WordPress Developer Cover Letter Example
A worked example for a wordpress developer application. Whether there is custom code, or only plugins installed and themes configured.
Colette Duarte
Head of Engineering
Northbridge Software
Dear Ms. Patel,
I am applying for the WordPress Developer position at Northbridge Software. I have spent 7 years in this field, most recently as WordPress Developer, and the work described in your posting is close to what I do now.
The result I would point to first is that I rebuilt catalogue and admin queries for a 12,000-product WooCommerce store, cutting worst-case load from 30s to 2.8s. Day to day my work centres on WordPress, PHP and WooCommerce, which maps directly onto what this role calls for. I have attached my resume, which sets out the rest in the same terms.
[Add one genuine, specific reason you want to work at Northbridge Software — a product, a recent announcement, or how the team works. One real sentence beats a paragraph of praise.] I would welcome the chance to talk about where I could be most useful.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Adapting this for a wordpress developer application
Paragraph one: the role, and why you are credible
Name the exact job title and where you saw it, then one line establishing that you already do this work. Skip "I am writing to express my keen interest" — it spends a sentence saying nothing.
Paragraph two: one achievement, with a number
Choose the achievement most relevant to the posting rather than the one you are proudest of, and attach a figure: a percentage, an amount, a volume, a timeframe. One specific result beats three general claims and gives the interviewer something concrete to ask about.
Paragraph three: why this employer
This is where most letters fail. "I admire your commitment to excellence" could be sent to anyone. Name something real — a product, a recent announcement, how the team works, a market they are moving into — and connect it to your own experience. If you genuinely cannot find anything specific to say, that is worth noticing before you apply.
What this field is judging behind the words
Hiring runs through agencies, in-house marketing teams and a very large freelance market, and the three behave differently. Agencies move fast and hire on portfolio review plus a short technical conversation. In-house roles add stakeholder and process questions. Freelance clients hire on referrals and past sites almost exclusively. Some employers set a small paid trial build; others simply open your live URLs and judge speed, markup and behaviour on a phone.
Mistakes that cost wordpress developer candidates
- Counting site launches without saying what you built, which reads as configuration rather than development
- Leaving out performance and security work, the two things that separate a developer from an assembler of plugins
- Applying to engineering roles with a portfolio of brochure sites and no code anyone can inspect
Those are resume mistakes, but they apply to the letter for the same reason: both documents are read by someone deciding quickly whether you understand the job.
What this role needs on paper
No WordPress certification carries meaningful weight, and several that are marketed do not. Degrees are inconsistent across this field and rarely decisive. What substitutes is a portfolio of live sites, plugins published in the directory, or theme code someone can read. Analytics and hosting credentials occasionally help for roles that blend development with marketing delivery.
Where this leads if you get it
Site builder to developer to lead developer at an agency, or towards freelance and small studio ownership, which a large share of this field ends up doing. WooCommerce and performance specialisms both pay above the general market.
Before you send it
Reread the letter for the previous employer's name — reusing a letter and leaving the old company in it is the most common fatal typo there is. If you are applying in the UK, the National Careers Service sets out what employers there expect alongside a CV. Then run the resume that accompanies it through our free ATS checker. The letter gets you read; the resume is what the applicant tracking system scores.
WordPress Developer Cover Letter Questions
What should a wordpress developer cover letter say?
Three short paragraphs: the role you are applying for and why you are credible, your single strongest relevant achievement with a number attached, and one genuine reason you want this employer. Anything past one page usually goes unread.
Do employers hiring wordpress developers actually read cover letters?
It varies by employer and it is rarely the deciding document. It matters most for competitive roles, career changes and gaps, where a resume alone handles the context badly. When the application asks for one, always include it.
What does this field want to see in the letter?
Whether there is custom code, or only plugins installed and themes configured. Say it in the first two lines rather than saving it for the second page.
Should I repeat my resume in the letter?
No. The resume already lists what you did. The letter answers the two questions a list cannot: why this role, and why this employer. Pick the achievement most relevant to the posting and give it context.
Where does this career usually go from here?
Site builder to developer to lead developer at an agency, or towards freelance and small studio ownership, which a large share of this field ends up doing. WooCommerce and performance specialisms both pay above the general market.
How long should it be?
Roughly 250 to 350 words on one page. The three-paragraph discipline forces you to lead with what matters instead of restating the resume.
Can I copy this example?
Use the structure and the job each paragraph does, but write your own content. The employer and candidate here are fictional, and a letter describing work you did not do will not survive an interview.
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