Motivation Letter Examples, Template & Writing Tips

If you're looking to apply for a job, internship, or scholarship, you may be asked to submit a motivation letter and other application materials. In a job search context, a motivation letter for work shows your passion and eagerness to pursue a certain career and demonstrates how your values blend with the organization's mission. 

When writing a motivation letter, you may encounter the following difficulties:

• Distinguishing a letter of motivation from a cover letter and a letter of intent. 
• Knowing “What do you write in a motivation letter for jobs?”
• Knowing how to write a motivation letter and how long a motivation letter should be

Worry no more, we're going to clear up all confusion regarding both motivation letters for jobs and motivation letters for internships. You can also find a template and samples for your reference below. Let’s get started!

A motivation letter, a.k.a. a letter of motivation, is a short letter that expresses your interest and explains why you’re a qualified candidate for a certain program/position. It's commonly attached to your CV or resume - hence why it's also referred to as a motivational letter for a CV.  

Note that a motivational letter shouldn’t be confused with a cover letter as it puts an emphasis on your personality, interests, and motives for applying. A cover letter, on the other hand, is submitted to present your skills and professional experience related to the job opening. 

For that reason, a letter of motivation is perfect if you are applying for an internship/volunteer role, or if you have little or no relevant experience. That means motivation letters are commonly required by university admission offices, educational institutes, and internship programs. During a job search, you can also write a motivational statement for your job application that acts as the introduction to your CV/resume for the hiring manager. 

In general, there are 4 purposes for writing a motivation letter: 

• Motivation letters for school admission – are used when you wish to enroll in an educational program of any level (undergraduate or postgraduate) at a college/university. 
• Motivation letters for internship – are used when you’re looking to be an intern at a company.
• Motivation letters for volunteering activities - are used when you want to be a volunteer in an organization.
• Motivation letters for work - are used when you’re seeking employment. 

Motivation letter for job example

Motivational letter for internship with no experience

When writing a motivation letter, you will need to include the following 6 sections:

1. Letter header

The header of a motivation letter should include the following information: 

• Your contact info (name, email, phone number, Facebook/LinkedIn)
• Date written
• The recipient's info (name, job title, email, physical company address) 

For example:

2. Salutation

The most common way to greet the reader is “Dear Hiring Manager" who will receive and review your letter in the first place. However, you can also try to address the recipient directly to make your motivation statement more personal and sincere by using their last name, like this:

3. Opening paragraph

Here are some tips for a great motivation letter’s start that will grab the reader's attention at once: 

• Introduce who you are and what role/program you're applying for. 
• Make a strong statement about your interest in joining the organization/company. 
• Keep this paragraph within 2-3 short sentences. 

Here’s an example of a motivation letter’s opening paragraph:

4. Body paragraph(s)

As the main body of a motivation letter, this paragraph is written to provide the following details: 

• Your educational background, relevant work experience, academic and/or achievements, and career aspirations.
• Your skills through practical examples and metrics.
• Your positive personal traits.  

Here’s an example of a motivation letter’s body paragraph:

5. Closing paragraph

In this part of your motivation letter, it's important to mention your future plans, demonstrate what you expect to learn from the program/job, and thank the reader. 

Useful tips for writing a strong motivation letter’s ending are:

• Keep it within 3 sentences. 
• Be sincere, positive, and professional.
• Include a CTA. 

Here’s an example of a motivation letter’s closing paragraph:

6. Sign off

To end a motivation letter, simply follow this format:

Make sure you include a proper email signature if you submit your letter of motivation via email, like this:

If you are in a rush to write a motivation letter for your job or academic program application, use this complete motivation letter template and personalize it with your own information.

Whether you're writing a motivation letter for a job or academic purpose, make sure it looks neat and professional. Let's go over all the important elements regarding the motivation letter format.

• Letter format – The basics of font size are 12pt for body text and 14-15 for headings. 
• Font – Top 10 best fonts for a letter of motivation are: Arial, Cambria, Calibri, Didot, Garamond, Georgia, Helvetica, Times New Roman, Trebuchet MS, and Veranda. 
• Spacing – The standard letter spacing is 1” on all sides of the page, but you can adjust it accordingly based on the space. 
• Motivation letter length – The letter should be sent as a PDF instead of a Word file because the reader won’t encounter any trouble opening and reading the document. 
• Email format – The ideal length for a motivation letter sent through email is around 250-400 words.

💡 Tailor the letter content to the program/job requirements.

As a general rule of thumb, you should customize both your CV and motivation letter for the specific role instead of using the same document for the application. By doing so, you can stand out from the crowd of generic applicants and prove to the hiring manager that you're the best fit. 

Besides including keywords from the program/job description in your letter of motivation, you can also address the person in charge of the hiring to make your motivation letter more personalized.

💡 Explain how the position helps you achieve your career goals.

It's important to be specific in this part of your motivation letter. Recruiters want to know not only about your career goals but also what you expect to learn from the position. These can reflect your passion and vision on the career path. Therefore, they will see your sincerity in working with them in the long run and be sure that hiring you will be a win-win situation.

💡 Demonstrate how your values align with the organization’s mission.

Whether your personal values align with the company's mission is another important aspect that the hiring manager will consider while reviewing your motivation letter for work. 

Here’s how you can find out a company's values and work environment:

• Look for online reviews about the company or employer.
• Check out the company’s website and social media pages.
• Reach out to employees working there for insights.
  
  

💡 Show your personality.

It's always important to be original and unique, especially when writing a motivation letter. To avoid sounding like everyone else, leave out some of the most overused phrases in motivation letter samples, such as: 

• an ideal candidate for this role
• bring more value
• go above and beyond

Another way to write with personality is providing specific examples and sharing your personal experience in the former role. Hence, recruiters can better understand who you are.

💡 Avoid repeating the contents of your resume.

Keep in mind that a motivational letter for a resume should not simply restate the contents of your resume. In fact, it acts as an accompanying letter that writes about your motivation to apply for the job or program and provides more insights into your skills and capabilities that don’t fit into your resume.

--- Originally written by May Luong ---