Cover letter template generator

A template gives you a structure that works; the details are what keep a hiring manager reading. Put your effort into three sentences:

• The result. One achievement with a number beats a list of duties. “Cut our average reply time from nine hours to two” tells the reader far more than “responsible for customer support”.
• The skills. Copy two or three requirements from the ad in the employer’s own words. If the ad says “stakeholder management”, don’t write “working with people”.
• The reason. Name something you could only say about this company: a product you use, a market they’ve just entered, a problem their job ad describes. “Your values” and “your reputation” could be about anyone.

Then read the letter out loud. Rewrite any sentence you wouldn’t say to the interviewer’s face in plainer words, and if it still sounds like a template, cut it. A short letter that sounds like you beats a long one that sounds like everyone.

Most strong cover letters have the same four parts, whatever the industry:

1. Opening: the job you’re applying for and the one fact that makes you worth reading. Skip “My name is…” and “I am writing to express my interest”; your name is in the signature and your interest is obvious.
2. Evidence: link the ad’s top requirement to something you’ve actually done. One example with a result is enough, because the CV holds the rest.
3. Why them: one specific, checkable reason you want this job at this company. It’s the paragraph most applicants skip, so it’s where you stand out.
4. Close: thank them, say your CV is attached and that you’d welcome a conversation. There’s no need to repeat your phone number if it’s on the CV.

Aim for 250 to 400 words, about three-quarters of a page. Many readers decide in the first few lines whether to keep going, so the opening carries the most weight.

If the job ad or the application form asks for a cover letter, treat it as part of the test: a missing letter, or one written for another company, is an easy reason to reject. Some employers even hide an instruction in the ad (“mention your favorite tool in your letter”) to see who reads carefully.

When the letter is optional, a short one is still worth writing if your CV doesn’t explain itself:

• you’re changing careers and your job titles don’t match the role;
• you’re moving to another city or country and want to say when you can start;
• you have a gap, a career break or a short job you’d rather explain in one line;
• someone at the company referred you (name them in the first sentence).

If none of those apply and the letter is optional, a well-matched CV matters more. Spend the time tailoring the CV to the job instead.

• The wrong company name. The most common copy-paste slip, and the most damaging. Check the greeting, the body and the subject line before you send.
• Repeating the CV. The letter should add what the CV can’t: why this move, why now, why them.
• Claims with no proof. “Excellent communicator” and “team player” mean nothing on their own. Show it with an example.
• Apologizing. “Although I don’t have much experience…” draws attention to the gap. Lead with what you do have.
• Running long. Anything over a page reads as unfocused. Cut the weakest paragraph.
• Stiff greetings. “To whom it may concern” and “Dear Sir or Madam” sound like a form letter. Use the hiring manager’s name, or “Dear Hiring Manager”.

When you apply by email, the subject line should let the recruiter find your message again in a busy inbox: the job title, your name and a reference number if the ad has one.

• Application for Customer Success Manager – Alex Morgan
• Customer Success Manager application (ref. CS-2291) – Alex Morgan
• Referred by Sam Lee: application for Data Analyst
• Marketing Assistant application – Sam Patel, 2026 graduate
• Career changer applying for Instructional Designer – Maya Lindqvist
• Following our chat at the Berlin job fair: Sales Engineer application

Paste the letter into the body of the email and attach your CV as a PDF. Attach the letter as well if the ad asks for documents.

You don’t need a new letter for every application, but you do need new details. For each job:

1. Mark the two or three requirements the ad repeats or lists first, and put those in the skills sentence.
2. Pick the result from your experience that’s closest to the job’s main problem.
3. Spend two minutes on the company’s website or news page for the “why them” sentence.
4. Check that your CV uses the same words as the letter. The free CV score checker lists the job’s keywords your CV is missing.

For doing this honestly, see how to tailor your CV without lying. If you’re switching fields, the career change cover letter guide has two full examples.