Cover Letter Templates for 2023

By section, this is what you should include in your job application letter:

Heading: Start with your personal information. Include your name, email address and phone number. You can add the link to your LinkedIn profile if inclined. The last part of the header is the date.

Contact person or addressee: The next section is for the addressee’s information. Insert the employer or recruiter’s name, title and address. Grab the recruiter’s attention by adding their name as the point of contact.

Opening paragraph: Mention the position you’re applying for and how you became aware of it. Stand out from competing candidates by citing your top career accomplishments. This paragraph will determine if the hiring manager is interested in continuing to read your cover letter or not.

Second paragraph: Use the second paragraph to show recruiters why you are the perfect fit for the job. In this section, you can explain how your knowledge and abilities can contribute to the company’s success. Try to tell a story that outlines your experience and encapsulates why you match their description of the perfect candidate for the position.

Third paragraph: Bring your letter to a close by reaffirming your interest in the role and why you think this company is right for you. Then, express interest in having a discussion about the opportunity and thank the reader for their time.

Closing/sign-off: It is essential to close your cover letter in a professional manner. Signing off with “Sincerely,” “Thank you,” or “Best regards” are all acceptable ways of closing your cover letter.

This cover letter layout is the same throughout every industry and career!

The letter’s tone should balance formality and professionalism with friendliness and enthusiasm.

It’s important to show a positive attitude toward the company and demonstrate that you are excited about applying.

Highlight your skill sets in a grounded and professional manner to avoid coming off as trying too hard to impress.

The biggest thing to avoid is overinflating your experience or trying to make your achievements sound more substantial than they actually are. Be honest and straightforward.

For more specific, step-by-step advice, check out our complete guide on How to Write a Cover Letter!

Cover letters should not exceed one page in length. Keep your letter concise and easy to read.

For an effective cover letter, it should be three to four paragraphs.

If you’re having trouble keeping your letter brief, keep in mind that you don’t need to tell an employer your entire career story in the cover letter; Just include your career’s highlight reel.

Save some material to discuss during a potential interview and focus your letter on your top achievements. Make it impactful — quality is far more important than quantity here.

Yes, unless explicitly stated not to send a resume cover letter, always do so.

Even if the job posting says that a cover letter is optional, a well-written letter will help you!

It gives you a chance to stand out from competing candidates by adding some personality and life to the details listed on your resume.

More than that, it also shows that you’re the kind of candidate who is thorough and prepared. Employers take note of candidates who show more significant effort in the application process.

Most of all, it’s also another chance to advertise yourself as the best candidate for the job. Don’t miss that opportunity! It will only strengthen your chances of getting called for the interview.

The answer is yes! You need to make a new cover letter for a resume every time you apply for a different job.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job seekers should tailor their cover letter to fit each role’s job description.

Even if you are applying for two or more jobs in the same company, you should structure your resume and cover letter to match each job. Employers have specific needs and requirements mentioned in the job posting, and your cover letter should match them.

Another critical reason to tailor each cover letter to a specific job involves applicant tracking systems (ATS). ATS is a hiring tool many companies use to narrow down an applicant pool before hiring managers look at the remaining applications.

The ATS scans your resume and cover letter for preselected keywords the company desires in their candidates.

If your cover letter does not contain the right keywords, it may not pass the ATS nor get seen by the hiring manager!

Read through the job description and pull out keywords and important phrases. When they apply to your skills and experience, incorporate these keywords into your resume and cover letter.

It will help you get past the ATS and get noticed by employers!

Good cover letter templates are helpful in this whole process for three reasons:

1. They’re designed to be easily scanned by ATS.
2. Once past ATS, the template designs are attractive and attention-grabbing for the hiring manager.
3. Since templates save you time in formatting your cover letter, the process of creating a unique cover letter for each job you apply to is much easier.

Yes, you should match your cover letter to your resume as much as possible. Try to coordinate in color and style, and choose the same font for both your resume and cover letter.

JobHero has matching cover letter templates and resume templates. Browse through our collection for your own matching cover letter and resume!

If you need additional resume resources, don’t hesitate to check out our resume examples page or our full How to Write a Resume Guide. They’ll further help you ensure both documents are impressive!