Cover Letter Examples for Canada & US

Short answer: A good cover letter is short, written for one job, and addressed to a real person when you can find one. Open with the job and why you want it, give one or two pieces of evidence that match the posting, and close by asking for an interview. Below you'll find a fill-in template and three labelled samples you can adapt: entry-level in Canada, career change in the US, and returning to work.

Not sure you need a letter at all? Start with our guide, Do you need a cover letter? This page picks up where it leaves off, with ready-to-adapt examples.

The basics that apply in both countries

Length. CareerOneStop, the US Department of Labor’s career site, says a good letter can be about 200 to 400 words, in 3 to 4 short paragraphs (CareerOneStop).
What goes in it. Job Bank suggests a short, catchy introduction, then your top skills or qualifications with one or two specific examples that match the job description, and a conclusion that restates your interest or thanks the reader (Job Bank).
One letter per job. CareerOneStop says to write a tailored letter for each position (CareerOneStop). Put it in your own words, so it sounds like you. The University of Toronto Scarborough career centre notes that recruiters know immediately whether a letter is generic or tailored (UTSC).
Greeting. Address a specific person whenever possible, and avoid “To Whom It May Concern” (CareerOneStop; UTSC). If you have no name, alis, the Government of Alberta’s career site, suggests “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear XYZ Company Team” (alis).
Proofread. UTSC says most employers have zero tolerance for spelling or grammar errors (UTSC).

Make it sound like you. Generic lines such as “I am a results-driven team player” could open anyone’s letter. They’re the robotic buzzwords that make a letter sound copy-pasted. CareerOneStop’s template suggests using different examples or language than your resumé, and naming something specific you’ve learned about the employer (CareerOneStop). A quick test: if a sentence would still be true in someone else’s letter, replace it with the detail only you could write.

What changes between Canada and the US

The structure is the same. The small details follow the country:

Detail	Canada	US
Address line	City, province, postal code (alis)	City, State ZIP Code (CareerOneStop)
Privacy	alis says you can list only your city or town and province if privacy is a concern (alis)	CareerOneStop suggests including your city if it’s relevant, for example for a hybrid role (CareerOneStop)
Spelling	Canadian spelling (centre, colour) to match your resumé	American spelling (center, color) to match your resumé

For the resumé that goes with it, see our Canadian and American format guides. New to Canada? Our newcomers guide covers foreign credentials and Canadian experience.

Cover letter template (fill in the brackets)

This template follows the structure recommended by CareerOneStop and alis: a heading, a greeting, a brief introduction, one or two paragraphs of evidence, and a closing (CareerOneStop; alis).

[Your name] [City, province or state] | [Email] | [Phone]

[Date]

[Hiring manager’s name], [Their job title] [Organization name] [City, province and postal code, or city, state and ZIP code]

Dear [Mr./Ms./Full name, or Hiring Manager],

I’m applying for the [job title] position posted on [where you saw it]. [One sentence on what draws you to this employer or role.]

[Evidence: name the top requirement from the posting and show, with one specific example, how you have done it. Use different wording from your resumé.]

[Fit: one or two sentences linking a second requirement, or something you learned about the employer, to your experience.]

My resumé is attached. I’d welcome the chance to discuss how I can help [organization] with [a goal from the posting]. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely, [Your name]

For the evidence paragraph, our before and after bullet points guide shows how to turn a duty into a specific result.

If you’re sending it by email, alis says you can skip the “Re:” line because your subject line does that job (alis). CareerOneStop adds that when an employer asks you to email your resumé, the body of the email can be your cover letter (CareerOneStop).

Sample cover letter: entry-level, Canada

Fictional sample. The person, company, and numbers are invented for illustration.

Priya Natarajan Hamilton, ON | priya.natarajan@example.com

October 18, 2026

Ms. Dana Kowalski, Office Manager Ostrevane Family Dental (fictional) Hamilton, ON

Dear Ms. Kowalski,

I’m applying for the Administrative Assistant position posted on Job Bank. I recently completed an Office Administration diploma, and your clinic’s focus on families in the east end of Hamilton matches the kind of community work I want to do.

Your posting asks for someone who can manage a busy front desk. During my college placement at a physiotherapy clinic, I booked appointments for four practitioners and cut the clinic’s unconfirmed bookings by contacting every patient the day before their visit.

You also need someone comfortable with scheduling software. I learned two booking systems during my placement and helped write a one-page guide for new volunteers at the front desk.

My resumé is attached. I’d welcome the chance to discuss how I could support your team. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, Priya Natarajan

Sample cover letter: career change, US

Fictional sample. The person, company, and numbers are invented for illustration. Written in US spelling for a US employer.

Marcus Bell Columbus, OH | marcus.bell@example.com

October 18, 2026

Mr. Luis Ortega, Operations Manager Tavrenlo Freight (fictional) Columbus, OH

Dear Mr. Ortega,

I’m applying for the Logistics Coordinator role on your careers page. After eight years in retail management, I’m moving into logistics, and Tavrenlo’s growth in regional distribution is exactly where I want to build that career.

Your posting asks for experience coordinating shipments and vendors. As a store manager, I scheduled weekly deliveries from 12 vendors and reorganized our stockroom receiving process, which reduced late restocks during the holiday season.

I recently completed a supply chain fundamentals certificate, and I’m comfortable leading a team under time pressure. I would bring both to your dispatch team.

My resumé is attached. I’d welcome the chance to discuss how my experience can support Tavrenlo’s on-time delivery goals. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely, Marcus Bell

For more on reframing your experience, see our career change resumé guide.

Sample cover letter: returning to work (email version)

Fictional sample. The person, company, and details are invented for illustration.

Subject: Application: Bookkeeper (Ref. 2214), Elena Rossi

Dear Hiring Manager,

I’m applying for the part-time Bookkeeper position at Pellowind Co-op (fictional), posted on your website. From 2023 to 2025, I stepped away from work to care for a family member. I’m now ready to return, and I kept my skills current by completing a payroll certificate.

Before my break, I handled accounts payable and month-end reconciliation for a small construction firm for five years. Your posting asks for accuracy and discretion with member records, and both were central to that role.

My resumé is attached. I’d be glad to talk about how I can help the co-op. Thank you for your consideration.

Elena Rossi Guelph, ON | elena.rossi@example.com

CareerOneStop says an optional cover letter is a good place to explain employment gaps (CareerOneStop). Keep the explanation to a sentence or two, as in this sample. Our employment gap guide has more wording options.

Another option: the “T” format

If the posting lists clear requirements, CareerOneStop suggests a “T” format that puts each requirement side by side with your matching qualification (CareerOneStop). For example:

You need	I bring
2 years of customer service	3 years at a busy front desk (fictional example)
Experience with scheduling software	Daily use of two booking systems

Applying to a lot of jobs? Keep one master resumé and one master letter. For each posting, change the resumé’s summary, the order of your top bullets, and the skills line, and write the letter for that job. CareerOneStop says to write a tailored letter for each position (CareerOneStop), and Job Bank says to tailor your resumé to each position you apply for (Job Bank).

Before you send: checklist

Written for this job, with the job title named in the first paragraph
Addressed to a person, or “Dear Hiring Manager” if you can’t find a name
One or two specific examples that match the posting
About 200 to 400 words
Spelling matches the country and your resumé
Proofread, including the employer’s name
Resumé attached, and the email subject line names the job

For common mistakes to avoid, see Do you need a cover letter?

Want help with yours?

If you’d rather not start from a blank page, we can write a cover letter for a specific job for $7 CAD ($5 USD outside Canada). Applying to several jobs? Add each posting to the same order and we write a separate letter for each one. If your resumé needs work too, the resumé and cover letter package is $34 CAD ($24 USD). Everything happens by email, with no calls, and it is back 24 hours from payment and complete information.

Related guides

Sources

All accessed 2026-10-18.

CareerOneStop (US Department of Labor). How do I write a cover letter? https://www.careeronestop.org/JobSearch/Resumes/cover-letters.aspx
Government of Alberta, alis. Cover letter outline. https://alis.alberta.ca/look-for-work/cover-letters/cover-letter-outline/
Job Bank (Government of Canada). Stand out to employers and land your dream job. https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/career-planning/resources/stand-out
University of Toronto Scarborough, Academic Advising & Career Centre. The cover letter. https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/aacc/cover-letter
Job Bank (Government of Canada). How to write a good resume. https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/findajob/resources/write-good-resume

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