase you would never say out loud. If an interviewer asks about a line in your letter, you should be able to explain it with confidence.

## Arabic or English?

Write in the language of the post. Large and international companies usually post in English and expect an English letter; some public and semi-public bodies accept Arabic. Keep both versions of the same letter ready, and proofread the English carefully, since spelling mistakes stand out more there.

## Mistakes that get a letter ignored

- Repeating your CV as prose. The letter explains and connects; it does not relist.
- Opening with "I am writing to apply for the advertised position". Start with the role and who you are.
- The wrong company name, the classic mistake when reusing an old letter. Check it twice.
- Talking only about what you want: experience, learning, salary. Always tie it to what you bring them.
- Exaggeration. Every sentence can become a question in the [interview](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/job-interview-questions/).
- More than a page, or fonts and layout that differ from your CV.

## Applying by email

Make the subject line clear: the role, then your name, for example "Summer marketing intern: Sara Alharbi". The email body is a five-line version of the letter, with the CV and letter attached as two PDFs. If a week passes with no reply, send a short follow-up in the same thread without re-attaching.

The employer will probably open your profile after reading the letter, so make your [LinkedIn profile](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/linkedin-for-students/) tell the same story.

While you build your professional profile, stop paying full price for design and writing tools. tiswa puts student discounts in one place. [Join tiswa](https://tiswa.app/en/join/)

## Questions

### How long should a cover letter be?

One page at most, ideally 250 to 350 words in four paragraphs.

### Should I send a cover letter if the post does not ask for one?

If there is a place to attach it, yes; it sets you apart. If the platform does not allow it, put your strongest line in your CV objective.

### What do I write with no experience?

One experience from a project, course or volunteering that proves a skill the post asks for, with a clear result, then a specific reason you chose this company.

### Can I use ChatGPT to write a cover letter?

Yes, to improve and arrange your draft, not to invent experience. Tell it not to add information and check every line.

### Which language should my cover letter be in?

The language of the job post. Keep an Arabic and an English version of the same letter.


## Sources

[^1]: jadarat.sa, https://jadarat.sa/