Layout is just for publishers and web designers, right?
Wrong.
Hiring managers spend only seconds reading cover letters and resumes. If your cover letter layout isn’t easy to follow, your job application’s gone, along with your chances of getting the job.
Get this right and you’ve got that base covered.
This guide will show you:
First, here’s a perfect cover letter layout example created with our builder.
Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. Choose from 20+ professional cover letter templates that match your resume. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.
Sample cover letter made with our builder—See more cover letter templates and create your cover letter here.
If you’re looking for detailed advice on what to include in a cover letter, try: What Should a Cover Letter Include: Examples and Tips
Now take a look at how to make your cover letter layout look that good.
A proper set-up of words on a page is called layout. It includes headings, space, and typeface. As a standard business letter, a cover letter needs to be formatted the right way.
Proper spacing is key. It’s important to add space between the header, greeting, each paragraph, closing, and signature. White space is eyeball friendly and frames your job-winning content. Follow these tips to ensure a professional cover letter layout:
Here’s a job-winning cover letter layout template. Use it to structure your own cover letter or try our cover letter builder which will lay your cover letter out for you.
Cyrus Johnson
Business Analyst
1721 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL, 60647
224-555-5555
zety_cyrusjohnson@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/zety_cyrusjohnson
Chicago, 10/18/2019
Dane De Luca
HR Manager
Vermillion Inc.
2116 W 95th St
Chicago, IL, 60643
Dear Dane,
I have attached my resume for the position of business analyst. My professional achievements include saving $1M in costs by choosing a new cloud data warehouse solution. This was enabled by my superior negotiation skills, expertise in effective procurement and ability to identify cost savings.
As a business analyst at Vantech, I leveraged a new procurement business process to ensure consistency across all teams leading to a saving of 500 man-hours equivalent to $100,000. This consistent approach was the first of its kind in the company. I also consolidated 3 legacy CRM systems into a single modern iteration reducing data retrieval times by 50% and customer response times by 40%.
Getting on board with Vermillion as it rapidly scales its operations is an amazing opportunity for me to do what I do best, increasing efficiency in business processes and implementing value-rich changes to the organization.
Let’s arrange a quick chat to discuss how my ability to translate stakeholder needs into development goals can help Vermillion at this crucial time.
Sincerely,
Cyrus Johnson
P.S. It’d also be a great chance to discuss how my dedication to clear data visualization has improved communication between stakeholders and development teams.
Pro Tip: If you’re writing a physical copy of your cover letter, add a handwritten signature between the complimentary closing and your name.
And that’s how you lay a cover letter out the right way!
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
For a full breakdown of how to write a cover letter for a job, check out our guide: How to Write a Cover Letter
Want to see cover letter examples for every profession? We’ve got that covered, too: Best Cover Letter Examples for All Careers
Still not sure how to leverage your cover letter layout? Fire away with your questions in the comments section below so we can help. Thanks for reading.
Applying for a job via email? You need a perfect email cover letter (No, copy-pasting your regular cover letter will NOT do.) Check out this guide to see an email cover letter sample that gets jobs. Plus, you’ll get an email cover letter template you can adjust and use, tons of expert advice, and actionable cover letter tips.
How to write a general cover letter? Copy our sample generic cover letter template, adjust and use it to land an interview. Read more!
Not sure what a cover should look like? Confused by all the contrasting guidelines? Here’s an article that will straighten out all your queries once and for all.
