Canadian Cover Letter Tips That Get You Noticed in 2026

Job vacancies are down from the post-pandemic peak, and in many fields, employers are seeing hundreds of applications for every job posting.

According to recent Statistics Canada data, Canada’s national job vacancy rate has been trending down in 2025. At the same time, the number of people applying to each job posting has increased.

We’re also now deep into the era of AI-generated resumes and cover letters. Recruiters report being flooded with cover letters that look polished, keyword-rich, and completely interchangeable. That combination has changed the game. It’s no longer enough to be “good.” You need to be noticeable.

This article is not about the basics of how to write a cover letter. If that’s what you’re looking for, check out our guide to writing a Canadian cover letter. This article is about how to make sure your cover letter actually gets read.

Why Standing Out Matters More Than Ever

Many Canadian employers now use applicant tracking systems, resume scanners, and AI-assisted filtering tools before a human ever sees your application. These are automated tools that scan your resume and cover letter to make sure you’ve mentioned the key qualifications and skills for the position.

At the same time, LinkedIn and Indeed report that a growing number of applicants are using AI tools to generate their resumes and cover letters. The result is a wave of applications that all look “technically correct,” but feel flat, generic, and forgettable.

So you now face two challenges at once:

1. Be readable by machines.
2. Be memorable to humans.

An even greater challenge: the strongest cover letters in 2025 do both things at once. Here’s how you can do it.

Strategy #1: Nail the Conventional Route First

Before you try to be creative, you need to survive the filter.

Most medium and large employers use ATS software to scan cover letters and resumes for relevance. That means keywords still matter, a lot. If the job description mentions “stakeholder management,” “CRM,” “Python,” or “Agile,” those exact terms should appear naturally in your resume, with the most important terms also appearing in your cover letter.

This does not mean copying and pasting the job description. It means translating your real experience into the same language the employer is using.

Don’t rely entirely on AI to write your cover letter or resume for you! Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini can help you brainstorm or structure ideas, but if you submit an untouched AI-generated letter, recruiters can tell. The tone is too smooth. The phrasing is too safe. And worst of all, you’re going to sound like everyone else.

If you use AI, treat it like a rough draft. Then rewrite it until it sounds unmistakably human. Your voice. Your experience. Your story.

Ensuring you nail the conventional keyword-focused approach is key for roles in government, engineering (and technical positions), finance, and regulated professions (healthcare, teachers, trades positions, etc.). In these fields, failing the keyword test can mean instant rejection, no matter how strong your experience is.

Strategy #2: Show Personality and Beat the AI Slop

Here’s the new reality heading into 2026. Hiring managers are receiving hundreds of cover letters that all check the boxes. They use the same structure, same phrasing, and same polite enthusiasm.

If you want to stand out, your cover letter has to feel like an actual person wrote it.

That does not mean being unprofessional. It means being specific and demonstrating personality. It means sounding like a real human with a point of view.

Of course, the amount of personality to show depends on your desired position. Certain professions seek employees with creative flair, so this strategy tends to work better for roles in marketing, communications, startups, design, hospitality, customer experience, and community organizations.

In these fields, showing who you are matters. A sentence or two that feel personal and specific can do more than three perfect generic paragraphs.

That said, not every role welcomes unconventional tone. If you’re applying for a senior engineering role or a highly regulated position, you need to stay within professional norms.

There’s also a line you shouldn’t cross regardless of the position: avoid gimmicks, jokes, and trying to be clever for the sake of it. The goal is to sound real, not self-centred.

What Canadian Hiring Managers Actually Look For

Canadian employers tend to value a few things very consistently in cover letters. You need to show you can communicate clearly without sounding arrogant (politeness is key in Canada). You have to give evidence to support claims made about your skills and achievements. And – you have to demonstrate you researched the role and the company.

A cover letter that simply lists achievements without context can feel self-centered. One that only talks about passion without results can feel shallow. The balance matters. If you want to better understand how these expectations work in Canada, check out our guide on Canadian workplace culture.

Formatting Matters More Than You Think

Okay, we’ve mentioned that you need to show a little personality in your cover letter. However, it’s important to still follow Canadian cover letter conventions. Breaking these conventions will cause most employers to skip right over your application.

A Canadian cover letter must be only a single page. It should be three or four short paragraphs. Make sure you use a simple font – if in doubt, Times New Roman is always a safe option. Don’t include graphics, photos, emojis, or colours. And – make sure you save your final version as a PDF and submit the PDF document with your application (this applies to your resume, too).

Follow those formatting rules and you’ll be good to go!

Yes, the job market is tighter than it was a few years ago. Yes, employers have more leverage. And yes, AI has made the average application far more generic. But that also means a well-written, human cover letter now stands out more than it used to. You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be real, targeted, and intentional. Don’t be afraid to show your personality – you’ve got this!

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