From the Resume Guide learning library
Cover letter template: a simple structure you can fill in
A fill-in cover letter template, how to write each of its five parts so it fits one job, what to leave out, and how the finished letter should look. A checklist waits at the end.
What should a cover letter include?
Five short parts, in the same order every time.
A cover letter is a one-page note that goes with your resume. Your resume lists what you have done; the letter explains why that history fits this particular job and this particular employer. A template helps because the structure barely changes from one application to the next. What changes is the content inside each part.
- Header and greeting. Your contact details, the date, and the name of the person you are writing to if you can find it.
- Opening. The job you are applying for and one sentence on why you are a strong match.
- Why you fit. Two or three pieces of proof that line up with what the job ad asks for.
- Why this employer. One specific reason you want to work there, not a compliment that could fit any company.
- Close and sign-off. A clear next step, a thank you and your name.
A fill-in cover letter template
Copy the structure, then replace every bracket with your own details.
The template
[Your name]
[City] | [Phone] | [Email] | [Portfolio or profile link, if you have one]
[Date]
Dear [Hiring manager's name, or "Hiring Team at Company"],
I am applying for the [job title] role at [company]. With [number] years of [relevant experience or training] and a track record of [the result the job cares about most], I can help your team [the main goal named in the job ad].
In my current role at [employer], I [action you took], which [result, with a number if you have one]. I have also [second piece of proof that matches a requirement in the ad]. Your posting asks for [skill or tool], and I [how you have used it].
I am especially drawn to [company] because [one specific reason: a product, a service, a value you share, the people you would serve].
I would welcome the chance to talk about how I can help with [goal or project]. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Keep the finished letter between about 250 and 400 words. If it runs longer, cut the weakest piece of proof first.
How do you fill in each part?
Specific beats impressive. Each line should only make sense for this job.
Start with the job and your strongest match.
The first two sentences decide whether the reader keeps going. Name the role, then lead with the single qualification that matters most for it.
Weak: I am writing to express my interest in the position advertised on your website.
Strong: I am applying for the Office Coordinator role. In three years running a busy front desk, I cut appointment mix-ups by moving the whole team to one shared calendar.
Prove the fit with examples, not adjectives.
Words like "hardworking" and "detail oriented" are easy to claim. A short story with an action and a result shows the same thing and is easier to believe. Pick the two or three requirements that appear first or most often in the job ad and answer those.
Weak: I am a motivated team player with excellent communication skills.
Strong: When our team took over two new client accounts, I wrote the weekly update email that kept eight people on the same schedule.
Give one real reason for choosing them.
Look at what the company makes, who it serves or how it describes its work, and connect one detail to your own experience or goals. One honest sentence is enough.
End with a next step.
Say you would like to talk, mention what you would talk about, and thank the reader. There is no need to repeat your whole resume in the last paragraph.
Read the letter aloud once. Anything you would not say to the hiring manager in person can go.
What should you leave out?
A few habits make a good letter look copied or careless.
- The wrong company name. The most common slip when reusing a letter. Search the finished letter for every company name before you send it.
- Your whole resume again. The letter should add context, not repeat every job in order.
- Salary, complaints or reasons you left. Save those for a conversation, if they come up at all.
- Long paragraphs. Keep each one to three or four sentences so the page is easy to skim.
"Nobody reads cover letters, so a template letter is fine."
Not quite. Some readers skip them and others read every one, and you cannot tell which in advance. Use the template for structure, but fill it with details that only fit this job.
How should a cover letter look?
Match your resume, keep it to one page and send the file the employer asks for.
Use the same name, contact details, font and colours as your resume so the two look like a set. Leave clear margins and a blank line between paragraphs. Unless the posting asks for something else, save the letter as a PDF so the layout stays the same on any screen, and give the file a plain name such as your name followed by "Cover Letter".
If an application form has a text box instead of an upload, paste the letter in as plain text and drop the header, since the form already has your details.
If you are applying to several similar roles, you can reuse much of the letter. The guide on using the same cover letter for more than one job shows which parts to keep and which to rewrite each time.
How Resume Guide can help
Get the resume right first, then let the letter build on it.
Resume Guide tools
Run your resume through the free resume checker first. It runs in your browser with no account, and if you paste the job ad it shows which skills the ad asks for that your resume does not mention yet, which tells you what your letter should cover. For a matching look, browse the resume templates.
When you are signed in, the Cover Letters tool takes a saved or pasted resume, the job title and the full job description, plus a tone you pick (Professional, Friendly or Concise), and drafts a letter for that job. Each letter uses one cover letter credit and is kept in your Cover Letters list, where you can edit it and download it as a PDF or Word file or copy the text.
Questions people ask
Short answers to the ones that come up most.
- How long should a cover letter be? One page, usually about 250 to 400 words in three to five short paragraphs.
- Who should I address a cover letter to? The hiring manager by name if the posting or company website shows it. If not, "Dear Hiring Team at [company]" is polite and specific.
- Is it OK to use a cover letter template? Yes, for the structure. The problem is a letter where every sentence could be sent to any employer. Keep the shape and rewrite the content for each job.
- Do I need a cover letter if it is optional? It is not required, but a short, specific letter gives you a chance to explain your fit, a career change or a gap that the resume alone cannot.
- Should a cover letter match my resume design? It helps. Using the same name block, fonts and colours makes the two documents look like one application.
Your checklist
10 items. Your progress is saved in this browser.
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