Standard Business Cover Letter Format

Developing a cover letter is an art. A well-written letter should follow a format that is visually appealing and balanced. Using a layout that achieves these goals will improve the readability and clarity of your cover letter. More importantly, it will increase the chance that a recruiter will review your resume and invite you to come in for an interview.

A cover letter should follow the format that has been established for professional business letters. This standardized cover letter format includes the following elements:

Your contact information (either on a letterhead or typed at the top of the letter)
Date
Recipient's address
Greeting (followed by a colon : and not a comma ,)
Body (including opening and closing paragraphs)
Complimentary closing (followed by a comma ,)
Your signature
Typed name
Enclosure line (if you are including a resume)

When writing your letter, it is important to consider how it will appear when it is printed. Don’t bunch everything in your letter at the top of the page. Add spaces between the address lines and date to push the body of your letter into the center of the page. Balance the white space (area of paper with no text) to improve the readability of your letter.

This cover letter format has been tested over time and found to be the most effective format for job seekers. The most difficult section of your cover letter to complete will be the body. Effective opening and closing paragraphs are essential. When you download the cover letter package from Perfect Cover Letters you will receive over 150 sample cover letters to assist you with completing your job application. These samples will give you plenty of ideas for what you should include in your cover letter.

Our cover letter package includes over 150 sample cover letters.

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