Cover letter template to fill in

How do you write a cover letter for a job application?

Start with the job and the company. In the second paragraph, tell your main experience and one result. Close by asking for an interview. The letter fills one page and goes with your resume. This template builds the letter on A4: you fill in the fields, start from the guide letter, then print, save as PDF or download in Word.

How to make the cover letter

1. Type your name and your contact details, one per line.
2. Fill in the city and date, the company, the job title and the name of the person who gets the letter.
3. With the text empty, the guide letter shows up with your name, the job and the company. Replace each part in brackets with your own information.
4. Write the letter in the text field, with a blank line between paragraphs. Or download it in Word and finish it there.
5. Pick the template and the accent color.
6. Tap Print the sheet. To send it by email, choose Save as PDF in place of the printer.

What to write in a cover letter

• First paragraph: the job you want and why this company interests you.
• Second paragraph: your main experience and one result you reached. A number helps, when you have one.
• Third paragraph: ask for an interview and say how to reach you.
• Use the words of the job ad when they describe what you really do.
• Do not copy your resume. The letter explains what the resume only lists.
• Write one letter for each job. A letter sent to every company is easy to spot.

The three templates

• Classic: name in the center, contact details on one line and a thin rule below.
• Modern: color bar at the top, large name on the left and contact details on the right.
• Simple: everything on the left, in black, with a short color dash.

The letter fits on one page

• The text wraps by itself.
• When the text is long, the type gets smaller little by little, down to a minimum size that still reads well on paper.
• The text field takes up to 2,200 characters. If the text still runs past the page at the minimum size, the end is cut with an ellipsis.
• A good letter is short: three or four paragraphs are enough.

Cover letter in Word

• Tap Download in Word. The .docx file is built on your device.
• The whole letter goes into the file as plain text: name, contact details, date, greeting, paragraphs and signature. You can edit all of it.
• The same file opens in Google Docs, LibreOffice and Pages.
• Keep the file and adapt the text to each new job.

Tips to get your letter read

• Find out the name of the person who hires. When you cannot find it, use Hiring Team.
• Read it out loud and fix the typos.
• Send it as a PDF, unless the company asks for another format.
• On paper, sign by hand above your name.

Privacy

• The letter is built on your device. The page sends nothing.
• The texts and the color are kept in this browser for your next visit.
• On someone else's device, clear the fields before you leave.

Frequently asked questions