Why a Strong Cover Letter Matters More Than You Think
You could hit apply and submit only your resume, crossing your fingers that its contents intrigue the hiring team enough to progress you.
But taking the extra time to attach a customized cover letter can double, even triple your chances of landing an interview.
According to Harvard research, applicants including relevant cover letters were 2.3x more likely to progress to the interview phase.
Beyond basic qualifications, a stellar cover letter is your chance to reveal personality, values, and skills aligned to the company‘s needs.
Take this applicant pool competing for one open marketing coordinator role. Emma‘s resume lists great experience managing campaigns and social media. But William crafted a cover letter enthusiastically highlighting successful viral content launches and creativity collaborating cross-functionally – just the strengths the hiring manager seeks in their next marketing hire.
William lands the interview.
First impressions matter. While your resume checks the candidate competency boxes, a thoughtful introduction letter makes you memorable for all the right reasons.
This is where cover letter builders prove transformational…
Accelerating Cover Letter Writing Without Sacrificing Personalization
The blank page taunts your writer‘s block. Where do I start? What exactly are hiring managers looking for?
In your panic, you might copy paste some generic opener you find on the internet, cross your fingers, hit apply and hope for the best.
Don‘t do this.
While stacks of nearly identical applicant letters might have been fine a decade ago, outdated application materials today get you swiftly filtered out.
In the modern world of applicant tracking systems screening resumes in milliseconds, individuality and relevance are essential.
But crafting a compelling, personalized cover letter from scratch for every application takes forever, right?
Wrong. Cover letter creators eliminate the intimidation while enabling customization, wizard-style.
Relying solely on pre-written templates leaves too much homogeneity. But an adept builder guides you to incorporate role and company specifics that make your letter shine.
The right cover letter tool accelerates creation without sacrificing the personal touch.
Let‘s explore how to choose the best one for you.
8 Must-Have Features to Look for in a Cover Letter Creator
All builders are not created equal. Key features determine whether a tool merely facilitates basic formatting or truly unlocks personalized application documents that wow.
Here are top capabilities to evaluate:
1. Packed Template Gallery
Professionally designed templates, tailored across industries and job types, provide inspiration and consistent structure to build upon rather than drafting from scratch.
Templates indexed to specific roles take guesswork out of content organization, lead with most relevant info.
Variety allows better personalization – more creative freedom to stand out.
2. User-Friendly Editor
Creation should have low barrier to entry. Expect an intuitive interface where you can easily enter work history details, customize suggested content, rearrange, etc.
Perhaps you love a pre-made template but want to swap the header formatting or insert a paragraph on your leadership experience. An adept builder makes this simple rather than rigid.
3. Personalization Guidance
The system provides tips and examples tailored to your industry and seniority level, suggesting what hiring managers want to hear.
This allows writers of all abilities to incorporate the right details. Like highlighting achievements vs merely listing old job responsbilities.
4. Design Flexibility
Format really does impact effectiveness.
While accepted formatting standards exist, aesthetic preference varies. Having options ensures your personal brand shines through.
Experiment with different visual designs to find what suits the company culture. Formal? Playful? Classic? Modern?
Matching resume schemes also helps project consistent style.
5. Writing Assistance
Writing effective cover letters is truly an art.
Tools that analyze readability and suggest simplifications ensure you come across clearly. Integrated spelling and grammar checks polish things off.
6. Downloadable Files
You‘ve crafted the perfect message – now get it powered up for submission by downloading optimized file versions like PDFs and Word docs.
7. Analytics
Understanding what happens to your application after you hit send brings useful insights to improve ongoing outreach efficiency.
See tracking metrics like:
- Number of views/opens
- How long spent reviewing
- Click activity on embedded links
8. ATS Optimization Review
Many applicant tracking systems scan materials first before a human even takes a look. Getting instantly filtered out due to subtle formatting issues or lack of key terms is frustrating.
Tools that scan for and flag potential concerns around ATS compatibility help you avoid effort lost in the black hole.
Now that you know what capabilities contribute to cover letter success in the modern era, let‘s explore some top contenders in the space.
12 Best Cover Letter Builders Compared
1. Kickresume
Key Features:
- 100+ templates
- Easy editor with instant previews
- Design and experience matching
- Advanced analytics
Standout Capability: With features like multi-panel cover letters, variant testing, and partial compatibility with resume builders, Kickresume leads in the advanced creation and optimization category.
Pricing: Free and paid plans from $6/month
Verdict: Kickresume sets itself apart with A/B testing, multi-panel designs, and integration with its leading resume builder. It‘s ideal for those who want to maximize customization and optimization.
2. Zety
Key Features:
- Prepare different CLs for multiple jobs
- Variety of expert-written suggestions
- Personalization guidance
- Design variety
Standout Capability: Zety expedites cover letter writing for tailored submissions to multiple openings thanks to an abundance of expert examples and role-specific tips.
Pricing: Paid plans from $6/month
Verdict: Zety simplifies crafting targeted cover letters for numerous job applications via a gallery of professional designs and writing recommendations per industry.
3. Resume Now
Key Features:
- 9 style templates like Contemporary, Traditional
- 21 design varieties
- Industry-specific content suggestions
- Cover letter tips during building
- File exporting
Standout Capability: Resume Now makes cover letter writing easy for non-writers by providing exceptional guidance and suggestions tailored to your field.
Pricing: Free and paid plans from $11.66/month with 7-day trials
Verdict: With tailored industry recommendations combined with abundant designs and integrated writing guidance, Resume Now enables polished cover letter creation confidently.
4. Cool Free CV
Key Features:
- Simple 3-step editor
- Optional sample text
- Basic formatting
- Free PDF downloading
Standout Capability: The straightforward 3-step workflow makes Cool Free CV a top pick for those seeking a PDF fast without the advanced capabilities.
Pricing: 100% Free
Verdict: For those prioritizing simplicity plus unlimited free PDF output over advanced features, Cool Free CV delivers via a streamlined no-frills editor.
5. Visme
Key Features:
- Graphic design elements
- Numerous templates
- Output as PPTs, images
- Online sharing
Standout Capability: Visme enables creating visual, graphic-rich cover letters like infographics and presentations.
Pricing: Free limited version. Paid plans from $10/month.
Verdict: Creative applicants can showcase skills through graphic cover letters like infographics, alongside delivering traditional formats.
6. My Perfect Resume
Key Features:
- Matched set with resume builder
- Job type specific templates
- Easy to tailor
Standout Capability: For complete uniformity between application documents, from styling to backgrounds, My Perfect Resume promotes consistency via linked creation tools.
Pricing: Paid subscriptions only, $9.95+/month
Verdict: My Perfect Resume allows cover letter content, formatting and style to precisely mirror resume designs for a polished, cohesive set via its integrated builder combo.
7. Priwoo
Key Features:
- Expertly written templates
- Step-by-step guidance
- Section-by-section edits
- Formatting variety like Modern, Classic
Standout Capability: Sophisticated templates combined with detailed instructions simplify cover letter writing for even first-time job seekers.
Pricing: Free trial then paid plans only ($8+/month)
Verdict: For in-depth guidance crafting professional correspondence, Priwoo’s editable templates and section-by-section recommendations remove intimidation.
8. Resume Genius
Key Features:
- Industry-specific examples
- Hundreds of designs
- Robust editor
- Integrates with resume creator
Standout Capability: Unparalleled variety plus customization power positions Resume Genius as a top pick for those wanting maximal tailoring capability.
Pricing: Free core features. Paid plans from $9.95/month.
Verdict: For both entry level and executives alike, Resume Genius allows crafting highly personalized documents with its enormous template pool and customization functionality.
9. CV Shaper
Key Features:
- 4-step editor
- No signup required
- Creative designs
- PDF exporting
Standout Capability: Zero login requirement combined with quality templates makes CV Shaper a seamless cover letter solution if you hate extra hassle.
Pricing: 100% Free
Verdict: For those who loathe extra registration steps, CV Shaper delivers a simplified editor for free unlimited PDF cover letter output.
10. Resumizer
Key Features:
- No signup
- 25 template options
- Advanced editing
- Match with resume creator
Standout Capability: Smooth creation without mandated account signup reduces barriers to getting started.
Pricing: 100% Free
Verdict: Quick yet robust cover letter building with no required registration makes Resumizer an easy entry point for beginners.
11. Live Career
Key Features:
- Giant question-based builder
- Extensive designs
- ATS writing guidance
Standout Capability: In-depth questions guide users to incorporate every critical detail needed for flawless applicant tracking system compatibility.
Pricing: Cover letters viewable for free, downloads require premium account ($6.95+/month)
Verdict: Live Career‘s back-end algorithm delivers cover letters optimized to successfully pass applicant screening systems.
12. Cover Letter Now
Key Features:
- Modern expert designs
- Intuitive editing
- Design and experience matching
- ATS compliance scan
Standout Capability: Powerful features coupled with a clean interface empower cover letter creation simplicity.
Pricing: Free letter building. Downloading requires paid plans ($2.95/month+) with 7-day free trials.
Verdict: Cover Letter Now strikes an ideal balance between advanced capabilities to increase response rates while maintaining easy usability.
Summing It Up: Keys For Cover Letter Success
Take the extra time to attach a cover letter. Applicants who include them progress to interviews at more than twice the rate versus sending a resume alone.
Specialized cover letter builders remove intimidation factors while empowering superior personalization that brings your skills, passion and personality to life.
Learn each company’s needs. Lean on expert guidance and templates. Write conversationally. Demonstrate genuine motivation.
With a platform suited to individual preferences, you’ll get responses that move you forward in the hiring process. Land that interview – you’ve got this!
Now that you know the most effective cover letter builders available, the last step is crafting the resume. Check out my guide to the highest rated professional resume builders to complete an impactful application set ready to propel your career goals.