How To Find the Best Font for a Cover Letter This Year

There are a number of reasons the cover letter font you choose is important. First and foremost, the wrong font could drastically reduce readability. This will make your cover letter hard to scan for applicant tracking systems (ATS) and hiring managers, and that will reduce your chances of being hired. In contrast, a good professional font will make your CV and cover letter look more attractive and show that you are a professional, organised person who takes your job search seriously. So how do you choose the best font for your cover letter?

There are a number of things you should consider when it comes to picking a cover letter font. Some are very obvious and straightforward, but there are some unusual factors many job seekers don’t know about:

• Legibility

A good cover letter font should be easy to read. The letters must be clear and distinct from each other, even at smaller sizes, to ensure that ATS systems can scan them and hiring managers can read them even if they have minor visual impairments.

• Professionalism

While there are many fun fonts available via word processors like MS Word, you should avoid cursive or gimmick fonts, as they are seen as unprofessional. Simplicity is crucial when choosing the right font for your job application.

• Availability

Some fonts will be unique to the word processor you use to create your cover letter. This is especially true of custom fonts. You should avoid these fonts even if they are professional and clear because they may render your cover letter unreadable when opened in a different word processor. Most of the common Microsoft Word fonts will translate well to other word processors, but this is also one of the programs potential employers are most likely to use.

• Design

Just because you have to choose a professional, legible font for your cover letter doesn’t mean you can’t let your persona show through. There are many font types available that allow you to show a little of your personality.

When in doubt, you can always stick with the default font, which is Calibri for Microsoft Word. While this is not a creative choice, it is professional, legible, and will translate well even if a potential employer is not using Microsoft Word. Consider cover letter tips on structure and format to ensure every aspect of your cover letter is as it should be.

If you want to be extra safe about the first impression that you make, there are certain fonts that you can rely on being acceptable in a cover letter. Here is a list of different fonts that are ideal for a cover letter or resume (with examples):

• Arial
• Calibri
• Times New Roman
• Garamond
• Georgia 
• Helvetica
• Cambria
• Verdana
• Trebuchet MS

Each of these is a great font for a cover letter, but some are a little different from the standard font (Calibri) which make them a good way to distinguish your cover letter from others. Remember that your resume font should match your cover letter in both style and size to ensure that your job application is cohesive.

 

When you write your cover letter you also need to pay attention to the font size and the amount of white space on the page. Generally, your font size should remain between 10.5 and 12 and your margins should be between a half-inch and one inch all around. You can use font formatting like italics, bold and underlining to distinguish certain parts of your cover letter (such as headers or specific jobs you’ve held in the past) from the rest. If you use the ResumeHelp cover letter builder, these small details will be taken care of for you. All of the free templates available through this tool are compliant with U.S. cover letter formatting.