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Cover letter template builder

Four proven structures for the situations people actually face. Fill in the blanks, see the letter update live, copy it when every gap is filled.

Job title

Company

Your name

Hiring manager (optional)

Current role or background

Skills the job asks for

Comma-separated.

Your strongest result

One sentence with a number works best.

Another result (optional)

Why Northwind?

Something specific: a product, mission or recent news.

2 highlighted gaps to fill in

Dear Hiring Manager, I’m applying for the Marketing Manager role at Northwind. As a B2B marketing lead, I’ve spent my career getting good at lifecycle email, paid search and HubSpot — the things this role depends on most. [Your strongest result, with a number — e.g. “Cut onboarding time by 30% by rebuilding our training program.”] I’d bring the same focus on measurable results to Northwind. [One specific reason you want to work at Northwind — a product, a mission, a recent milestone.] I’d welcome the chance to talk about how I could contribute. Kind regards, Alex Morgan

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Guide · 5 min read

How to write a cover letter that adds something

A good cover letter does one thing your résumé can’t: it connects your experience to this job in plain sentences. Most cover letters fail because they repeat the résumé or could be sent to any company. Keep it to three short paragraphs and around 250–350 words.

The three-paragraph structure

The opening: the role, and the one-line reason you’re a fit. Skip “I am writing to express my interest”. Get to the point.
The proof: one or two results that match what the job needs most. Numbers make them believable.
The close: why this company, specifically, and a simple request to talk.

Which template should you use?

Classic: you’re applying for a role close to what you do now.
Career change: you’re moving fields. Lead with transferable skills and say why the move is deliberate.
Graduate / internship: projects, coursework and part-time work count. Show how you learn.
Referral: name the person in the first line. It’s the most powerful sentence in the letter.

Who to address it to

Use the hiring manager’s name if you can find it on the job post, LinkedIn or the company site. “Dear Hiring Manager” is perfectly acceptable when you can’t. Avoid “To whom it may concern”, which feels dated.

Do recruiters still read cover letters?

Not always, but when they do, it’s usually because they’re deciding between close candidates or because your background needs explaining (a career change, a gap, a relocation). A specific, short letter helps in exactly those moments. A generic one never does.

Common mistakes

Repeating your résumé line by line.
Talking about what you want from the job more than what you’ll bring.
Sending the same letter to every company (they can tell).
Exaggerating. Everything in your letter can come up in the interview.

Want the letter in the same design as your résumé? Create it in GotOffered and download both as matching PDFs.

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