A Canadian cover letter is one page, warm but businesslike, and clear about your work status. This guide covers conventions, the paragraph order screeners expect, an annotated template, common mistakes and FAQs.
Cover letters are standard for professional, public-sector and skilled roles in Canada, and expected whenever a posting asks for one. Send the letter as a separate PDF alongside your resume — most applicant tracking systems take both — and keep it to one page; half a page is fine for entry-level roles with less to evidence. The tone is businesslike but warm: 'Dear [Hiring Manager]' when you find a name, 'Dear Hiring Manager' when you do not, closing with 'Yours sincerely' or 'Kind regards'.
Format follows the plain North American convention: no photograph, no date of birth, no marital status, and no salary history unless asked. If the posting carries a competition or reference number, repeat it under the subject line so your file can be routed correctly. Because Canada is officially bilingual, francophone employers and Quebec-based roles expect the letter in French; English is standard elsewhere. Applicants who need a work permit or employer-sponsored status should state their work situation in the opening or closing paragraph rather than leaving it for the interview.
Canadian screeners often read the letter before the resume, so the first paragraph must name the exact role, the source, and one line about who you are. From there the letter should read as an argument, in order:
What a Canadian recruiter expects to see first: the role title, the source, and your work status if sponsorship is involved. Salary stays out of Canadian cover letters unless the posting asks for it.
The template below is a working Canadian letter in placeholder form — every bracket is yours to fill, and each block has one job:
Re: [Job Title] — [Reference Number]
[Opening: introduce yourself, state the role, explain your interest.]
[Second paragraph: highlight relevant experience and skills. Connect your background to the job requirements.]
[Third paragraph: explain why this company specifically. Reference their work, values, or recent projects.]
[Closing: summarise interest, mention attached Resume, express enthusiasm for an interview.]
Whenever the posting asks for one, it is not optional — and public-sector, regulated and graduate roles routinely make it part of the pack. For private-sector ads that accept only a resume, a concise cover letter still gives you the space to connect your experience to their requirements.
For Quebec-based or francophone employers, and for any posting written in French, yes — respond in French. For a bilingual role, a French letter (or both languages if asked) is an advantage; elsewhere English is standard.
State your current work authorization in one clear sentence, and if you need employer sponsorship, say so directly. Employers need to know early where you stand — but the letter is not the place to explain the whole process.
One page maximum, sent as a separate PDF alongside your resume, with both files named with your name and the role. If the posting gives a competition number, include it in the subject line and in the filename.