How to Write an Application Letter + Template
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An application letter makes your case for one job in your own words, and a good one gets your CV read instead of skipped. This page shows you how to write it, gives you a full-block template you can copy, and includes a complete filled example. The same template downloads as a .docx, with no signup and no email address asked for.
Across Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, India, and the Philippines this document is the application letter, and it runs formal: your address at the top, an "RE:" line naming the post, a "Yours faithfully" close. In the United States and Canada the same document is a cover letter, a little less formal. This guide uses the Commonwealth format; the differences are small and the example below works in either market with minor edits.
Application letter or cover letter?
Same job, two names, and a difference in register. A cover letter, the US term, opens with "Dear Ms. Lee" and closes "Sincerely." An application letter, the Commonwealth term, often carries an "RE:" subject line in capitals, keeps a formal tone throughout, and closes "Yours faithfully" when you have not named the reader. If the advert says "application letter," use the format on this page. If it says "cover letter," soften the register slightly and drop the RE: line.
The format: full block with an RE: line
Application letters use full-block format, so every line starts at the left margin. From the top: your name and contact details, the date, the recipient's name and organization, an "RE:" line stating the position, the salutation, three short paragraphs, and a formal close above your signature. Keep it to one page. Use "Yours faithfully" if you did not name a person and "Yours sincerely" if you did.
Blank letter to fill in
Type over the prompts and delete the brackets with them. The RE: line is the one people leave out, and it is what gets your letter filed against the vacancy you are actually applying for rather than a general pile.
[P.O. Box / Street Address]
[City, Country]
[Email] | [Phone]
[Date]
[Recipient Name, or "The Human Resource Manager"]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
RE: APPLICATION FOR THE POSITION OF [JOB TITLE]
Dear [Name / Hiring Manager],
[Paragraph 1: the position, where you saw it advertised, and one line on why you fit.]
[Paragraph 2: your relevant experience with one concrete result, and one specific reason you want this company.]
[Paragraph 3: say your CV is enclosed, that you can provide references, and your availability for an interview and notice period.]
Yours faithfully, (use "Yours sincerely" if you addressed a named person)
[Signature]
[Your Name]
A complete example
Wanjiru is applying for a sales supervisor role. Read the second paragraph: one number (a KSh 3 million target met for eight months), one specific thing she did, and one detail about the company she is writing to. That is what turns a form letter into an application.
P.O. Box 12345 - 00100
Nairobi, Kenya
wanjiru.kamau@example.com | +254 71 555 0139
15 September 2026
The Human Resource Manager
Nyeleti Retail Group
P.O. Box 21874 - 00505, Nairobi, Kenya
RE: APPLICATION FOR THE POSITION OF SALES SUPERVISOR
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am writing to apply for the Sales Supervisor position advertised on your website on 10 September. I am a sales professional with four years of experience in retail, and last year I led my branch to the highest quarterly sales in the region.
At Brightway Stores I manage a team of six against a monthly target of KSh 3 million, which we have met or exceeded for the past eight months. I rebuilt the shift roster to match staffing to peak hours, which cut queue times and lifted our customer feedback score. I noticed Nyeleti is opening three new branches this year, and I would bring the same focus on targets and team performance to your expansion.
I have enclosed my CV and can provide references on request. I am available for an interview at your convenience and can start on one month's notice. I will follow up next week to confirm you received this application.
Yours faithfully,
Wanjiru Kamau
Address it to a person
"To Whom It May Concern" and "Dear Sir/Madam" read as dated and lazy in 2026. Find the hiring manager's name in the advert, on the company website, or by calling reception. When you genuinely cannot find it, "Dear Hiring Manager" is professional and accepted. A named salutation pairs with "Yours sincerely"; an unnamed one pairs with "Yours faithfully."
What each paragraph does
- First: name the exact position and where you saw it, and give one line on why you fit. The reader should know in the first sentence what job this is about.
- Second: prove it. One relevant result with a number, and one specific reason you want this employer, not any employer. Name something the company is doing.
- Third: close the loop. Your CV is enclosed, references are available, you are available for an interview, and here is your notice period. A short follow-up line does no harm.
Sending it by email
Reuse your "RE:" line as the email subject: "Application for Sales Supervisor - Wanjiru Kamau." Paste a trimmed version above your signature and send the full letter and your CV as two attachments, each file named with your own name and the post. For the general rules on emailing a job letter, see the cover letter guide.
Country and sector notes
- Kenya. Name a recent project or a challenge the company faces rather than only its name, state your availability, and follow up about a week after applying. Recruiters read the follow-up as persistence.
- Nigeria. Established sectors (banking, oil and gas, government) reward formal, respectful phrasing and corporate hierarchy. Lagos and Abuja tech startups prefer a direct, results-first letter with a link to your work.
- Government and public-sector posts. Quote the advertisement or reference number in your RE: line and attach every document the notice lists. Public offices file letters against the vacancy number.
Entry-level, trade, and specific roles
Applying for your first job, an apprenticeship, or a trade role? Lead with your training and reliability, and name one thing you can already do. Applying to run a department? A manager application letter has to work out which kind of management job the advert is really describing, then lead with how many people and how much budget you hold. Applying to fly? A cabin crew application is screened on published physical criteria before anyone reads your writing, so the letter has a different job there. Applying to teach? The teacher application letter examples give you two complete letters, including one for a candidate with no experience. Pair whichever letter you write with a strong CV: start from the resume format guide. Applying through an employer portal for a finance role? The financial analyst application covers the form itself, since the fields you tick there screen you before the letter is opened. A marketing role turns on whether the number you lead with holds up, which the marketing manager letter works through. An HR application has the opposite problem to most: the best evidence is confidential, and the HR manager letter sets out how to give it anyway. In a sales role the letter is itself a work sample, which the account manager application takes as its starting point.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an application letter and a cover letter?
Same purpose, different name and register. "Application letter" is the South Asian, African and Philippine term and runs formal, with an RE: line and a "Yours faithfully" close. "Cover letter" is the US and Canadian term and is a little less formal. See cover letters for the US version.
How do I start an application letter?
With an "RE:" line naming the position, then a salutation, then a first sentence that states the job you want and where you saw it. Skip long wind-ups; the reader should know the job in the first line.
Who do I address it to if I do not know the name?
Use "Dear Hiring Manager." Avoid "To Whom It May Concern" and "Dear Sir/Madam," which read as dated. An unnamed salutation closes with "Yours faithfully."
How long should an application letter be?
One page, three short paragraphs. Enough to state the job, prove you fit it, and say how to reach you.
Should I handwrite or type an application letter?
Type it for almost every application. Some government and school posts in South Asia and Africa still ask for a handwritten letter; when the notice says so, follow it, and keep your handwriting clean and the format the same.
Sources
- MyJobMag and Kenyan and Nigerian career guides, application letter format and addressing conventions.
- Regional hiring norms for Kenya (follow-up, company-specific detail) and Nigeria (sector formality) as documented by local recruiting references, 2026.