Cover Letter Layout: Example and 20+ Rules

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:

• The basic rules of how to layout a cover letter.
• Cover letter layout examples.

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.

Create your cover letter now

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.

How to Lay Out a Cover Letter

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:

Cover Letter Layout and Formatting Tips

• Use standard business letter-spacing: 1 or 1.15.
• Left-align all contents. Again, this is a standard business letter layout.
• Don’t use text justification.
• Set one-inch cover letter margins on all sides.
• Use a simple, easy-to-read cover letter font, like Comic Sans. Just kidding! Arial, Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Cambria, or Times New Roman are best.
• Stick to 11 or 12pt font size.
• Add double spacing between paragraphs.
• Include your full name, job title (optional), home address (optional), phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile in your cover letter header.
• Remember to use a cover letter template design that matches your resume template.
• Save your cover letter as a PDF to avoid messed-up formatting, unless instructed otherwise.
• Give a professional name to your cover letter file title.

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.

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.

Create my resume now

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.