Cover Letter Templates
ATS-friendly templates you can customize in minutes
Applicant Tracking Systems parse your cover letter before a human ever sees it. A poorly formatted template — one with tables, text boxes, or unusual fonts — can cause the ATS to misread or drop your content entirely. Every template below is designed to survive ATS parsing and still look polished to a human reader.
No tables or columns
ATS parsers read left to right, top to bottom. Multi-column layouts break this.
Standard fonts only
Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Georgia. Decorative fonts render as garbled characters.
Clean linear structure
Header → paragraphs → sign-off. No text boxes, headers/footers, or embedded images.
Best for: Finance, Law, Consulting, Corporate roles, Government
A structured, formal template that signals professionalism and respects convention. Works for any industry — especially conservative ones where format is part of the signal.
Template 1 — The Classic Professional
[Your Name] [Your Email] · [Your LinkedIn] · [City, Country] [Date] Dear [Hiring Manager's Name], I am writing to apply for the [Job Title] role at [Company Name]. With [X years] of experience in [relevant field], and a proven track record of [key achievement relevant to the role], I am confident I can make an immediate and meaningful contribution to your team. In my current role at [Current/Most Recent Company], I [describe your most relevant responsibility]. Over the past [timeframe], I [specific achievement with a number — e.g., "increased pipeline conversion by 32%" or "led a cross-functional team of 8 to deliver the project two weeks ahead of schedule"]. This experience maps directly to the priorities outlined in your job description, particularly [specific requirement from the JD]. Prior to this, at [Previous Company], I [second relevant achievement or responsibility]. I also [additional skill or experience point]. These experiences have given me a strong foundation in [core skill 1], [core skill 2], and [core skill 3] — all of which I would bring to [Company Name] from day one. I am genuinely excited about the work [Company Name] is doing in [specific area — product, market, mission]. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my background can support your goals. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, [Your Full Name]
Best for: Tech, SaaS, Startups, Product, Marketing, Growth
Designed for roles where hiring managers read fast and value proof over polish. Opens with your strongest result and keeps every sentence working hard.
Template 2 — The Achievement-Led Modern
[Your Name] · [Email] · [LinkedIn] Dear [Hiring Manager's Name], [Open with your strongest achievement]: At [Previous Company], I [specific accomplishment with a number]. That result came from [brief explanation of how — e.g., "rebuilding our data pipeline from scratch" or "partnering with the sales team to redesign the onboarding flow"]. It's the kind of problem I'm looking to solve at [Company Name], and it's exactly why this [Job Title] role caught my attention. At [Current/Previous Company], I've built a track record in [core competency relevant to the JD]. Specifically: — [Achievement 1: action + outcome + number] — [Achievement 2: action + outcome + number] — [Achievement 3: relevant skill or responsibility that matches the JD] [Company Name]'s focus on [specific product area, mission, or recent initiative] is what drew me here. I'd love to bring the same [relevant skill or approach] to your team and contribute to [specific goal you know they care about]. I'd welcome a conversation to explore this further — thank you for your time. Best regards, [Your Full Name]
Best for: Career changers, returners, cross-industry movers
Designed to address the elephant in the room — the non-linear path — while framing it as an asset. Leads with transferable value and shows deliberate intention.
Template 3 — The Career Change Template
[Your Name] [Email] · [LinkedIn] · [City] [Date] Dear [Hiring Manager's Name], I am applying for the [Target Role] position at [Company Name]. My background is in [Previous Field], and while that may look different from a conventional [Target Field] path, I've spent the last [timeframe] deliberately building the skills, knowledge, and experience to make this transition — and I'm ready to hit the ground running. In [Previous Role] at [Previous Company], I [describe a responsibility or achievement that is transferable to the new field]. What this experience gave me was [specific transferable skill — e.g., "the ability to translate complex data into decisions that non-technical stakeholders could act on" or "a deep understanding of how users behave under uncertainty, which maps directly to [target role's core function]"]. I also [second transferable experience or skill]. Over the past [timeframe], I have [describe deliberate actions to build relevant skills — e.g., "completed a [certification/course]," "built [a project]," "contributed to [open-source or freelance work]," "taken on [adjacent responsibility in current role]"]. I've also [any relevant study, portfolio work, or side projects]. These steps were intentional — I'm not pivoting away from something; I'm moving toward [specific thing about the new field or company]. [Company Name] stands out to me because [specific, researched reason — their mission, a product you've used, a challenge they're solving]. I'd love the chance to show you how my unconventional path is, in fact, an asset for this role. Thank you for considering my application. Sincerely, [Your Full Name]
A template is a starting point — not a final product. Here's how to turn any of the templates above into a letter that feels genuinely personal.
1. Replace every placeholder
Go through every [bracketed placeholder] and replace it with specific, accurate information. Never leave a bracket in a submitted letter.
2. Mirror the job description's language
Read the job posting carefully. If they say "cross-functional alignment," use that phrase. If they say "growth loops," use that. ATS systems and hiring managers both notice this.
3. Personalise your opening
The opening hook is the most important line in your letter. Replace the generic template opener with something specific: a recent company announcement, a product you use and admire, or your most relevant achievement stated compellingly.
4. Add one company-specific detail
Somewhere in the body, reference something real about the company — their latest product launch, a mission statement, a challenge they're known to be solving. This proves you've done your research.
5. Read it aloud before sending
If a sentence sounds stiff or robotic when read aloud, rewrite it. Your letter should sound like a confident, intelligent version of you — not a form submission.
Do
Don't
Let AI write a fully personalized cover letter for you — tailored to the exact job description, written in your voice, ready in seconds.
Let AI write a fully personalized cover letter for you →