15 Best Cover Letter Templates of 2023 (Perfect to Get Hired)

If job searches aren’t difficult enough – i.e. “please upload your resume and then fill out this entire form with the exact same information” – enter the cover letter.
A cover letter is your personalized note to a potential employer that says, “Hey, this is my story, here’s why I’m the best fit for the role, and here’s some proof I actually looked into your company.”
Cover letters are kind of like college degrees: pieces of paper that take a lot of time to get and that no one actually reads.
Jokes aside, even if they aren’t always read, you definitely need one to increase your chances of landing your next job.
With the online job hunt often feeling like a number’s game, it’s important to find a cover letter template that you can reuse and make small changes to. This will save you time so that you can apply to more jobs with less of a headache.
Your cover letter should be well-formatted, personalized, and include specific metrics about your success. It should also highlight your top skills to stand out from the crowd.
Just like my article on the best resume templates, in this article, I ranked and reviewed the best sites to get a high-quality cover letter template.
Let’s get started.
What is the Best Cover Letter Template?
Here are my top picks for the best cover letter templates.
1. Novoresume.
A good option for users who need a simple template with fewer options ($16 per month).
Novoresume offers convincing cover letter templates to help you stand out. You get 8 professional cover letter templates with all levels of experience. Each template design is tailor-made for a specific purpose.
To keep your job application consistent and professional, it matches the cover letter with your existing resume template. You can simply copy/paste the content in its editor or write directly.
It also allows you to select from 32 themes and sync the background with colors automatically. For a more personalized background, you can choose from 20 creative background options.
And if you are applying for a position in the US-based company, you can easily change the formatting to “US cover letter” from a click of a button.
Best For:
Novoresume is best for users who need a clutter-free and simple cover letter builder with all the relevant features.
Pros:
- You can easily switch to another template format directly from the editor.
- The ‘Content Optimizer’ feature writes highly optimized content for the title, contact details, company details, and general information.
- It offers 12 font options, and you can also optimize the size by selecting from Small, Medium, and Large options.
- You can easily undo or redo the steps in your template.
- It also gives the option to hide the page number.
- You can save up to 18 documents in its dashboard that then edit them whenever you want.
Types of Templates:
Novoresume offers eight types of templates, including:
- Executive
- Creative
- College
- Basic
- Professional
- Functional
- Modern
- Simple
Pricing:
Novoresume offers three payment options. Although it offers a freemium plan, it doesn’t offer cover letter templates.
Payment options include:
- 1 Month Premium: $16.00
- 3 Months Premium: $29.99
- 12 Months Premium: $89.99
Premium features include a cover letter builder, custom layout, up to three pages of CV/resume, and more.
2. Venngage.
Suitable For Creative, Photo Letterhead Cover Letters ($19 per month).
Venngage offers multiple attractive cover letter templates to meet different requirements. It offers more than 40 cover letter templates, out of which several are available for free.
You just need to sign up via Facebook or Google to create your cover letter without spending a penny. Venngage also recommends templates based on your profession, including creative acting, consulting, photography, and others.
Here’s an example of Photography cover letter template:
It has a “My Designs” dashboard where your latest five files get saved for quick access.
To make your cover letter more intuitive, Venngage allows you to add maps of several countries, including the USA, UK, Australia, and Canada. Multiple fonts and animated text forms also make your cover letter stand out. You also have the option to replace the background with 10 designer backgrounds or 36 color gradients.
Best For:
Venngage is best for creative and graphical cover letter templates. It’s especially suitable for professions like photography, designing, graphic designer, etc.
Pros:
- You can upload up to 6 images in the cover letter.
- Add several types of charts and infographics, including bar, half pie, column, smooth line, and more.
- It offers 24/7 support. You can also schedule one-on-one calls with their team.
- Save a template as “Favorite” and use it later.
- Change colors and use icons to personalize your cover letter.
- Add the YouTube link of your video resume to make your cover letter more engaging.
Types of Templates:
It offers multiple types of templates for professionals, designers, different businesses, and students.
Pricing:
Venngage offers three pricing plans:
- Free (For Students): $0
- Premium (For Individuals): $19 per month
- Business (For Organizations & Businesses): $49 per month
The templates in the free plan will come with Venngage branding. So, it’s better to go with the paid plans for personalized branding.
3. Zety.
One of the most effective free cover letter builders (Free).
Zety is an easy-to-use cover letter builder that will help you create a cover letter to show the best of you. It offers over 20 cover letter templates in several sleek formats and designs. Its AI engine auto-fills sentences to help you write impactful content.
After you click on the template, it asks several professional questions, including the desired job type, years of experience, desired organization, strengths, designation, education status, and working style.
Once you are through with the questions, you will get your cover letter personalized based on your answers.
The cover letter editor offers a pretty clean user interface with minimal options. You can choose from 9 color themes and 10 fonts to further personalize your cover letter. You can also increase or decrease the size of fonts, margins, line spacing, and section spacing.
Finally, download the .txt version of the cover letter for free. You can also share it with your potential employers via Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Best For:
Best for freshers and students to create a neat cover letter in a few steps.
Pros:
- Cover letter templates come in three sections (Opener, Body, and Call to Action) to create more optimized content.
- It also offers writing tips and pre-written examples.
- It offers customizable forms to fill in each section for ease of use.
- It automatically takes care of the formatting.
- You can manage the flow of sections and also remove/add sections.
- The ‘Spell-Check’ feature helps you avoid any typos or silly grammatical errors.
Types of Templates:
It offers over 20 types of templates for students and different industry types, including:
- Cascade
- Crisp
- Cubic
- Concept
- Diamond
- Influx
- Iconic
- Modern
- Simple
- And more
Pricing:
Zety’s resume and cover letter services are free. However, you’d have to pay $71.40 annually for more advanced features.
4. MyPerfectResume.
Most suitable for industry-specific cover letter templates ($5.95 per month).
MyPerfectResume is a cover letter builder that helps you build employer-friendly cover letter designs.
With its pre-written texts, you can easily start building a cover letter. It offers six sections in the template to edit and customize each section easily.
The six sections include:
- Contact information
- Salutation
- Introduction
- Body paragraphs
- Conclusion
- Sign-off
After choosing from its 15 templates, the builder will prompt you to answer questions about your profession, education, work experience, and desired job to fill the sections in the cover letter.
Considering the current scenario, it also asks whether you are out of the job due to COVID-19. If yes, it will help you explain your situation in a better manner.
If you don’t think the template is working, you can change the template directly from the editor.
Finally, download your cover letter and use it to land your desired job/position.
Best For:
It’s best for senior professionals looking for a simple tool to create an impactful, industry-specific cover letter.
Pros:
- You can email the cover letter directly from the editor.
- You can manage the hierarchy of sections.
- Add or delete sections as you want.
- It offers several text suggestions for each section.
- Its massive knowledge base teaches all the details about writing an impactful cover letter.
- You can also undo or redo texts multiple times.
Types of Templates:
MyPerfectResume offers industry-specific templates, including:
- Healthcare cover letter templates
- Education cover letter templates
- Hospitality industry cover letter templates
- Customer support cover letter templates
- And more
Pricing:
- 14 day trial: $1.95, then $24.95 per month
- Annual: $5.95 per month, $71.40 per year
However, some resume and cover letter services cost extra.
5. KickResume.
Create a cover letter using multiple templates and customization options within minutes ($8 per month).
KickResume comes with a straightforward cover letter builder that creates pixel-perfect cover letters. You get templates built specifically for your requirements and profession.
What’s more, it matches your cover letter template with your resume design for better consistency. You can try over thousands of possible combinations to customize your colors, format, and fonts.
It also offers a free eBook to educate users to create better cover letters and resumes. And if you get stuck in the process, you can also always talk to experts through its Live Chat support feature.
On top of that, KickResume’s Job Search Assistant helps you find the most suitable job according to your skill-set. It also creates a personal website with just a click that you can share as your resume link.
Best For:
It is best for professionals who need a highly customized and industry-specific cover letter.
Pros:
- Filter the cover letter templates based on your profession.
- With its form-like user interface, you can easily fill up all the details in the cover letter.
- You can see the preview of your template after final edits.
- It also offers a paid Grammar correction service where human proofreaders will proofread your cover letter.
- You can also add phrases and highlight them in the cover letter.
Types of Templates:
It offers multiple templates based on different professions, including:
- Banking
- IT & Engineering
- Accounting & Finance
- Automotive
- Military/Law Enforcement
- Volunteering
- Retail
- Marketing/PR
- And more
Pricing:
KickResume provides one paid plan and a freemium plan.
- Freemium: $0
- Premium: $8 per month
- Grammar Correction: $29 per resume/cover letter
The Premium plan comes with unlimited cover letters and resumes, email and live chat support, and over 20,000 pre-written phrases. The freemium version only provides two cover letter templates.
6. ResumeGenius.
For HR-approved cover letter templates ($39.95 per month).
ResumeGenius creates a tailored cover letter for professionals within 15 minutes. It guides you step-by-step to create a cover letter that aligns with your industry and skill-sets.
It starts by asking you a few questions about our job, qualification, experience, and preferences. Some fields like degree, job title, and last company are mandatory to answer, while you can skip other fields if you don’t want to answer.
Its Artificial Intelligence-based cover letter builder puts all your information in nice sentences and paragraphs. It also provides you with a full-page cover letter irrespective of your experience or lack thereof.
However, you can easily edit the text of your cover letter. You can also change templates and choose from the option of over 50 templates straight from the editor. ResumeGenius also provides HR-approved cover letter templates that align with all the HR expectations.
Best For:
It’s best for professionals who are yearning to get more job interviews. If you have some gap in your work experience, then also it’s a great option.
Pros:
- It offers professional review and feedback.
- You can also hire a professional writer to complete your cover letter personally.
- It offers access to free resources to help you write a better language.
- Automated content based on your information saves a lot of time.
- You can download the basic .txt file of your cover letter without paying a penny.
- It offers customer support over the call.
Types of Templates:
It offers several types of templates, including:
- Classic
- Elegant
- Milano
- Chicago
- Modern
- Minimalist
- Advanced
- Corporate
Pricing:
Although it provides a free version, the cover letter builder and templates only come with the premium plan.
- 14 day access: Initially $1.95, then $39.95 per month
- Annual payment: $95.40 per year
7. CoverLetter Now.
Create a job-winning cover letter with a single click ($5.95 for three months).
CoverLetter Now is a straightforward cover letter builder that comes with numerous professional cover letters. It provides 20 unique cover letter templates and a spell-check tool. The spell-check not only points out corrections but also offers suggestions to use better words.
Its cover letter includes four essential sections:
- The greeting
- The opening
- The body
- The closing
These cover letter templates give you the option to choose a readable font in a 10-12 point type. What’s more, its formatting and editing tools create grammatically correct and nicely formatted cover letters pretty easily.
You can also leverage its “Review Answers” features to make sure your information is accurate. It allows you to choose from 10 fonts and 4 font sizes to personalize your cover letter. Not just that, you can also customize margin, letter, and line spacing.
Best For:
Best for fresh job seekers and students.
Pros:
- It offers 20 cover letter templates.
- You can download the template in multiple formats, including PDF, MS Word, and Plain Text.
- It allows you to email or print the cover letter from the editor directly.
- It also offers a tool to help you search for jobs online.
- You can receive professional writing advice.
- It fills your cover letter with job-specific texts to sell your skills and grab recruiters’ attention.
Types of Templates:
It offers 20 templates designed for professionals, students, and freshers.
Pricing:
It offers two paid plans:
- 3-month full access: $5.95
- Yearly access: $95.40
You also get a 14-day money-back guarantee.
8. ResumeCompanion.
For a straightforward approach to building a customized cover letter ($1.95 for 14 days).
ResumeCompanion is a straightforward and highly customizable cover letter builder. It just asks 5 questions based on your profession to create a custom-made cover letter within minutes. The cover letter builder can generate full-page letters for 1000s of different situations, from educational purposes to extensive work experience.
Moreover, it automatically takes care of all the formatting work. That means no different fonts, margin issues, or erratic line spacing. With just a click, you can also easily download your cover letter in both PDF and MS Word format.
You can start building the cover letter by choosing from 28 industries. Select the perfect skill set, and the cover letter builder will do the heavy lifting of putting your skill sets at the right place.
Best For:
It’s best for professionals who don’t want to answer too many questions and are in a hurry to get a custom-based cover letter.
Pros:
- It offers 10 cover letter templates.
- You can edit the auto-generated text with a single click.
- It also offers personalized job alerts and searches.
- You can create and download an unlimited number of cover letters.
- It offers a 14-days free trial.
- You can download your cover letter in both PDF and MS Word format.
Types of Templates:
It offers cover letter templates in three categories, including:
- Modern
- Basic
- Professional
Pricing:
- 14-day access: $1.95
- Premium plan: $39.95 per month
9. CVOwl.
CVOwl offers a clutter-free cover letter editor (Free).
CVOwl helps you create simple cover letters matching your profession. You get over hundreds of cover letter samples for 80+ industries.
segregated its cover letter editor into three sections, including:
- Basic Details – details on how to contact you.
- Recruiter Details – recruiter contact details.
- Description – Introduce yourself, fill in your work experience, and sell your skills.
You easily edit the content by clicking on these sections present on the left sidebar.
It also offers 4 types of cover letters, namely Student CV, Smart CV, Classic CV, and Premium CV. You can easily select the type through a drop-down present at the top.
Other than this, you can download the document in an A4 or Letter format. You can also go through its cover letter samples to understand how to write a good cover letter.
Best For:
It offers minimal customization options and simple cover letters without any bells and whistles. Thus, it’s best for users who want to create a simple cover letter instantly.
Pros:
- The cover letter builder is available for free.
- You can also mail them your doubts or ask questions.
- It also offers a Mock Interview feature to help you prepare for common interview questions.
- CVOwl also offers an online job portal to help you find a suitable job.
- Easily edit the description details by clicking on a tab.
Types of Templates:
You get different types of industry-specific samples, including:
- Software Engineer cover letter sample
- Product Manager cover letter sample
- Business Analyst cover letter sample
- Company Secretary
- Assistant Professor
- And more
Pricing:
The cover letter builder is available for free.
10. Resumizer.
Build an impactful cover letter for free (Free).
Resumizer is a free cover letter creator for students and beginners looking for simple yet impactful cover letters. It offers 25 cover letter templates to choose from, including an ASCII text format template.
Since it’s a free cover letter builder, it offers a pretty basic yet functional user interface.
Just select a style for your cover letter from the options given. Next, you will have to answer a few questions before receiving a full-page, custom-made cover letter.
Moreover, you can choose from 7 different letter body options to start building your cover letter. Resumizer also customizes the cover letter with 10 fonts and font sizes. You can also change the font’s color to black or grey and edit contact info, job, skills, and letter body.
Best For:
It’s best for users who want a simple-looking, free cover letter.
Pros:
- You can save the file in multiple formats, including PDF, Text, HTML, and Word.
- It allows you to print the file from the editor directly.
- Easily upload and add a picture to your cover letter.
- You can also change the template in the middle of editing a document.
- It can edit the saved HTML file too.
Type of Templates:
It offers 25 different types of cover letter templates, including one ASCII Text Format template.
Pricing:
It’s entirely free.
11. CVShaper.
Generate simple, custom-made cover letters in less than 15 minutes (Free).
CVShaper is a cover letter generator to create a tailored cover letter within 15 minutes.
It offers 4 cover letter templates to choose from.
After you select a template, it will ask you a few questions, including personal information, job title, designation details, experience, and skills. Finally, you’ll get a full-page cover letter based on the information you provided.
Templates approved by recruiters and tested through ATS improves your chances of getting employed. Its auto-generated content includes industry-specific lingo, terms, and phrases to grab the recruiter’s attention.
Best For:
It’s best for users who want a simple, custom-made cover letter without spending any money.
Pros:
- It offers a step by step guide to walk you through the entire process of creating a cover letter.
- It customizes the cover letter automatically to align with your intended job.
- Select from different fonts and colors to customize your cover letter.
- You can edit the auto-generated text with just a click of a button.
- You can switch the cover templates in the middle of editing the document.
Types of Templates:
Its 4 templates are most suitable for freshers and students.
Pricing:
You can use the cover letter builder for free.
12. Resume Builder.
Create an engaging cover letter with tried and tested samples and templates ($6.99 per month).
Resume Builder offers an in-built cover letter builder to professionally create a cover letter without any designing or coding knowledge.
You also get several templates for your industry type, ranging from healthcare to management. Resume Builder features 4 impactful templates on the top with a customization button. Start editing by clicking on the “Customize this Cover Letter” button.
After selecting the template, it asks you a few questions to curate the content based on your job requirement and qualification. Finally, you can install your cover letter in PDF format.
Best For:
It’s best for users who want more customization in their cover letter template without any additional bells and whistles.
Pros:
- Email the template to your recruiters right from the editor.
- The template includes different sections, making it easier to add or delete them and adjusting their flow.
- You can also choose from several text samples.
- It offers 15 cover letter tips to help you achieve your goals.
- It allows you to switch the template directly from the cover letter editor.
Types of Templates:
Resume Builder provides 4 types of cover letter templates, namely:
- General Cover Letter Template
- Manager Cover Letter Template
- Experienced Cover Letter Template
- Internship Cover Letter Template
Pricing:
Resume Builder provides four plans:
- Free (For Students): $0
- Monthly Plan: $6.99 per month
- 3 Months Plan: $4.99 per month
- 6 Months Plan: $2.99 per month
The pricing options vary based on the length of your payment term.
13. LiveCareer.
Offers great job search assistance and an excellent cover letter builder ( $1.95 for a 14-day subscription).
LiveCareer creates a compelling cover letter in a matter of minutes. It also provides 20 templates and one-on-one help from professionals to create a letter that precisely aligns with your skill-set and requirements.
It lets you build your cover letter in three easy and streamlined steps:
- Fill in the details about your skill-set and the job you are seeking.
- LiveCareer will suggest key-phrases and keywords to get noticed by recruiters.
- Finally, choose a design from the selection of templates.
The good news is that you can customize the template further.
Its cover letter templates include 8 sections to enter the optimized content easily. You can also choose from 10 fonts and select the spacing of margins and lines to personalize the cover letter. If you mess up the customization, restore the default settings through a single click.
It also builds cover letters for different scenarios, including:
- For prospecting a company.
- A networking cover letter.
- Career change cover letter.
- Relocation cover letter.
Best For:
If you want one-on-one professional assistance, then LiveCareer might be an excellent option.
Pros:
- You can share your cover directly to LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
- Its free version allows you to download the .txt version of the file.
- It offers free access to cover letters curated by experts.
- You can manage the position or add/delete sections in cover letters.
- It also offers a mobile app for both iOS and Android.
- Download the cover letter in Word, PDF, and, .txt format.
Types of Templates:
It offers several templates for every industry and skill-set, primarily divided into four parts:
- Modern
- Professional
- Creative
- Traditional
Pricing:
LiveCareer doesn’t charge anything to create simple cover letters. However, if you want to print, download, or email the letter, it would cost $1.95 for a 14-day subscription.
14. ResumeLab.
Professional, fast, and easy cover letter builder ($2.70 per month).
ResumeLab takes the hassle out of cover letter writing and helps you focus on the writing. It offers over 18 cover letter templates approved by professional writers, hiring experts, and graphic designers.
It also offers on-screen instructions to help you fill-up the information in labeled fields. Once you enter all the essential details, it will put all the data in the right place.
What’s more, you can control the look of your cover letter by previewing it in real-time.
Even if you type a word, it will instantly reflect in the live preview window. You can also rearrange the sections of the letter and try multiple layouts to finalize the perfect design.
All in all, it creates your cover letter in five simple steps:
- Pick a template you like.
- Add all your personal and professional details.
- Create the heading for your letter.
- Write your letter using expert advice from ResumeLab’s specialists.
- Customize the letter with the different writing styles, fonts, spacing, color versions, and more.
Best For:
It’s most suitable for professionals who want expert help and advice at every step while creating their cover letter.
Pros:
- You can store multiple cover letters on your dashboard for ready access.
- It offers a rich text editor to arrange content precisely the way you need it.
- You can play with multiple color options and fonts.
- Connect with ResumeLab’s cover letter writing specialists for expert advice on your draft.
- Leverage its Advanced Page settings to optimize placements of page top, bottom, and in border circle.
Type of Templates:
It offers several types of templates, including:
- Cascade
- Influx
- Iconic
- Cube
- Crisp
- And more
Pricing:
ResumeLab offers two pricing plans:
- 14-day full access: $2.70 per month.
- Monthly access: $5.95 per month.
If you pay $71.40 up-front, you can save up to 78%.
15. Adobe Spark.
Create custom cover letters for free, no design skills required (Free).
Adobe Spark creates a professional cover letter that also includes photos and videos, presenting your letter in a beautiful way.
After you register, it will take just a few seconds to fill up all the professional and educational details. It also offers endless customization of cover letters with multiple themes, font styles, headers, and formats.
It also allows you to add pictures as a reference to your work.
Here’s an example:
On top of that, it provides access to a massive library of pictures and graphics that you can use to make your cover letter stand out. After putting the finishing touches, you can share the cover letter over the cloud using a link.
Best For:
It’s most suitable for professions like photography, cooking, and graphic designing, where you need to show your skills using images and videos.
Pros:
- You can search for multiple template options from its large repository.
- You can resize the cover letter to any proportion.
- Easily change the layout with over 20 options to choose from.
- It offers more than 50 color themes to personalize your cover letter.
- Easily add an image, logo, or an infographic.
- Download the file in PNG, PDF, or JPG.
Types of Templates:
With Adobe Spark, you get the option to choose from several templates to suit your needs. From students and freshers to seasoned professionals, it offers templates for everyone.
Pricing:
You can use Adobe’s cover letter builder for free.
What is a Cover Letter?
A cover letter is a one-page document that summarizes your skills and professional experience to help you acquire any job you want. Other than that, cover letters also help you convince education boards to get into your dream university.
You can share it along with your CV when you apply for any job opening.
It also serves other purposes, including:
- Your commitment to the job application.
- Attract the attention of hiring managers among hundreds of job applications.
- You can explain your candidature relevance in a better manner.
- Show your creative, writing, and persuasive skills even before getting hired.
However, you are not supposed to summarise your CV in a cover letter. Just mention the most important and relevant details succinctly to grab the reader’s attention. In a normal circumstance, the recruiter would first go through your CV before reading your cover letter.
Why Do You Need a Cover Letter?
A cover letter is as essential as your resume and CV. While your resume defines your qualification, professional experience, and other details – the cover letter convinces the hiring manager that you really want this job.
A perfectly drafted cover letter can be a head-turner and might increase your chances for an interview. It also helps you explain the things that your resume or CV might miss.
And that’s not all. When you include a cover letter, you follow the best practices of professional ethics.
What Should You Include in a Cover Letter?
Your cover letter should include a structured flow of information. What’s more, make sure to include all the essential elements to create a nicely drafted cover letter.
Here are some of them:
1. Header.
This includes your contact details, email address, and social media accounts, especially professional ones like LinkedIn. This section will also contain the contact details of the company you are applying for.
2. Opening Paragraph.
It normally starts with a warm greeting and continues with a summary of your qualification and work experience.
3. Body.
In this section, you explain why you are the right fit for the position, your intent, what you can offer, and how you can benefit the organization with your role.
4. Call to Action.
This where you wrap up your cover letter. You can promptly request the recruiter to call you for a face to face interaction if they find you suitable for the job opening. Finally, end it with a formal greeting and your signature.
Executive Summary.
These were my top picks for the best cover letter templates and builders.
All these cover letter builders come with some standard functions and some unique features. Hence, it’s up to you to look for the tool that aligns with your needs.
If you are looking for a highly customized cover letter template/builder, Adobe Spark or Novoresume would be the right options. Users looking for a free solution can go with Resumizer that offers all basic functionalities. However, the user interface is not intuitive. But that’s a bargain for a free tool.
Review all the features and templates carefully before making the final call.
Which cover letter template/builder are you planning to use, and why? Let me know by commenting below.