Create a Professional Cover Letter with Ease

For the best odds of landing an interview (and getting hired), it is best to write a different cover letter for every application. While there will be similarities between your letters, how you describe your qualifications should be tailored precisely to the role you’re applying for.

Our best advice when choosing a template design is to pick one that visually reflects the culture of each company.

There are different ways hiring managers request cover letters for online applications. Some request you upload it as an attachment, along with your resume. Others may ask you to write your cover letter in a text box within an online application form. Occasionally, hiring managers will ask you to send your resume via email, with the cover letter as the body of the email. No matter its delivery method, the fundamentals of how to write a cover letter remain the same.

Keyword assessments by applicant tracking systems are done on both resumes and cover letters. While it is important to include correct industry terms, these should be used sparingly. Recruiters notice formulaic language and if popular terms are thrown in without consideration for the context of your letter.

Cover Letters have five5 basic sections: your contact information, company contact information, an opener, a paragraph (or two), and a closer that solidifies your interest in the position.

The standard is to format it as a business style letter — double-spaced, with a clean, readable in 10 to 12 point font, and a one-inch margin all the way around.

Cover letters are most commonly submitted as PDFs, but hiring managers may request it in a Word document, plain text, or other format whatever format is most convenient for them. Our cover letters can be downloaded as any of the file types mentioned here.