High School Cover Letter Examples: 12 Templates You Can Copy

Dear [Hiring Manager Name],

I am 16 years old and a junior at [High School Name], applying for the [Cashier / Courtesy Clerk] opening at [Store Name]. This would be my first paid job, so here is what is checkable. I have missed [X] days of school in three years. I do the weekly grocery run for my family on a set budget. I am taking [Algebra II / Statistics] and carrying a [grade].

Handling money accurately is most of a front end job, and it is the part I have practiced. I keep our grocery list and budget in a spreadsheet, compare unit prices instead of shelf prices, and do the math quickly because I am usually doing it while watching my younger [brother / sister].

I am available [days] after 4 p.m. and open to close on [Saturday / Sunday], and I can add hours over winter break and all summer. I live [X] minutes away [on foot / on the [route number] bus], so a short notice shift is realistic.

Thank you for reading this. I can interview any afternoon this week.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [City, State]

Dear [Hiring Manager Name],

I am 17 and a senior at [High School Name], applying for a Crew Member position at [Restaurant Name]. I have never worked in a restaurant. What I have done is three seasons on the [varsity wrestling / cross country] team, which meant [X] practices that started at 6 a.m., no missed meets, and a coach at [High School Name] who will confirm both.

A dinner rush and a meet are closer than they look. Both are loud, both run against a clock, and both fall apart when one person stops working and starts watching. I am used to being corrected mid task and fixing it without arguing first. I [hold a food handler card / will complete it before my first shift].

I am 17, so the federal hour caps on 14 and 15 year old students do not apply to me. I can close on [Friday and Saturday] and work [days and hours] the rest of the week. [Sport] season runs [month] through [month], and on practice days I would need to leave by [time], which I would rather say now than after you build the schedule.

Thank you for your time. I can start on [date].

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [City, State]

Dear [Hiring Manager Name],

I am a 16 year old junior at [High School Name] applying for the Barista opening at [Coffee Shop Name]. I am writing because I can work the shift you probably have the hardest time filling: I can open. My first class is at [time] and I live [X] minutes away, so I can be on the floor from [time] to [time] on [days] before school.

I run [a small operation, for example a weekend baking table at the farmers market or a cookie order account], started in [year]. I take the orders, buy ingredients out of what I have already made, bake on [day], and hand off on [day]. It taught me the unglamorous half of food work: labeling, keeping the counter clean while the timer runs, and telling someone their order will be late before they ask.

I am also available [days and hours] on weekends and full time through the summer.

Thank you for considering me. I can come in for a trial shift whenever suits you.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [City, State]

Dear [Family Name / Center Director],

I am 15 years old and a sophomore at [High School Name], writing about the [babysitting / childcare assistant] position you posted for [ages of children].

I have looked after my [brother / sister], who is [age], on weekday afternoons since I was [age], which means homework, dinner, and bedtime on a school night rather than two easy hours on a Saturday. I know what a tired [age] year old does at 6 p.m. and I do not take it personally. I hold [Red Cross Babysitting Basics / CPR and first aid], completed [month, year]. [Name], a parent in [neighborhood], has hired me [X] times and will take your call.

Because I am 15, federal rules limit me to three hours on a school day and eight on a non school day, and I cannot work past 7 p.m. during the school year, though that moves to 9 p.m. in summer. So I can cover [days] from [time] to [time], plus daytime hours all summer. I can sort out a work permit through my school if my state requires one.

Thank you for reading. I would be glad to meet the children before you decide.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [City, State]

Dear [Program Coordinator Name],

I am 17 and a junior at [High School Name], applying to tutor [subject] with [Program or Learning Center Name].

I carry a [X] GPA and a [grade] in [Algebra II / Chemistry / AP US History], and I have spent [X] months in our school's peer tutoring room on [days], mostly with freshmen behind in [subject]. The useful thing I learned there is that almost nobody is stuck on the topic they think they are stuck on. A junior failing quadratics is usually failing fractions, and the fix is to go backward two years for twenty minutes rather than re explain the same lesson louder.

My teacher [Name] supervises the tutoring room and has agreed to be a reference. I can also send the [subject] study guide I wrote for our unit test.

I am available [days] from [time] to [time] after my classes end, and can add weekend sessions during exam weeks in [month].

Thank you. I would be glad to do a trial session with a student.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [City, State]

Dear [Branch Manager Name],

I am 15 and a freshman at [High School Name], applying for the [Library Page / Youth Services Assistant] position at [Branch Name].

I am the [secretary / freshman representative] of [club name], which means I keep the roster, book the room, send the reminder the night before, and take the notes. It is not glamorous and I am good at it. I also spent [X] hours last year helping run the [book fair / food drive], mostly sorting, labeling, and putting things back exactly where they belonged. Shelving to call number order is the same job with a stricter rule.

I am comfortable being quiet and busy for a long stretch and I do not need a task handed to me every ten minutes.

At 15 I can work up to three hours on a school day and eighteen in a school week under federal rules, so [days] from [time] to [time] would fit, and I can do more in the summer. If my state requires a work permit, my counselor can process it.

Thank you for considering me.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [City, State]

Dear [Aquatics Director Name],

I am 16 years old and a sophomore at [High School Name], applying for a Lifeguard position at [Pool or Club Name] for the [season] season.

I have swum with [team or club name] for [X] years and currently swim [events]. Morning practice is at [time], which I have made [X] times this season. I hold [certification name], issued [month, year], expiring [month, year], and I am [certified in / scheduled for] CPR and first aid on [date].

The part of the job I take most seriously is the boring part. A guard chair is thirty minutes of scanning a quiet pool and then four seconds that matter, and the only way to be ready is to not drift during the thirty. I do not bring a phone to the deck. I am also comfortable telling ten year olds to stop running and having them actually stop.

I am available [days and hours] during the school year and full days from [date] through [date] in the summer.

Thank you. I can complete an in water skills test whenever you schedule one.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [City, State]

Dear [Camp Director Name],

I am 17 and a senior at [High School Name], applying to be a [Counselor / Counselor in Training] at [Camp Name] for summer [year].

I have been [a Scout in Troop [number] / a youth group leader at [organization]] since I was [age], and for [X] years I have run [activity] for the younger group: planning the session, gathering gear, keeping a headcount, and getting everyone back before dark. I have also volunteered [X] hours with [program] working with [age range] kids, where I learned that a homesick nine year old at 9 p.m. needs a job to do rather than a conversation about home.

I hold [wilderness first aid / CPR / a boating or archery certification], earned [month, year]. I am comfortable with a cabin of [X] campers, with parents at drop off, and with the fact that a counselor is on duty long after the activity ends.

I am available the full session, [start date] through [end date], and can arrive [X] days early for staff training.

Thank you for reading. References from [organization] are expecting your call.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [City, State]

Dear [Owner or Crew Lead Name],

I am 16 and a sophomore at [High School Name], applying for [seasonal crew work / a car wash attendant position] with [Company Name].

I have mowed and edged [X] yards in [neighborhood] on my own for [X] summers. I find the customers, quote the price, do the work, and get paid, which also means I go back when someone is unhappy with the trim line. I maintain a [push / self propelled] mower and have hauled enough brush to know what a real day feels like at 2 p.m. in [month].

I can be at a [time] a.m. shape up, I own [boots / gloves / rain gear], and I do not mind heat. I am aware that under federal law nobody under 18 can operate a chain saw or a wood chipper, so I would take the rake and mower end and let the crew handle the rest.

I am available [days] after school and full days from [date] through [date].

Thank you. I can show up for a trial day whenever you want to see the work.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [City, State]

Dear [Practice Manager / Volunteer Coordinator Name],

I am 15 years old and a freshman at [High School Name], writing about the [kennel assistant / shelter volunteer] opening at [Clinic or Shelter Name].

I have completed [X] volunteer hours at [shelter name] since [month, year], mostly walking dogs, cleaning kennels, and doing laundry. I have shown [species] through 4 H for [X] years and keep the feeding, weight, and vaccination records for [animal name] myself, so I write down what I did rather than remembering it later.

I want to be honest about the part people leave out. Most of this job is mopping, hosing runs, and moving heavy bags of food, and the animals I like best will sometimes not be there the next week. I have already done the unpleasant version and came back the following Saturday.

At 15 I am limited to three hours on a school day and cannot work past 7 p.m. during the school year, so [Saturday] mornings and [day] afternoons would work best. My counselor can handle a work permit if my state requires one.

Thank you for your time. My supervisor at [shelter name] is happy to speak with you.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [City, State]

Dear [Hiring Manager Name],

I am a 16 year old junior at [High School Name] applying for a [Crew Member / Ride Attendant] position at [Theater or Park Name].

I have been in [X] productions with [drama club / marching band], which is more relevant than it sounds. A show means call times you do not negotiate, a crew of [X] people who each have one job, and a house full of strangers who paid to be there. I have run [concessions / the box office / the sound board], counted the cash drawer afterward, and stayed for strike until the stage was clear.

I am comfortable with the parts of this job that are not fun: a lobby after a sold out showing, a spill during a changeover, and telling adults where the line actually starts.

My availability is [Friday and Saturday] evenings until close, [Sunday] from [time], and any weekday after [time]. [Sport or activity] season runs [month] through [month] and I would need [day] evenings off then. I can work full time from [date] through [date].

Thank you. I can interview after [time] on any school day.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [City, State]

Dear [Contact Name],

I am 17 and a senior at [High School Name], writing to ask about a [job shadow / internship] placement with [Organization Name] through our [program name] in [month].

I am taking [AP Biology / Intro to Engineering / Accounting I] and finishing [project or lab], and I want to see the work before I commit to [field] in college. [Teacher or Counselor Name] recommended reaching out and is coordinating the paperwork and any liability forms you need.

The placement would be [X] days, [dates], [X] hours a day. I am not asking to be paid and I do not expect real responsibility. I would like to watch, take notes, and do whatever small tasks are useful.

Thank you for considering this. [Teacher or Counselor Name] can be reached at [phone] if it is easier to arrange through the school.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [City, State]

Dear [Hiring Manager Name],

I am [age] years old and a [freshman / sophomore / junior / senior] at [High School Name], applying for the [exact job title from the posting] position at [Company Name]. This would be my first [paid job / job in this field], so here is what I can tell you that is checkable: [attendance or commitment fact], [money, safety, or responsibility fact], and [a course, grade, or certification].

[Two to four sentences on your strongest non work evidence. Pick one category only: family responsibility, a sport, a club or leadership role, volunteering, a personal project, or a course. Describe what you actually did, in concrete detail, and let the reader draw the conclusion.]

I am available [exact days and hours], and I can work [more or fewer] hours over [break or summer]. I live [X] minutes away [on foot / on the [route] bus / with a parent who can drive me].

Thank you for reading. I can interview [when] and start on [date].

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [City, State]