Cover letter format: what goes where
A cover letter is a one-page business letter. Header with your contact details, the date, a greeting, three to five short paragraphs, a sign-off. The format is not where you win; it is where you avoid losing.
Layout, top to bottom
| Block | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Header | Your name, phone, email, city, LinkedIn or portfolio if relevant. Same header as your resume so the two documents match. |
| Date | Optional in email; include it in a PDF. |
| Greeting | "Dear Ms. Alvarez," if you have a name. "Dear Hiring Manager," if not. |
| Opening | Job title and your strongest matching fact. Two sentences. |
| Body | Two proof paragraphs and one employer paragraph. Each 3-5 sentences. |
| Close | Thanks plus a plain ask. Two sentences. |
| Sign-off | "Sincerely," then your name. Contact line under it if the header is missing. |
Length, font, margins
- 230-330 words. One page with white space left.
- Any plain font at 11-12 pt: Calibri, Arial, Georgia, Times New Roman. Match the resume.
- Margins 1 inch (2.5 cm). Single spacing, one blank line between paragraphs, no indents.
- Left-aligned. No columns, tables, icons, photos, or colored bars; applicant tracking systems read text.
File format and name
PDF unless asked for Word. Name it Firstname-Lastname-Cover-Letter.pdf. If you paste the letter into the body of an email, drop the header and date and put your contact line under your name.
Copy-paste template
[Your name] [City, State] · [Phone] · [Email] · [LinkedIn] [Date] Dear [Name or Hiring Manager], I am applying for the [job title] position at [company]. [Strongest matching fact, with a number.] [Proof story 1 with result.] [Proof story 2 with result.] [Something specific about the company and what you would do with it.] Thank you for your time. [Plain ask.] Sincerely, [Your name]
Skip the template
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