The cover letter format you choose should highlight your skills and abilities, be easy to read, and provide information that helps establish you as an attractive potential employee. You should typically think of your cover letter as having two basic components: the header, which includes your contact information and the contact information for the person and company you are trying to reach, and the body, that includes the information you are presenting in your cover letter. The cover letter format you choose should also function well with your résumé, and you can mimic the format you use for your résumé if possible.
Cover letter format simply refers to the basic layout and way in which a cover letter appears visually. Your cover letter is likely to be the first thing a potential employer sees, so it should make a strong first impression and persuade a reader to look at your résumé. This often begins with the header to your cover letter. The simplest cover letter format you might consider begins with your contact information at the top of the cover letter, often in the same format as the contact information on your résumé.
You should follow this with the contact information for the employer you are contacting. This not only ensures you have reached the correct location with your cover letter, but also indicates to the reader that you actually know who you are contacting. This employer contact information at the top of the cover letter also leads into the second element of your cover letter format: the body.
The body of a cover letter typically consists of three basic elements, which are the salutation, the actual body text, and your closure. This basic cover letter format has a clean and professional appearance, is easy to read, and provides the reader with your information in an effective way. The salutation should address a specific person whenever possible, such as “Dear Ms. X” or “Dear Mr. X;” this may require some research on your part, but it is well worth the effort. When using this cover letter format, if you cannot determine the name of a hiring manager, then you should address your letter to “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Human Resources Manager,” rather than “To Whom it May Concern.”
You should follow your salutation with the actual body text of your cover letter. To maintain a clean cover letter format, you should break your body section up into three or four fairly brief paragraphs. The cover letter is only a single page, but it should make the reader want to know more about you.
This body section is where you should point out skills and experience you may have that are applicable to the position you are inquiring about. You should not merely repeat your résumé, but present an overview that will make someone want to read your résumé that is with the cover letter. Your cover letter should conclude with a closure or close.
The last paragraph of the body itself should thank the person for his time and indicate how you plan on contacting him in the future. An effective cover letter typically includes a polite close, such as “Sincerely.” You should then type your name, leaving space to sign between the close and your typed name if you will be mailing a physical copy of the cover letter.
