
Do I Need a Cover Letter? Are Cover Letters Necessary in 2021
Do I need a cover letter? Is it important? What if the job offer doesn’t require a cover letter? Read this guide to find out all you need to know.
Creating the perfect cover letter header is easy. Actually, there are only two rules you need to follow. Here’s where you’ll learn them & see ready-to-use examples.
The heading of your cover letter might seem like such an irrelevant detail.
After all, it’s the main body that matters, isn’t it?
Sure, but—
(And it’s a huge but!)
The cover letter header is the first thing a hiring manager sees.
Mess it up and it will make your whole application look sloppy and unprofessional. And yourself—unfamiliar with the business etiquette.
That, for most jobs, is a dealbreaker. But don’t worry.
Using the proper cover letter header format is very easy. You’ll learn everything you need to know from this guide. But before we move on, consider this—
One way to step up your cover letter game is to match your cover letter to your resume. Here’s an example of a matching set made using our cover letter templates:
Sample cover letter and resume with matching headers made with our builder. Pick a template and write your cover letter here.
Wondering how to create an email cover letter heading? The rules are slightly different. Find out more: Email Cover Letter: Proper Formatting (Examples)
To learn about the formatting of your whole cover letter, see: The Only Good Way to Format a Cover Letter
Actually, all you need to know is this—
You can write your name in a larger font than the rest of the cover letter contents.
Your contact details can be left-aligned, center-aligned, written in two columns, or in a single line, one next to the other.
There are no strict rules here, but take some time to make your header well-balanced and legible.
See these examples for reference:
If you don’t feel too confident about your typographic skills, simply left-align all the contents of your cover letter header. You can copy and paste this template and fill it in with your info.
[Full Name]
[99 Street Name, Apartment Number]
[Town, ZIP Code]
[999-999-9999]
[your.email@address.com]
[linkedin.com/in/yourprofileurl]
All that comes below is not part of your header.
The rest of the contents at the top of your cover letter should be left-aligned and written in the same typeface and font size as the main body.
That includes all details that should appear right below the cover letter header:
See this full example of the top of a cover letter page for reference:
John Applicant
Customer Service Representative
135 Peonia Drive, Apt. 12
Anytown, CA 92505
521-215-9331
john.applicant@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/johnapplicant
Anytown, June 29, 2019
[any necessary space to make the page well-balanced and organized]
Ms. Anna Smith
Head of Customer Service
XYZ Corp.
199 Rose Street, Suite 132
Anytown, CA 94591
Dear Ms. Smith:
And finally, the second rule—
Yes.
The heading of your cover letter should match the heading of your resume. Use the same setup, fonts, and margins. It shows your professionalism and attention to detail.
Plus, if the hiring manager prints out multiple cover letters and resumes and they get disorganized, it will be easy to spot your documents—you’re guaranteed bonus points in such case.
Speaking of resumes, no matter how great your cover letter, you still need a pitch-perfect resume. Learn how to write one from our resume 101: How to Write a Resume for Any Job
Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.
Sample resume made with our builder—See more templates and create your resume here.
There are just two things you need to remember about the cover letter header:
If you have any more questions, drop me a line in the comments, I’ll get back to you straight away!
Do I need a cover letter? Is it important? What if the job offer doesn’t require a cover letter? Read this guide to find out all you need to know.
Writer’s block got you staring at your blank screen? It’s not as hard as you think to start a cover letter that will blow the hiring manager away—this guide shows you how.
How to write a general cover letter? Copy our sample generic cover letter template, adjust and use it to land an interview. Read more!