The job ad asks for a resume and a cover letter, and all you have with you is your phone. A cover letter is short enough to write on an iPhone, and you can send it as a PDF from there. This guide covers what a cover letter usually has, then how to write one with Resume Cat, our resume builder for iPhone, which keeps the letter next to the resume it goes with.
What goes in a cover letter
A cover letter is a short letter that goes with your resume. Most follow the same shape:
- Your name and contact details at the top, the same as on your resume.
- The date, and who it's for: the hiring manager's name if you know it, the company and, if you like, its address.
- A greeting. If the ad names a person, use their name. If it doesn't, "Dear Hiring Manager," is a common choice.
- Three short paragraphs: why this job, what you've done that fits it, and a thank-you.
- A closing, like "Sincerely,", and your name.
Write each letter for the job you're applying to. If the ad mentions the skills or tasks it cares about, say where you've used them, in your own words. If the ad asks for something in the letter, such as when you could start, put it in.
Write the letter in Resume Cat
The cover letter lives inside a resume, so start with the resume. If you haven't made one yet, our guide on how to make a resume on iPhone walks through it.
- Open the letter. In the resume editor, tap the ⋯ menu and then Write a cover letter. Once you've started a letter, the same menu item reads Cover letter.
- Say who it's for. Under Who's it for?, add the hiring manager's name (it's optional), the Company and, if you like, the company's address.
- Start with the outline. Tap Start with a simple outline. You get three short paragraphs to fill in, with the parts only you can write in [brackets], such as [One sentence on why this role and this company.] and [an achievement with a number]. If you've already typed the company, and the job title under "Job title you want" on your resume, the outline fills those in for you.
- Replace everything in [brackets]. The note under the letter says "Replace everything in [brackets]" until you have, and it counts your words. It suggests 200–350 words; once the brackets are gone, it adds "keep it to one page". A blank line starts a new paragraph.
- Check the greeting and closing. The greeting is "Dear Hiring Manager," or "Dear" and the name you typed, and you can type your own instead. The closing is "Sincerely," unless you change it.
- Set the date. Show date is on to start with, and you can pick the date or turn it off.
Your name and contact details come from the resume, so you don't type them twice.
Make the PDF
Tap Preview & PDF at the bottom of the letter, and the preview opens on your cover letter. Once you've started a letter, a Resume / Cover letter switch sits at the top of the preview, so you can look at either one.
The letter uses the same template and font as your resume, so the two look like a set. Pick a different template or font here and both change together.
With Cover letter chosen, tap Share PDF to send the letter to Mail, Files or any app, tap Print, or tap Copy text to paste it into an online application form that has a box for a cover letter.
A letter for each job
Applying to more than one company? One cover letter with each resume is free. With Resume Cat Pro, you can keep a letter for each job:
- In the cover letter, tap Letters at the top, then New letter for another job.
- Your current letter is kept, and a new one starts with the same words and closing, ready to tailor. Fill in the new company under Who's it for? and change what needs changing.
- Your earlier letters are listed under Other letters by company. Tap Open to switch to one, or swipe a letter to delete it.
Without Pro, New letter for another job (Pro) shows what Pro adds, and the letter you have stays free.
What it costs
Writing your cover letter, the outline, the preview, and the PDF (Share PDF, Print and Copy text) are free, along with building your resumes, all six templates and the four fonts. There's no watermark, no ads, no account and no subscription. Resume Cat Pro is an optional one-time purchase with three extras: a cover letter for each job, kept per company; two designed templates, Bold and Edge, in your colour; and "Sent to" notes to record where and when you sent a resume. More on the Resume Cat page.
Your resumes and letters are kept on your iPhone and in your own backups unless you share, save, print or copy them.
Quick answers
Can I write a cover letter on my iPhone?
Yes. Resume Cat lets you write the letter, see it as a page and share it as a PDF, all on your iPhone.
Does it write the letter for me?
No. There's no AI service in it. It gives you a short outline with [brackets] to replace, and you write the words.
How long should a cover letter be?
Resume Cat suggests 200–350 words and one page. If the job ad asks for a length, follow the ad.
Is the cover letter free?
Yes, one with each resume. A separate letter for each job, kept per company, is part of Resume Cat Pro.
Try Resume Cat
Try Resume Cat: free, no watermark, no sign-up → iyio.com/apps/resume-cat