Can I simply copy a letter of motivation example?

No — examples are scaffolding, not finished applications. Selection committees read hundreds of texts and recognise copied templates by interchangeable phrasing and missing specifics. Borrow the structure and the transitions, but replace every example and every piece of evidence with your own story.

How much of an example may I reuse?

Structure, paragraph logic and transitional phrases are safe to reuse. Everything substantive — experiences, numbers, references to the company or programme, strengths with evidence — must come from you. Rule of thumb: if a sentence could sit unchanged in someone else's application, it is not finished yet.

How do recruiters spot a copied letter of motivation?

Through generic claims without evidence (“passionate since childhood”), a missing link to the specific role, and style breaks between copied and self-written passages. Distinctive sentences can also be googled in seconds — if a line appears on five template sites, the impression is ruined.

How long should a letter of motivation based on an example be?

The same as any letter of motivation: one A4 page, roughly 350 to 500 words. The examples in this article deliberately stay within that range. If the call for applications specifies a length, that always takes precedence.

Is there a separate example for every situation?

The basic structure — hook, motivation, evidence, perspective, closing — stays the same whether you are applying for a job, a trainee programme or a scholarship. Tone and emphasis shift: for university applications with curriculum references, see our separate guide on letters of motivation for university.

Letter of Motivation: Examples You Can Adapt

You know what belongs in a letter of motivation — but the page stays blank anyway? Then another theory article won't help; a letter of motivation example to work along will. Here are two complete samples to adapt, plus modular paragraphs to combine. Structure and the difference from a cover letter are covered in our main guide to the letter of motivation — this page is all about finished texts.

What an example is good for — and what it isn't

A good sample letter of motivation shows you what structure, tone and length look like in practice. What no example can supply: your story. Take the scaffolding, swap out every piece of content. Placeholders appear in square brackets.

Example 1: career change into HR

Dear Ms [Name],

Eight years in retail taught me that a store is only as good as its team. As deputy store manager at [company name], I most recently onboarded twelve employees, coordinated shift plans for three locations and mentored two apprentices through to their final exams. Along the way I noticed: the tasks that genuinely challenge me are the ones about people — not the ones about merchandise.

That is why I am applying for the HR administrator position at [company name]. The decision is not spontaneous: in 2025 I completed a part-time HR management qualification with the Chamber of Commerce (IHK). What I still lack in HR routine, I make up for with something no course can teach: from my own leadership experience I know how HR decisions feel in daily practice — on both sides of the desk.

What draws me to your role in particular is supporting the industrial workforce — a group I know well: shift patterns, questions about supplements, scepticism towards anything that comes from the office.

In the medium term I want to take over apprentice support — guiding young people was my favourite part of the job back in retail.

I look forward to showing you in an interview that a career change is not a detour but a shortcut.

Yours sincerely [First name Last name]

Why it works: The opening turns the old industry into an argument instead of a flaw. The thread runs from the store via the qualification to the actual task in the role, and every claim has evidence (twelve employees, the IHK qualification). The closing confidently reframes the supposed weakness.

Example 2: applying for a trainee programme

Dear Mr [Name],

For my bachelor's thesis I simulated the route planning of a mid-sized freight forwarder: in the model, empty runs could be cut by a fifth without a single additional truck. Since then I have known where I want to work: at the interface where data meets real supply chains.

Your Supply Chain Management trainee programme offers exactly the framework I am looking for: four rotations in eighteen months, including one elsewhere in Europe, and a dedicated mentor from divisional management. The rotation in network planning appeals to me most — that is where the decisions are made whose consequences I saw daily as a working student in dispatch.

I bring a degree in industrial engineering with a logistics specialisation, two years as a working student with a contract logistics provider, and one lesson no transcript shows: good analysis only works if you can explain it to the people at the loading dock.

In five years I want to carry responsibility for a network project of my own — your programme is the logical next step towards that, not one option among many.

I look forward to the selection process — especially the case study.

Yours sincerely [First name Last name]

Why it works: The opening proves the interest with a concrete result before claiming it. The programme reference names verifiable details (rotations, mentoring) instead of flattery, and the perspective shows the programme is a planned step — not a random hit.

Building blocks to combine

Opening with an experience: “When I first experienced [situation], one thing became clear to me: [insight].”
Opening with a result: “In [project] I achieved [result] — and realised that exactly this kind of work drives me.”
Motivation with programme reference: “What convinces me about [programme/role] is [detail], because it connects to [your experience].”
Motivation about a gap: “What I lack in [expertise], I offset with [evidenced strength].”
Closing with a key sentence: “[Goal] and [programme] fit together because [reasoning]. I look forward to the conversation.”
Closing with an outlook: “I want to achieve [perspective] — and take the next step with you.”

The 5 things you must always personalise

The hook: Your experience must have really happened — or it collapses in the interview.
The programme or company reference: Name one verifiable detail (module, rotation, project) that exists only there.
The evidence: Swap all numbers for your own — better small and true than big and borrowed.
The link to the role: Tie one paragraph to the actual task from the posting.
The perspective: State a goal that fits your CV — not the one from the example.

Why copy-paste gets caught

Selection committees read the same templates every week. Unchanged examples give themselves away through interchangeable sentences, missing specifics and style breaks — and a distinctive line is googled in seconds. With the five adaptations above, an example becomes your own text within an hour.

The most common mistakes

Only the names swapped — the text remains recognisably someone else's
Invented experiences — the story falls apart in the interview at the latest
Blocks stacked instead of connected — without a thread, even good paragraphs feel arbitrary
Numbers copied from the example — borrowed evidence is worse than none
Tone not harmonised — copied passages sound different from your own

Checklist before sending

Is every experience and every number genuinely yours?
Does the text contain at least one detail that fits only this role?
Are all placeholders in square brackets replaced?
Does the text read in one voice — without style breaks?
One page, cleanly formatted, spelling checked?
Could you defend every sentence in an interview?

If you would rather start from your own draft than from someone else's template: our AI cover letter assistant creates a first personal version from your profile and your goal — the structure is in place, and you only polish the details.