10 min read
How to Format a Good Cover Letter?
Your cover letter is your chance to shine, showcasing your interest in the job, your past wins, and why you're a perfect fit for the company. It's not just about what you say, but how you say it.
Updated May 21, 2024
How to Format a Good Cover Letter?One of the main documents needed for applying for jobs is a cover letter, where you share your interest in the position, a short brief of your experiences and achievements, and how you can contribute to the company.
Cover letter has an important role and you need to pay attention when creating it. So, how to create one? How to define a good cover letter format?
In this article, we will share the cover letter format that you can use to create a cover letter.
▶ Read More: 8 Steps to Land Your Dream Remote Job
What is a good cover letter?
Based on Career.io, a good cover letter mentions your:
- Interest in the role
- Your positive impact in previous roles
- Reasons why you want to work for the company.
To deliver those elements, the cover letter must be arranged on one page in a systematic arrangement: opening, core section, and closing with a call-to-action.
To shorten your time and energy, maybe you prefer to make one cover letter for all companies. Career.io said that you have to avoid this because generic cover letters are not as impactful as personalized ones.
Cover letter format
This format is a generic format that you can use for all of your cover letters. As mentioned above, you should also personalize the content according to each position and company that you applied.
Header
Contact details
Insert your contact details including your name, current location, phone number, email address, and any relevant links (LinkedIn URL, portfolio, etc).
For the location, you don’t have to add your full address. City and state are fine. If you plan to relocate soon, use the city and state where you will relocate.
Use a professional email address, for example, [email protected]. Indeed said that a professional email address is an email that is useful for any business purposes, conveying professionalism and trustworthiness.
If you have a LinkedIn profile or portfolio links, please insert them. You can choose which one is more relevant to the position you applied for.
Example:
Tony Fernandes
Houston, TX
(713) 978-2341
LinkedIn URL/Portfolio URL
Date
Add the date when you create the cover letter. The format is [month_day, year].
Example:
March 3, 2024
Hiring manager name
Make the cover letter more personalized by mentioning the hiring manager’s name, position, company, and company address.
What if I don’t know the hiring manager’s name? You can skip the name and position, just mention the company name and address.
Example:
Michael Martines
Hiring Manager
123 Agency
0000 Raleigh St, Houston, TX
Salutation/Greeting
Like in a conversation, start the letter with a greeting. Use “Dear [hiring manager’s name]” or “Dear [position title]”.
If you don’t know the hiring manager’s or any addressee's name, Indeed gives you some tips that you can consider to use:
- Avoid assuming the recipients' marital status or gender, like “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, or “Ms.”.
- Use "Dear" as the formal greeting for your cover letter.
- Only use greetings like "Hello" or “Hi” if you know the hiring manager personally.
Example:
Dear Michael Martines,
Dear Hiring Manager,
Opening paragraph
This paragraph's function is to introduce yourself, where you saw the job posting, your objective in creating this cover letter, and the position you applied for.
Since this is the first paragraph, you have to grab their attention by creating a hook. It is a crucial thing because every hiring manager receives many applications. If they read the first paragraph and are not interested, you can lose your chance.
Try to make the opening paragraph unique and professional so you’re cover letter can be more stand out in the middle of the competition.
If you are referred by someone who works in the company you applied for, don’t forget to mention his/her name in the opening.
Example:
My name is Tony Fernandes, and I am writing to express my genuine excitement about the Product Manager opportunity within 123 Agency. It was with great enthusiasm that I discovered this role on LinkedIn Jobs, and what truly piqued my interest was the recommendation from Alexandra Briana, a respected Software Engineer at your esteemed organization. With a passion for innovation and a proven track record in driving product success, I am eager to bring my expertise to 123 Agency and make a meaningful impact.
Middle paragraph
After you introduce yourself, it’s time for you to explain your relevant working and organizational experience to the job position. Make sure that you share your story by adding elements below that relate to the position:
- Key achievements
- Skills
- Expertise
You don’t have to list down all the achievements and skills that you have. Just pick one until three and provide measurable impacts (in numbers) as proof of what you mention.
To make it more personalized, identify the main keywords in the job description and look for the silver lining with your experience. Write it in this section, so the hiring manager will easier to understand your experiences.
Career.io recommends using bullet points to break down the information. This trick can improve the user experience, where the hiring manager can read the cover letter more comfortably and make your achievements stand out.
Example:
In my six years of experience working in the technology sector, I have had the privilege of contributing to the growth and success of two innovative companies, TechSolutions Inc. and Digital Dynamics. Throughout my tenure, I have gained invaluable insights into product management, honing my skills in market analysis, stakeholder engagement, and product lifecycle management.
During my time as a Product Manager, I spearheaded several initiatives that significantly impacted product performance and customer satisfaction:
- Implemented a user-centric design approach for our flagship product, resulting in a 20% increase in user engagement within the first quarter of launch.
- Led cross-functional teams in the successful development and launch of three new product features, surpassing revenue targets by 15%.
- Streamlined the product roadmap process, reducing time-to-market by 30% and enabling faster adaptation to market trends and customer feedback.
Closing paragraph
Before ending the letter, you are allowed to express again your intention and other key achievements.
Other than that, if you have anything to clarify related to your application, write it in this section. For example, you are available to be relocated based on the company policy.
If you do a career pivot, tell them your story in short. Mention your transferable skills, related experience, and courses that you completed.
Example:
These achievements underscore my ability to drive strategic initiatives, collaborate effectively across teams, and deliver tangible results. I am confident that my experiences and accomplishments align well with the requirements of the Product Manager role at 123 Agency, and I am eager to bring my passion and expertise to your team.
Sign off and signature
Close the letter with a brief conclusion and highlight what skills you look for in the position that can help your career growth.
Don’t forget to thank the hiring manager for the time to review your application. Encourage the hiring manager to contact and discuss your application by adding a call to action.
Finally, end your cover letter with a signature or just your name. Indeed shared you should avoid using casual words like “Yours Truly”, “Cheers”, and “Warm Regards”. Several alternatives that you can use for the closing are:
- Thank you for your consideration
- Respectfully
- Thank you
- Best
- Sincerely
- Regards
Example:
In conclusion, I am genuinely enthusiastic about the opportunity to join 123 Agency as a Product Manager and contribute to the continued success and innovation of your organization. With a strong foundation in product management and a proven track record of delivering results, I am confident in my ability to make a meaningful impact in this role.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of discussing how my skills and experiences align with the needs of your team in greater detail.
Regards,
Tony Fernandes
Tips for your cover letter format
These tips below will help you make your cover letter more perfect and increase the experience of reading.
Amount of page
Try to make the cover letter into one page and three paragraphs only. The shorter the better. The hiring manager doesn’t have much time to read your cover letter. So, make sure your cover letter includes all the relevant information related to the position you applied for and manage it to be interesting.
Font
Use simple fonts like Arial, Verdana, or Calibri with font sizes 10-point to 12-point for easy reading and professionalism.
Avoid using fancy fonts as it not show professionalism and might not be compatible with the applicant tracking system (ATS). Make sure the font type and size are the same as the font type and size in your resume to show consistency.
Spacing
Spacing has a crucial role when it comes to the readability of a letter. It will make the readers read and understand the writer's intention in a short time. For the cover letter, use single spacing and add a space between paragraphs.
Margin and alignments
Align the cover letter to the left with standard 1-inch margins on all sides. If your cover letter is long until the second page and cannot be trimmed, adjust the margins to ¾-inch or ½-inch.
File format
Export your cover letter to PDF, docx, or doc format since you will send it through an email attachment or upload it to the company websites. Those formats are also compatible with the ATS tool and easier to parse.
Adjust the file name with format [First Name_Last Name_Cover Letter_Position] to help the hiring manager easier to look for your file on their computer.
Cover letter samples
Product Manager
Tony Fernandes
Houston, TX
(713) 978-2341
LinkedIn URL
March 3, 2024
Michael Martines
Hiring Manager
123 Agency
0000 Raleigh St, Houston, TX
Dear Michael Martines,
My name is Tony Fernandes, and I am writing to express my genuine excitement about the Product Manager opportunity within 123 Agency. It was with great enthusiasm that I discovered this role on LinkedIn Jobs, and what truly piqued my interest was the recommendation from Alexandra Briana, a respected Software Engineer at your esteemed organization. With a passion for innovation and a proven track record in driving product success, I am eager to bring my expertise to 123 Agency and make a meaningful impact.
In my six years of experience working in the technology sector, I have had the privilege of contributing to the growth and success of two innovative companies, TechSolutions Inc. and Digital Dynamics. Throughout my tenure, I have gained invaluable insights into product management, honing my skills in market analysis, stakeholder engagement, and product lifecycle management.
During my time as a Product Manager, I spearheaded several initiatives that significantly impacted product performance and customer satisfaction:
- Implemented a user-centric design approach for our flagship product, resulting in a 20% increase in user engagement within the first quarter of launch.
- Led cross-functional teams in the successful development and launch of three new product features, surpassing revenue targets by 15%.
- Streamlined the product roadmap process, reducing time-to-market by 30% and enabling faster adaptation to market trends and customer feedback.
These achievements underscore my ability to drive strategic initiatives, collaborate effectively across teams, and deliver tangible results. I am confident that my experiences and accomplishments align well with the requirements of the Product Manager role at 123 Agency, and I am eager to bring my passion and expertise to your team.
In conclusion, I am genuinely enthusiastic about the opportunity to join 123 Agency as a Product Manager and contribute to the continued success and innovation of your organization. With a strong foundation in product management and a proven track record of delivering results, I am confident in my ability to make a meaningful impact in this role.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of discussing how my skills and experiences align with the needs of your team in greater detail.
Regards,
Tony Fernandes
Content Marketing
Justin Elliot
San Francisco, CA
+1 416-644-1985
Portfolio URL
March 15, 2024
Sophie Allen
Hiring Manager
Eat.inc
502 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA
Dear Sophie,
I am writing to express my interest in the Content Marketing Lead position at Eat.inc, as advertised in Indeed. With a strong background in content marketing strategy, combined with demonstrated leadership skills, I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of Eat.inc's marketing team.
In my previous role as a Content Marketing Manager at XYZ Company, I led a team of content creators and strategists to develop and execute impactful content campaigns that drove brand awareness and engagement. Here are some of my key achievements:
- Successfully spearheaded a content rebranding initiative, resulting in a 40% increase in organic website traffic within six months.
- Led a cross-functional project to launch a new content series, collaborating with product development, design, and sales teams to ensure alignment with business goals and customer needs.
- Implemented regular one-on-one meetings and skills development workshops, resulting in a 25% increase in employee satisfaction and productivity.
I am impressed by Eat.inc's innovative approach to food delivery and its commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences. I am eager to bring my passion for content marketing and leadership expertise to your team, driving impactful marketing initiatives that resonate with Eat.inc's audience and contribute to its continued success.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how my skills and experiences align with the needs of Eat.inc's marketing team.
Sincerely,
Justin Elliot
There you go! The most important thing in a good cover letter is both the content and the tidiness of the format.
The recruiter will be comfortable reading your story and you have a chance to pass on to the next step. Good luck!
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