5 Do's and Don'ts to follow for creating the perfect cover letter

Posted by Nowra Resume on 19 Jan 2026

When you are applying for a job, well-written resumes and cover letter are essential. However, just having great content doesn’t suffice. The design of the cover letter you send out is just as crucial as the content. A badly formatted cover letter can make a bad impression on the hiring manager While a professionally formatted one can make your application stand out from the other applicants. In this post, we’ll look at the best practices and pitfalls of formatting your cover letter and explain why it could be beneficial to let a professional like Nowra Resume handle the formatting for you.

In the beginning, let’s discuss the do’s of formatting a cover letter.

  1. Make sure you use a professional font. Times New Roman, Arial, as well as Calibri are all great choices. Avoid using overly fancy or difficult to read fonts.
  2. Do use a consistent layout. Use the same font the size of the font, and formatting throughout the cover letter.
  3. Do include proper spacing. Use single or 1.15 line spacing, and ensure that you leave ample white spaces between each paragraph to make the letter easier to understand.
  4. Include your contact details near the beginning of the letters. This should include your address, name, phone number, and email address.
  5. Personalize the letter. Make use of the name of the hiring manager as much as you can, and customize the letter to the specific position and company the job you’re interested in.

Let’s get to the essentials of cover letter layout.

  1. Don’t use a template. Every cover letter should be unique and specific to the job you’re applying for and the organization you’re applying to.
  2. Do not exceed one page. Keep your letter short and straight to the point.
  3. Do not use fancy formatting. Keep it simple and professional layout.
  4. Don’t forget to proofread. Double-check for spelling and grammar errors before sending the letter.
  5. Make sure to sign the letter.

While it’s important to pay attention to the format of your cover letter, it’s time-consuming and overwhelming to do it yourself. That’s where a professional resume writing service such as Nowra Resume comes in. Our team of experts know how to design an effective cover letter that will allow you to stand out your competition. We’ll handle the formatting so that you can focus on the content of your letter.

Our team can help you tailor your letter of cover to the particular job and company the job you’re applying to. Additionally, we’ll look for grammar and spelling errors and ensure that your cover letter is succinct easily read.

In the end, a well-formatted cover letter can be an impact on your search for a job. By adhering to the do’s & don’ts of cover letter formatting or perhaps hiring a professional company like Nowra Resume to handle the formatting for you then you’ll be on your way to creating a cover letter that will help to stand out in the competitors. Do not hesitate to contact us on 1300 202 475 or use the contact form to contact us with any questions you may have.

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5 Tips and Do's for How to write the perfect cover letter

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