What should a cover letter include?

A cover letter should include five essential parts: Contact information A personalized greeting An eye-catching cover letter introduction Convincing body paragraphs about your achievements A powerful cover letter closing and sign off

What should not be included in a cover letter?

You shouldn't include any false information in a cover letter, or the same information that's already on your resume. It’s also important to avoid these mistakes: Spelling and grammar errors Addressing your cover letter to the wrong person Including your salary expectations Adding personal details unrelated to the job

Should my resume and cover letter template match?

Your job application will look much more consistent and professional if you use a matching resume and cover letter template. Using mismatched templates can come across as unprofessional and might make it look like you didn’t put much thought or effort into your job application.

Cover Letter Templates

Free Cover Letter Templates to Download & Edit

Make a striking first impression on employers by using a professional cover letter template. Our templates are easy to edit and suitable for any industry. Free downloads available for MS Word and Google Docs.

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Why choose our cover letter templates?

What you write in your cover letter is most important, but first impressions still matter.

Our cover letter templates add instant polish to your letter, with business-appropriate headers and fonts that make your application look sleek and professional.

A good cover letter will help you land more interviews

49% of hiring managers say a strong cover letter can persuade them to interview an otherwise weak candidate.

Here’s what sets our cover letter templates apart from more generic designs.

Professional designs

Good design signals professionalism before the employer has read your first sentence.

Each template has a professional header and carefully chosen fonts for a clean yet professional appearance. The templates are easy to edit quickly and suitable for short cover letters or standard-length cover letters.

Every design in this catalogue has a matching counterpart in our resume template library, so you can make your application look consistent and well-put together.

Easy to download and edit

Our templates are available in multiple file formats, so you’ll find something suitable regardless of the tech you’re using to prepare your job application.

Download any of our free cover letter templates to edit the content quickly in MS Word or Google Docs.

Need help writing your cover letter?

Choose a template with the Premium sticker and use our cover letter generator to write a personalized letter from scratch.

Fully customizable

Because no two job applications are the same, our templates are made to adapt easily and without hassle.

Each one uses a simple layout you can customize easily in any word processor — regardless of your design skills. Quickly give your cover letter a polished final look without getting stuck adjusting complex formatting and visual design.

Suitable for any industry or experience level

Quickly find the perfect template for your specific needs. Filter our templates by experience level, format, style, or field to find a design that suits your strengths and objectives.

Around 94% of employers consider cover letters important to some degree. Our wide range of designs and formats makes it easy to find a cover letter template that highlights your strengths and appeals to your target employer.

How to download and use our cover letter templates for free

We have free cover letter templates for Google Docs and Microsoft Word. Here’s how to get them:

Choose the template you like
Click on the download icon in the bottom-right corner and, if prompted, choose the format you want
Edit the document, using the template text as a guide to fill in your own experience
Save your cover letter as a Word document or PDF to send to employers, using a professional file name like “your-name-cover-letter.pdf.”

Simple cover letter template you can copy and customize

If you just need the text for your cover letter, copy this template into Google Docs and edit as instructed:

Street Address | City and Zip Code | Your Phone Number

Today’s Date

Addressee’s/Hiring Manager’s Name
Job Title
Organization/Company Name
Street Address
City and Zip Code

Dear Full Name,

Opening paragraph: State who you are, say where you found the job listing, and explain why you’re interested in the position.

Body paragraphs: Give an overview of your previous job experience, skills, qualifications, and accomplishments. Don’t repeat your resume. Explain what makes you a unique candidate and how you can help the company meet its goals. Use numbers to back up your claims.

Closing paragraph: State that you’d like to schedule an interview and provide your contact information. Say you’ll be in touch within a week if you don’t hear back. Finish by thanking the employer for their time and consideration.

Warm regards,

Your Name

Tips for writing an effective cover letter that sounds like you

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A lot of cover letters miss the mark. Many applicants write a summary of their proudest achievements, which might seem like the right move, but it adds little value to your job application.

The secret to writing a good cover letter is in how you connect your resume to the job opportunity. It should show the employer that you understand their needs and present your skills as a natural fit.

Use the following tips to build a compelling case for yourself.

Write a strong hook

For your cover letter to have the right impact, your opening paragraph must speak to the employer.

A good hook gets straight to the heart of what the employer wants. It shows that you understand their hiring needs and provides enough detail to show how your profile lines up with the job.

Your hook should include the following details:

Target job title
Years of relevant experience (if any)
A skill or achievement that matches you to the role

Your hook should be brief. Keep it to one or two sentences so the employer can quickly see the value you bring.

I’m excited to apply for the Fashion Buyer position at Nova Fashion. With 4 years of experience and a success developing 70+ content ideas in my previous role, I offer an understanding of trends and selection that I am sure will be an asset to your team.

Address specific requirements in your body paragraphs

Your body paragraphs should support your hook by highlighting your most relevant skills and achievements.

Focus on addressing 2–3 core requirements of the job by showing concrete examples from your experience with measurable results.

Be selective about what you decide to focus on. You want to convince the reader that you’re the perfect person for the job.

As a Junior Buyer at Willescott & Spencer, I used market research and competitor analysis to identify emerging trends and inform seasonal product decisions. I spotted an emerging trend through competitor and social media research that informed the selection of 12 products for a seasonal range.

Use straightforward language

Don’t try to impress the employer by using fancy language and unnecessary jargon. Employers prefer resumes that are straightforward and easy to understand.

Follow these steps to make your writing clear:

Use short sentences with one idea each
Choose plain words (e.g., “use” instead of “utilize”)
Cut adverbs and filler phrases
Read your letter out loud and rewrite any sentence that trips you up

Plain

I have a track record of developing creative marketing strategies that increased brand visibility, conversions, and revenue.

Flowery

I have demonstrated success in ideating, developing, and executing bespoke marketing strategies that amplified client brand visibility, boosted conversions, and multiplied revenue.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Here are answers to some common questions about writing cover letters.

What are some common cover letter mistakes?

These are some of the most common cover letter mistakes that trip applicants up:

Repeating the resume: Restating job duties and achievements as they appeared on your resume adds nothing new. Instead, you should apply your achievements to the role you’re targeting.
Generic language: Your cover letter should show research and specific fit. Be precise about your reasons for applying and how you hope to succeed in the role.
Ignoring the employer’s needs: Your cover letter should focus on the employer’s needs and how you can help. Cover letters that center on career goals or personal circumstances read as self-focused.
Overly formal tone: Stiff language can cloud your value and make your letter hard to follow. Use simple sentence structures and prioritize clarity over eloquence.

Do I need a unique cover letter for every job?

Yes, your cover letters should be unique to the job you’re applying for. Every letter you send should address the specific needs of the employer. A generic cover letter doesn’t add value to your application.

You don’t need to write each cover letter from scratch though. It’s fine to repurpose an old cover letter for a new job opportunity by tailoring the introduction and achievements.

An even faster shortcut is to use a cover letter builder to generate a fresh letter each time, which you can send out with minimal effort.

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How long should my cover letter be?

Your cover letter should be between half a page and one full page in length, or about 200–500 words. Staying within this range allows you to give a couple of good reasons for deserving the job and keeps you from overloading the employer with information.

Do I really need a cover letter?

Cover letters aren’t required to apply for most jobs, but you should still write one.

Cover letters make your job application more persuasive. They make it easier for employers to see how your skills and experience would benefit them specifically, which may be what gets you the job interview.

Always write a cover letter if:

The job requested one
You were recommended for the job
You’re changing careers from another industry

Employers want to read cover letters

Even when they don’t require a cover letter in the job description, 73% of employers still take the time to read them. Including a cover letter gives you an advantage over other applicants.

Is it bad to use a cover letter template?

No, it’s not bad to use a cover letter template. Hiring managers will appreciate a well-formatted, professional template.

Just be sure that all the content of your cover letter is original, and targeted toward the company you’re applying to.

More cover letter resources

Now that you’ve got a template, check out these extra resources to help you write a cover letter that scores your next interview:

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