The Ultimate Cover Letter Format & Structure Guide (+ Examples)

A cover letter (or sometimes also referred to as a “letter of motivation” or “job application letter”) is a formal document sent along with your resume/CV for a job application. It provides additional information besides what is written in your resume with an aim to express yourself further in a more personal way. 

Recruiters can tell a lot about you from your cover letter. Aside from the information that you disclose through the content of your cover letter, recruiters can also infer your soft skills, such as how attentive to detail you are, how good you are at communicating through written language, and more through how you format your cover letter.

This article will guide you through how to format a cover letter properly and provide you with cover letter layout examples.

A cover letter is a letter accompanying your resume or CV when you apply for a job, as a tool to promote or market yourself through written communication to the recruiter before you meet them face-to-face.  There is a general cover letter format for job applications that you can always follow and never go wrong with, but it is still important to keep in mind that different employers might have different specific requirements for applications. So, you have to make sure to read the job posting carefully.

Depending on the requirements and medium you use to send it, you will need different cover letter formats. 

Based on the situation and requirements of the employer, you can decide which cover letter format to go with, such as: 

• Email cover letter format: Cover letters are written as the email content when sending an application via email.
• Digital cover letter format or electronic cover letter format: Cover letters are saved as a doc or pdf file and sent as an email attachment. 
• Printed cover letter format: Cover letters are printed out as a hard copy along with a printed resume to a mailing address.

Recruiters usually will read your cover letter before your resume. Therefore, it is important to create a good first impression with a properly written cover letter format. In this part, we will show you what elements should be included in a proper cover letter format.

The date is a small aspect of the cover letter header format, and yet requires as much attention as others. 

The correct way to format is: [Month] [Day], [Year]

For printed/digital cover letter formats, both the sender’s and receiver’s contact information is usually placed at the top in the cover letter header. But, if you are writing an email cover letter, you can include your contact information at the bottom of the letter with your signature and name. No matter what, make sure you use a professional email and provide accurate information. 

You should directly address the person who will be going through your application for this position. They could be the hiring manager or the Head of the Department where the vacancy is from. 

How to write a salutation may vary depending on the cover letter style. “Dear”, “Hello” are the safest greetings that you can go with. They sound friendly yet still maintain a professional tone.

The goal of the opening paragraph is to explain to the reader who you are and why you're writing this letter. 

Think of it as the first introduction about yourself that will grab the hiring manager’s attention right away and stand out from the crowd. If written boringly, they may never even get to the second paragraph, and you don’t want that.

Here comes the most important section in the cover letter format for job applications. 

In this part, you need to explain why you think you're qualified for the role, in terms of expertise, work experience, and skills. You're selling your candidacy to the reader, so it's important to be as specific and concise as possible. 

Below are some tips when formatting your cover letter’s body paragraph:

• Avoid only repeating the information that’s already mentioned in your resume. 
• Make strong connections between your qualifications and the job requirements. 
• Use several shorter paragraphs or bullet points instead of one large block of text.

In the final paragraph of your cover letter, you should focus on the value you can bring to the organization.

What’s more, making a statement about how thrilled you’ll be to be a part of the team will also show your interest in the position. Besides that, don't forget to express your appreciation for the hiring manager's time and consideration. 

Now it's time to finish with a professional sign-off. 

You can simply end your cover letter with a formal complimentary closing, followed with your signature.

Since you're writing a formal document, avoid using casual language and tone like “Yours truly", “With love,” or "Take care".

For an email/digital cover letter format, you may need to put your contact info below your signature. For a printed cover letter format, make sure your signature is handwritten.

Below are 5 elements that should be kept in mind for a good cover letter format. 

🖋 Font

Similar to writing a CV or resume, it's best to keep your cover letter font professional. 

As for your cover letter font format, you should adopt no larger than a 12-point font and no smaller than a 10.5-point font. 

🖋 Spacing

Good spacing is essential for a standard cover letter format. Proper white spaces will make it easier for employers to grab key information. Also, the cover letter layout will look neat and well-arranged. 

🖋 Margins & Alignment

Align your text to the left and use standard 1”-1.5” margins for all four sides. However, feel free to adjust the cover letter margins if you’re running out of space.

🖋 Cover letter full block format

There are three types of formats for how letters are typically written on paper, which are block, modified block, and semi-block format.

Most readers and job applicants prefer a cover letter in full block format since it’s most easy-to-read and looks neat. Doing this is very simple. All you need to do is put all elements of the letter aligned to the left margin of the page and all paragraphs are separated by a double line space to create a full block cover letter format.

🖋 Cover letter length

Your cover letter should range from a half-page to one full page, typically between 250-400 words. This way, you can keep it concise and informative at the same time. 

Now that you already know what a cover letter format for job applications looks like, let’s check out a formal cover letter example for a graphic designer position.

--- Originally written by May Luong ---