Heritage
Matches the “Heritage” resume template: same header, colors and fonts, so your letter and resume read as one set.
Simple Cover Letter Templates
A simple cover letter template is a plain one-page layout: one font, left-aligned text and no columns, photos or graphics. It suits almost any job, reads cleanly in applicant tracking systems and keeps attention on what you write. Pick a design below or copy the fill-in template further down.
Laurel
Matches the “Laurel” resume template: same header, colors and fonts, so your letter and resume read as one set.
Vellum
Matches the “Vellum” resume template: same header, colors and fonts, so your letter and resume read as one set.
Pewter
Matches the “Pewter” resume template: same header, colors and fonts, so your letter and resume read as one set.
Regent
Matches the “Regent” resume template: same header, colors and fonts, so your letter and resume read as one set.
Pillar
Matches the “Pillar” resume template: same header, colors and fonts, so your letter and resume read as one set.
Barrister
Matches the “Barrister” resume template: same header, colors and fonts, so your letter and resume read as one set.
Indigo
Matches the “Indigo” resume template: same header, colors and fonts, so your letter and resume read as one set.
Garnet
Matches the “Garnet” resume template: same header, colors and fonts, so your letter and resume read as one set.
Reef
Matches the “Reef” resume template: same header, colors and fonts, so your letter and resume read as one set.
Parchment
Matches the “Parchment” resume template: same header, colors and fonts, so your letter and resume read as one set.
Meridian
Matches the “Meridian” resume template: same header, colors and fonts, so your letter and resume read as one set.
A simple cover letter has four parts on one page: a header, a greeting, three or four short paragraphs and a sign-off. Below: the plain designs, a fill-in simple cover letter template to copy, five short examples for different roles and career stages, and the format rules that keep it ATS-friendly.
10 minute read
What is a simple cover letter template?
A simple cover letter template is a one-page letter layout with no design beyond the essentials: one readable font, left-aligned text in a single column, your name and contact details at the top and at most one rule or accent color. There are no photos, tables, text boxes or side columns.
Simple is not the same as basic writing. The plain layout is there so the reader goes straight to your opening result. It is the safest choice when you do not know the employer's culture, when you apply through an online form, and for entry-level and career-change letters, where the content has to do all the work.
Simple cover letter template (copy and fill in)
Copy this into any editor, or open a simple design above and type straight into the builder. Keep the brackets' order; delete anything you cannot fill truthfully.
Simple cover letter template
[Your Full Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [City, State] | [LinkedIn URL]
[Date]
Dear [Hiring Manager Name or "Hiring Manager"],
I am applying for the [Job Title] role at [Company]. In my [current/most recent] role at [Company or school], I [one result with a number], and I would like to bring that to [one need from the job posting].
[One or two sentences that prove the most important requirement in the posting: the situation, what you did, the result.]
[One sentence on why this company: a product you use, a goal it announced, a value you share.]
I would welcome the chance to talk about how I can help with [priority from the posting]. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
Expert tip
The quickest upgrade to any simple template is the first sentence. Replace "I am applying for" with your result once you have one: "I cut invoice errors 30% at Harbor Supply, and your Accounts Payable posting asks for exactly that." Same template, very different first impression.
OwlApply Team
Career Development PlatformOwlApply
Quick format rules for a simple cover letter
- One page, roughly 250 to 400 words in three or four paragraphs.
- One font at 10 to 12 points, the same family as your resume.
- Margins of 0.5 to 1 inch, text left-aligned, a blank line between paragraphs.
- No columns, tables, text boxes, icons or photos.
- PDF unless the posting asks for another format, named FirstName-LastName-Cover-Letter.pdf.
The paragraph, font and margin ranges follow the University of Michigan Career Center's cover letter guidance.
The parts of a simple cover letter
Header
Your name, phone, email, city and state, and one link (LinkedIn or a portfolio). Skip your full street address and anything personal such as age or a photo. Use the same name format and order as your resume header.
Greeting and opening
Address a named person when the posting or a quick LinkedIn search gives you one; otherwise "Dear Hiring Manager," is fine. The opening names the role and gives your strongest relevant result in two or three sentences. For more first lines, see these cover letter opening lines.
Body, close and sign-off
One or two short paragraphs, each proving one requirement from the posting with a real example. The close says why this employer and proposes a next step. Sign off with "Sincerely," and your full name. Total: 250 to 400 words. If you would rather start from a draft, the AI cover letter generator writes one from your resume and the job description.
Simple cover letter examples
Five short letters built on the simple template above, each under 200 words. Names, companies and numbers are fictional; the structure is the point.
Entry-level example (recent graduate)
Simple cover letter example: entry-level
Dear Ms. Patel,
I am applying for the Junior Data Analyst role at Brightline Health. In my final-year capstone at Lakeview State University, I cleaned and analyzed 40,000 anonymized clinic visits and built a dashboard that showed our partner clinic which appointment slots were most often missed.
During a ten-week internship at County Transit, I automated a weekly ridership report in SQL and Excel, cutting the time it took from a full day to about an hour. Your posting asks for SQL, clear reporting and comfort with healthcare data, which is the work I have enjoyed most.
Brightline's focus on reducing missed appointments is the reason I am applying. I would welcome the chance to talk about how I could support your analytics team.
Sincerely,
Maya Brooks
Mid-career example
Simple cover letter example: mid-career
Dear Hiring Manager,
At Harbor Supply Co., I cut invoice processing errors by 30% in one year by redesigning our three-way match process, and your Accounts Payable Supervisor posting asks for exactly that kind of control.
I lead a team of four clerks handling about 2,500 invoices a month. When we moved to a new ERP system in 2025, I wrote the procedures, trained the team and closed the first month on schedule.
I would like to bring the same accuracy to Northfield Foods as you expand to a second distribution center. I would be glad to discuss how I can help your team through that growth.
Sincerely,
Daniel Reyes
Career-change example
Simple cover letter example: career change
Dear Mr. Chen,
After six years teaching high school science, I am applying for the Instructional Designer role at Clearpath Learning. Last year I rebuilt our department's biology unit as a self-paced online course, and average quiz scores rose from 71% to 82%.
I have since completed a certificate in instructional design and built three e-learning modules, which you can see at alexmorgan.example.com. I know how adults and teenagers lose attention, and I design every lesson around a short, measurable task.
Clearpath's work with community colleges is close to the students I taught. I would welcome a conversation about your upcoming course builds.
Sincerely,
Alex Morgan
Hourly or customer-facing role example
Simple cover letter example: customer service
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am applying for the Customer Service Representative position at Willow & Pine Home. For the past two years at Cedar Market, I have handled about 60 customer questions a shift at the service desk, and our store's satisfaction score rose from 4.2 to 4.6 out of 5 after I helped rewrite our returns checklist.
I am comfortable on the phone, in chat and in person, I learn new systems quickly, and I am available evenings and weekends.
I have shopped at Willow & Pine for years and would be glad to help your customers the way your staff have helped me. Thank you for considering my application.
Sincerely,
Jasmine Ortiz
Short email version
When the email itself is the cover letter, keep it to three or four sentences and attach your resume.
Simple cover letter example: short email
Subject: Application for Office Coordinator (Ref. 2214) - Chris Walker
Dear Ms. Grant,
I would like to apply for the Office Coordinator role posted on your website. In three years at Pine Street Dental, I managed scheduling for six providers and cut missed appointments by a quarter with text reminders. My resume is attached, and I would welcome the chance to talk.
Best regards,
Chris Walker
(555) 017-4432
Is a simple cover letter template ATS-friendly?
Yes. Applicant tracking systems store your letter alongside your resume, and what they need is real text in one reading order. Simple templates give them exactly that: no columns to read out of order, no text inside images or text boxes, and standard fonts. A simple design is also the most reliable choice when a form lets you upload only one file.
ATS-friendly is about structure, not plainness alone. Two habits matter as much as the template: use the job title exactly as the posting writes it, and mention the two or three skills the posting repeats, in your own sentences. Check the resume you send with it in the ATS resume checker.
Simple vs. professional, modern and creative templates
| Style | Looks like | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | One font, one thin accent, single column | You are unsure of the culture, applying online, or entry-level |
| Professional | Formal letterhead, serif type, business-letter blocks | Finance, law, government, senior roles |
| Modern | Sans-serif, accent color, structured header | Tech, startups, product and marketing |
| Creative | Color blocks, banners, side panels | Design, media and brand roles |
See the other families: professional, modern and creative cover letter templates, or browse all cover letter templates.
How to Use a Cover Letter Template in OwlApply
- CHOOSE
Pick a Template
Click Use This Template on any design above in the Simple tab. It opens in the cover letter builder with a sample letter already in place, so you can see the finished layout before you type a word.
- WRITE
Replace the Sample Text
The editor has three steps: Personal Info (name, title, email, phone, location, website), Letter Details (date and recipient) and Content (greeting, introduction, body paragraphs, closing and signature). Add, remove or reorder body paragraphs, and hide any field you do not need.
- FINISH
Switch Designs, Then Save or Send
Try other templates from the Templates tab: the text stays exactly as you wrote it. Adjust the font in Font Settings, save the letter to your account, duplicate it for the next job, and download it as a PDF or email it.
Common mistakes with simple cover letters
Do this
- Keep one font and size throughout, matching your resume
- Open with a result, not with your name or the job title alone
- Give one real example per requirement you mention
- Stay on one page with white space between paragraphs
- Save as a PDF named FirstName-LastName-Cover-Letter.pdf
Avoid this
- Confuse simple with short and vague; three empty sentences are not a letter
- Restate your resume line by line
- Use "To Whom It May Concern" when a name is easy to find
- Add bold, italics and underlines to "make it pop"
- Leave sample text or brackets in the final file
Does a simple cover letter look too plain?
Not to recruiters. They decide on content, and a plain page makes your content faster to find. The evidence that letters matter is about tailoring, not design: in ResumeGo's field experiment with 7,287 applications, a cover letter tailored to the job lifted callbacks 53% over sending none, and 81% of the 236 hiring professionals it surveyed valued tailored letters significantly more than generic ones.
If you want a touch of personality without leaving the simple family, use a colored name with a thin rule (Reef) or a single accent rule (Pewter). Axis, from the creative family, is exactly that: a plain letter with a colored name and a thin rule.
Write Your Simple Cover Letter
Open a simple design with a sample letter in place, replace the text with your own and switch designs at any time.
Simple Cover Letter Templates FAQ
Are the simple cover letter templates free?
Choosing and editing them is free, and you can start without an account. Saving needs a free account; downloading the PDF and emailing the letter from the builder are part of OwlApply Pro. The fill-in template and examples on this page are plain text you can copy anywhere.
How do I write a simple cover letter?
Use four blocks: a header with your contact details, a greeting, three or four short paragraphs (role and strongest result, proof of one or two requirements, why this company and a next step) and a sign-off. Keep it to one page and 250 to 400 words.
What is the difference between a simple and a basic cover letter template?
Nothing that matters. Both mean a plain, single-column layout with one font. "Basic" sometimes also implies generic wording; the template should be basic, the content should not.
Is a simple cover letter template good for an entry-level job?
Yes, it is the best fit. With less experience, a clean layout keeps attention on your education, internships and projects. See the entry-level example above.
Can a simple cover letter be short?
Yes. Three paragraphs and about 200 to 250 words is enough when each sentence carries a fact. Very short notes of two or three lines work only when an email body is the letter and the posting asks for something brief.
Will a simple cover letter pass applicant tracking systems?
Simple templates are the most reliable format for them: real text, one column, standard fonts. Whether you get through depends on matching the job, so use the posting's job title and key skills in your own words.
Which font should a simple cover letter use?
The same font as your resume, at 10 to 12 points. Common safe choices include Arial, Calibri, Georgia and Times New Roman; the simple templates here use clean sans-serif fonts by default, and you can change the font in the builder.
Can I use the same simple cover letter for every job?
Keep the template, change the content. Rewrite the opening result, the proof paragraph and the reason you want this employer for each application.
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