Cover letter format: an annotated example
The standard cover letter format is a header, the date and recipient, a salutation, three or four short paragraphs, and a sign-off, all on one page in under 400 words. The paragraphs do four jobs: name the role, prove one result with numbers, answer a second requirement, and ask for a meeting. The example below shows each one.
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The short answer
- One page, 250 to 400 words, three or four paragraphs.
- One-inch margins, an 11 or 12 point font, single spacing, a blank line between paragraphs.
- Header matches the resume. Name a person if you can find one.
- Open with the role and one fact from the posting. Never open with "I am excited to apply".
- Send a PDF named for you, unless the employer asks for Word.
What does a good cover letter look like?
Here is a complete cover letter for a support operations role, written for this page. Jordan Reyes, Copperline Dental and Larchmont Health are invented, and the contact details use reserved example values. Each numbered part has a note on what it does and why.
1. HeaderSame name, email and phone as the resume, in the same order. City and state are enough; nobody needs a street address.
November 8, 2026
Priya Shah
Director of Patient Operations
Larchmont Health
2. Date and recipientWrite the date out. Name a person if the posting or the team page gives one. If not, use the team name, not "To whom it may concern".
Dear Ms. Shah,
3. Salutation"Dear" plus the name you found. "Dear hiring team" is fine when you found none.
I'm applying for the Support Operations Lead role on your careers page. The posting says your team answers 40,000 patient messages a month and wants a first reply within four hours. I ran a queue like that for three years at Copperline Dental, and I would like to run yours.
4. Opening: the role and one factName the job, then quote one specific fact from the posting back to them. It proves you read it, and it sets up the next paragraph.
When I took over Copperline's 14-person support desk, the median first reply was 31 hours. I rebuilt the triage rules in Zendesk, moved billing questions into their own queue, and wrote the 22 macros that now answer about a third of tickets. Within two quarters the median first reply was 3.5 hours, and satisfaction scores rose from 78% to 91%.
5. Proof: one story with numbersOne story, told with a before, what you did, and an after. Do not recap the resume. Pick the single result that answers the posting's main need.
Your posting also asks for someone who can build escalation paths with clinical staff. At Copperline, half my escalations went to hygienists and office managers, so I set up a 20-minute weekly review where we agreed which ticket types they would own. I would bring that habit to your nurse line.
6. Fit: the second requirementAnswer the posting's second requirement with a smaller example. Say what you would do there, in their words ("nurse line").
My resume is attached. I'd welcome 20 minutes to talk through how I would approach the queue in my first 90 days, and I'm free most afternoons next week.
7. Close: a specific askAsk for one concrete next step and offer times. Skip "I am confident I would be a great fit"; the paragraphs above already argued it.
Thank you,
Jordan Reyes
8. Sign-off"Thank you" or "Sincerely", then your name. The whole letter, header included, is about 220 words, which fits one page with room to spare.
What are the cover letter format rules?
The cover letter format rules that matter are about length and reading ease, not ornament. These are the settings we would use; employers rarely publish their own, so treat them as conventions rather than requirements.
| Setting | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 250 to 400 words, one page | Long enough for one story, short enough to read in a minute. |
| Margins | 1 inch (2.5 cm) | Shrinking margins to fit more text shows. |
| Font | The resume's font, 11 or 12 point | The two documents should look like a pair. |
| Spacing | Single, with a blank line between paragraphs | Paragraph breaks are where a skimmer lands. |
| File | PDF, named First-Last-Cover-Letter.pdf | Keeps the layout; the name says what it is. |
| Text box | Paragraphs only, no header or date | The form already holds your contact details. |
What goes in each paragraph of a cover letter?
Each paragraph of a cover letter answers one question the reader has. The opening answers "which job, and did you read the posting?" The proof paragraph answers "can you do the main thing we need?" The fit paragraph answers the second requirement. The close answers "what happens next?"
If you have one strong story, three paragraphs is enough: fold the fit into the proof. If the job lists two very different needs, four paragraphs give each its own space.
How do you adapt a cover letter example to your own job?
Adapt a cover letter example by keeping its structure and replacing every fact. Take the posting's two most repeated requirements. Find the one result in your history that best answers the first, with a number before and after. Find a smaller example for the second. Then write the opening around a detail from the posting that a careless reader would miss.
We show openings for different readers on our pages for career changers, high-volume tech applicants and new grads. If an AI tool wrote your first draft, run it through our ten edits for AI cover letters before you send it.
What are the most common cover letter format mistakes?
- Restating the resume line by line. The letter should add the story behind one line.
- Opening with enthusiasm instead of a fact ("I am thrilled to apply").
- A header that does not match the resume's name, email or phone number.
- Two pages, or one page squeezed with half-inch margins.
- The wrong company name left in from the last letter. Read the letter aloud before you send it.