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Professional cover letter templates

Formal letters in dark, serious colors: a centered serif name over a ruled contact line, a traditional header, or your details in a neat side column. Built for applications where the reader expects a proper business letter.

Best for: Finance, law, consulting, healthcare, government and corporate roles, senior and management applications, and any letter going to a formal employer.

Use ExecutiveCover letter examples

Design with any template free. Classic downloads free; the rest with Pro.

3 professional cover letter templates

Shown with our data analyst cover letter example. Your words stay when you switch designs, so try a few.

Writing a professional cover letter

  1. 01

    Say the role and your level up front

    Name the exact job title and how many years you have done this kind of work in the first two lines. A formal reader wants to place you before reading on.

  2. 02

    Put one number in your proof paragraph

    A single result with a figure (money saved, days cut from a process, accounts grown) says more than a list of duties. Pick the one closest to what the job asks for.

  3. 03

    Address a real person

    Find the hiring manager's name and use their title: "Dear Mr. Ortiz". It reads as more careful than a general greeting, and the template places it above the company name for you.

  4. 04

    Close by asking for the next step

    End with a clear, polite request to meet or talk, and a thank you. Plain, direct sentences sound more senior than long formal phrases.

Questions

What makes a cover letter look professional?
A clear header with your contact details, the date and recipient, a subject line naming the role, short paragraphs and a formal sign-off, in one or two dark colors. All three templates here have each of those.
Should a professional cover letter use a serif or sans-serif font?
Either works. A serif font, as in Executive, reads as traditional and suits law, finance and senior roles. Sans-serif, as in Classic and Sidebar, looks crisp on screen. You can change the font in any template.
How long should a professional cover letter be?
One page, usually 250 to 400 words. Senior candidates can use the longer end, as long as every paragraph adds something the resume doesn't already say.
Which template suits an executive or senior role?
Executive: a centered serif name with a ruled contact line and a formal sign-off. It comes in a deep red, and you can switch to any color in the designer, such as navy or black.

More cover letter templates

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