About this template
The Elegant template is a poised cover letter in Playfair Display headers and Lato body. Generous margins, a single hairline rule under the salutation, no other ornament — restraint as the entire visual statement. Compatible with every ATS on the market (Workday, SuccessFactors, Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, Taleo, Cornerstone).
Who is it for?
It suits mid-to-senior candidates across most professional sectors who want a letter that reads as quietly confident. Marketing leads, HR business partners, account directors at advertising agencies (Ogilvy, BBDO, Wieden+Kennedy, AKQA), project managers and senior consultants who want elegance without committing to a specific aesthetic camp. The right default when hesitating between pure classic and neutral modern.
How to use it
The header in Playfair Display 24 pt for the name, 11 pt for contact details below. The body in Lato 11 pt, line spacing 1.4. The hairline rule under the salutation separates introduction from development. For a communications agency application, mention accounts worked while respecting confidentiality ("Luxury and tech accounts", no names if NDAs are active). For a corporate marketing application, list the KPIs piloted (NPS, CSAT, conversion rate, LTV, MAU/DAU ratio, retention curves). The signature line includes LinkedIn URL for the digital register.
Frequently asked questions
Why Playfair Display and Lato together?
Playfair (modern didone, marked contrasts) signals editorial authority; Lato (humanist sans-serif) keeps the body readable and neutral. The pair works on screen and in print. Both fonts are free and served by Google Fonts — no licensing risk. Fallback to Georgia for the headline and Open Sans for the body if either is unavailable.
Is it suitable for very senior applications (VP, Managing Director)?
For VP marketing or group communications director, yes. For pure C-level (CEO, COO, CFO), prefer letter-prof-c-suite or letter-prof-tier-one-bank which carry a more institutional register. Elegant is more at home on senior functional leadership where the role is influence, not formal authority.
Is it adapted to unsolicited applications?
Yes, one of its strengths. The quietly confident register reads as professional without aggression, which fits an unsolicited approach. Personalise paragraph 1 with a precise observation about the company and propose a six-month project in paragraph 3 — concrete value beats generic enthusiasm.
