ai-job-search/.claude/skills/job-application-assistant/06-cover-letter-templates.md

Cover Letter Templates and Tailoring Guide

Template: Custom cover.cls (XeLaTeX)

Cover letters use a custom LaTeX document class (cover.cls) with Lato/Raleway fonts.

Output file: cover_letters/cover_<company>_<role>.tex Compile with: XeLaTeX (not pdflatex) Font directory: cover_letters/OpenFonts/fonts/

Document Structure

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% Cover Letter - [Company], [Role]
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

\documentclass[]{cover}
\usepackage{fancyhdr}

\pagestyle{fancy}
\fancyhf{}

\rfoot{Page \thepage \hspace{0pt}}
\thispagestyle{empty}
\renewcommand{\headrulewidth}{0pt}
\begin{document}

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%     TITLE NAME
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\namesection{}{\Huge{[YOUR_NAME]}}{  \href{mailto:[YOUR_EMAIL]}{[YOUR_EMAIL]} | [YOUR_PHONE] |  \urlstyle{same}\href{[YOUR_LINKEDIN_URL]}{LinkedIn}
}

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%     MAIN COVER LETTER CONTENT
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

\currentdate{\today}
\lettercontent{Dear [Name/Team],}

\lettercontent{[Opening paragraph - role, connection to background, 2-3 sentences]}

\lettercontent{[Body paragraph - most relevant experience, then bullet list]

\begin{itemize}
    \item [Concrete achievement/skill 1]
    \item [Concrete achievement/skill 2]
    \item [Concrete achievement/skill 3]
\end{itemize}

[Connection to company - why this role, why this company specifically]}

\lettercontent{[Personal fit paragraph - behavioral strengths, team contribution, 2-3 sentences]}

\lettercontent{I look forward to hearing from you.}

\begin{flushright}
\closing{Kind regards,\\}

\signature{[YOUR_NAME]}
\end{flushright}
\end{document}

Key Commands Reference

Command	Purpose
\namesection{}{Name}{contact info}	Header with name and contact
\currentdate{date}	Date field (use \today or explicit date)
\lettercontent{text}	Body paragraph (adds spacing after)
\closing{text}	Closing line
\signature{name}	Printed name below signature

Tailoring Guidelines

Salutation

• If you know the hiring manager's name: "Dear [First Last],"
• If you know the team: "Dear [Company] hiring team,"
• Generic: "Dear [Company]," (avoid "To whom it may concern")

Length - Hard 1-Page Limit

• Target: 1 page including signature block
• Maximum: never exceed 1 page
• Word budget: 250-300 words of body text (not counting LaTeX markup). This is the safe maximum. 350 words will overflow.
• Always count: opening paragraph + bullet list paragraph + closing paragraph = 3 blocks. Add a 4th only if the others are short.
• When adding company-specific content, trim other content to compensate rather than adding net length

Line Spacing

• Add \usepackage{setspace} and \setstretch{1.0} if the letter is long and needs to fit on one page
• Use \vspace{.5cm} between major sections for readability (only if space permits)

Bullet Lists

• Use \begin{itemize}...\end{itemize} inside a \lettercontent{} block
• 3-5 bullets is ideal
• Start each bullet with bold label or action verb
• Use \textbf{Label:} for category-style bullets

LaTeX Special Characters

• Underscore: \_
• Ampersand: \&

Non-English Cover Letters

• Same template structure, just write content in the posting's language
• Adjust date format to local convention
• Adjust closing to local convention (e.g. "Med venlig hilsen," for Danish)

Checklist Before Finalizing

• No em-dashes (use commas or periods instead)
• No cliches or empty filler
• Every claim backed by specific example
• Forward-looking framing: focuses on tasks you'll solve, not just past duties
• Motivation section references this specific company's mission/values
• Company name and role are correct throughout
• Date is current
• Fits on one page
• Language matches the job posting language
• Salutation is appropriate (named person if possible)
• Headline is engaging and specific, not generic

Submission Guidelines (Best Practice)

• Submit only the documents the employer requests
• Export as PDF to preserve formatting
• Name files clearly: "[Your Name] CV" and "[Your Name] Cover Letter"
• Follow all employer instructions regarding anonymity or specific materials