Adding a cover letter - Reactive Resume

A cover letter goes alongside your resume when you apply for a job. It introduces you to the employer, points to your relevant qualifications, and explains why you fit the position. In Reactive Resume you write one as a custom section, so you control its formatting and where it appears.

Why include a cover letter?

It shows genuine interest in the position
You can tailor your message to each employer and role
You have room to address career changes or gaps in your resume
It demonstrates that you write clearly and professionally

Creating a cover letter section

<Steps> <Step title="Open the resume builder"> Navigate to your resume and open it in the builder. </Step> <Step title="Scroll to Custom Sections"> In the left sidebar, scroll down to find the **Custom Sections** area at the bottom. </Step> <Step title="Add a new custom section"> Click <Badge>Add a new custom section</Badge> to open the section creation dialog. </Step> <Step title="Select 'Cover Letter' as the type"> In the dialog: - Enter a **Title** for your section (e.g., "Cover Letter" or "Cover Letter - [Company Name]") - Select **Cover Letter** from the **Type** dropdown - Click **Create** to add the section </Step> <Step title="Add a cover letter item"> In your new cover letter section, click <Badge>Add a new item</Badge> to create your cover letter. </Step> </Steps>

Formatting your cover letter

A cover letter has two main fields:

Recipient field

The Recipient field is where you enter the recipient's information. This typically includes:

Date (optional)
Hiring manager's name
Their job title
Company name
Company address

<Tip> Use line breaks to format the address block. For example:

January 31, 2026

Jane Smith
Senior Hiring Manager
Acme Corporation
123 Main Street, Suite 400
New York, NY 10001

</Tip>

Content field

The Content field is where you write the body of your cover letter. Include:

Salutation: "Dear Ms. Smith," or "Dear Hiring Team,"
Opening paragraph: State the position you're applying for and how you learned about it
Body paragraphs: Highlight relevant experience, skills, and achievements
Closing paragraph: Express enthusiasm and include a call to action
Sign-off: "Sincerely," followed by your name

<Info> The recipient and content are both rendered directly on your resume, without a section header. </Info>

Using fullscreen mode for writing

The rich text editor can expand to fill the screen when you want to write without distraction:

<Steps> <Step title="Open the cover letter item"> Click on your cover letter item in the sidebar to open the edit dialog. </Step> <Step title="Expand the editor"> In either the Recipient or Content field, click the **expand icon** (arrows pointing outward) in the bottom-right corner of the editor. </Step> <Step title="Write in fullscreen"> The editor expands to nearly fill your screen, with every formatting tool still available. </Step> <Step title="Exit fullscreen"> Click the **collapse icon** or press **Escape** to return to the normal view. </Step> </Steps>

Formatting options

The rich text editor supports:

Text styling: Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, highlight
Headings: H1 through H6 (though typically not needed in a cover letter)
Alignment: Left, center, right, or justified text
Lists: Bullet points and numbered lists
Links: Add hyperlinks to your portfolio or LinkedIn

Exporting the cover letter separately

You do not need to move the cover letter to a specific page to send it on its own. When you download your resume, the download dialog gives you a Resume tab and a Cover letter tab, so you can export either document as a standalone PDF, DOCX, or Markdown file.

See Exporting your resume for the full workflow.

Moving your cover letter to a separate page

If you also want the cover letter to appear on its own page inside the combined preview or the public resume view, place it on a new page:

<Steps> <Step title="Create a second page"> In the right sidebar, go to the **Layout** section and add a new page to your resume. </Step> <Step title="Move the cover letter section"> Use the **Move to** feature to relocate your cover letter section to the second page.

<Tip>
  See [Moving items between sections](/guides/moving-items-between-sections) for detailed instructions on how to move sections between pages.
</Tip>

</Step> <Step title="Verify the layout"> Check the preview to confirm your cover letter appears on its own page and is formatted the way you want. </Step> </Steps>

Tips for effective cover letters

<Tip>Keep it concise: Aim for 250-400 words. Recruiters spend about one minute reading cover letters.</Tip>

<Tip> **Tailor each letter**: Customize your cover letter for each application. Reference specific job requirements and company values. </Tip> <Tip> **Use the same styling**: Your cover letter inherits the fonts and colors from your resume template, so both documents match. </Tip> <Tip> **Proofread carefully**: Spelling and grammar errors can disqualify your application. Review your letter before exporting. </Tip>

Managing multiple cover letters

Since cover letters are custom sections, you can:

Create multiple cover letter sections for different job applications
Name each section descriptively (e.g., "Cover Letter - Google", "Cover Letter - Meta")
Show or hide sections as needed when exporting
Duplicate sections to use as templates for new applications