Find the Best Cover Letter Templates
When applying for jobs, you’ll need an application that stands out. To help, our online cover letter builder offers a selection of successful cover letter templates. Whether you’re seeking a job in sales, retail, marketing, or even law, our tool has templates to help.
How do I write a cover letter for a job?
A common mistake people make when writing cover letters is to rush them. Take your time and start with these tips:
- Be clear and concise - outline why you’re suited to the role and stick to the point.
- Highlight achievements - it’s hard to talk yourself up, but remember that’s what a cover letter is for.
- Back up your claims - provide evidence to prove you’re suited to the job.
- Be friendly, but professional - ensure your tone is warm but appropriate.
- Proofread your work - always check for spelling and grammar errors before sending.
- Check out our full article on cover letter writing.
What is the best greeting for a cover letter?
When creating your cover letter, there are several greetings to choose from:
- ‘To the Hiring Manager’ - best if you don’t know the hiring manager’s name.
- ‘Dear Sir/ Madam’ - another alternative, if you don’t know their name.
- ‘Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms/Dr [surname]’ - use this if you know the hiring manager’s name but haven’t met them in person.
- ‘Dear [first name]’ - only use their first name if you know them personally, or have met them at interview.
- Avoid using ‘To Whom it May Concern’ (old fashioned) or ‘Hi!’, ‘Hey there!’ and other casual greetings (too informal for a professional cover letter).
Not sure which greeting works best? Get more advice in our cover letter builder.
Popular UK Cover Letter Templates
To help you find the job you want, we’ve created professional cover letter templates. View 20 of the UK’s most popular cover letter templates and get some tips on how to customise them.
Breaking it Down: The Anatomy of a Standard UK Cover Letter Template
Every cover letter is different. Even an excellent template needs tweaking for each job application. Here's what you need to know:
How to structure a standard UK cover letter template
In general, your cover letter will follow a common pattern. Working from top to bottom, your letter should include the following elements.
How a standard UK cover letter template should look
Cover letter layout and formatting are crucial for making a good impression. If an employer can’t read your cover letter easily, they’re highly unlike to look at your CV or call you for an interview.
4 tips for formatting a UK cover letter template
- Use an easy to read font like Times New Roman or Arial, at 12 points. Don't use 'quirky' fonts like Comic Sans.
- Use short sentences and leave room between paragraphs. Some white space gives your words freedom to breathe and helps the hiring manager skim your letter, pulling out salient points more easily.
- Avoid coloured fonts. It may be appropriate to use a small splash of colour in the header but in general it's safest not to. If the manager can’t read your application they’ll throw it straight in the ‘no’ pile.
- Don’t use pictures or ‘brighten up’ your cover letter with imagery. And don't include a photograph of yourself. Many companies have strict anti-discrimination rules which a photograph can breach.
How should my cover letter work with my CV?
Like your CV, your cover letter should be clean and crisp. Ensure that:
- It's correctly formatted, using the same fonts and styles as your CV.
- Your CV includes any qualifications mentioned in your cover letter.
- Any jobs mentioned in your cover letter are included under your CV's work experience section.
- Any other achievements mentioned in your letter (awards, sales figures, and so on) are included in your CV's personal profile.
10 Top Universal Cover Letter Templates
When looking for a job, all the things you have to consider can be overwhelming. That's OK! We’re here to help you choose from the vast range of cover letter templates available on the market. Make your life easier by choosing from one of the following top ten.
Basic cover letter template
Do you have a tendency to write too much? Our basic cover letter template is ideal for you. It's uncomplicated and gets straight to the point. Use it to highlight key skills and suitability, without getting hung up on too much detail.
Basic cover letter template
Do you have a tendency to write too much? Our basic cover letter template is ideal for you. It's uncomplicated and gets straight to the point. Use it to highlight key skills and suitability, without getting hung up on too much detail.
Best cover letter template
As the name suggests, our best cover letter template is one of our most popular. It includes all the information you need in a neat and tidy layout to help impress potential employers.
Best cover letter template
As the name suggests, our best cover letter template is one of our most popular. It includes all the information you need in a neat and tidy layout to help impress potential employers.
Good cover letter template
Think of a good cover letter template as the gateway to your CV. If you want potential employers to invite you for an interview, you need a strong cover letter. This template helps you get to the next step.
Good cover letter template
Think of a good cover letter template as the gateway to your CV. If you want potential employers to invite you for an interview, you need a strong cover letter. This template helps you get to the next step.
General cover letter template
Unsure what type of cover letter to write? Our general cover letter template is a safe bet if you want to cover all bases. You can customise it to the exact needs of the job you’re applying for.
General cover letter template
Unsure what type of cover letter to write? Our general cover letter template is a safe bet if you want to cover all bases. You can customise it to the exact needs of the job you’re applying for.
Online cover letter template
Our online cover letter template builder lets you create a successful cover letter for whatever job you want. Fast and simple, use it to help you with any type of job application - online or offline.
Online cover letter template
Our online cover letter template builder lets you create a successful cover letter for whatever job you want. Fast and simple, use it to help you with any type of job application - online or offline.
Professional cover letter template
Our professional cover letter template shows you where to include key skills and achievements. It also saves you the hassle of deciding which fonts and layouts to use, making life much easier.
Professional cover letter template
Our professional cover letter template shows you where to include key skills and achievements. It also saves you the hassle of deciding which fonts and layouts to use, making life much easier.
Short cover letter template
Our short cover letter template is a good option if you’re applying for a job that's likely to get many applications. Busy managers will welcome a short, punchy cover letter. This template makes it fast and simple to highlight your key skills, achievements, and work experience.
Short cover letter template
Our short cover letter template is a good option if you’re applying for a job that's likely to get many applications. Busy managers will welcome a short, punchy cover letter. This template makes it fast and simple to highlight your key skills, achievements, and work experience.
Simple cover letter template
Many job applicants write over-complicated cover letters. Our simple cover letter template remedies this by highlighting your best attributes quickly.
Simple cover letter template
Many job applicants write over-complicated cover letters. Our simple cover letter template remedies this by highlighting your best attributes quickly.
UK cover letter template
Most countries have different writing conventions for cover letters - for instance, the UK and US use different kinds of language, and even have different page sizes. As an applicant for a UK based role, use our UK cover template to ensure you tick the right boxes
UK cover letter template
Most countries have different writing conventions for cover letters - for instance, the UK and US use different kinds of language, and even have different page sizes. As an applicant for a UK based role, use our UK cover template to ensure you tick the right boxes
Word cover letter template
Pre-formatted to be readable in MS Office, our Word cover letter template includes a basic structure for all your information. Complete your cover letter fast so you can focus on your job search instead.
Word cover letter template
Pre-formatted to be readable in MS Office, our Word cover letter template includes a basic structure for all your information. Complete your cover letter fast so you can focus on your job search instead.
6 Ways That Using a Cover Letter Template Helps Your Job Search
Finding vacancies, creating a CV, and then applying for jobs is enough to have on your plate without writing a cover letter from scratch. That’s why our cover letter templates are designed to make the process simpler.
Clear structure
Most cover letter templates follow the UK’s standard business letter structure. Start with your postal address in the top right-hand corner, followed by any other contact information. In the top left corner, include the employer’s address. After this leave a space. Then include the date on the right-hand side.
Below the date (on the left) include the subject of the letter, e.g. ‘Re: Application for Teaching Assistant role’. After this, begin your letter by using the appropriate greeting. Use simple fonts, size 12, and include line breaks between paragraphs to make your letter easier to read. Finally, left-justify all content and leave a good border.
Include the right information
48% of businesses say their best hires come from employee referrals. This highlights how important it is to make a good first impression as an outside applicant by including impactful information in your cover letter.
Focus on your achievements, but only highlight those relevant to the job you're applying for. Think from the employer’s perspective and include anything that helps you stand out from the competition.
Use different writing formats
Busy employers will come across many similar applications. To help them (and to draw out key pieces of information about you) vary the format that you write in.
For instance:
- Use bullets to highlight key technical skills.
- Make (sparing) use of italics or bold to highlight your most important selling points.
- Keep sentences short, but vary their length to help your writing flow.
- Use spacing between paragraphs to break up the text.
Appropriate layout and design
Our cover letter templates are clear, crisp, and professional. Choose a different template to suit each job you apply for, making sure the style is appropriate for the company.
Our cover letter templates offer a range of layouts and designs to save you the hassle of formatting, so you can concentrate on what’s most important - preparing for an interview!
Coordinate with your CV
Your cover letter and CV should always use the same overall templates, with consistent fonts and colours. This looks neat and tidy while showing employers that you care about the finer details.
Be sure that whatever you mention in your cover letter is also included in your CV. When applying for several jobs, make sure you amend both cover letter and CV to fit the needs of each.
Meet recruiters' expectations
Your cover letter must meet recruiters' needs and entice them to read your CV. Are project management skills vital to the role? Has the company worked on a project that interests you? Mention these anecdotes in your letter. Our cover letter templates will help you to highlight these key achievements.
7 Top Tips for Using Cover Letter Templates
Writing cover letters is often a challenge. However, the hardest part is usually getting started. Using a cover letter template designed specifically for the industry you’re applying for can make the process much simpler.
7 important cover letter template tips
To complement your cover letter, we also provide a wide range of professional CV templates. Make sure you complete your CV before working on your cover letter, and use the following tips to get the best from your chosen cover letter template:
- Use your CV’s personal profile/ personal statement to help focus your mind. Then decide on the key message you want to get across with your cover letter.
- Don’t waffle. Instead, stick to the outlined structure provided in the template.
- Pay attention to your greeting and sign-off. Ideally, find out the name of the person you’re sending the letter to and use the appropriate salutation.
- When explaining why you’re perfect for the job, be sure you include one great example along with a statistic. There should be more details included in your CV.
- Pay attention to the tone of your cover letter. Keep it strong and positive, but not overly sales-y. Avoid sounding desperate.
- Be thoughtful about what you name the final file. Bear in mind that any prospective employer is likely to see the file name.
- Once you’ve completed your template, run spellcheck. It’s also good practice to read it through a few times because spellcheckers can sometimes miss the subtle nuances of language.
Get the Job You Want With Our Cover Letter Templates
Now you have everything you need to create a successful cover letter! Our online cover letter builder saves you from the pain of staring at a blank sheet of paper, providing you with a wide range of templates, best practice tips, example text, and even more advice on what to do.
There’s no time to waste! Start building your successful cover letter now.