A cover letter should include four essential parts:
- A personalized greeting
- An eye-catching cover letter introduction
- Convincing body content about your expertise
- A powerful cover letter closing and sign off
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Home Cover Letter Templates
Need a cover letter template? Download any of our 200+ free cover letter templates for Word, then fill out a copy-paste cover letter template to pair with your resume and complete your job application.
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The start of fall calls for a crisp new cover letter. Whether you’re completing your summer internship and applying for jobs or just want to change up your job application, we’ve selected three cover letter templates that are perfect for September job hunting. Each one is 100% free to download in Word and Google Docs and is fully customizable.
The “Standard” cover letter template is simple and clear. The header highlights your contact details, and quickly transitions into the letter’s body content.
The "Connery" cover letter template exudes confidence with its bold name bar, ensuring that employers remember you.
The "Original Professional" cover letter template is a remaster of our oldest template on the website. A perfect blend of contemporary and traditional.
The "Quick" template uses bold colors to grab attention and set your application apart.
A professional cover letter template suits experienced candidates applying to large companies. If you’re an executive or seeking a senior position, use one of these templates to write a confident and authoritative cover letter.
Our "Minimalist" cover letter template embraces simplicity while maintaining a unique visual style.
Featuring strong colors and a bold header, our "Everest" cover letter template is guaranteed to help you stand out.
Simple yet stylish, our "Cosmopolitan" cover letter template will help you get noticed for the right reasons.
Clean and sleek, the "Premium" cover letter template is a great choice for job seekers in creative industries.
Pair a modern cover letter template with your resume to show some personality in your job application. This style of cover letter template is ideal for job seekers applying to work in tech, at startups, or in industries like marketing and design.
Designed for the modern job seeker, our "2023" cover letter template is perfect for people in any industry.
Use the "Advanced" cover letter template to apply for competitive jobs and advance your career.
The "Clean" cover letter template lives up to its name, with simple formatting and an easy-to-read font.
Our "Hybrid" cover letter template combines formal formatting with colorful accents.
Our creative cover letters perfectly balance professionalism and personality. Use one of these unique cover letter templates if you’re applying for work in a contemporary field like design or marketing.
The "Notre Dame" template uses bold rectangles in its header, placing emphasis on your name and contact details.
Featuring a bold sidebar and modern font, the "Cool" cover letter template gives your application a sleek, confident look.
The "Westminster" cover letter template is creative but minimalist, making it perfect for a variety of jobs.
Eye-catching and clean, the "Visual" template is designed to make your cover letter stand out.
Write a clear and organized cover letter using a simple cover letter template. Each basic template is free to download (compatible with Microsoft Word and Google Docs), and will help you create the perfect cover letter for whatever job you apply for.
"The Classic" cover letter template is clean, traditional, and the perfect format to start off your application.
Inspired by the architecture of its namesake city, the "Chicago" cover letter template is bold and professional.
The "Connery" cover letter template exudes confidence with its bold name bar, ensuring that employers remember you.
Graceful and powerful, our "White House" is perfect for job seekers applying for government-related work.
These picture cover letter templates are ideal if you’re applying for jobs in a country where you’re expected to include a photo with your job application. Each template is designed to look sleek and quickly grab the attention of employers.
Our “Original Picture” template provides plenty of space in the header for your headshot, helping you grab attention.
With a subtle full-color background, our “Photo” template will give your cover letter a chique, artsy look.
Featuring clean lines and a gradient background, our “Fresh” cover letter template will help your application stand out.
Our “Headshot” cover letter template applies color to give your cover letter a sleek, modern look.
Need a cover letter to pair with your Google Docs resume template? These sleek, contemporary cover letter templates will help elevate your job application without ever needing to download expensive word processing software.
Opening with a casual greeting, the “Coral” Google Docs cover letter template gives off friendly, youthful energy.
Using a simple, technical design with a little color, the “Swiss” cover letter template is perfect for jobs in tech or marketing.
With its blocky background graphics, the “Geometric” cover letter template is best suited to apply for jobs in programming.
Formal yet colorful, choose the “Online” template if you want to keep things professional but still stand out.
These cover letter templates for Microsoft Word come in a number of eye-catching colors and professional designs. Be sure to pair your favorite cover letter template with the matching Microsoft Word resume template.
Looking for a cover letter to pair with your CV? Whether youre applying to an academic position or a research job, our CV cover letter templates are designed to give your application a refined, professional appearance.
If you write in any professional capacity, our "Writer" template will help you highlight your writing proficiency.
Our "Research" cover letter template uses a formal design to help emphasize your accomplishments in your field of research.
With a name that evokes prestige, our "Harvard" cover letter template is the perfect accessory to your CV.
Our "Graduate" cover letter template is formal and elegant, making it well suited to help you apply for any position.
You should use a cover letter template to create a professional application that follows the proper cover letter format. You can also use a template to quickly create multiple cover letters for different jobs.
Using a template is an easy way to include everything employers look for, but you should still make sure your cover letter is written in your voice.
Knowing how to write a cover letter involves understanding a cover letter’s structure. Follow the sample cover letter template below to easily write your own letter.
Dear [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]Make sure you include all the sections in your cover letter sample and write detailed body paragraphs about your expertise. Hiring managers often read your cover letter before your resume, so it’s important to sell yourself and your skills.
You should use a cover letter template that matches your job and experience level. A modern template suits creative roles, but a professional template is best for experienced candidates.
If you’re not sure which is the best cover letter template for you, a basic or simple template is a good choice for any application.
Need a cover letter template for a specific job? View our cover letter examples to find a cover letter written for your industry.
Choose a free cover letter template below that best fits your experience and industry. Then copy and paste the template into Microsoft Word and fill in your information to create a personalized cover letter.
You can also save these example cover letter templates in Google Drive as Google Docs cover letter templates, or send them by email.
Looking for a standard cover letter that works for any job application? Our general cover letter template follows the traditional cover letter format, but won’t sound generic to employers.
Copy the free sample below into Microsoft Word, and fill in the blanks with your skills and experience. This cover letter template has helped thousands of job seekers land employment across every industry.
Our creative cover letter template has a casual tone and focuses on your enthusiasm and achievements. If you’re applying at a forward-looking company, a modern letter like this shows you’re a good cultural fit.
This free template is easy to personalize in Word or Google Docs, and has lots of room for you to showcase your originality and voice.
When writing your first cover letter, focus on the skills you gained through your education, volunteer work, and hobbies.
Our entry level cover letter template helps you explain why you’re a top candidate, even if you have no work experience. Simply paste it into Word and customize.
Need an application letter for a senior position? Our professional cover letter template offers a clear format for presenting your skillset and accomplishments.
If you’re established in your field or applying for a promotion, customizing this professional template in Word will help you create a cover letter that makes a powerful impression.
COVER LETTER SAMPLES
Read through our professional cover letter examples for inspiration when writing your own cover letter. Each sample was approved by a professional career expert from our team, and uses a free cover letter template.
Browse More ExamplesNot sure how to write a cover letter for your background? Whether you have gaps in your career, or are just graduating college, our career and life-situation cover letter templates include downloadable examples and tips to help you make a cover letter that’s ideal for your situation.
Below you’ll find some of our most popular industry-specific cover letter examples, which you can download immediately for free and use as a guide when creating your own cover letter.
Here are some essential cover letter tips and suggestions that will help you land more interviews and a job.
A cover letter should include four essential parts:
You should not include any false information in a cover letter, or information already included in your resume. It’s also important to avoid the following common mistakes:
Yes, you need a unique cover letter for every job you apply to.
Each company has different challenges they’re trying to tackle through hiring. By writing a new cover letter draft for every job, you can explain why you’re uniquely qualified to help resolve each company’s issues.
Your cover letter should be between half a page and one full page in length, or about 200 to 500 words. This is the standard cover letter length because it’s concise, and keeps the hiring manager’s attention.
Remember: it’s always better to send a short cover letter than write several long-winded pages.
Yes, you need a cover letter if:
Your resume template and cover letter template should match to make your job application consistent and professional.
Using different resume and cover letter templates may affect your chances of getting an interview. Mismatched documents suggest you lack attention to detail, or didn’t put much effort into your job application.
More questions? Visit our FAQ library.
Cover Letter Help
How to Write a Letter of Application (with Examples)Rebecca Tay, Ph.D.