A resume is meant to state facts. A cover letter shows the hiring manager your personality.
Personalizing your cover letter layout gives your cover letter a more unique touch. This means your cover letter template should be memorable and eye-catching.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to pick the best cover letter template for you. We’ll also look at three different cover letter example templates and how they compare. Keep reading if you want more information on application letter templates in Word.
Top 5 decision factors for choosing the best cover letter template
Your cover letter is essential. It’s the first impression you make on the hiring manager. This means that choosing a motivation letter template can make or break your first impression.
So here are five of the best tips on finding a template for a good cover letter:
1. Visually match your resume
When considering what cover letter template to use, it's best to look for resume templates with cover letters. When a cover letter layout matches your resume layout, it looks visually consistent. This makes the whole package impressive and more memorable.
Matching resume templates with cover letter layouts look impressive, showing that you put a lot of effort and thought into the cover letter and resume. Also, if they get separated, it's easier to match them back together with resume templates with cover letters.
2. Use readable fonts
Having a readable font on your motivation letter template is important. If your motivation letter template is hard to read, it won't matter how well-written your cover letter is. The hiring manager may not even look at it.
Your font size should match your resume so that you maintain that consistency. You want your application letter template to look full, but not stuffed with text. When making a cover letter, keep in mind that you want it to look conservative for most jobs.
Here's a tutorial to help you learn more about choosing a font for a resume and cover letter:
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3. Keep it to a single page
When making your cover letter template, it's best as a single page. Most hiring managers won’t read a several-page cover letter.
A cover letter is supposed to tell your story without repeating what is in your resume. But when your cover letter is more than one page, it can come off as rambling or, even worse, bragging.
As you're thinking about how to write your cover letter, be aware that it should be 250-450 words, which is about three to four paragraphs. So, when thinking about what to put into your cover letter, don't forget about length.
4. Show some personality
Your personality can be shown in your motivation letter template design or with your words. This means you should customize your cover letter example template to fit who you are.
The cover letter layout can show personality in the following ways:
- font choice
- color choice
- layout
- use of images and graphics
Show some personality and avoid formal language (although it may work for jobs with a more formal workplace.) Instead, stay professional but approachable with language like:
"The job at ABC seems perfect for me. It's much like what I did at XYZ, but with better tools. I can't stop thinking about how amazing it would be to work for XYZ."
5. Include contact information
There are two places you should have your contact information:
- At the top of the cover letter.
- In the call to action.
Make sure that the blank letter template you choose has space for contact information.
A great call to action invites them to make the next move without crossing a line. For example:
“Thank you for taking the time to read my cover letter and considering me for (list position as stated in the job ad). (Company name) can use my great (list some of your skills). Don’t hesitate to email me at example@gmail.com.”
How 3 top cover letter templates compare (benefits and drawbacks)
Now that we’ve looked at what makes a good cover letter template, let’s look at some of the top cover letter templates in Word. Then I'll use the criteria above to analyze each template. This is a great way to find the right cover letter example template for you:
1. Resume & Cover Letter Example Template
This creative format for cover letters is a great option if you're applying for a creative position. Everything in this template can be easily customized. You can edit this template in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Microsoft Word.
2. Minimalist Cover Letter Template Sample for Word
This cover letter template sample is designed to look impressive and professional for corporate and business jobs. The simple design means that it won’t leave the wrong impression on the hiring manager. Everything is fully editable, including the color and font.
3. Classic Format for Cover Letters and Resumes
This design template of a good cover letter is often classic, in this case with a gold and black color scheme. Since it's got a classic color scheme, you can use this cover letter to apply to any job. This application letter template comes in both A4 and US Letter sizes.
Three cover letter templates: Side-by-side comparison
Now that you've got some background information, let’s see how these application letter templates compare against the decision criteria:
| Minimalist Cover Letter Template Sample for Word | Resume & Cover Letter Example Template | Classic Format for Cover Letters and Resumes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visually Matches Your Resume | This business resume template with cover letter has a matching design. Both have the same professional and straightforward design. | The creative cover letter has a fun design at the top of the page on both the cover letter and the resume template. The design adds a pop of color without being overwhelming. | The resume that comes with the multi-purpose cover letter has the same design as the cover letter. This means that there's consistency with this set. |
| Readable Font | The font that comes with the template is the Raleway font. It's easy to read, but if you want to you can change it to another font. | The font that comes with the creative cover letter is Poppins. It's easy to read. But it can be easily changed. | The font that comes with this template is the Lato font. It's easy to read. It can be changed, though. |
| Single Page | This is a single-page letter template. It does a good job of filling the page without overstuffing it. | The creative motivation letter template is a single-page template. | This template is a single-page cover letter template. It gives you a nice-sized space to add your letter. |
| Shows Some Personality | The design of this template is professional and conservative. But if you want to add color you can easily add it to the top of the page. | This cover letter template has fun colors that show your fun side to the hiring manager. Easily change the default colors to your favorite colors or to company colors. | The black and gold color scheme of this template has a nice, sophisticated feel that'll leave a lasting impression. |
| Includes Contact Information | This template has an excellent extensive contact information section at the top of the page. The contact information section includes fields for an address, phone number, email address, and website URL. | At the top of the page section of the template, there's a small contact section built in. So, if you want to add more than your email and Twitter account, you’ll have to change the template. | Along the right side of the template, there's a contact information section. This section includes fields for a phone number, email address, and website URL. |
Explore cover letter layout designs for your next job search
We’ve looked at how the three formats for cover letters compare to each other according to the criteria listed earlier. Now, let’s look at some sample cover letter layouts to show off the design features:
1. Headshot in cover letter template
Some jobs require applicants to have a headshot on their cover letter. For these cases, it's essential to have a headshot on the blank letter template. This template has a picture placeholder for the headshot, which is a nice feature. With a picture placeholder, you can easily insert an image into your application letter template.
Having a spot for your headshot built into the design makes your cover letter template doc look more professional and is easier than trying to add a headshot into the template yourself.
2. Icons used in application letter
The business application letter template has an excellent cover letter layout. Everything is in nice sections.
In the contact information sections, icons draw emphasis to each contact address.
3. Professional signature
A nice feature of this creative cover letter template is that it comes with a signature box. This means that the signature is a different size and font than the rest of the template.
For some creatives, their name (or signature) can be their brand. If your signature is part of your brand, this helps your signature stand out.
Find more formats for cover letter templates
Are you still looking for a cover letter template that suits your needs? Or maybe you just want to look and see what other templates look like. That’s okay. Envato is the best place for premium cover letter templates in 2024. Subscribe for a low monthly fee and gain unlimited access to millions of digital assets.
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Learn more about cover letters
Do you want to learn more about what makes a great cover letter? Here are some articles that can help:
Choose the right cover letter template for you today!
In this article, you learned what makes the best cover letter template. We also compared the features of three different templates.
When you use a template, it's easy to have a cover letter that looks professional and impressive. So, download a cover letter template and get started writing your cover letter. With all the excellent features that come with a template, you’ll have an impressive result.
