Professional Cover Letter Format Guide

Master the art of cover letter formatting with our comprehensive guide. Learn the professional business letter format that hiring managers expect and get your applications noticed.

Standard Cover Letter Format

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]
[Your Email]
[Your Phone Number]

[Date]

[Hiring Manager's Name]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]

Dear [Hiring Manager's Name],

[Opening Paragraph - Why you're writing and what position]

[Body Paragraph 1 - Your relevant experience and achievements]

[Body Paragraph 2 - Why you want to work for this company]

[Closing Paragraph - Call to action and thank you]

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Formatting Guidelines

• Use 11-12 point professional fonts
• Keep 1-inch margins on all sides
• Single-space within paragraphs
• Double-space between sections
• Limit to one page maximum
• Save as PDF to preserve formatting

Length & Structure

• 3-4 paragraphs total
• 250-400 words maximum
• Opening: 2-3 sentences
• Body: 1-2 paragraphs
• Closing: 2-3 sentences
• Professional signature

Email Cover Letter Format

When sending via email, the format is slightly different. Your contact info goes in your email signature, and the subject line becomes crucial.

Subject: Application for [Position Title] - [Your Name]

Dear [Hiring Manager's Name],

[Your cover letter content here...]

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Common Formatting Mistakes to Avoid

Font & Spacing Issues:

• Using fancy or hard-to-read fonts
• Inconsistent font sizes
• Too much or too little white space
• Uneven margins

Structure Problems:

• Missing contact information
• Wrong date format
• Informal greetings or closings
• Exceeding one page length

Skip the Formatting Hassle

Why worry about formatting when you can focus on content? Our AI handles perfect formatting automatically while creating personalized cover letters that get results.

Download Proposaic - Available on iOS and Android