Why Professional Cover Letter Formatting matters

Posted by Nelson Resume on 27 Jul 2025

If you’re the process of applying for a job an impressive resume and cover letter are essential. But, having good content isn’t enough. The layout of the cover letter you send out is as important as the content itself. A badly formatted cover letter can make a bad impression on your hiring manager, while a well-formatted one will make you stand out among the competition. In this post, we’ll look at the rules and guidelines for the formatting of your cover letter, and then discuss why it could be beneficial to have an expert such as Nelson Resume handle the formatting for you.

Let’s start by discussing the essentials of cover letter formatting.

  1. Make sure you use a professional font. Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri are all good options. Beware of using too fancy or hard-to-read fonts.
  2. Do use a consistent layout. Use the same font size, and layout throughout the cover letter.
  3. Do include proper spacing. Choose single line or 1.15 line spacing and make sure you leave plenty of white space to make the text easier to understand.
  4. Include your contact details on the front of your letter. Include your address, name telephone number, address, and email.
  5. Make sure to personalize your letter. Use the hiring manager’s name If possible, and then tailor your letter to the position and company the job you’re interested in.

Let’s discuss the don’ts of cover letter design.

  1. Don’t make use of a template. Every cover letter should be unique and specific to the job you’re applying for and the company you’re applying for.
  2. Don’t go over one page. Keep the letter brief and straight to the essential.
  3. Do not use fancy formatting. Choose a simple, professional layout.
  4. Do not forget to proofread. Double-check for spelling and grammar mistakes before you send the letter.
  5. Make sure to acknowledge the letter.

While it’s important to be aware of the structure of your cover letter, it’s time-consuming and overwhelming to do it yourself. That’s why professional resume writing services like Nelson Resume comes in. Our team of specialists knows how to structure a cover letter that will make you stand out among the crowd. We’ll handle the formatting so that you can focus on the content in your cover letter.

In addition, our staff will help you to tailor your cover letter to fit the job and the company you’re applying to. Furthermore, we’ll check for grammar and spelling errors and make sure that your letter is concise in its writing and simple to understand.

In the end, a properly formatted cover letter will make all it’s worth in your career search. By following the do’s and do’s of formatting your cover letter and maybe hiring a professional service like Nelson Resume to handle the formatting for you, you’ll be on your path to creating a cover letter that can help you stand out among the other applicants. Don’t hesitate to call us on 0800 215 100 or use the contact form to get in touch for any queries.

I had Tanja write my personalised cover letter and resume, I cannot fault their quality and I'm hugely impressed it was worth every dollar. I'm just trying to make a career change and I feel this resume and cover letter were the missing link between me getting an interview or missing out. So well done to the team at Nelson resumes and a personal shout out to Tanja.
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I was amazed how quickly and efficiently my request was making progress during COVID lockdown. First I made a contact in the chat where we had a short conversation. Then Tanja and Gemma from Nelson Resume contacted me over the phone where we discussed the particulars. I am good in my specialty, but writing resumes is not my strongest skill. As a result I got the resume and the cover letter reworked really well. I believe my chances of getting a good job got way better now than before.
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5 Do's and Don'ts for Formatting the Perfect Cover Letter

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