How to Properly Format a Cover Letter in 2023

Even if you don’t have any experience yet, making an effective cover letter isn’t difficult. To learn about making your first cover letter, watch this helpful video that’ll take you through the process:

A properly structured cover letter shows your professionalism to employers, a quality they’ll keep in mind as they review applicants. So here’s how to format a standard cover letter in the UK:

1. Put your contact details in a header
2. Write today’s date and right-align it
3. List the contact person’s information in a left-aligned list under today’s date
4. Address the contact person by name (e.g., ‘Dear Ms Jones,’)
5. Introduce yourself in the opening paragraph, noting the job title you’re targeting and the company name to tailor your cover letter
6. Connect your skills to the job in the body paragraphs and a bulleted list with your top achievements
7. End by asking for an interview and thanking the recruiting manager for reviewing your application
8. Sign-off professionally (e.g., ‘Yours sincerely,’) and write your name

And this is what a proper cover letter format looks like:

So far we’ve shown you how to format a cover letter in the example above, and we have more cover letter structure examples below. But if you prefer a written guide, here are in-depth explanations of how to set out each section of a cover letter:

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1. Put your contact details in a header

Start with your contact details. You can place your contact information in a centre-aligned cover letter header or a right-aligned list so they’re easy for the employer to find. Include your:

• name using an extra-large font size (around 30 points) so it sticks out in the employer’s mind when they’re considering who to interview
• email address
• relevant social media profiles
• phone number
• postal address (optional)

Here’s what the contact information and date sections of your cover letter should look like formatted as a header:

2. Write today’s date

Place today’s date under your contact information. In formal business letter formatting, the date is right-aligned, but if the template you’re using left-aligns the date, that’s okay. As long as your cover letter template is professionally designed, the date will look best where the designer placed it.

Write the date as in one of these examples:

5 December 2023

5 Dec 2023

5/12/2023

3. List the contact person’s information

After adding the date, left-align the recipient’s contact information, which should include their:

• name
• company name
• postal address
• phone number
• email address

Here’s an example of how to structure the contact person’s details:

Mr Magnus Johnson
Lemur Lagers Inc.
3 Industry Road
Cardiff
CF6 3DY
07124 457 891
m.johnson@email.com

4. Start with a polite greeting

Address the employer with an appropriate salutation (using the ‘Dear [Mr/Ms/Mx] Contact Person’s Name,’ format) and follow with an engaging and clear introduction.

5. Introduce yourself in the opening paragraph

In your introduction paragraph, tell the hiring manager:

• who you are, including your name and the main qualification that makes you suitable for the job (usually experience, but can also be your education)
• which job opening you’re applying for (unless you’re writing a speculative cover letter)
• how you found out about the job

An attention-grabbing introduction is informative, engaging, and short. Stuffing too much information in your introduction will put the reader off from reading the rest of your cover letter.

6. Connect your skills to the job in a few body paragraphs

In your next 2–3 paragraphs, outline your most noteworthy skills and experience for the employer.

To write cover letter body paragraphs that make employers interested in your application, review the job advert and research the company to:

• identify values that you share with the employer
• align the career goals you mention in your cover letter with those of the employer
• emphasise specific benefits you can bring to the team

Emphasise interests, career goals, and skills to show why you want to work for the employer.

You can also include a bulleted list of your most notable professional achievements so they’re easier for the employer to read.

Whether you choose to use a bulleted list or only paragraphs, include descriptive details and concrete numbers to provide evidence of the qualifications and skills mentioned in your opening paragraph.

7. End by asking for an interview

In your final paragraph, thank the employer and ask for a job interview. Your closing should also:

• summarise your most marketable qualifications
• include your contact information so the employer can easily contact you
• communicate that you’re looking forward to hearing from them

8. Sign-off professionally

Finish with a polite sign off that’s consistent with your letter. There are two ways to close your cover letter:

• Write ‘Yours sincerely,’ when your cover letter is addressed to a specific person
• Use ‘Yours faithfully,’ if you addressed a generic job or department title instead of a contact person

Then type your name, and you’re done. And here’s how your sign-off should look:

Cover letter format tips

To ensure your cover letter’s content is easy to read, follow these formatting guidelines:

• Use a professional font: A good cover letter font is easy to read (like Helvetica or Georgia). Set your font size between 10 and 12 points for readability too.
• Keep your cover letter on 1 page: Employers prefer snappy pitches in cover letters, so make yours 1 page at most.
• Set your margins to 1.27–2.5 cm: Keep your margins within this range to ensure your cover letter’s content isn’t overly spread out or too packed together.
• Apply 1–1.5 line spacing: If you set your line spacing above 1.5, your cover letter will look empty, but if you go below 1, you’ll make your text hard to read.

3 cover letter format examples

Here are 3 professional cover letter formats that UK applicants commonly use:

1. Standard cover letter format
2. Cover letter formatted as an email
3. Text pasted into an online job application form

1. Standard cover letter format sample

This example cover letter‘s standard format makes it ideal for job applications in any industry:

Download Free Example

2. Email cover letter format example

Some employers will ask you to write your cover letter in the body of an email, like this:

If you’re writing your cover letter in the body of an email, shorten it for easier reading.

Shorter cover letters outline key skills and experience in about three body paragraphs. So take these steps to trim your email cover letter:

• Remove the contact person’s name and address from the top
• Move your contact information to your email signature
• Convert any bullet points in your cover letter into paragraph form
• Cut nonessential information and focus on your most noteworthy traits

3. Sample cover letter format for an online job application

You don’t need to include your contact information and the date when you paste your cover letter into an online job application letter. Those details are automatically included in the application form the employer receives after you’ve submitted it.

After copying and pasting your cover letter into an application form, check that the formatting is correct before clicking ‘Submit’.

Frequently asked questions about cover letter formats

Want more help making your cover letter? Here are answers to 3 more questions related to proper cover letter formatting:

1. Should I include a photo in my UK cover letter?

No, you shouldn’t include a photo in your UK cover letter.

Employers generally don’t like to see photos anywhere on a job application because seeing what a job candidate looks like could lead to grounds for a discrimination claim. It’s illegal in the UK to discriminate against someone because of the way they look, their race, gender, or age. So some employers directly discard all job applications with photos.

However, there are some industries that require you to include a photo with your job application (e.g., acting and modelling), you should put your photo on your CV or attach a full-sized headshot. Reserve the space on your cover letter for your self-introduction.

2. Can a cover letter be 5 sentences?

While a 5-sentence cover letter is technically long enough to hit all the key components of a cover letter, generally, it should be longer than 5 sentences. The ideal cover letter length is a half-page to 1 page long (12 to 25 sentences). Writing more than 5 sentences allows you to:

• expand on your relevant qualifications (e.g., mentioning 3 achievements instead of just one)
• explain why you’re a good fit for the position, which requires using 1 or 2 sentences to first show you know what the company is looking for

3. Does a cover letter need a template?

You don’t have to use a cover letter template, but using a good one ensures you have the proper structure.

Using a cover letter template also lets you get your application ready quickly. Designing your own cover letter takes lots of time.

More cover letter FAQs

• How do you address a cover letter with or without a name?
• How do you write a cover letter?
• What does ‘Mx’ stand for?
• How do you sign off a cover letter?
• How to structure a cover letter for an internship?