Free cover letter builder

Three paragraphs, one page, no waffle. The form guides you through the structure hiring managers actually read — and the download is free with no watermark.

Applying through a job portal? Download → Word (.docx) — it is the format applicant tracking systems read most reliably. For PDF, set the print destination to Save as PDF and Margins to None.

Your details

Full name

Phone

Location

Who it goes to

Company

Job title

Hiring manager name

Use a name if you can find one.

Their title

Date

Greeting

The letter

Opening paragraph

Name the role, and the one thing in the advert you are strongest on.

Evidence paragraph

Your single best result, with a number. This paragraph earns the interview.

Closing paragraph

One sentence on what you want to discuss next.

Sign-off

Design

Your Name

email@example.com • (555) 000-0000 • City, State

Dear Hiring Manager,

Open by naming the role and the one thing in the advert you are strongest on. Do not open with “I am writing to apply” and nothing else.

Give your single best piece of evidence, with a number in it, and say briefly why it worked. This is the paragraph that earns the interview.

Close by saying what you want to talk about next. Keep it to one sentence.

Sincerely,

Your Name

The three-paragraph structure

Paragraph 1 — why this job, in one breath

Name the role and the single thing in the advert you are strongest on. Skip “I am writing to express my interest” — it uses a sentence to say nothing. Compare: “Your advert asks for someone who can work with stakeholders rather than only with data, and that is the part of the job I care most about.”

Paragraph 2 — your one best piece of evidence

This paragraph earns the interview. Give one result, with a number, and one sentence on why it worked. Not three achievements — one, told properly. The resume already lists the rest.

Paragraph 3 — what happens next

One sentence. Say what you would like to discuss. Do not thank them for their time three times.

What to leave out

Anything restating your resume line by line.
“I am a hard-working team player with excellent communication skills” — everyone writes it, so it carries no information.
Explanations of why you are leaving your current job.
Salary expectations, unless the advert asks.

Read one before you write yours

Every letter below is complete rather than a template with blanks in it, and each carries notes on who reads it in that field and how letters there most often fail. Start from the one closest to your job.

Questions

Is the cover letter builder free?

Yes, completely. No signup, no payment, no watermark, and no limit on downloads.

How long should a cover letter be?

Three short paragraphs on one page. Hiring managers read hundreds; a full page of dense text usually gets skimmed and discarded. Say who you are, give one piece of hard evidence, and say what you want to discuss next.

Do I still need a cover letter in 2026?

For most applications it is optional, and a bad one hurts you. But when a role is competitive, or you are changing industry, or something in your history needs explaining, a specific letter is still the fastest way to move from a pile to a shortlist. Generic letters are worse than none.

Should I address it to a person?

Yes, if you can find the name in two minutes on LinkedIn or the company site. If you cannot, "Dear Hiring Manager" is fine. Never write "To Whom It May Concern" — it reads as a form letter.