Formatting Your Cover Letter

Separate yourself from your competition, start with formatting.

Formatting Your Cover Letter

A cover letter with sufficient white space, a simple, reasonably sized font, and an appropriate salutation and closing will positively impact your potential employers. Get locked into the necessary formatting to set your cover letter up for success.

Keep Reading to Learn:

  • Structure hints for cover letter development
  • Different forms of organizing content
  • Writing tips to make your points stand out

Cover Letter Formats

There are numerous ways you can structure your cover letter. Most have these general components:

Letter ContentTips
Name and Header Use the header from your resume to create your own personal “letterhead” with your contact information.
Date This should be the date you are writing/submitting the letter.
Hiring Contact This is the name and address of the person you’re sending the letter to. Not your own.
Salutation If you aren’t certain of the person’s gender or wish to be more inclusive, you can choose to address the letter without Mr. or Ms.; i.e. “Dear Jo Anne Roberts.”
Introduction Express your interest in the role and how you learned about the opportunity. Demonstrate your knowledge of the company, and why you are interested in being a part of the work they do.
Paragraph 1 Summarize how your qualifications and experiences you listed on your resume connect to the position.
Paragraph 2 Tell a story to give concrete examples of how your experiences have prepared you for the position.
Conclusion Reaffirm your excitement about the role, your intention to follow-up, and a general timeline.

taylor.tailor@stthomas.edu, (651)-567-8910, linkedin.com/taylor.s.tailor

Taylor S. Tailor

August 15, 2023

Jo Anne Roberts
Director of Sales
MN Apps Inc.
2000 Excelsior Boulevard
Minneapolis, MN 55401

Dear Jo Anne Roberts:

I am very interested in the Technical Sales Representative internship position that is currently posted on the St. Thomas Career Development Center’s web page. I will be graduating next spring with a major in Marketing, and my hope is to work in sales. I am especially interested in working with an organization such as MN Technology Sales that separates itself from the competition by emphasizing a collaborative approach to customer relations.

As the enclosed resume indicates, I have had internship and other experiences which have given me exposure to a variety of work environments. This past summer I was able to support the sales department in a mid-sized business, helping them to increase their revenue by 10%. I’ve also had the opportunity to develop strong communication and teamwork skills through my volunteer experience with Habitat for Humanity.

One of my more challenging work experiences has been as an Orientation Leader at the University of St. Thomas. I was responsible for leading groups of incoming first year students through a day’s worth of activities to help them get prepared for the college experience, which was both challenging and rewarding. In this position I had the opportunity to develop and strengthen strong presentation skills as well as an ability to maintain flexibility and demonstrate excellent judgment and leadership skills.

I am looking forward to discussing the Technical Sales Representative position with you. I will call you early next week to follow-up on my application. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Taylor S. Tailor

Daniel J. Huerta


Saint Paul, MN 〉 551-555-2020 〉 djhuert2525@stthomas.edu

April 17, 2023

Leslie Knope
St. Paul Museum of Art
2000 Big City Drive
Minneapolis, MN 55401

Dear Leslie Knope,

I am writing to express my interest in the Event Assistant Internship that you have listed on the Minnesota Council of Non-Profits Job Board. I am an English major at the University of St. Thomas and am hoping to spend my summer developing skills and experience in the field of event planning. I would especially welcome the opportunity to combine my passion for the arts with my strong detail and results-driven orientation. My interest in the arts was sparked by my first part-time job, working at the Lakes Theater. For the past two years, I have also been involved as a volunteer at the Minneapolis Film Festival, which has confirmed for me that I enjoy and thrive on the excitement of creative environments and people. Below is an outline of how my qualifications relate to the position:

Your requirementsMy Qualifications
Past experience arranging meetings, travel and/or eventsArrange travel (vehicle rental and lodging) for 20 members of the intramural volleyball team at the University of St. Thomas
Strong written and oral communication skillsConducted research for English major, producing 40+ pages of written content and presenting findings at two local conferences.
Provide information and answer questions to prospective students and families in a professional manner as a Tommie Ambassador
Excellent time management skillsWork two part-time jobs (20 hours/week), participate in an intramural sport, and volunteer weekly while maintaining a full course load.

I look forward to discussing how my qualifications align with the needs of the St. Paul Museum of Art. I will be following up to ensure my application receives your consideration. Thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,
Daniel J. Huerta

  • Draft a tailored cover letter for a specific role you are interested in applying for
  • Have it reviewed by a career ambassador in the Career Development Center