Cover letters in Canada and Quebec: structure and method

Is a cover letter still worth writing in Canada?

Yes. When a posting asks for one or leaves room for it, a cover letter remains an advantage. Your resume shows what you did; the letter explains why this role, with this employer, and what you will bring. A short, specific letter sets your application apart from those that rely on a generic resume.

Read the posting carefully first. If it asks for a letter, leaving it out can be enough to have your application set aside. If it does not mention one, a well-targeted letter is still a plus, as long as it is tailored: a one-size-fits-all letter is easy to spot and hurts more than it helps.

A cover letter is also the place to address what your resume does not explain well: a career change, a return to the workforce, a recent arrival in Canada or a planned move to the area where the job is located.

What structure should you use?

Aim for one page in four parts: an opening that names the role and your main strength, a paragraph linking two or three achievements to the posting’s requirements, a paragraph showing your interest in the organization, and a closing that proposes a meeting. Every sentence should serve the specific posting.

A few formatting rules:

• One page, using the same font and header as your resume.
• Address a person when the posting names one; otherwise, the human resources team.
• Leave out the personal details you removed from your resume: age, marital status, photo, nationality.

How do you tailor the letter to each posting?

Identify the skills and keywords that recur in the posting, pick the two or three most important requirements, then match each one with a specific achievement. Use the employer’s vocabulary without copying the ad: the reader should see that you understood the need, not that you pasted their text back to them.

A four-step method:

1. Analyze the posting. Separate mandatory requirements from assets.
2. Choose your evidence. For each key requirement, one achievement: context, action, result.
3. Research the employer. Their website, publications and public reports give you one precise fact to mention.
4. Read it aloud. Cut every sentence that could appear in any other letter.

Which phrases should you avoid, and what works better?

Avoid generic phrases that prove nothing and sentences focused only on what you want. Replace them with facts: an achievement, a result, an explicit link to the posting. Recruiters remember concrete evidence far more than a flattering adjective or a statement of enthusiasm.

These phrases are illustrations, not templates to copy: a letter’s strength comes from facts that belong only to you.

French or English: which version should you send?

Send the letter in the language of the posting. In Quebec, the Charter of the French language makes French the normal and everyday language of work, and a posting published in French calls for a letter in French unless stated otherwise. Elsewhere in Canada, English dominates. For a bilingual role, a letter in the posting’s language is usually enough, unless both are requested.

A few guidelines:

• Write each version; do not translate word for word. Closings differ: in English, a short "Sincerely" is enough; in French, a brief and simple closing is now well received.
• Show your bilingualism through facts: a project delivered in both languages, clients served in English and French.
• In Quebec, use local vocabulary: "entrevue", "courriel", "emploi d’été". The Office québécois de la langue française offers resources to check a term.

The weight of French can be measured. In the 2021 Census (opens in a new tab), 79.9% of workers in Quebec mainly used French at work and 92.1% used it on a regular basis. In the Montréal area, 70.0% mainly used French.

Should you follow up after sending your letter?

Yes. A brief, courteous follow-up shows interest, as long as you respect any timeline stated in the posting. Note the date you applied, wait a reasonable period, then send a short email that recalls the role and your main strength. One follow-up is usually enough.

To stay organized, keep a simple log of your applications: role, employer, date sent, documents attached, planned follow-up date. Job Bank also offers job search advice for Canada that can help you structure your approach.

How can Postulio help?

Postulio analyzes the posting you choose to identify the expected skills and keywords, then generates a cover letter that matches your tailored resume, in English or French. You review, adjust and personalize every sentence; you decide whether to apply, and you send each application yourself. Application tracking keeps the documents you attached and reminds you when to follow up. These tools save time and bring clarity to your search, without promising an interview or a job. Before writing the letter, check that your resume follows Canadian resume conventions and what screening software reads.

Sources

• Job Bank (opens in a new tab) — job postings and job search advice for Canada.
• Office québécois de la langue française (opens in a new tab) — Charter of the French language and terminology resources.
• Québec.ca (opens in a new tab) — government information on working in Quebec.
• Canadian Human Rights Commission (opens in a new tab) — prohibited grounds of discrimination to keep out of an application.
• Statistics Canada, The Daily, Jobs in Canada: Navigating changing local labour markets (opens in a new tab) — languages of work in Quebec and Montréal (2021 Census). Statistics Canada Open Licence.