Cover Letter LaTeX Sample: 6 Templates That Compile Cleanly
By Mustafa Tarabya, founder of CVBooster · Published · Updated
8 min read
A cover letter LaTeX sample that works needs only one class and five or six commands: the standard letter class gives you the address block, date, opening and closing, and the rest of the page is your text. The constraint is the reader, not the compiler. A hiring manager sees a PDF and judges the words, so the template should be plain and the effort should go into the three paragraphs. The packages below are documented on CTAN, the Comprehensive TeX Archive Network, and every sample compiles in Overleaf with no extra files. Six complete samples follow, from a graduate letter to an executive letterhead. Written by Mustafa Tarabya, who hired for his own company, read every application himself and now writes CVBooster's guides.
Writing a cover letter in LaTeX is a perfectly reasonable way to spend forty minutes adjusting a margin instead of writing the sentence about why you want the job. The samples below remove that excuse.
The standard letter class sample
The letter class ships with every LaTeX distribution, so this sample needs nothing installed beyond the base system. The address goes in the top right, the date under it, and the recipient's block on the left. It suits a graduate or anyone who wants a traditional US business letter.
Entry level: graduate cover letter in the standard letter class (141 words)
\documentclass[11pt]{letter}
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}
\signature{Hannah Whitaker}
\address{218 Elm Street \\ Columbus, OH 43215 \\ (614) 555 0142 \\ hannah.whitaker@example.com}
\date{October 12, 2026}
\begin{document} \begin{letter}{Ms. Laura Chen \\ Talent Team \\ Brightline Analytics \\ 400 Main Street \\ Columbus, OH 43215} \opening{Dear Ms. Chen,}
I am applying for the Junior Data Analyst position posted on your careers page. I graduate from Ohio State University in December with a degree in statistics, and my capstone project cleaned and modeled three years of city bus ridership data for the Central Ohio Transit Authority.
The posting asks for SQL and dashboard work. In my internship at a regional insurer, I wrote the SQL queries behind a weekly claims dashboard that the operations team still uses.
My resume is attached. I would welcome the chance to show you the capstone notebook.
\closing{Sincerely,} \end{letter} \end{document}
Change the four blocks in the preamble and the recipient, then replace the body. The \signature line prints under the closing, so it should hold your name exactly as it appears on your resume. If you leave out the \date line, the class prints the compile date instead.
Article class sample with a centered header
The letter class looks old fashioned to some readers. An article class letter gives you full control: a centered name, one contact line and no indented paragraphs. It is the version most people end up building by hand, so here it is finished.
Mid level: marketing coordinator letter in the article class (125 words)
\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}
\usepackage[hidelinks]{hyperref}
\pagestyle{empty}
\setlength{\parindent}{0pt}
\setlength{\parskip}{10pt}
\begin{document} \begin{center} {\Large\bfseries Marcus Delgado}\\[4pt] Austin, TX \textbullet{} (512) 555 0187 \textbullet{} \href{mailto:marcus.delgado@example.com}{marcus.delgado@example.com} \end{center}
October 13, 2026
Mr. Ben Foster\\ Marketing Director\\ Harbor Outdoor Co.\\ Austin, TX 78701
Dear Mr. Foster,
I am applying for the Marketing Coordinator role. For three years I have run the email calendar and the paid social budget for a regional retailer, and last spring I rebuilt our product launch checklist so that creative, inventory and web went live on the same day.
Your posting mentions a new hiking line in the spring. I would like to bring that launch checklist with me.
Thank you for your time. My resume is attached.
Sincerely,\\[24pt] Marcus Delgado \end{document}
The \pagestyle{empty} line removes the page number, \parindent set to zero stops indented paragraphs, and \parskip adds a gap between them. The [24pt] after the closing leaves space for a signature if you print and sign.
KOMA-Script scrlttr2 sample
CTAN's KOMA-Script page describes a bundle of classes with "emphasis on typography and versatility" and adds: "There is also a letter class". That class is scrlttr2, and it is the best choice for A4 paper or a European layout with a subject line. Everything is set with \setkomavar, so the body stays clean.
Mid level: research assistant letter in KOMA-Script scrlttr2 (105 words)
\documentclass[paper=a4,fromalign=right,fromphone=true,fromemail=true]{scrlttr2}
\setkomavar{fromname}{Elena Novak}
\setkomavar{fromaddress}{12 Harcourt Street\\Dublin 2, D02 X285}
\setkomavar{fromphone}{+353 87 555 0193}
\setkomavar{fromemail}{elena.novak@example.com}
\setkomavar{date}{14 October 2026}
\setkomavar{subject}{Application for Research Assistant, ref. RA-2026-14}
\begin{document} \begin{letter}{Dr. Aoife Brennan\\School of Biology\\Trinity College Dublin\\Dublin 2} \opening{Dear Dr. Brennan,}
I am applying for the Research Assistant post in your plant genetics group. I have two years of experience running qPCR and maintaining growth chamber records in a university lab, and my MSc thesis looked at drought response in barley.
I would bring careful records and steady bench work to your project, and I am available to start in January.
My CV is enclosed.
\closing{Yours sincerely,} \end{letter} \end{document}
The fromalign option moves your details to the right, and the subject variable prints a line above the opening, which many Irish and European employers expect. Our cover letter examples for Ireland show what to write in that layout.
moderncv cover letter sample to match your CV
CTAN describes moderncv this way: "The class provides facilities for typesetting modern curriculums vitae, both in a classic and in a casual style." It also includes a letter command, so if your CV is already in moderncv, the cover letter can share the same header and colours.
Mid level: software engineer letter in moderncv (116 words)
\documentclass[11pt,letterpaper,sans]{moderncv}
\moderncvstyle{classic}
\moderncvcolor{blue}
\usepackage[scale=0.8]{geometry}
\name{Ravi}{Shankar}
\address{55 Pine Street}{Seattle, WA 98101}{USA}
\phone[mobile]{(206) 555 0128}
\email{ravi.shankar@example.com}
\begin{document} \recipient{Hiring Manager}{Northwind Logistics\\1200 Fourth Avenue\\Seattle, WA 98101} \date{October 15, 2026} \opening{Dear Hiring Manager,} \closing{Sincerely,} \enclosure[Attached]{Resume} \makelettertitle
I am applying for the Backend Software Engineer role on your routing team. For four years I have owned the shipment tracking service at a freight company, including the move from a nightly batch job to event driven updates that cut status delays from hours to minutes.
Your posting mentions scaling the route planner for peak season. I have been through two peak seasons on call and would like to help with the third.
\makeletterclosing \end{document}
The \makelettertitle command prints the header, recipient, date and opening; \makeletterclosing prints the closing, your name and the enclosure line. Keep the same \moderncvstyle and \moderncvcolor as your CV so the two documents look like a set. For what to say in the body, our software engineer cover letter has three annotated letters.
Short letter sample for an email or form
Some applications want a short letter pasted into a form or attached as a one paragraph PDF. This sample keeps the article class header and drops everything else.
Entry level: short internship letter in the article class (96 words)
\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}
\pagestyle{empty}
\setlength{\parindent}{0pt}
\setlength{\parskip}{10pt}
\begin{document} \textbf{Chloe Martin} \hfill chloe.martin@example.com \textbullet{} (303) 555 0164
October 12, 2026
Dear Ms. Rivera,
I am applying for the Summer Engineering Intern position at Front Range Energy. I am a third year mechanical engineering student at the University of Colorado Boulder, and this year I led the thermal testing for our solar car team. I would like to bring that testing discipline to your battery storage group.
My resume is attached, and I am available for a call any afternoon this week.
Sincerely,\\ Chloe Martin \end{document}
The \hfill command pushes your contact details to the right on the same line as your name. For more on keeping it brief, see our short cover letter examples.
Executive letterhead sample
A senior letter can carry a simple letterhead: your name, a rule underneath and the contact line. Keep it to one page and one font.
Senior: operations director letter with a ruled letterhead (125 words)
\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}
\usepackage[hidelinks]{hyperref}
\pagestyle{empty}
\setlength{\parindent}{0pt}
\setlength{\parskip}{10pt}
\begin{document} {\LARGE Jonathan Pierce}\\[2pt] \rule{\textwidth}{0.4pt}\\ Chicago, IL \textbullet{} (312) 555 0175 \textbullet{} \href{mailto:jpierce@example.com}{jpierce@example.com}
October 14, 2026
Ms. Karen Wu\\ Chief Executive Officer\\ Lakeshore Foods\\ Chicago, IL 60601
Dear Ms. Wu,
I am applying for the Director of Operations role. I currently run three distribution centers and 240 staff for a regional grocery wholesaler, and over the last two years I led the consolidation of two older sites into one without a missed delivery window.
Your announcement of a fourth plant next year is the reason I am writing. Opening sites on schedule is the work I know best.
I would welcome a conversation. My resume is attached.
Sincerely,\\[24pt] Jonathan Pierce \end{document}
Before you send a LaTeX cover letter
The PDF is what the employer receives, so check the PDF, not the source:
- Open the PDF, select all the text and paste it into a plain text editor. If words run together or lines appear out of order, an applicant tracking system may read it the same way.
- Set the date by hand. Overleaf notes that "you can enter the date manually or use the command \today to typeset the current date every time the document is compiled", and \today means an old letter recompiled later shows a new date.
- Name the file with your name and the role, such as Hannah-Whitaker-Cover-Letter.pdf.
- Keep the fonts and colours the same as your resume.
- Read the body once more. The template is finished; the sentences are what the reader is judging.
For the structure of the letter itself, the cover letter format guide covers each block, and how to write a cover letter covers what goes in the paragraphs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best LaTeX class for a cover letter?
For a US letter, the standard letter class is the simplest and needs nothing extra. For A4 paper or a subject line, KOMA-Script scrlttr2 is more flexible. If your CV is already in moderncv, use its letter commands so both documents match. An article class letter suits anyone who wants full control of the layout.
Can I write a cover letter in Overleaf?
Yes. Paste any sample on this page into a new blank Overleaf project and it compiles, since the letter class, KOMA-Script and moderncv are all part of the standard TeX distributions. Change the names and addresses, write your own body and download the PDF from the compiled preview.
How do I make a moderncv cover letter?
Use the same preamble as your moderncv CV, then inside the document set \recipient, \date, \opening, \closing and optionally \enclosure. Call \makelettertitle, write your paragraphs, and finish with \makeletterclosing. The header, colours and fonts will match your CV automatically.
Are LaTeX cover letters ATS friendly?
Usually, if the PDF text extracts cleanly. Open the compiled PDF, select all and paste into a plain text editor. If the words appear in the right order with spaces intact, the letter is readable. Avoid putting your contact details in images or complicated tables, and keep to standard fonts.
Should my cover letter match my LaTeX resume?
Yes. Use the same fonts, colours and header so the two documents look like one application. With moderncv this is automatic. With the letter or article class, copy the font package and margin settings from your resume preamble into the cover letter.
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