Cover Letter Templates

A resume shows your professionalism and experience, but on its own, it doesn’t necessarily express what a great match you are or your desire to work for the company.

A resume alone isn’t enough to convince the hiring manager to interview you. A cover letter can play a crucial role in job applications, so you must include one if you want your application to stand out.

There are many applicants out there just like you. They might have similar skills, experiences, educational backgrounds, and achievements. Most applicants wouldn’t have the chance to speak with hiring managers or recruiters before an interview. Therefore, it is important to make a great first impression. You can do this by writing an impressive cover letter.

Your cover letter should be professional yet interesting. Do not bore the hiring manager with an extremely long letter. Grasp their attention from the very opening of your cover letter and keep them reading until the end. Convince them that they have to look at your resume and call you for an interview. Let your personality shine through!

You just have to make sure that your cover letter is an answer to the job description. It should support your resume. Your cover letter should convince the hiring manager to look at your resume and call you for an interview.

Our designs

We recommend you take a look at our cover letter template designs we have prepared. Find out which one works best with your profile.

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4 Examples of Cover Letters

What are the different types of cover letters? Let us show you 4 types of cover letters we have prepared for you because the approach changes depending on the applicant’s circumstances.

A student with no experience cannot have the same cover letter approach as someone with a 7-year career. So the message must adapt if the profile requires it to.

Here are some examples of cover letters for different profiles.

1. College student cover letter

2. Manager’s cover letter

3. Career transition cover letter

4. Self-candidacy cover letter

What is a cover letter? (And why is it so important?)

A cover letter is typically a one-page document attached to a resume when submitting an employment application. Many applicants mistakenly believe a cover letter is not necessarily required, however it is actually crucial in presenting your application to the recruiter.

While most applicants believe the resume is the only important document for every application, actually the cover letter is equally important. The cover letter complements your resume and gets you one step closer to your dream job.

Your qualifications and skills are already written on your resume, but your cover letter provides another opportunity for you to stand out among other applicants and impress hiring managers even before getting interviewed.

Simply explained, your cover letter provides the hiring manager with an overview of your resume’s contents. At the same time, it can be a chance for you to introduce and sell yourself further. This letter must be convincing enough to show your potential employer that you are worth being interviewed and eventually getting hired.

Lauren Nelson, a communications specialist and Aesthetics Cogency VP writes that a detailed and well-crafted resume alone doesn’t prove that an applicant is impressive enough to get interviewed. She believes a well-written cover letter plays a more important role in an application because it can show an applicant’s attention to detail and work ethic. “It provides glimpses into your personality that a list of achievements can’t,” Nelson adds.

How to write a perfect cover letter in 5 steps.

Especially for applicants who don’t consider themselves to have good writing skills, crafting a cover letter might seem like a very challenging task. Some applicants would even skip writing a cover letter altogether simply because they find it inconvenient or just too difficult.

However, preparing a cover letter to attach to your resume is not as difficult as it seems. Allow us to share with you a simple step-by-step procedure that you can keep in mind. Before you know it, you’re done writing an impressive cover letter!

Step 1 – Choose the right template for your cover letter.

Most applicants are under the impression that they would have to write their cover letter from scratch. This is why many would just skip writing a cover letter, especially when they feel like they’re not skilled enough in writing letters.

Thankfully, there are now cover letter templates that you can now use to speed up and make the process so much easier. You must, however, make sure that you’re choosing the right cover letter to match your resume and the position you are applying for. Select one that looks professional yet attractive at the same time.

Choose a cover letter template that complements your resume. It should fit your profile and the message you want the hiring managers or recruiters to receive. Since your cover letter and resume go together, ideally, your cover letter’s appearance matches the overall look of your resume.

Step 2 – Start your cover letter with your title

Just the same as with your resume, you need to begin your cover letter with a title or header. The title section includes your name, title, and contact information. Make sure all these are clear, easy to read, and accurate. You want the hiring manager to know how to reach out to you even without having to look up your details on your resume.

The title section of your resume should include the following information.

Use this cover letter template as a guide when writing the best cover letter header.

Step 3 – Personalize the greeting

Generic cover letters might appear formal and professional enough, but submitting one can immediately take away all chances of getting interviewed for the job.

For one, these hiring managers receive tons of applications daily. A generic cover letter will most likely be just like any other cover letter they have received already.

This is your chance to stand out. So make sure that you are customizing and personalizing your cover letter every chance you get.

Remember three things when writing the perfect greeting or salutation on your resume – formal, respectful, and simple. You don’t have to be old-fashioned or out of style by being way too professional or formal, but you still want to show how respectful you are.

Recruiters and hiring managers feel a sense of importance when you include their name and position. Even before you get interviewed, there will be some form of connection between you and the hiring manager as you have already addressed them by name.

Here’s a good example of a formal greeting:

Dear Danielle Smith, Human Resources Manager.

This greeting is formal and professional. It is respectful yet warm without having to sound old-fashioned. It also includes the name and position title of the hiring manager, which shows that you took the time to customize your cover letter.

You might be getting the opposite effect if you will be using it for a salutation such as this:

Distinguished, honorable, and Dear Sir/Madam:

It appears very exaggerated, right? It sounds impersonal and insincere. It isn’t something one would usually say out loud especially during interviews or a simple conversation. The lack of personalization further shows that you might know some nice words, but you didn’t really take time to research and find out at least the name of the hiring manager.

While it might not have any negative effect on your application, this type of salutation will likely not have any positive effect either during the application selection process of the hiring manager.

Recommended phrases for the salutation

Non-recommended phrases for the salutation

How to find the right name and person?

We’ve mentioned several times that it is important to include the name and position of the hiring manager or recruiter on your cover letter. So how exactly do you do this?

Many times, a job post or ad does not include the name of the hiring manager or head of recruitment in the description. This is, however, something that you can find out on your own.

Here are some ways to find out the name of the right person to address your cover letter to.

If these strategies fail, you can use the following greeting options instead:

Step 4 – Write an introduction that grabs attention at first glance

Your cover letter is the very first chance you get to introduce yourself to your potential future employer, so make sure you make it count. However, as we mentioned earlier, recruiters and hiring managers receive a lot of applications. Many of them probably won’t even read entire cover letters, especially those that look completely generic.

Think of it as having a couple of seconds to grab the hiring manager’s attention. The very first few lines of your cover letter should already spark interest and must have a positive impact on recruiters. Make them want to read the rest of your cover letter and flip through your resume, too.

Here are some quick tips that will help you start writing the perfect cover letter introduction.

Correct example

You don’t need to write something extraordinary in your introduction to grab the recruiter’s attention. It would be best to include information that is relevant to the job description. Showing that you are qualified and that you paid attention to their job description’s details can already help spark interest. You get their attention when, at the very introduction itself, you are already letting them know that you are the right person to interview.

Here’s a great example of a cover letter introduction:

This introduction works very well for cover letters as it includes all the important details:

Incorrect example

Below is an example of a cover letter introduction that will likely not get you the same kind of reaction you would have compared to the correct example above.

Aside from the fact that the above example is not exactly well-written, it also fails to include several details that many recruiters would rather see on a cover letter such as:

Step 5 – Explain why you are the right person for the job.

If you followed the above tips when writing your introduction, then you now have the hiring manager’s attention. Make sure you continue grasping his or her attention at this point as you explain in detail why you’re the right person for the job.

While you have already summarized your qualifications in the introduction, now’s the time for you to impress your potential employer further by including specifics. Here’s where you should write about your professional skills and characteristics that make you the perfect person to get the position.

You might have so many skills and achievements, but you have to focus on the job description when writing your cover letter. Your resume includes more details anyway. So explain the top skills you have that make you most qualified for the job.

Remember to focus on the job requirements while writing this section while being as truthful as possible.

Here are some more tips to keep in mind while writing this section of your cover letter:

Correct example

Once again, check the job description when writing this section. Especially if you have a lot of skills and work experience, it can get tempting to write them all here so you can impress your potential employer. You have your resume for all that information. In this section, make sure you’re only including your capabilities and experiences that are relevant to the job description.

Here are some reasons this example works:

Incorrect example

Avoid using the below example as it lacks sincerity and a sense of expertise.

Nothing about the above example is specific. In fact, it looks very generic and non-personalized. It looks like a cover letter that can be printed multiple times and submitted to multiple companies. It also doesn’t include some vital details such as:

Summarize in a call to action.

This is the final paragraph of your cover letter so make sure you’re closing it with a bang. Keep the interest and attention of the hiring manager and make your closing summary convincing enough to compel them to call you for an interview.

Before you say goodbye, make sure you’re thanking the reader for taking the time and letting them know that you would appreciate a response – that response would be an appointment for an interview, of course.

Correct example

Remain professional, courteous, friendly, and most importantly, respectful when writing the closing section. The call to action means you want to urge them to give you a positive response. Here’s an example.

Say goodbye with the correct formatting

Formally close your cover letter with the right format. Keep it simple, straightforward, and respectful. While there are plenty of creative ways to close a letter, a cover letter is better off professional so don’t keep it cluttered.

You can use the following closing phrases to say goodbye:

Followed by your first and last name

Checklist of your cover letter

Do you want to make sure your cover letter is written correctly? It is the first chance you will get to convince hiring managers that you are qualified for a position in their company so it is important to get it right.

Make sure that your cover letter is written properly and correctly by going through this checklist:

Your header should include accurate, updated, and clear essential information:

Begin your cover letter with a simple yet respectful salute including the name and title of the recruiter or hiring manager. Your introduction should also highlight your professional profile.

Express your genuine interest in the position and the company. Use this opportunity to explain why you are the right candidate for the job vacancy.

Keep the reader’s attention by ending with a clear and strong call to action statement. Also, make sure that your cover letter is closed using the correct format.

No matter the job or position you’re applying for, whether it’s an entry-level position or if you’re applying to become a top executive for a company, always prepare a cover letter. You can check out our resume examples so that you can prepare an impressive resume to accompany your cover letter. Aside from a well-written resume, a cover letter makes your application stand out. It shows your professionalism and your genuine interest in the job vacancy. Customize it each time according to the position or company you will be sending it to. Now is the best time to start writing your cover letter. Hopefully, the guide above can help you get started.