As a high school student, your cover letter needs to convey academic motivation, some degree of leadership qualities, and, most importantly, a willingness to learn.
Without formal work experience, you may hunt to be the next class representative, an intern, or just want a part-time job. In any case, your cover letter should include a strong intro that immediately highlights your best skills and four more paragraphs that include keywords from the job description.
Our list of 5 high school student cover letter examples will help you:
- ✅Craft a cover letter that includes your quantified high school achievements, such as class rank, competitions, and volunteering impacts
- ✅Tailor your resume to the job listing
- ✅Include relevant skills like team leadership, social media, Google Workspace, and adaptability to show you’re a great fit for any role
Copy this text for your high school student cover letter!
123 Fictional Avenue
(123) 456-7890
LinkedIn
Dear Ms. Moore,
I’m an advocate for nurturing students to become leaders, and Woodrow Wilson High School is a fertile ground for such a realization. I’d dedicate my energy toward such a goal if elected as the senior class president in the upcoming student elections.
In my second year of high school, I was part of an 8-member student organizing committee for the annual cultural festival. Through proper coordination, online and offline, we achieved 47% more attendance than the previous year.
I have the best interests of every student and a track record in championing a conducive working environment for teachers to deliver quality education. I look forward to connecting and discussing my vision for this position and how it aligns with Woodrow Wilson High School’s vision.
Thanks for your consideration,
Miguel Torres
Why this cover letter works
- As a student council member, you’ll be, from time to time, called upon to organize and manage events within and outside the school.
- Therefore, it makes perfect sense for your high school student cover letter to emphasize your role in event planning and back it up with the attendance metrics to prove your mobilization competencies.
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Copy this text for your high school student no experience cover letter!
123 Fictional Avenue
(123) 456-7890
LinkedIn
Dear Mr. Johnson,
As the first child among 4 siblings, I often helped my mother set the dinner table. It’s from this childhood experience and my goal of pursuing a career in customer service that I’m writing to express my interest in the barista position at Jamba Juice.
During my volunteer work at Mercy’s Community Center, I developed strong interpersonal skills, interacting with patients, answering questions, and calming nervous children.
I’m ready to learn and support your team to deliver customer service that keeps them coming back. I’d be grateful for the opportunity to discuss how my skills and enthusiasm can benefit Jamba Juice.
Thanks for your consideration,
Diego Chavez
Why this cover letter works
- Your high school student no experience cover letter must pay attention to any relevant skills you’ve picked along the way to be suitable for a barista role.
- Your many experiments at home with multiple beverage flavors and food safety knowledge would be perfect examples of skills that you can highlight for your application to sail through.
Copy this text for your high school graduate cover letter!
123 Fictional Avenue
(123) 456-7890
LinkedIn
Dear Ms. Li,
I believe in students’ empowerment that begins with support from their peers to realize their potential as a group. It’s from such a background that I’d like to be a student tutor at Sylvan Learning Center and together build an enabling environment for tomorrow’s professionals.
During my tenure as a high school chess club president, I helped 14 junior members learn advanced strategic play techniques. I also organized weekly tournaments and regular practice sessions, which improved the club’s win rates by 36% in county-level competitions compared to the previous year.
I’m committed to creating learning spaces that identify and support each student to succeed beyond the classroom. I look forward to discussing how I can be a valuable addition to your teaching team.
Thanks for your consideration,
Christian Andersen
Why this cover letter works
- You don’t always need jaw-dropping projects or internship experiences to make your high school graduate cover letter pop. You’re not applying to be Superman—just a solid role that fits your skills.
- Look at Christian’s approach. He constantly connects the dots, explaining how each experience brought him closer to becoming a tutor. Walk in his shoes and throw in a sentence at the end of each experience to talk about what you’ve gained from it and how it benefits your next role.
123 Fictional Avenue
(123) 456-7890
LinkedIn
Dear Mr. Scott,
My father gave me his old laptop after I attained consecutive top-ten positions in my second and third years of high school. One of the first things I learned was to use Microsoft Office and Google Workspace. I’ve since learned more software, and I’d be delighted to test my proficiency as an office administrative intern at Hertz.
For all four years in high school, I participated in the school’s and local Math Olympiad, an opportunity that honed my analytical skills by leveraging Google Sheets.
I’m ready to learn, test my data analysis skills, and help keep office operations at Hertz smooth and efficient. I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss my abilities and mission for this position further.
Thanks for your consideration,
Sophia Kim
Why this cover letter works
- Let’s take a minute to talk about how you’re going to craft the conclusion of your high school internship cover letter. Instead of wrapping up with a basic “thanks for your time,” leave them with something they won’t forget—like the highlight of a performance!
- Put your best points in the spotlight one final time and then hit them with your excitement to join the team to finish off strong and let them know you’re pumped.
Copy this text for your summer job high school student cover letter!
123 Fictional Avenue
(123) 456-7890
LinkedIn
Dear Mr. Brown,
Every month, my dad takes us out for brunch at McDonald’s. I always look forward to the treat and the excellent customer service. I’d welcome the challenge of being on the other side, serving and meeting customer preferences as a crew member during the upcoming summer break.
As an order taker at a local community event dubbed “Good Neighbor,” which had 350+ attendees, I developed strong communication skills and the ability to work under pressure while ensuring accuracy in taking orders.
With admiration for the personalized service that McDonald’s gives to every customer, it’d be an honor to learn and practice that level of professionalism. I welcome the opportunity to speak further and explore the value I bring to your team.
Thanks for your consideration,
Ingrid Hansen
Why this cover letter works
- Telling your story about how it feels every time your dad takes you to McDonald’s for brunch is a great pacesetter to get hired. To add weight to your summer job high school student cover letter, emphasize your order-taking skills when you catered to a 350+ attendance community event.
Related cover letter examples
How to Prepare a Fantastic High School Student Cover Letter
Whether you’re still in school or just graduated, you already have a lot more marketable skills than you might think. Your cover letter is how you inform potential employers or the school faculty about them and make them shine.
The key is to focus on the job description and determine what it is that they want. For instance, if you’re applying for a part-time job as a barista, emphasize skills that are key for that role, such as customer service or cash handling. You got this!
Write the perfect greeting and intro
Start by addressing the recipient by name. If you’re announcing your candidacy for class president, find out the name of the student council advisor or faculty advisor and include it here. Applying for a job? Address the hiring manager or recruiter. If you absolutely can’t, a “Dear Hiring Manager” will do.
Move on to expressing why this particular role is special to you. Perhaps you care about your school and want to improve it as a class treasurer or secretary, or you want to work in food service because of your past volunteering at a food bank.
Mention these things, alongside the company or school name, to show that you care about the position.
Here’s what you should steer clear of—a generic opener that makes it clear that this role is just a means to an end.
Don’t do this!
I’m applying for this job because I need to save money to buy a new car. I can work every other weekend.
The personal connection in this opener makes it clear that this person cares about the student body and has a deep commitment to the well-being of their fellow students, both of which are essential qualities for a class president.
Amazing!
I advocate for nurturing students to become leaders, and Woodrow Wilson High School is a fertile ground for such a realization. I am expressing my interest to become a class president in the upcoming student elections. My decision is backed by a strong vision for our school’s role in fostering a positive and inclusive environment that will empower every student to reach their full potential.
Dive into why you’re a great fit in the body paragraphs
Use these 2-3 paragraphs to connect your skill set to the job description and explain why you’re a great fit. The exact contents depend on the role.
For instance, if you’re applying to work at a pizza joint, emphasize the multitasking abilities that you’ve honed while organizing a class event. On the other hand, if you were ever a class treasurer, that’s a great thing to mention if you’re going to be handling cash—after all, you’ve already got experience in that.
A good way to make your past successes stand out is to add useful metrics. As an example, talk about how your efforts at promoting the school play resulted in over 30% higher attendance than the previous year.
If you don’t have any metrics, that’s okay—simply use this part of your cover letter to emphasize your strengths.
This is the way!
I am well-versed in creating delicious and visually appealing beverages. Whether it’s crafting the perfect smoothie, juice, or specialty drink, I take great pride in ensuring that each creation is made with the utmost attention to detail and quality. I will also strictly follow food safety guidelines and take personal responsibility for adhering to proper hygiene and sanitation practices.
End on a good note with an impressive closing paragraph
To make a lasting impression, personalize your closing paragraph just as much as you did the rest of your cover letter.
If you’re applying for a job, make sure to mention the company by name and express why you want to work there. You can also pick a couple of key skills that you’re excited to bring to the role, such as your positive attitude and love for math, if you’re applying to work at the cash register in a supermarket.
It’s important to thank the recipient for their time and express that you’re looking forward to the opportunity to discuss the role during an interview. Make sure to come off as respectful and emphasize how important this role is to you.
This is a poor example of a closing paragraph. The writer assumes that they will be hired due to the shortage of workers, but instead, they leave a poor impression on the potential employer.
Oh, no…
I know you are having trouble finding servers to hire so I hope you can get back to me quickly because I’m ready from next Monday.
Below is a much better approach that establishes a connection with that particular company. The writer comes off as humble and talks about how the job will be a learning opportunity.
Impressive!
I believe that working at Jamba Juice will provide me with valuable experiences and skills that will complement my educational journey and future career aspirations. I would be grateful for the opportunity to discuss how my skills and enthusiasm can benefit Jamba Juice in person. Thank you for considering my application.
High School Student Cover Letter FAQs
Don’t worry—everyone has to start somewhere. Discuss your skills and work experience from school, extracurriculars, and passion projects. For example, if you’ve previously volunteered during a charity event, include it to show that you know how to work in a team.
It’s important to keep things professional. If the job description is informal, you can allow yourself to be a little more casual. However, as a high school student, it’s crucial to show that you’re ready to work with people and avoid using colloquialisms.
Start by digging through LinkedIn and the company website. You may also be able to find it in the job description or the email you’re sending your application to. If all else fails, you can always call them and ask. Doing this will earn you a lot of brownie points as a high schooler in need of a job.
Stephen is the co-founder and CEO of BeamJobs. Frustrated with the challenges he'd faced in his own job search, he left the corporate world to start BeamJobs with his brother. Drawing on firsthand experience with hiring and getting hired as technical talent, he started BeamJobs in 2020 to help qualified job seekers land interviews with less stress. Since then, more than 4 million people have built their resumes and cover letters on BeamJobs. Stephen's insights have been featured in notable outlets, such as Fast Company, Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, MIT, and Zapier. Learn more about Stephen.
