Are you finding it difficult to prepare a standard cover letter in Canada? In this guide, we would cover exactly how to create the best cover letter for Canadian job applications.
This article also covers:
- What is the best cover letter format in Canada?
- How long should a cover letter be in Canada?
- What is a common mistake in writing a cover letter in Canada
- And lots more…
Let’s dive right in!
What is the Best Cover Letter Format for Canada?
The best cover letter format for Canada should contain:
- A one-inch margin on each side
- Must be left aligned excluding the use of justification as this goes against the standard rules when learning how to create the best cover letter format for Canada.
- Make use of a 1 or 1.15 letter spacing
- Utilize double spacing between paragraphs
- Save as a PDF format
An optional rule to follow when learning how to create the best cover letter for Canada is to include a digital copy with your handwritten signature to sign off on the cover letter for a more professional touch.
Saving a PDF document format when learning how to create the best cover letter for Canada helps to keep its layout of the document intact on different devices.
Your cover letter should be written in the best easy-to-read fonts. You can utilize fonts such as Arial, Calibri, Cambria, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Verdana when writing your cover letter for Canadian job applications.
Custom fonts and special characters are a NO! NO! in a standard resume format, and it’s always best to keep your font size on a minimum of 11 or 12 pt.
How to Create the Best Cover Letter for Canada?
The below illustration by Zety shows a standard structure to follow when learning how to create the best cover letter for Canada:
Creating the best cover letter all boils down to two things:
- A well-presentable structure
- Following the rules of a standard cover letter format as listed above.
You cover letter must be structured in a way that makes it really easy for recruiters to quickly grasp your value proposition for the company.
Must Read: The Best Resume Format in Canada...
You can use the following steps when learning how to create the best cover letter for Canada job applications:
- Start with a good cover letter header
- Address your recruiter
- Proceed with an opening paragraph
- Make an offer
- Include a call to action
- Conclude and sign off
#1: Start with a Good Cover Letter Header
A good cover letter header is crucial especially when applying for jobs in Canada in traditional industries.
Your cover letter header must include:
- Your contact information
- Your current city and date of application of the job offer
- Your recruiter’s contact information
Below’s a correct format when writing your cover letter header:
#2: Addressing Your Recruiter
Here are some rights and wrongs when addressing a recruiter:
It’s always good to go all personal when addressing your recruiter, but, what if have no idea whether or not your recruiter is male or female?
What if you don’t have any idea who your recruiter is? How do you go about addressing someone you don’t know then?
To do this, you can simply address the recruiter using any of the following formats:
- Dear Project Manager Hiring Team,
- Dear Sales Associate Hiring Manager,
- To the Customer Service Search Committee,
- To the Computer Science Recruitment Team,
- Dear Software Team Hiring Manager,
But note that, it’s always good to know your hiring manager’s name when learning how to create the best cover letter for Canada. You can do this by checking them out on professional social media platforms like LinkedIn, via their company website, or even by asking from friends.
#3: Writing Your Opening Paragraph
When learning how to create the best cover letter for Canada, your opening paragraph should start with any of the following:
- A huge achievment you’re proud of.
- Something really nice that you find most interesting about the company.
- An accomplishment or information that the company was recently noted for.
- A powerful name to acclaim.
- An interesting fact that best describes your passion, skill, or other unique quality.
Below are some rights and wrongs when creating your cover letter opening paragraph:
#4: Make an Offer
It’s important to consider the following very carefully when constructing this section of your cover letter heading:
- Review the job ad desciption carefully. Identifying the major obstacles your future employer is going through. Then, breakdown how you can be benefitial to them in resolving such issues.
- Place much emphasis on how your expertise will help relinguish their problems. You can make use of bullet points to distinctly narrate the text and highlight your accomplishments.
- Explain whatmotivates you. The moment they recognize they’d want to work you, they’ll then want to know why you want to do the same.
Below shows a really good example of how this is done:
#5: Include a Call to Action
A call to action is necessary when learning how to create the best cover letter for Canada because it gives your recruiter a more good reason to want to give you a shot for the job opening.
In your cover letter call to action, you can say something like:
I’m adept at study daily social media analytics, then translating that to user-focused video content for improved engagement. Can we schedule a call to discuss ideas for growing your brand’s awarned by 35% in 2021?
No hiring manager will say “NO” to this call to action format!
#6: Conclude and Sign Off
When learning how to create the best cover letter for Canada, it’s always good to end with a good conclusion.
Concluding your cover letter is done by:
- Thanking the recruiter for their time.
- Write “sincerely” or utilize similar synonyms.
- Sign off with your full name.
- Place yur basic contact information in the footer section, right below your name.
Below is a sample format of how to structure your cover letter conclusion:
When learning how to create the best cover letter for Canada, your letter document must be nothing more than 1 page in length.
What is a Common Mistake in Writing a Cover Letter in Canada?
The most common mistakes people usually make when learning how to create the best cover letter for Canada are:
- Typographical errors
- Too lengthy contents
- Wrong addressing
- No well-tailored content that relates to the current job opening
- Being too humble
- Being too confident
- Telling lies
- Justifying wrongs in the past, such as reasons why you had to quit or were layed off from a previous job.
- Listing references and snippets.
Now I’d Love to Hear from You:
What mistakes have you been making when learning how to create the best cover letter for Canada? Let me know by leaving a comment below!
