Letter template · Apprenticeship

Cover letter for an apprentice web developer

In development, the recruiter mainly wants to know one thing: do you already code? Your letter has to prove it with a real project, not a list of languages.

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What the recruiter is looking for

A project that runs

A live site, a GitHub repository, an app from your course. One link is worth more than three paragraphs.

The ad's tech stack

If it asks for React and you have used Vue, say so and show you learn fast. Don't claim to master what you have never used.

Teamwork

Git, code review, agile in group projects: these are the habits of a dev team.

The schedule

The work-study schedule and the start date. It is the first practical question, so answer it up front.

Example letter

Apprenticeship application, web developer

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am a [second-year BUT Computer Science] student at [school], looking for a [12-month] apprenticeship starting in [September 2026], with [3 weeks at work and 1 week at college]. Your junior web developer role caught my eye because [what the team does: rebuilding your customer platform in React].

For the past year I have been building [a room booking tool for my school] with [React and a Node.js API]. I designed the interface, wrote the API routes and put the project live on [Vercel]. It is used by [around thirty students], which has taught me to fix bugs reported by real users. The code is on [GitHub link].

In group projects, I work with Git, feature branches and code reviews between us. I have also learnt to break a feature down into tickets and estimate how long it will take, often badly at first.

[Company name] appeals to me because [specific reason: you build a product that tradespeople use every day, and I want to see the effect of my code on real customers]. I have not yet used [TypeScript] in production, but I am learning it through [project or course].

I would be glad to discuss this at an interview and show you my project live.

Yours faithfully,

[First name Surname]

Replace everything in square brackets. Keep the structure, change the examples: a recruiter spots a copied letter within one line.

Keywords found in these ads

  • JavaScript
  • TypeScript
  • React
  • Vue.js
  • PHP
  • Symfony
  • Node.js
  • REST API
  • SQL
  • Git
  • Responsive design
  • Unit testing
  • Agile
  • HTML/CSS integration

Reuse the exact terms from the ad, but only the ones you can back up with experience, a project or a course. A keyword you can't explain at interview costs you more than it earns you.

The same rules apply to your CV.Read the ATS CV guide

The mistakes that lose the reader

  • "Passionate about computing for as long as I can remember": everyone writes it, nobody proves it.
  • A list of fifteen languages without a single project tying them together.
  • No link: no GitHub, no portfolio, no live project.
  • Forgetting the work-study schedule and the start date.

Frequently asked
questions

Should I put my GitHub link in the letter?

Yes, if the repository is tidy and has a README explaining the project. An empty or unfinished repository has the opposite effect.

I've never worked in a company, what should I highlight?

Your course projects and personal projects. For a junior developer role, a project you saw through to the end counts as much as a first job.

See also

Letter templates

Apprenticeship cover letter examples by job: web developer, UX/UI designer, sales, HR, marketing, accounting. With practical tips.

UX/UI and graphic design

Example cover letter for an apprenticeship in UX/UI design, web design or graphic design: portfolio, process, a full letter and keywords.

AI cover letter

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