professional cv cover letter template

• Cover Letter Templates

Choose from 12 unique cover letter templates that will make you stand out from the pile of applications. Simply choose, edit, and download.

A straightforward cover letter template that’s suitable for most jobs that you apply.

A modern cover letter template ready to help you stand out in the tech and IT industries.

Highlight your experience logically –– focus your cover letter on your top achievements.

Best for legal and banking jobs, a classic cover letter template is a time-proven choice.

Multicolumn

Have a standout cover letter header and get your name and contact info in focus.

Tell more about your career with our compact cover letter template.

High Performer

A template that matches your attitude, the high performer makes you stand out.

Simple, yet unique, the minimal cover letter template is those who want to focus on the story

A No-Nonsense Copy/Paste Cover Letter Template

Our team of career counselors has made a generic cover letter template that you can use for your next job. Just copy and paste it and change the content within the brackets with your own!

Cover Letter Templates by Job

Take advantage of cover letters that have earned Enhancv users their dream job. Explore real-life examples and make a cover letter that gets you the job of your dreams.

20 Professional Data Analyst Cover Letter Examples for 2024

21 Professional Data Engineer Cover Letter Examples for 2024

6 Professional Dentist Cover Letter Examples for 2024

5 Professional English Teacher Cover Letter Examples for 2024

Professional Entry level Civil Engineer Cover Letter Examples for 2024

Professional QA Engineer Cover Letter Examples for 2024

Cover Letter Templates by Career Situation

Entry-level cover letter.

**Sarah Parker**

7 Victoria Dr.

Miami, FL 33161

(781) 182-1110

[email protected]

Dear Mrs. Parker,

Since my sophomore year at university, DELL has been an industry trend-setting company which I would love to work for. Luckily, yesterday my colleague Marko Marletti (one of the organization's employees) called me in a hurry to inform me of DELL`s brand new Graduates program. I'm delighted to express my motivation for the entry-level ICT Assistant role.

As a recent graduate from the University of San Francisco with a B.S. in Computer Science, I would bring to the team my strong knowledge of Microsoft SQL, MS Dynamics, MS SharePoint, as well as Linux systems. Moreover, I am very passionate about backend coding, and last year I completed with excellence one of the most prestigious boot camps in San Fransisco - Nucamp.

Almost throughout my whole study, I have been working part-time as a System administrator, as I aspired and was eager to get both theoretical and practical knowledge at the same time. In this role I gained invaluable experience in server maintenance, assistance in the roll-out of Release & Deployment campaigns, setting up and configuring desktop computers, peripherals, and accounts, and assigning security levels. I built proficiency to efficiently troubleshoot a variety of technical issues for staff and end-users.

I feel ready to rise up to the challenge of an ICT Assistant role at DELL. Enclosed, please find my resume, which further illustrates my skills and educational background. Should you have any follow-up questions, I`d be happy to answer them. I look forward to further discussing this great opportunity and DELL`s needs from the Graduates program.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Carlos Sanches

Career Change Cover Letter

Dear [Mr./Mx./Ms.] [Manager’s Name],

I’m writing to you regarding the currently open role of Project manager at Max Legal, which I came across on your company website. After carefully reviewing the job description, I was delighted to find out that my academic accomplishments and professional background meet all of the necessary requirements.

For the last 5 years, I have had the chance to acquire invaluable experience as a Project assistant in a multinational organization like Hewlett-Packard. I have established myself as the go-to trusted advisor for Project managers and other functional experts regarding

Project documentation excellence. My daily coordination and interaction with the big teams regarding readiness for bid submission have let me in on many insider's secrets from the PM field. One of my biggest achievements is getting the award PMO Employee of the year in 2020.

I am passionate about applying my PM expertise from the streamlined processes in a large corporation to the exciting Project manager role in Max Legal.

In addition, I am certain I can bring a high-value proposition to the team, as I have made sure to accompany my practical experience with getting PMP (Project Management Professional) certified last year. During my study, I have strategically focused my coursework and practical assignments in the following areas:

• Project plan design
• Project resources designation
• Scope of work and Work breakdown structure
• Budget plan
• Stakeholders management
• Project monitoring and project lifecycle management

Lastly, my colleagues say that I have naturally grown to the role of Project manager and I am excited to bring this expertise on-board.

I would be delighted to have an opportunity to personally interview you. Please accept the enclosed resume and feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience. I appreciate your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Scholarship Cover Letter

[Scholarship organization name]

[Organization address]

[Organization phone number]

Dear [Mr./Ms./Mx. Recipient’s name] / [Scholarship Committee],

My name is [NAME] and I have recently graduated with my Master in Child Psychology from UVIC - Universitat Central de Catalunya. I have found out about the Scholarship from my professor at Clinical Psychopathology - Dra. Jane Peterson, who believes I would be a great match for your Scholarship program at Child Care Association “Anima”.

Personally, I feel very passionate about working with children with special needs and enabling them to become more autonomous in daily life and self-empowered. Hence, it would be an honor for me, should I be selected for the Scholarship position of Child Assistance Counselor at Association “Anima”. In addition to my in-depth academic knowledge in the field, my value proposition to the organization is also in having 3+ years of Volunteer experience as an Assistant teacher of disadvantaged children via several ERASMUS+ international projects.

Thanks to this work I have practiced with the kid's modalities like Play therapy, Art & Music therapy, and English lessons. Apart from becoming proficient in structuring and successfully delivering Didactical lessons, I have built the necessary instrumentarium of skills to create safe emotional connections and rapport with the children.

As you can see, my expertise is a very close match to what the beneficiaries of Association “Anima” - children with disabilities, need.

Should you require references for my credentials and suitability, please do let me know.

I am really inspired by this opportunity to make a difference in the life of children and looking forward to further discussing it with you.

[Sincerely / Best / Best regards],

[Your name]

Resources to Write the Best Cover Letter 
in the World

• How to Write a Cover Letter for an Internship
• Cover Letter Checklist: Learn How To Impress Recruiters
• What Is The Purpose Of A Cover Letter In An Application
• How To End A Cover Letter - Free Samples, Examples, Formats
• What Should A Cover Letter Say? Here's What You Need to Know
• What Should Your Cover Letter Say | Enhancv
• What's The Best Way To Address A Cover Letter?
• How To Craft an Eye-Catching Cover Letter Header (Examples and Template)

Why Enhancv’s Cover Letter Templates?

Matching resume to pair with your cover letter, 500+ job-specific examples for inspiration, templates suitable for your industry, role, and experience, easily make multiple cover letters tailored to different jobs, professional and communicative design, swiftly edit, customize and download, frequently asked questions, what should a cover letter include.

Your cover letter should include your biggest accomplishments in your career. Don’t just restate what you already have in your resume –– rather, focus on one or two accomplishments that are relevant to the job you’re applying for and expand from there. Your cover letter should have a header , salutation, opening paragraph , body paragraph , a call to action, and a closer .

Read more: How to Structure a Cover Letter

What is the best cover letter template for 2024?

How is a cover letter different from a resume, how long should my cover letter be, where can i see cover letter examples for my job, should i have a matching cover letter and resume, can i use a cover letter for my cv, do i need a unique cover letter for every job, what do i do if i can’t write a good cover letter, can my cover letter be an email, is it free to use enhancv’s cover letter and resume builder.

• Create Resume
• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Preferences
• Resume Examples
• Resume Templates
• AI Resume Builder
• Resume Summary Generator
• Resume Formats
• Resume Checker
• Resume Skills
• How to Write a Resume
• Modern Resume Templates
• Simple Resume Templates
• Cover Letter Builder
• Cover Letter Examples
• Cover Letter Formats
• How to Write a Cover Letter
• Resume Guides
• Cover Letter Guides
• Job Interview Guides
• Job Interview Questions
• Career Resources
• Meet our customers
• Career resources
• English (UK)
• French (FR)
• German (DE)
• Spanish (ES)
• Swedish (SE)

© 2024 . All rights reserved.

Made with love by people who care.

12 CV cover letter examples

A  cover letter  for your CV, or covering note is an introductory message that accompanies your CV when applying for a job.

The purpose of the cover letter is simple… Persuade the reader to open your CV.

Learn how to write a cover letter properly, and you will hugely increase your chances of getting responses and landing job interviews.

This guide, with 12 annotated cover letter examples will show you everything you need to know about creating a winning cover note.

CV templates 

How to layout a cover letter for your CV

This annotated example of a cover letter shows you how you should structure your cover letters, and the type of information you should be including.

You should always write your CV in the body of your email (or j ob site messaging system) so that it can be read instantly. Never attach it as a separate document, or the recipient probably won’t open it.

Example CV cover letters

These 11 example CV cover letters from a range of industries should give you some good inspiration for creating your own cover letter.

Admin CV cover letter

This cover letter is aimed at administrative roles , so it highlights the candidate’s abilities in efficiency, report writing and meeting deadlines, whilst demonstrating the types of environments they have worked in.

Learn how to write a cover letter step-by-step here.

Customer service CV cover letter

This customer service cover letter briefly explains the candidate’s length of experience in the field and highlights some of the more important customer service skills such as call handling, order taking and complaint resolution.

This gives the reader an excellent introduction to the candidate and should certainly encourage them to open the CV.

See our full customer service cover letter guide,  sales assistant cover letter example  and waiter/waitress cover letter example .

Finance CV cover letter

As a finance professional, it’s important to highlight your specialisms within finance, the types of companies you’ve worked for, and high level functions you’ve carried out within your cover letter. This will give the hiring manager a good overall feel of your abilities, and if it’s well tailored to the role, should provide them with enough info to excite them about your CV.

Quick tip: Use our job application tracker spreadsheet to track your applications and follow up with employers who don’t respond.

Events CV cover letter

This events manager candidate has done a great job of summarising the type and size of events they manage, along with details of core skills such as leadership, project delivery and stakeholder management.

This certainly provides enough info to create a buzz around the CV attached and encourage the recipient to open it.

Executive assistant CV cover letter

This executive assistant CV cover letter provides a good high level intro to the candidate showing the reader key business support knowledge in areas such as admin, diary management and document management. It also shows that the candidate is confident supporting senior business figures.

Graduate CV cover letter

As a graduate , your cover letter will need to be a little longer than an experienced candidates, to compensate for your lack of experience and really sell yourself.

This candidate speaks in lots of detail about their education, qualifications, and extra-curricular work which relates to the roles they are applying for.

IT CV cover letter

As an IT candidate, it’s important not only to highlight your technical skills, but also show how you apply those skills in the workplace to translate real benefits for your employer.

This candidate gives a good overview of the candidates technical abilities and the types of projects they apply them to, along with results they achieve.

Marketing CV cover letter

This marketing cover letter provides readers with a summary of the candidate’s core marketing abilities such as media planning, brand awareness and cost reduction. It also explains the types of marketing campaigns and companies they have experience with – a great high-level intro.

Cover letter examples

Warehouse Operative cover letter – Training Contract cover letter – Cleaning Job cover letter – Nursery Assistant cover letter – Recruitment Consultant cover letter – Dental Nurse cover letter –

Chef cover letter – Editorial Assistant cover letter – Aircraft Mechanic cover letter – Biomedical Science cover letter – Cabin Crew cover letter – Finance Assistant cover letter – Hotel Receptionist cover letter – Asset Management cover letter – Assistant Psychologist cover letter – Beauty Therapist cover letter – Cafe Worker cover letter – HR Administrator cover letter – NQT cover letter – Quantity Surveyor cover letter

More cover letter examples

• Academic cover letter
• Account Manager cover letter
• Accountant cover letter
• Accounting cover letter
• Accounts Assistant cover letter
• Acting cover letter
• Admin Assistant cover letter
• Administrator cover letter
• Apprenticeship cover letter
• Architecture cover letter
• Assistant Manager cover letter
• Banking cover letter
• Bar Staff cover letter
• Barclays cover letter
• Barista cover letter
• Bartender cover letter
• Business Analyst cover letter
• Business Development Manager cover letter
• Car Sales Person cover letter
• Care Assistant cover letter
• Career Change cover letter
• Catering Assistant cover letter
• Civil Engineer cover letter
• Computer Science cover letter
• Consulting cover letter
• Copywriter cover letter
• Cyber Security cover letter
• Data Entry Clerk cover letter
• Data Scientist cover letter
• Delivery Driver cover letter
• Digital Marketing cover letter
• Electrician cover letter
• Engineering cover letter
• Estate Agent cover letter
• Event Manager cover letter
• Exam Invigilator cover letter
• Executive Assistant cover letter
• Fashion Designer cover letter
• Finance cover letter
• Financial Analyst cover letter
• Google cover letter
• Graduate cover letter
• Graduate Engineer cover letter
• Graduate Scheme cover letter
• Graphic Design cover letter
• Health Care Assistant cover letter
• Hospitality cover letter
• HR Assistant cover letter
• HR cover letter
• Interior Designer cover letter
• Internal Position cover letter
• Internship cover letter
• Investment Banking cover letter
• Investment Manager cover letter
• IT Support cover letter
• Journalist cover letter
• JP Morgan cover letter
• Lawyer cover letter
• Legal Assistant cover letter
• Legal cover letter
• Library Assistant cover letter
• Manager cover letter
• Marine Engineer cover letter
• Marketing Assistant cover letter
• Marketing cover letter
• Marketing Intern cover letter
• Marketing Manager cover letter
• McKinsey cover letter
• Mechanical Engineer cover letter
• Medical Receptionist cover letter
• Medical Writer cover letter
• Model cover letter
• Nanny cover letter
• Nurse cover letter
• Nursing cover letter
• Office Assistant cover letter
• Office Manager cover letter
• Operations Manager cover letter
• Optical Assistant cover letter
• Paralegal cover letter
• Part Time cover letter
• PE Teacher cover letter
• Personal Assistant cover letter
• Personal Trainer cover letter
• Pharmacist cover letter
• Pharmacy Assistant cover letter
• PHD Application cover letter
• Photographer cover letter
• Placement cover letter
• Private Equity cover letter
• Product Manager cover letter
• Production Assistant cover letter
• Production Operator cover letter
• Project Coordinator cover letter
• Promotion cover letter
• PWC cover letter
• Quantity Surveyor cover letter
• Receptionist cover letter
• Research Assistant cover letter
• Researcher cover letter
• Retail Assistant cover letter
• Retail cover letter
• Retail Manager cover letter
• Sales Advisor cover letter
• Sales Executive cover letter
• Sales Manager cover letter
• Scrum Master cover letter
• Security Officer cover letter
• Ski Season cover letter
• Social Media Executive cover letter
• Social Media Manager cover letter
• Software Developer cover letter
• Software Engineer cover letter
• Speculative cover letter
• Student cover letter
• Support Worker cover letter
• Teaching Assistant cover letter
• Team Leader cover letter
• Trainee Dental Nurse cover letter
• University cover letter
• UX Designer cover letter
• Volunteer cover letter

Project manager CV cover letter

A project manager’ s cover letter needs to quickly explain to recipients the types of projects they lead and the technical expertise they bring to the projects. It’s also important to describe level of experience, seniority and background.

See full project manager cover letter example + writing guide

Operations manager cover letter

This operations management CV provides a brief introduction to the types of operations the candidate manages and the firms they work for.

They also touch upon some core operations skills such as efficiency, logistics and ROI improvement.

Sales CV cover letter

As a sales candidate, this cover letter shows the types of business this person can generate and the size and scale of the impact they create by highlighting some sales results.

It also mentions some core sales skills like business development, presenting, working under pressure and closing deals.

Cover letter templates

Teacher cover letter

This teacher cover letter does a great job of introducing the candidate, and showing the recipient the key facts they will be looking for, such as; the age group they teach, subject specialisms, and the results they have achieved.

The cover letter is brief and gets to the point quickly, so that readers will instantly look to open the attached CV .

How to write your CV cover letter

Now that you’ve seem good examples of cover letters to accompany your CV (or resume if you are in the USA) this guide will show exactly how to write your own, and the content that needs to be included .

Send your CV cover letter in email format (when possible)

When applying for jobs online you usually have 2 choices…

1) Send a message via the job website’s messaging system

2) Send the recruiter an email directly

If you can find an email address for the recruiter, then I would always recommend sending an email directly because it gives you more control.

When you send a message through a job website, it will transfer into an email with basic formatting and an auto-generated headline , which will look like this when the recruiter receives it.

If you cannot find an email address for the recruiter on the job advert, then try searching LinkedIn or the company website to find the relevant contact.

You may not always be able to find an email address, but when you can – always send a job application by email .

Make your subject line appealing

As you can see in the picture above, a bad subject line can kill your chances of actually having your email read in the first place.

Your subject line should stand out and give the recruiter a reason to open your email.

When recruiters look into their inbox, they are looking for one thing; a candidate who can do the job they are advertising – so give that to them in your subject line.

Your subject line should be a short summary of your experience that relates directly to the job you are applying for.

The following are good subject line examples;

KS2 Teacher with 5 years experience

Front End Web developer with HTML, HTML & JavaScript experience

Junior Graphic designer with 1st BA Hons Graphic Design

If your subject line shows that you have one or two of the most important requirements for the job, your email should get opened every time.

Address the recruiter by name

To get the relationship off on the right foot, you should try to address the recruiter by name if you can.

Often the recruiter’s details will appear on the job advert but sometimes you may have to check out the company website or do some digging around on LinkedIn.

If you really can’t find the name, then it’s not the end of the world – just start with a simple friendly opening like “ Hi ”

(If you applying to a more traditional organisation such as an academic post for a university, you may want to use something a bit more formal like “ Dear sir or madam ”)

Use a friendly yet professional tone

It’s important to sound professional when writing a cover letter but you also need to demonstrate your ability to communicate with other people and show some personality.

If your email is too casual and written in an over-familiar tone, then you will come across us un-professional.

But on the other hand, if your email is too formal and shows no signs of rapport building, you risk appearing as somebody who lacks social skills.

So when writing your cover letter, try to strike a nice balance of professionalism and friendliness.

Opening with a line such as “ hope you’re well ” is a nice way to breathe a bit of personality into your cover letter.

Ensure that your spelling and grammar is perfect throughout your cover letter because sloppy mistakes are a huge red flag for recruiters.

Quick tip:  If you struggle with spelling and grammar, try our quick-and-easy CV Builder

Keep it brief

Unless the job advert specifies otherwise; keep your cover letter short and sweet.

Recruiters and employers receive hundreds of job applications per week, so they don’t want to read a 2 page cover letter.

Depending on the role, around 2-4 sentences should be enough for the content of the cover letter.

You just need to write enough to persuade them to open your CV – It should roughly contain the same amount of information as your CV profile or personal statement.

Show how your skills match the job

To ensure that recruiters open your CV, you simply need to explain how your skills and experience match the job requirements from the advert.

Scan the job advert to discover what the most important candidate abilities are, and show how your previous experience has prepared you to cover these.

In particular, look out for any requirements that are essential to the job .

Focus on what you have to offer at this stage and not what you want.

At this stage, your covering letter is simply a means of getting the recruiter to open your CV, so it’s too early to talk about salary demands etc. Save that for your initial conversation with the recruiter.

Include a professional signature

End your cover letter with a friendly salutation such as “Regards” and a smart signature which includes your name and most direct contact method (usually mobile phone for most people)

A professional email signature will show recruiters that you understand business-email etiquette and ensure they have a means of contacting you – even if they can’t open your CV for any reason.

Writing a CV cover letter

Hopefully this guide has given you everything you need to create a winning cover letter that will ensure you CV gets opened every time you send it.

Just remember to keep it brief, be friendly, tailor it towards your target role, and give recruiters some good reasons to be interested in you.

Good luck with the job hunt!

Land the job with cover letter templates

Show hiring managers why you're the perfect job candidate with professional, customizable cover letter templates. find the perfect cover letter template for any industry or career path..

Download free cover letter templates

Stand out from other job applicants with free, professional cover letter templates. Cover letters are a perfect complement to your resume and provide an effective opportunity to show your personality and enthusiasm for a position. Focus on writing a compelling cover letter and let a professionally designed template do the rest.

These free cover letter templates are perfect for any stage of your career, whether you're looking to land an internship or your dream job. If you're applying for a corporate position, you may want to opt for a simple cover letter template. There are a variety of other cover letter designs available, from basic cover letter templates to creative cover letter templates.

Each of these cover letter templates is customizable in Word , so you can add your own text, change design elements, and more. Print out your cover letter or download it for free to use for online job applications. Once you've customized the perfect cover letter, explore resume templates that will match your cover letter design, or download free business cards for your next networking event.

Resume Templates

/ 0 - 5 years of experience

Choose a [Free] Resume Template

Pick one of our professional resume templates to get started on your job application. Just fill out your favorite resume template to create a flawless, ATS-friendly resume in under 5 minutes. Try out one of our 8+ free resume templates to make an impressive resume and land your dream job in no time!

Skill-Based

Traditional

Professional

Why Novorésumé?

Free AND Premium

We offer both free and premium resume templates, so whatever your budget might be, you can still take advantage of our resume builder.

Creative & Professional Resume Templates

Whether you’re a creative advertiser looking for an outside-the-box creative resume template, or a banker seeking a more professional resume template, we’ve got a template for you!

NO Hidden Fees

If you’ve tried other resume builders, you’ve probably experienced this: You spend hours creating a resume, and when you click “download,” you get hit with a paywall asking you to subscribe.

At Novorésumé, we don’t do that . We have NO hidden fees - upgrade to Premium ONLY if you LOVE our resumes!

ATS Friendly

All Novorésumé resume templates are built with the most popular Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) in mind. What this means for YOU is that whichever job you apply for, the CV filtering software they use will be able to read your resume (and NOT automatically discard it).

Expert Reviews

Oana Vintila

Career Counselor

For over 10 years now, I've been on both sides of the fence, career counseling, and recruitment, and let me tell you, the writer's block hits hard when it comes to drafting your resume.

Novorésumé not only offers you a smart and modern template for you to fill in, but their team has also crafted a winning combo of aesthetics and functionality that will inspire you to apply for the job you thought was out of your league. Give it a try!

Biron Clark

Former Executive Recruiter

Novorésumé is one of the few resume builders that I recommend online. Their resume templates are modern and eye-catching, and will grab an employer's attention. As a former Recruiter, if a candidate sent me a resume built with one of these templates, I would take notice and be impressed.

The software also makes it easy to enter your info and handles all of the formatting for you, so you can get your resume ready to send out as quickly as possible. I recommend these templates whether you're a recent graduate or experienced candidate.

Gabriela Tardea

Career Strategist, Coach & Trainer

When I consult people on resume writing, the most common question that I am asked it is about the content and what components to add or avoid, when they have less than 5 years of work experience.

On this platform, you not only have access to many options, but you get guidance on what to choose and why. When the work experience is less than 5 years, the other components such as languages, projects, volunteering experiences, hobbies etc, make a huge difference.

Resume Resources

What is a resume.

A resume is a brief summary of personal and professional experiences, skills, and education history. Its main purpose is to show off your best self to potential employers.

When applying for a job, you’re (in most cases) going to be asked for a resume accompanied by a cover letter.

If you manage to create a “good” resume, you’re going to 2x your chances of getting hired . Want to learn how? Check out our complete guide on how to make a resume .

How to Write a Resume With No Experience?

The process of writing a resume might seem super scary to you. After all, most resume examples you see on the web are 80% about work experience. So, what the heck can you include in your resume if you have none?

Well, here’s some good news. If you’re applying for an entry-level job or an internship, no one expects you to have ANY work experience.

Instead, you should focus on what you DO have: education, projects, volunteering experience, hobbies & interests.

For a complete guide on how to make a resume with no work experience stand out, check out our article.

What to Put on a Resume?

The most common sections on a resume are:

Contact information

Resume summary or objective

Work experience

If you want to personalize your resume a bit more, you can also include the following sections:

Volunteering experience

Hobbies & interests

For more information on how to place these sections on your resume, check out our article on what to put on a resume .

How to Format a Resume?

Here are the three most popular resume formats:

Reverse-Chronological Resume

Functional Resume

Combination Resume

In 99% of the cases, you’ll want to go with the reverse chronological resume format . That’s the format most resumes you’ve seen follow - its main focus is your work experience, written down in reverse-chronological order.

So, unless you’re a student with no professional experience or a career changer, we’d recommend sticking with this format.

If you want to learn more about three resume formats , check out our comparison guide.

How to Write a Resume For a Student?

A good student resume takes advantage of the education section to highlight the candidate’s skills and qualifications.

So, the first thing you should do is talk about all your academic achievements, including any classes you’ve taken that are relevant to the position.

As a student, hiring managers don’t expect you to have extensive professional experience, so you don’t have to worry about the work experience section missing from your resume. Instead, you can focus on highlighting your extracurricular activities , any volunteering you’ve done, and your awards or certifications.

This student resume guide has all the information you need to perfect your resume and land your first real job.

How to Write a Resume For My First Job?

If you’re applying for your first job, chances are you don’t have substantial work experience. That’s fine - hiring managers expect that from entry-level positions.

First things first, go for the reverse-chronological format. Instead of writing a resume summary, use a resume objective to highlight your skills and career aspirations. If you have any work experience, do include it on your resume.

If not, you should put more focus on the following sections:

Internships , where you should focus on what you learned and achieved

Extracurricular activities , where you should highlight your role, responsibilities, and achievements.

Volunteering experiences , where you should mention the organization name, and relevant tasks and achievements.

Projects , where you talk about any personal projects you’ve worked on (that are also somehow relevant to the job you’re applying for).

Check out this guide on writing a resume with no experience to learn more about the topic and get inspired by real-life examples.

How Long Should a Resume Be?

Short answer: one page. If you're a seasoned professional with a lot of work experience that's relevant to the position, you can create a 2-page long resume MAX.

Long answer: check out our guide on how long should a resume be .

P.S. all of our templates are one page long , so you shouldn’t have a lot of trouble sticking to the one-page limit!

How to Write a Resume Summary?

Your resume summary is a “hook” that goes on top of your resume. Think of it as an introduction to the rest of your resume. It should, in 2-4 sentences, explain what your background is, and why it’s relevant for the position you’re applying for.

To learn more about how to create a resume summary that stands out, check out our guide.

How to List Work Experience on a Resume?

Work experience on a resume is one of those things that’s easy to learn but hard to master.

Each work experience entry should contain the following information:

Company name/description/location

Achievements or responsibilities

Dates employed

Now, if you want to create a work experience section that stands out, you want to make your achievements quantifiable. What this means is, instead of creating a responsibility-focused entry, like:

“Carried out sales operations.”

You list your achievements:

“Hit and exceeded monthly sales KPIs for 5 months in a row.”

This shows the employer that you’re not just a random candidate, you’re an A-player! To learn more about how to list achievements in your work experience (and land the job), check out our article.

How to List Skills on a Resume?

Simply create a ”skills” section on your Novorésumé resume template, and list your top skills. We usually recommend going for a mix of hard and soft skills .

Not sure what skills to include in your resume? Check out these 101 essential skills for any resume .

How to Make a Cover Letter for a Resume?

You should always submit a cover letter along with your resume for any job you apply to. Here are some of our top cover letter tips on how to do this right:

Tailor your cover letter to the employer. The more personalized it is, the more likely it is for the recruiter to like you.

Outline your general background (work experience, profession, etc.) and mention your top 2-3 achievements to show off your skills.

If you really want to stand out, create a cover letter that matches your resume template. To do this, you can use one of our cover letter templates here .

If you want to learn more about how to write a convincing cover letter, check out our comprehensive guide.

What Is the Best Resume Template?

There’s no such thing as “the best resume template” - every recruiter/employer has their own personal preference. Our general recommendation is to do your research on the company and its values.

For example, if you’re applying for a position at a bank, you’d want a more traditional resume template. Or, if you want a job in a startup where they value innovation more, you could opt for a creative resume template .

Alternatively, if you want your experience and skills to do all the talking, you can pick one of these minimalist resume templates .

Finally, if you’re still not sure which type of template is right for the job you’re applying for, you can just use a simple resume template just to be safe.

Do I Need to Include a Photo on my Resume?

No, you don’t need to include your photo together with your other contact details. Companies hire based on merit, which means your physical appearance shouldn’t matter to the hiring manager.

Instead, in your contact information section, make sure to include the following:

Professional title

Valid phone number

Email address

Location/where you’re based

Link to website/ LinkedIn /online portfolio, etc.

What’s the Difference Between a Resume and a CV?

In most cases, when people are talking about a CV or a resume, they are referring to the same thing! The only difference is that it's called a resume in the US and a CV in Europe (and most other countries around the world).

Now, in the US, a CV is a very in-depth document that describes your career journey step-by-step, including all sorts of personal information . Depending on your amount of experience, a CV can range between 2 to 8 pages and it’s typically used when you’re applying for jobs in academia.

Check out our guide for a more comprehensive run-down of the differences between a CV and a resume .

6 Tips for Creating a US Resume (That’ll Land You the Job)

Looking to get hired in the US? Check out our tips for creating a US resume below!

Keep your resume between 1-3 pages . A one-page resume is preferable unless you’re a seasoned professional. In such a case, you can go for two or even three, if your experience is really relevant.

Use Standard American English . So, for example, write “color” instead of the UK version, which is “colour.”

Leave out personal information , such as marital status, birthday, gender, photo, number of children, age, religion, personal identification numbers, and ethnicity/country of origin. They can be grounds for discrimination.

Don’t include references, unless the employer specifically asks you to.

Don’t list English as a foreign language.

Don’t list your GPA, SAT, TOEFL, or ACT scores on your US resume unless otherwise stated. Hiring managers usually don’t care.

Check out this guide for the full list of resume tips and tricks !

Get Inspired with Our Resume Examples

Resume templates faq, how to make a resume with novorésumé.

Follow these simple steps:

Choose one of our top resume templates above

Follow the tips & tricks built-in our resume builder

Fill in your work history and other experiences

Hit download and start applying to jobs!

What If I Am a Student?

All of our resume samples are student-friendly! If you’re looking for something a bit more tailored, we’d recommend picking the “college resume template”

Or, if you want to learn how to create a convincing student resume , check out our guide.

Do I Really Need a Resume?

Yes, you definitely need a resume!

Practically every job out there requires that candidates submit a resume and a cover letter, so if you want your application to be considered by the hiring manager, you definitely need a resume .

Are These Resume Templates Free?

Yep, all of the templates listed above are free resume templates.

However, our resume builder comes with a ton of premium features. So if you want to personalize your resume and make it truly yours, you can upgrade!

Who Created These Resume Samples?

At Novorésumé, we put extensive care in creating each resume template.

We interviewed recruiters and analyzed applicant tracking systems to create resume samples that will maximize your chances of getting hired.

Then, our professional graphic designer worked his magic to make the resume samples compelling, well-designed, and easy to read!

Which Template Do Most Employers Prefer for Resumes?

Typically, employers prefer simple, professional-looking resume templates that follow the reverse-chronological format and don’t surpass two pages MAX in length.

All the Novoresume templates above meet these requirements, so rest assured hiring managers will dig whichever one you choose.

Are These Resume Templates ATS-Friendly?

Yes! All Novorésumé templates are ATS-friendly .

Keep in mind, though, that using the right template is step #1. You should also optimize your resume content for applicant tracking systems. For more on that, check out our guide to creating an ATS-friendly resume .

Do You Offer One-Page Resume Templates?

Yep. All the templates you see above are one-page resume templates. They are, however, pretty flexible, so if you decide to go for 2 pages, our templates will get the job done!

Should I Download My New Resume In PDF or Word?

You should always download and save your resume as a PDF .

Here’s why:

PDF formatting never gets messed up.

It’s compatible with practically any system or device.

PDF documents look cleaner and are overall more professional.

To provide a safer experience, the best content and great communication, we use cookies. Learn how we use them for non-authenticated users.

Press Enter to search

How to Right-Align Dates for a Professional Looking Resume (and Why)

A recruiter-backed guide on how to use tabs to correctly right-align dates on your resume for a sleek, professional look. Follow these step-by-step instructions to perfectly align your dates for a resume hiring managers will love.

5 months ago   •   5 min read

Paying close attention to formatting is a must for anyone creating a resume from scratch. You want your final document to look neat, tidy, and well laid out. And an important part of that is right-aligning your dates.

The key to right-aligning dates is to use right-tab stops rather than spaces. Spaces are time-consuming and aren’t guaranteed to be perfectly in line, whereas tabs are reliable, quick to set up, and create a sleek, professional look.

In this article, we’ll explain how to right-align dates in Word and Google Docs in a few easy steps to help you create a great looking resume.

Why is right-aligning dates on a resume important?

Traditional resume formatting, as shown in the example below, includes left-aligned text and right-aligned dates. Right-aligning dates enhances the readability of your resume by reducing clutter along the left side, and makes it easier to scan by separating your text into two easy-to-read columns.

This formatting style is common across all industries and creates a sleek, professional-looking resume. The benefit of using this standard format is that recruiters are expecting it, making it easier for them to pick out the desired information quickly and find what they’re looking for on your resume.

Here is an example of a traditionally formatted resume showing right-aligned dates:

Tips for right-aligning dates on a resume

When it comes to resume formatting, using simple techniques like tabs will save you time and effort and help create a professional-looking resume.

Tabs are the easiest way to right-justify dates. Tabs are precise, so all your dates will align perfectly to the right, giving your whole document a professional finish.

Don’t use spaces

Avoid using spaces to create a right-aligned look. Spaces are time-consuming to add or adjust and often end up out of line with each other, which ruins the sleek look of your resume.

Start with a template

The easiest way to create a professional resume that includes right-aligned dates is to start with a resume template. With our free resume templates , you can input your information into the preformatted design and don’t need to worry about adjusting tab settings as it's all done for you.

Use proper date format

Different rules apply when formatting dates depending on what you're explaining. For example, certificates and licenses require specific dates, whereas work experience generally requires only a month/year. Follow these rules for formatting dates on your resume , and make sure you're consistent throughout.

To find out if you have aligned and formatted the dates on your resume the right way, upload it to the tool below . It will assess the formatting and provide tips for improvement.

A step-by-step guide for aligning dates on your resume

Follow these easy steps to right-align dates in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

How to right-align dates on your resume in Microsoft Word

To right-align dates and text in Microsoft Word:

• Select the “Home” tab in your top taskbar.
• In the “Paragraph” section of your taskbar, set the main body of your text to “Align Left” or click "Ctrl+L."
• Open “Paragraph Settings” by clicking the arrow icon in the bottom left corner of the paragraph section.
• Alternatively, right-click and select “Paragraph” from the drop-down menu.
• Click the “Tabs” button in the bottom left corner of the pop-up box.
• Under “Tab stops” on a Mac, or “Tab stop positions” on a Windows computer, set your tab stop to 6.2 inches (15.7cm) and select Right align from the alignment options.
• Hit enter, or click “Set” (Windows) or “OK” (Mac) to save your changes.
• In your document, your regular text will be left-aligned. When you want to write a right-aligned date, hit the tab key to start writing your text on the right.
• Once you have formatted your dates to your liking, run your resume through a Resume Scanner to ensure your formatting choices can be read by ATS software and to receive personalized feedback on any other areas of your resume that can be improved.

Here is a screenshot of the Tab options on a Windows computer:

And here are the same Tab options on a Mac:

How to right-align dates on your resume in Google Docs

To right-align dates and text in Google Docs:

• To start, ensure you are in Pages view instead of Pageless, as right-aligned tabs do not work in Pageless. To change your view, click “File,” “Page setup,” and select “Pages”.
• Click “View” in the top taskbar and ensure “Show ruler” is selected.
• Click the ruler along the top of the document where you want your right-aligned dates to start, usually around 6 inches.
• In the pop-up window, select “Add right tab stop,” as shown below.
• Type your regular left-aligned text, and when you want to add a right-aligned date, hit your tab button, and your text will start typing on the right.
• Once complete, check your formatting using a Resume Scanner to ensure your choices are compatible with modern ATS software.

Note that this style of formatting does not work in Pageless view in Google Docs, so if you change your view to Pageless after formatting your resume, your right-aligned dates will revert back to the left. Currently, the only way to right-align dates in Pageless view is to use regular tabs and spaces, which leads to inconsistent spacing. Therefore, pages view is preferred if you are creating a resume in Google Docs, and is the default view for all of our professional templates.

• Career Advice

Spread the word

Is a 3-page resume too long, how to write a one-page resume, keep reading, how to show bilingualism on your resume (with examples), oops what to do if there’s a mistake on your resume, getting the basics right: resume line spacing, subscribe to our newsletter.

Stay updated with Resume Worded by signing up for our newsletter.

🎉 Awesome! Now check your inbox and click the link to confirm your subscription.

Please enter a valid email address

Oops! There was an error sending the email, please try later

Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.