Resume & Cover Letter Formatting
3. Modern Cover Letter Formatting
Table of Contents
Resume and Cover Letter Formatting
- Modern Resume Formatting
- Resume Sections Explained
- Modern Cover Letter Formatting
- Action Verbs
- AI Prompts for Stronger Applications
Sector Specific Resumes
Some job postings require a cover letter, but even if it’s not required, a cover letter can be a great asset to go beyond the information in your resume to make a case directly to the hiring manager with why you’re a good fit for this role and organization.
A good cover letter is:
- A complement, not a summary of your resume
- Targeted at the specific position and company
- Includes reasons why you’re interested in this organization, not just the role
- Clearly shows the value you can bring to the role and organization
- Engaging to read
- Follows standard business letter layout and looks consistent with your resume for professional branding
You can also include information in your cover letter that doesn’t fit in your resume but is important for you to provide, such as preferred location (if multiple locations exist), possibility of relocating, explaining gaps in your employment history, or even including the name of an internal person referring you to the company or role.
A note on using AI
While you may find these tools helpful for brainstorming ideas of what to write about or how to say something, make sure the cover letter still sounds like you. When your authentic voice can be heard in a cover letter, it reads better to the recruiter and doesn’t raise red flags if you sound like a completely different person in the interview.
Tools that help with grammar and spelling, or having someone else read your letter to check for these common issues, will help you avoid being rejected outright due to errors that could be easily avoided.
HOT TIP: Read your cover letter out loud to try to catch typos and grammar issues like awkward sentence structure – we process information differently with our eyes and our ears, so this may be all you need to fix potential issues.
Cover Letter Layout
- Use a business letter format, one page in length, left-aligned, same font size and style as your resume, single-spaced text, double-spaced between sections
- Use the same contact information layout and style as your resume (should look like a template letterhead for professional branding consistency)
What to include in a cover letter:
Opening Paragraph: Why are you writing? Why them?
- Engage the reader. Grab their attention.
- Standard openings like “I’m writing to apply for the position…” are ok but not original. Consider starting with something about the employer instead and adding the action step at the end of the paragraph, or starting with something creative and memorable to invite them to read further.
- This is a good place to show existing connections with the employer. If you have a networking contact, referral, or have met with the company through an event, give this information (with permission if including a specific person’s name) to show the recommendation or existing connection.
- What do you like about this organization? Why are you choosing to apply with them?
- Do your research. Look at their mission, vision, or value statements and find something that aligns with you. Talk about their reputation, things you know and like about their company culture, and how these align with you and how you work best.
- Be specific with why this matters to you. Don’t make it look like you just did a copy and paste from something you found on their website – connect with why you like this about them.
- Be genuine. Even if you’re just applying because you need a job, take a minute to find something you like, so your letter reads authentically. This is a precursor to the “Why do you want to work here?” question you might get asked in an interview.
Middle Paragraph(s): Why you?
- Specific example(s) or bullets of how you meet their qualifications
- Share a story that proves the key skills. Think about the “heart of the job” or the “purpose of the job” to identify where to focus your examples.
- Use a structure like STAR (Situation Task Action Result) to show your skills in action, where they speak for themselves, and a clear result showing you did these things well.
- HOT TIP: Start with a lead-in statement that tells the reader what you’re going to highlight before you start your story to prime their brain to look for evidence of that skill in the actual story.
- How will you help the organization? Demonstrate your knowledge of the company and their needs, linking your abilities with its requirements.
- What sets you apart from other candidates? Highlight your strongest qualifications, demonstrating how these qualifications will benefit the employer.
- Make sure to avoid summarizing your resume experiences or using vague statements about your skills and qualifications, as these don’t add value to your application. Be specific and engaging.
Closing Paragraph: Recap and next steps
- Recap your fit and tie together your “why them” and “why you” without repeating it word for word.
- Thank the employer for their consideration.
- Set the expectation of next steps, including why you are looking forward to speaking further about this opportunity. Be confident but not pushy.
- Close the letter in a professional manner. End with a sign-off such as “Sincerely,” “Yours truly,” or” Warm regards,” followed by your signature and name.
- Signature block: Sign your document by inserting an image of your signature or an e-signature to polish off your letter. Type out your full name below your signature.
