An excellent cover letter uses business letter formatting with: your name and contact information at the top. the hiring manager's name and company contact details. a salutation addressing the hiring manager by name. 3–4 paragraphs and a bulleted list. a polite sign-off (like “Sincerely,”) and your name.
Beyond that, Siegel boils down the most important things to include in a cover letter to three points. "Show enthusiasm, show you've done research, and show you want to come in there and make a contribution," he says.
Consider your file format DOCX is fine for simple cover letter layouts, but if you're using a more complex template you should save it as a PDF. PDFs can't be easily modified by others and look consistent across all devices, so you don't have to worry about what it might look like on the hiring manager's screen.
PDF format is the most professional format for CVs and resumes. Make sure you send them in PDF format and maintain copies of it in other formats like docx etc.
Email cover letters can generally be sent in one of two ways: as an email attachment or as the body of your email. Before sending your cover letter, check the company's job application guidelines. Some companies prefer attachments, while others prefer them to be in the body of your email message.
Notably, sending your cover letter as a PDF has some widely accepted pros over using the Word document format: PDFs are thought to look more professional. PDFs won't present font or formatting issues.
Using your full name and the job title, separated by dashes or underscores, makes your cover letter file immediately identifiable to the hiring manager, who may receive hundreds of applications.
Example: I'd like to officially apply for the marketing manager position at Company X. Over the past 7 years, I've worked with 6 clients, helping them drive more than $2,000,000 worth of sales. I am confident that my marketing skills and proven sales results make me a perfect match for the position.
Using a simple font will ensure that your cover letter is easy to read. Basic fonts like Arial, Courier New, Calibri, Verdana, and Times New Roman work the best. Most word processing and email programs will default to a professional and easily readable choice.
Dear Hiring Manager, I'm excited to submit my application for the Position role at Company Name. As an experienced title with X years of experience, I'm confident that I have the 1-2 specific skills and qualifications from the job description necessary to excel in this position.