A well-laid-out cover letter fits on a single page, uses one-inch margins, and follows a clean top-to-bottom structure: your contact header, the date, the employer’s address, a greeting, three to four paragraphs of body text, and a professional sign-off. The total length should stay under 400 words. Getting this layout right takes only a few minutes, but it signals professionalism before the hiring manager reads a single sentence.
The Contact Header
Your cover letter starts with your own contact information at the top of the page. Include your full name, mailing address, phone number, and email address, each on its own line. A fax number is outdated for most industries and can be dropped unless the job posting specifically requests one.
After your contact block, skip one line and write the full date (for example, “June 12, 2025”). Skip another line, then add the recipient’s information: the hiring manager’s name, their title if you know it, the company name, and the company address. If you cannot find the specific person’s name, use the department name or a title like “Hiring Manager.” This block-style header mirrors the format of a traditional business letter and immediately tells the reader who wrote it, when, and for whom.
Margins, Font, and Spacing
Set your margins to one inch on all four sides. If your letter runs slightly long and you need to reclaim space, you can shrink margins to about 0.7 inches, but keep them consistent on every side. Uneven margins look sloppy.
For font, stick with a standard, readable typeface like Times New Roman, Calibri, Garamond, or Arial in 10 to 12 point size. Twelve point is the safest default. Use single spacing within paragraphs and add one blank line between each paragraph. Left-align all of your text. Do not center paragraphs, justify text to both margins, or use decorative fonts. The goal is readability, not design flair.
Paragraph Structure
Think of the body as three distinct sections, each with its own job.
- Opening paragraph (2 to 3 sentences): Name the specific role you are applying for and where you found it. Include one sentence that previews why you are a strong fit. This paragraph hooks the reader and gives them context immediately.
- Middle paragraph(s) (the bulk of your letter): This is where you connect your experience, skills, or accomplishments to what the job posting asks for. Use one or two paragraphs here. Pull specific requirements from the posting and match them to concrete things you have done. Quantify results when you can, such as revenue figures, team sizes, or project outcomes.
- Closing paragraph (2 to 3 sentences): Restate your interest, mention that your resume is attached, and express enthusiasm for discussing the role further. Include a simple thank-you for the reader’s time.
Keeping the total under 400 words forces you to be specific rather than vague. Every sentence should either show a qualification or advance your case for an interview.
The Greeting and Sign-Off
After the employer’s address block, skip a line and write your salutation. “Dear [First Name] [Last Name]” or “Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name]” both work. When you genuinely cannot identify the recipient, “Dear Hiring Manager” is a neutral fallback. Avoid “To Whom It May Concern,” which reads as impersonal.
At the bottom, skip a line after your final paragraph and write “Sincerely,” followed by your typed full name. If you are printing and mailing a physical letter, leave three or four blank lines between “Sincerely” and your name so you have room for a handwritten signature. For digital submissions, no extra space is needed.
Formatting for Email Submissions
When a job posting asks you to email your application, the cover letter often goes directly into the body of the email rather than as an attachment. This changes the layout in a few important ways.
Drop the formal header block (your address, the date, and the employer’s address). Instead, put the job title in the subject line so the recipient can file it immediately. Align all text to the left. Do not use bold, italics, underlining, indentation, or any special formatting. Most email clients strip or distort these elements, and the result looks messy on the other end. Use a plain 12-point font like Times New Roman or a clean sans-serif alternative. Separate paragraphs with a blank line since you will not be indenting. End with your name, phone number, and email address as a simple text signature.
If the posting asks for an attached cover letter instead, save it as a PDF. PDFs lock your formatting in place so the document looks identical on every screen. Name the file clearly: “FirstName_LastName_CoverLetter.pdf.”
Making Your Layout ATS-Friendly
Many companies route applications through an applicant tracking system (ATS), software that scans and parses your documents before a human ever sees them. A creative layout can actually work against you here. Tables, text boxes, columns, graphics, icons, and images are all elements that ATS software may distort, ignore, or read in the wrong order. A two-column design, for instance, might cause your sentences to scramble when the system tries to read left to right across both columns.
Stick with a single-column, top-to-bottom layout with no visual embellishments. Use standard section breaks (a blank line between paragraphs) rather than horizontal rules or decorative dividers. If you are working from a template in a word processor, open it and check whether it uses hidden text boxes or tables to position elements. If it does, rebuild the letter as plain formatted text. The safest cover letter for ATS is also the simplest one to read: clean text, logical order, no design tricks.
Quick Layout Checklist
- Page count: One page only
- Margins: One inch on all sides (0.7 inch minimum)
- Font: Times New Roman, Calibri, Garamond, or Arial, 10 to 12 point
- Alignment: Left-aligned throughout
- Spacing: Single-spaced with a blank line between paragraphs
- Word count: Under 400 words
- File format: PDF when attaching, plain text when pasting into an email
- Design elements: None (no tables, columns, graphics, or text boxes)