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Canadian Cover Letter Format




One major reason identified as to why Canadian employers may not consider your applications is the absence of a cover letter, while submitting your applications when you're applying for a job it's common for employers to request both a resume and cover letter. 





A Cover letter is a one-page document of 3 paragraphs long and contains the following sections:




  • Header
  • Salutations
  • Opening Paragraph 
  • Middle Paragraph 
  • Closing Paragraph 
  • Complimentary Close and Signature.




Your Header should include information such as date, your name, address (this could be city or province), phone number, and email address on the top left-hand side.




In your Salutation section, begin your cover letter by addressing the hiring manager, you can simply use Salutations such as “Dear (hiring manager name)” or Dear Hiring Team. Dear Sir, Dear Madam or To whom it may concern is a big No No. Stay away from it.






For your Opening paragraph, Make this very short and direct. Introduce yourself and the job you are applying for, make this paragraph specific to each job you apply for.




In your middle paragraph, make it patently clear that your skillset matches the requirements listed in the job description. State your relevant skills and reasons why you are right for the job as early as possible in your cover letter. Focus on showing why the skills and experience you have would be a fit for the position, articulate the reasons why you would be an ideal candidate for an interview but don't be too pushy use the cover letter to provide more nuance to the key skills and attributes that you will bring to the role if you are hired to do the job.




In your closing paragraph, thank the hiring manager for taking the time to read your letter, you also have the option of making any clarifications, for example, you can justify any unnecessary space in your work history or share your plans for relocating to the city in which the company is situated. 




You can then close your letter by using any formal complimentary close such as Sincerely, Regards, Best, respectfully, Thank you, and thank you for your consideration then write your full name after the compliments.




Tips for Writing a Canadian Cover Letter 




  • Keep it simple and easy to read
  • Match it with your resume and make sure there is no conflict in the information you provided in both 
  • keep it a single page: Make sure your cover letter doesn't exceed one page 
  • Always write different cover letters for every company: Adapt your cover letter to every job or position you are applying for. 
  • Say No to the general cover letter for all your job applications 
  • Proofread your cover letter to correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors 
  • Using a standard font size of 10 or 12 points is perfect. 
  • No special effects: Bold, underline, and italics
  • Weave in a piece of information you know about the company: their recent projects or organisational culture and values. 




I hope I have been able to explain the Canadian Cover Letter format and how you can create a Cover Letter for job applications in Canada.




Wishing you all the very best. 


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