General Cover Letter: When It Works, a Full Sample and 5 Examples
A general cover letter works at job fairs, staffing agencies and networking. Get a full sample, 4 short examples, a template and a 5-minute tailoring method.
On this pageWhat is a general cover letter?
Summary
A general cover letter is a one-page letter that introduces your skills without naming one job or company. Use it at job fairs, with staffing agencies, for networking contacts and for open applications. For a posted job, tailor it first: in one field test, tailored letters earned a 53% higher callback rate than no letter at all.
A general cover letter introduces your skills, experience and goals without naming one job or company. It works when no posting exists yet, like a job fair or a staffing agency, but a posted job deserves a tailored letter.
Below you'll find a full sample, four short examples by situation, a fill-in-the-blank template and a 5-minute way to tailor any of them.
Quick answers by situation
| Your situation | What to do | Example line |
|---|---|---|
| Job fair or career expo | Send a general letter that names the fair | "I'm attending the Spring Career Fair on March 12." |
| Staffing agency | List role types, skills and availability | "I'm open to temp and temp-to-hire office roles." |
| Networking contact | Write one they can forward to a manager | "Maria Chen suggested I reach out to your team." |
| No posted opening | Send it as a letter of inquiry | "I'm writing to ask about future openings in finance." |
| A posted job ad | Tailor it before you send it | "Your posting asks for QuickBooks; I've used it for 3 years." |
What is a general cover letter?
A general cover letter is a reusable one-page letter that sums up who you are, what you do well and the kinds of roles you want. It skips a specific job title and company name. You use it when there is no posting to match, then tailor it once a real opening appears.
Think of it as your base letter: the parts that stay the same from job to job.
General vs. tailored vs. letter of inquiry
James Madison University says a letter of inquiry2 is like a cover letter, but it asks about possible openings instead of answering a job announcement. So a general letter sent to a company with no posting is really a letter of inquiry. Our guide to the letter of interest covers that format in more depth.
| Letter type | Names the company? | Names a job? | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| General cover letter | No, or only in one line | No, only role types | Job fairs, agencies, networking |
| Letter of inquiry | Yes | No | A company with no posted opening |
| Tailored cover letter | Yes | Yes | Any posted job ad |
When is it OK to send a generic cover letter?
A generic cover letter is fine when nobody has posted a job yet. That includes career fairs, staffing agencies, recruiters who place you in several roles, networking contacts who forward your file and open applications on a company site. In each case, the reader wants a quick picture of you, not a match to one job.
If there is no job description to match, a general letter is the honest choice.
- Job fairs: Recruiters meet dozens of people in a day, so a short letter in your folder helps them remember you. JMU's fair guide also tells students to bring 10-20 copies of your resume3.
- Staffing agencies: The agency, not you, picks the assignment. So list the role types you'll take, your top skills and when you can start.
- Networking: A contact may pass your letter to several managers, so keep it broad.
- Unadvertised roles: UMass Lowell says to send an inquiry when the position you want is not advertised4, and to attach your resume.
- Open applications: A "general application" form fits this letter, as long as you name the company once.
Do you need a letter at all?
Often, yes. In a ResumeLab survey of 200 hiring decision-makers, 77% said they would read a cover letter5 even when it wasn't required. For the full picture, see our answer to do you need a cover letter.
Bring two versions to a fair
Print one general letter for every booth. Then write a sharper version for the two or three employers you most want to meet.
When does a general cover letter hurt you?
A general cover letter hurts you when you send it to a posted job. Recruiters can tell, and many rank tailored letters higher. In a 7,287-application field test, tailored letters earned a 53% higher callback rate than no letter. So once a job ad exists, tailor the letter.
The best evidence comes from a ResumeGo field experiment. Its team sent 7,287 test applications1 with no letter, a generic letter or a tailored letter. As a result, tailored applications had a 53% higher callback rate than those with no letter.
The same study surveyed 236 hiring professionals. It found that 81% valued tailored cover letters1 far more than generic ones, and 87% said they read cover letters.
Signs your letter reads as mass-mailed
JMU puts it bluntly.
Make sure to tailor your letters for each employer, because letters that are mass produced and generic are unappealing.
James Madison University Career Center
Do
- Use a general letter only when no job ad exists.
- Lead with your field and one result with a number.
- Name the role types you want, like "office support."
- Address a real person when you know their name.
Don’t
- Send it to a posted job without changing a word.
- Leave in "Dear Sir or Madam" or "To Whom It May Concern."
- Pad it with phrases like "hard-working team player."
- Leave an old company name from your last letter.
For the greeting, our guide on who to address a cover letter to has options for every case.
What does a general cover letter sample look like?
A strong general cover letter sample has four short parts: who you are and how long you've done it, one result with a number, two or three strengths that fit most jobs in your field and a closing that asks for a short call. It stays under one page and never names a job it isn't applying for.
JMU says the most effective letters run three to five paragraphs2 and never go past one page. So the sample below stays well inside that limit.
Full sample: operations coordinator
ALEX RIVERA
Columbus, OH | alex.rivera@email.com | (555) 014-2290
Dear Hiring Manager,
I'm an operations coordinator with 4 years of experience keeping busy offices and warehouses on schedule.
I'm writing to share my background and ask to be considered for coordinator or support roles on your team.
In my current job, I schedule 30 drivers a day and cut late deliveries from 9% to 4% in one year.
I also trained 6 new hires on our inventory system and wrote the checklist the team still uses.
I'd welcome a short call to learn what your team needs and where I could help.
My resume is attached, and you can reach me at (555) 014-2290.
Thank you for your time,
Alex Rivera
The letter names no company, yet it isn't vague, because one hard number does the work of a list of adjectives.
Fill-in-the-blank template
[YOUR NAME]
[City, State][Email][Phone][LinkedIn URL]
Dear [Recruiter name or Hiring Manager],
I'm a [job title or field] with [number] years of experience in [area of strength].
I'm reaching out to ask about [type of role] openings on your team.
In my last role at [company], I [one result with a number].
I also [a second skill or result that fits most jobs in your field].
People who work with me know me for [strength one] and [strength two].
I'd welcome a brief call to talk about where I could help.
My resume is attached. You can reach me at [phone] or [email].
Sincerely,
[Your name]
For a layout with spacing and header styles, start from our cover letter template. And since the letter always travels with a resume, browse our resume examples to make the two match.
Related guideCover Letter Template: The Shell Is Worth 17%, the Tailoring 53%A free cover letter template to copy into Word or Google Docs, built evidence-first, plus the data on why the blanks matter more than the layout.What are general cover letter examples by situation?
The best general cover letter examples change with the situation. An entry-level letter leads with reliability and availability. A career changer links old skills to the new field. A job fair letter names the fair, date and city. A staffing agency letter lists role types, skills and start date. Each one stays short.
Drop each short body below into the full layout above.
Entry level, no experience
Dear Hiring Manager,
I'm a recent graduate looking for my first full-time job in retail or customer service.
For two years, I volunteered at a community food bank, where I greeted and helped 50+ visitors each Saturday.
I'm reliable, I learn fast, and I'm available evenings, weekends and holidays.
I'd be glad to talk about any entry-level openings you have.
Sincerely,
Jordan Lee
For ready-made store versions, see our retail cover letter examples, or read the cover letter with no experience guide.
Career changer
Dear Hiring Manager,
I'm a former middle school teacher moving into corporate training and onboarding.
For 7 years, I planned lessons for 120 students a term and trained 5 new teachers on our grading software.
Those skills carry straight over: clear instructions, patient coaching and tracking progress.
I'd value a chance to discuss training or HR support roles on your team.
Best regards,
Sam Carter
If you have a target field in mind, our career change cover letter guide shows how to tailor this further.
Job fair
Chron's career fair advice says to state that you're attending6 and name the fair, its date and its location. Employers often track where applicants hear about them, so this line helps.
Dear Recruiter,
I'm attending the Spring Career Fair at Ohio State on March 12, and I hope to meet your team there.
I'll graduate in May with a business degree and two internships in sales support.
At my last internship, I built a list of 400 local leads and booked 25 meetings for the sales team.
I'm interested in sales, marketing or operations roles in the Columbus area.
Thank you,
Taylor Brooks
Staffing agency
Dear Ms. Patel,
I'm an administrative assistant with 5 years of experience, and I'm open to temp, temp-to-hire and full-time roles.
I type 70 words per minute, manage calendars for up to 4 managers and use Microsoft 365 and QuickBooks daily.
I can start within one week and commute anywhere in the Dallas area.
Please keep me in mind for front desk, data entry or office support assignments.
Sincerely,
Morgan Diaz
Agencies place a lot of office staff, so compare your letter with our administrative cover letter examples. For a tighter version of any letter here, see our short cover letter examples.
How do you turn a general cover letter into a tailored one in 5 minutes?
To tailor a general cover letter in about 5 minutes, swap the greeting for a real name, put the exact job title and company in the first line, trade one result for the one that best fits the posting, copy two skill words from the ad and end with a line about that company. The rest of the letter stays the same.
Instead of starting over, change only the lines a recruiter checks first.
- Fix the greeting Replace "Dear Hiring Manager" with a real name from the posting, LinkedIn or the company site.
- Rewrite the first line Name the exact job title and company, such as "the Logistics Coordinator role at Hale Freight."
- Swap in the best result Keep the number that matches the job's main duty and cut the one that doesn't.
- Mirror two skill words Copy two terms from the ad, like "route planning" or "vendor management," into the middle.
- Close on them End with one line about the company, its customers or its goals.
To go faster, tailor a general cover letter with Rezoom's AI cover letter generator: paste the job ad and it rewrites the lines that should match.
Keep a results bank
Save five or six proven results with numbers in one note. When you tailor a letter, pick the one that fits the job's top duty.
What should you say if a recruiter pushes back on a general letter?
If a recruiter says your letter feels generic, agree, explain why you sent it and offer a tailored version fast. Point to the one result in the letter that fits their team. Then follow up within a day with a version that names their job and company. Don't argue that a general letter is enough.
This happens most at fairs and agencies. Here's how the talk can go.
[Recruiter: This letter isn't addressed to our company.]
You're right. I wrote it for today's fair so I could share it with several employers.
Now that I know about your logistics coordinator role, I'll send a tailored letter by tomorrow.
[Recruiter: So why should I read this one?]
Because the second paragraph shows a result I'd bring to your team: I cut late deliveries from 9% to 4%.
What to say if they push back
- Agree first: "You're right, this one is general."
- Give the reason: Say you wrote it for a fair, an agency or an open call.
- Point to one result: Name the number that fits their team best.
- Set a deadline: Promise a tailored letter within 24 hours.
- Ask for a name: Get a card or an email so the new letter reaches a real person.
How do you check your general cover letter before you send it?
Before you send a general letter, read it once as a stranger would. Check that it opens with your field and years of experience, includes one result with a number, lists the role types you want, has no leftover company names and fits on one page. Then pair it with a matching resume.
A quick check catches the mistakes that make a letter look mass-mailed.
Final check
Check as you read
Before you send it
All 6 done. Next, check your resume against a real job post.
Check my resumeBack to this sectionSaved on this device
For more ways to structure the letter, read how to write a cover letter from start to finish. You can also browse cover letter examples by job or find more cover letter samples for fields not covered here.
Tailor your general cover letter
in minutes with AI
Frequently asked questions
What is a general cover letter?
It is a one-page letter that introduces your skills and goals without naming one job or company. You use it when no posting exists, then tailor it for real job ads.
Is it OK to send a generic cover letter?
Yes, at job fairs, with staffing agencies, for networking and for open applications. For a posted job, tailor it first, because most hiring managers prefer tailored letters.
How do I start a general cover letter?
Open with your field and years of experience, such as "I'm an operations coordinator with 4 years of experience." Then add one result with a number.
How long should a general cover letter be?
Keep it to one page in three to five short paragraphs. A job fair or agency letter can be even shorter, about 150 to 250 words.
Should I bring a cover letter to a job fair?
A short general letter in your folder can help, but your resume matters more. Bring plenty of resume copies and follow up with a tailored letter for the jobs you want.
What do I write to a staffing agency?
List the role types you'll accept, your top skills, your availability and where you can work. The recruiter uses those details to match you to assignments.
Sources
We opened and read each page below. The small numbers in the text point here. Pages that carry no publication date show n.d.
ResumeGo2020
In 7,287 test applications, tailored cover letters had a 53% higher callback rate than no letter, and 81% of 236 hiring professionals valued tailored letters over generic ones
resumego.netJames Madison University Career Centern.d.
Letters of inquiry ask about possible openings, generic letters are unappealing, and good letters run three to five paragraphs on one page
jmu.eduJames Madison University Career Centern.d.
Students should bring at least 10-20 copies of their resume to a career fair
jmu.eduUMass Lowell Career and Co-op Center2025
Send a letter of inquiry when the position you want is not advertised and attach your resume
cdn.uconnectlabs.comHuman Resources Online (ResumeLab survey)2020
77% of 200 hiring decision-makers would read a cover letter even when it is not required
humanresourcesonline.netChronn.d.
A career fair cover letter should state that you are attending and name the fair, date and location
work.chron.com