The ability to create polished and professional documents is a crucial skill. Deviation from the expected formats can make you look like a novice at best or, at worst, it could seriously damage your credibility.
The good news is that it’s not hard to master the art of business writing. Below, we’ll examine basic formatting guidelines that can be trusted across documents. We’ll also consider the specifics of how to format a resume, a business letter, a proposal, and a report—the four most common professional documents you’re likely to encounter.
Mastering Professional Document Basics
At their core, professional documents should be clearly understood, visually appealing, and tailored to the intended audience.
To do this, use a consistent font and style throughout the document. Choose a “normal” 11- or 12-point font. Organize the material under headings, and make them stand out using bold, italic, or slightly larger fonts.
Include plenty of white space by using adequate margins (usually 1 inch) and spacing between paragraphs or sections. Select a left or justified alignment style; if you use a centered alignment, limit it to headings.
You can also organize information into bulleted or numbered lists. Infographics or other visuals can also help you communicate your message but use these sparingly.
Finally, proofread your document; use a program like Grammarly to catch any errors you might have missed. If you are going to be uploading, emailing, or otherwise sharing your document online, save or export it as a PDF file. This helps prevent any bad actors from tampering with it. It also ensures that the document will retain its formatting and readability even if it is opened using a different program or a different type of device.
Common Professional Document Formats
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s look at the formats of a few of the most common professional documents. We’ll start with the resumes and letters you’ll need to land the job, then move on to the reports and proposals you’ll use on-the-job.
Resume Formats
The reverse-chronological resume format is the most commonly accepted. For this resume, you’ll start with your name and contact information. Then, list your work experience from the past ten years and your education in reverse-chronological order, starting with the most recent experience and working back. You may also include a summary or objective statement at the beginning. Optional sections include a skills list, certifications, publications, and the like.
In some fields—most notably, in emerging tech industries where many skills are self-taught—you might lean into a skills-based or functional resume. In this type of resume, you’ll highlight your skills or core competencies first. You may choose to arrange your experience in terms of the most relevant first instead of in chronological order.
Business Letter Formats
A cover letter for your resume may be the first business letter you write, but it likely won’t be the last. You may encounter any of the following:
- Follow-up letters
- Thank you letters
- Acceptance letters
- Inquiry letters
- Office memorandums
- Letters of commendation
- Letters of recommendations
- Letters of intent
- Reference letters
- Welcome letters
- Acknowledgment letters
- Apology letters
- Termination letters
- Complaint letters
Don’t worry—you don’t have to memorize a different format for each type. You can use a similar format for each letter. First, we’ll look at how to format a printed letter. Then we’ll see the slight changes you’ll make if you’re sending the letter as an email.
For a printed letter sent through the mail or delivered in person, lay out your document using the following format.
[Date]
[Your name and contact information]
[The recipient’s name and contact information]
Dear [Recipient name],
[Letter body]
Sincerely,
[Your name, signed then typed]
For an email, you’ll change the format around slightly. You won’t include the date (because the email system records that) and you don’t have to include the recipient’s contact information. You’ll also move your contact information below your signature. Consider this example:
Dear [Recipient name],
[Email body]
Sincerely,
[Your name and contact information]
Business Report Formats
When writing a business report, think back to the reports you wrote in school. Include a title page. Use your word processor’s H1 and H2 formatting to make headings and subheadings. Then, create a table of contents that will automatically pull from these headings. Number your pages.
Proposal Formats
For a proposal, start with the report formatting mentioned above. Organize the structure with sections including an executive summary, objectives, methodology, and a conclusion, as well as any industry-specific sections.
Key Takeaways
The basics of business document formatting are not too difficult to master. You’ll be able to apply these skills to every document you write. Then, get to know the specific formats of the document types you’ll use most often, including resumes, business letters, reports, and proposals. The result will be polished documents that reflect your professionalism.
