General cover letter template
A general cover letter template is the perfect starting point for writing your next job-winning cover letter. In the example below, you’ll find a cover letter that can be modified to suit just about any position or industry.
Make sure to update it to include key examples from your own experience and education. Each cover letter is a chance to convince the employer that you’re the best candidate for their role, so make it count!
Why use our cover letter templates
Resume.io’s cover letter templates offer several advantages when it comes to completing your application and landing your next great position. We take pride in creating fresh and professional designs that stand out and make a positive first impression in today’s competitive job market.
Here are a few reasons why our free cover letter templates are a cut above the rest:
- Expertly crafted templates: Our team of professional graphic designers is constantly creating and updating our templates to make sure they meet the needs of today’s job seekers. Our collection of templates ranges from minimalist and modern to bold and creative to ensure that we offer the perfect cover letter template for every candidate.
- Approved by recruiters: We work with career HR and recruitment professionals to make sure our cover letter templates meet the strict standards of today’s employers. We follow the latest hiring trends to update and adapt our cover letter templates for the needs of modern job seekers.
- Customize with ease: Not only do we provide expertly designed free cover letter templates, but we also offer an intuitive cover letter builder to help job seekers customize their application letters with ease. Our cover letter builder is easy-to-use and full of helpful features and advice to help you craft a cover letter that’s a cut above the rest.
- AI-powered tools: Even the best writers could use a hand sometimes. That’s why we’ve introduced AI-powered sample sentences that can be inserted directly within the cover letter builder and updated for your own experience. Our powerful spelling and grammar checker also helps to eliminate costly cover letter errors.
Most job applications specify whether they’d like to receive your cover letter as a PDF or Word Docx format. We’ve made it easy to download either option within our cover letter builder.
Choosing the right cover letter template
Every candidate and every position is unique, meaning the same cover letter won’t work for everyone. That’s why we’ve created an extensive collection of cover letter templates with designs ranging from clean and classic to modern and attention-grabbing.
Within our cover letter builder, you can also easily switch from one template to another, meaning the perfect cover letter design is always within reach. Our free cover letter templates are divided into four categories:
- Simple: Our simple cover letter templates are go-to classics that can work for a wide variety of positions and applicants. These templates are best-suited for students and first-time job seekers, along with applicants working in fields like hospitality, transportation, logistics, and retail. Our simple templates are highly versatile and can serve as a great starting point for any cover letter.
- Modern: If fresh ideas and innovation are the keys to your industry, our modern cover letter templates are the right choice. These designs feature minimalistic lines, clean fonts, and a refreshing balance of white space to text. Our modern cover letter templates are perfect for candidates in IT, marketing, administration, and sales.
- Creative: If your industry or job title calls for a bold approach, look no further than our collection of creative cover letter templates. These designs feature bright colors, striking fonts, and larger-than-life headers to draw attention to your cover letter. Our creative cover letter templates are perfect for candidates in fields like film and television, design, photography, art, architecture, content creation, and any job where your personality should be in the spotlight.
- Professional: Sometimes, tried-and-true is the only option, and that’s where our professional templates come into play. These are classic designs with traditional font choices and the organized sections recruiters expect to see. When in doubt, a professional cover letter template is the way to go, especially in fields like business, medicine, education, engineering, accounting, and finance.
What makes a good cover letter template?
A good cover letter template is a combination of elements that work together to highlight and emphasize a candidate’s experience and qualifications for the role.
Here are a few factors that make a good cover letter template:
Header: An excellent cover letter template features a header that draws attention to the applicant’s name and contact information. The header may be located at the top or on the side of the page, but it must contain key details like a phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile or portfolio website.
Balance of white space to text: A great cover letter template is easy to read and carefully balances the amount of white space in the text to avoid visual fatigue for the reader. Paragraphs should be divided in a logical way, and margins should not be shrunk to cram in more text.
Font choice: The best cover letters use font styles and sizes that are both legible and appropriate for the industry or job title. A good cover letter builder eliminates the guesswork by automatically choosing the right font and size for the cover letter template.
Color or design elements: While not appropriate for every industry, a touch of color or a dividing line can help create a more attractive page design and make the candidate stand out in a crowded applicant pool. Resume.io’s cover letter templates that feature color give several options so that you can choose the hue that works best for your application.
Different jobs can require different cover letter formats, which is why we’ve made it easy to switch colors, line spacing, or even whole templates directly inside our cover letter builder.
Cover letter template frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What is a good format for a cover letter?
A good format for a cover letter is one that catches the hiring manager’s attention with an attractive layout, easy-to-read font, and clear and concise information about the candidate’s experience and qualifications.
What are the three parts of a cover letter?
The four parts of a cover letter are as follows:
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The greeting: The way the hiring manager is addressed at the start of the cover letter.
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Introduction: The first one or two sentences that introduce the candidate and the role they are applying for.
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Body: The main paragraphs of the cover letter where the candidate discusses their experience and the reasons why they’re right for the job.
- Conclusion and sign-off: The final sentences that express interest for the role and include the candidate’s full name as a signature.
How long should a cover letter be?
A good cover letter should be around 300 words or within the range of 250-350 words. This equals roughly three paragraphs. Any shorter and the reader may not fully understand why you are qualified for the role. Any longer, and you risk losing the reader’s attention before they get to the end of your letter.
What are three do’s and three don’ts with a cover letter?
- Include a header that aligns with the design and information on your resume
- Use numbers and concrete information to show your accomplishments
- Leave a balance of white space to text to increase readability
- Change the document margins to cram in more text or make your cover letter appear longer
- Add a full street address to your cover letter
- Go overboard with images, design elements, or colors
What are two things that should always be in a cover letter?
Two things that should always be in a cover letter are the name of the company and the role you are applying to. Hiring managers often look for candidates for multiple openings at once, so this helps the employer identify who you are and the job you are looking for.
Are cover letters necessary?
Cover letters are one of the best ways to increase your chances of landing your desired position. That’s because they give you the opportunity to expand on key experiences from your resume.
While not every hiring manager reads cover letters, the ones that do can often use them to determine who is on the shortlist for an interview. We recommend every applicant write a cover letter to show their interest and qualifications for the position.
How to end a cover letter
We recommend always ending your cover letter with a call to action. This sentence expresses your enthusiasm for the position and politely suggests that the hiring manager get in touch with you for an interview.
You can also leave your name and contact information in this section once again, space permitting. Then, sign off with a phrase like “Sincerely” or “Best regards” and your full name.
How do you address a cover letter without a name?
While using the hiring manager’s name on your cover letter is the best way to establish a personal connection, some companies do not share information about who will be reading your cover letter. In that case, a more general greeting like “Dear (Company Name) Hiring Team” or “Dear (Department Name) Team Lead” can do the trick.