What is the Perfect Cover Letter Length?
How long should a cover letter be? It's a common question. Candidates find themselves frustrated by the vagueness surrounding resumes and cover letters. Some companies specify what they expect; however, the majority leave it up to the judgment of the applicant.
If you're pulling your hair over the perfect cover letter length, we've got the answer below. Your cover letter shouldn't be a second thought. Employers often spend a limited amount of time reading cover letters. That means you've only got a handful of paragraphs to make an impression.
However, a well-crafted cover letter can get a potential employer excited to meet you in person. You can maximize your impact in a few hundred words with a compelling, brief description of your experience and qualifications – you just need to know how.
In this guide, you'll find:
How Long Should a Cover Letter Be?
Cover letters are usually around half a page to one full page in length. That works out to around 250 to 400 words or 3 to 4 paragraphs. Never go over a single page unless the employer specifies otherwise.
Compared to your resume, where you're constrained by the format, there's a temptation to write more. Candidates want to go in-depth about who they are, what they've done, and what they hope to achieve in the new role.
But recruiters feel the exact opposite – they want you to get to the point as soon as possible. Clarity is key. The longer you spend talking about yourself, the more bored and distracted the recruiter becomes. It's a sad fact. However, anybody spending hours or days reading hundreds of cover letters is likely to feel the same.
Your task is to grab their attention, making skimming your cover letter for key details as easy as possible. Limiting your cover letter length to just four paragraphs should be enough to get your point across. Use a clear format to achieve the best results, helping the reader appraise the letter quickly.
What Should Be Include in a Cover Letter?
So, what is a cover letter? It's your thesis statement explaining why you're the perfect candidate for a particular position. Usually, candidates talk about their qualities, previous job positions, and what they can achieve if they secure the job.
Your cover letter is the only way recruiters can evaluate your personality, communication skills and attention to detail. You should include the following elements:
Your contact details
The intent of your letter
Detailed mentions of your previous professional achievements
Links between your skills and the job requirements
Your objectives concerning the role
Following a structured format for the cover letter can help you get the right length without missing any relevant information.
For example, you should begin your cover letter with the date and contact information. Next is the greeting and opening paragraph – explain who you are, your specific interest in the position, and why you chose to apply.
In the middle paragraph(s) – the biggest section – detail your relevant skills and qualifications. Note how each of these skills relates to the role, using keywords from the job summary when possible. You could even talk about what you plan to achieve within the company, relating specific details of the company's performance.
Lastly, end with a closing paragraph. Reiterate your value to the company and why you'll be an asset. End with a thank you for considering your application, a complimentary close, and your signature.
Tips for Writing a Cover Letter
Too often, otherwise successful candidates make simple mistakes when drafting a cover letter. It's not just about reaching the perfect cover letter length. Below, we've included eight simple tips for achieving the best cover letter, impressing anyone who reads it.
1. Check Length Requirements
Most employers want candidates who can follow simple instructions. Certain employers may specify the cover letter word limit or even provide a writing prompt or questions for you to complete. If that's the case, forget about most of the advice in this guide. The best cover letter length is whatever they say.
Read the requirements carefully so you don't miss these details. You only get one chance to make a first impression – not following directions shouldn't be the reason you get noticed. If you have any questions, contact the recruiter for further details. Ask for past examples if you are struggling to get started.
2. Avoid Sending a Stock Cover Letter
Candidates find themselves applying to dozens, even hundreds, of jobs before they finally secure a position. With so many applications, there's a significant temptation to standardize the process. Both the resume and cover letter become cookie-cutter exercises. Rather than tailoring the information to the organization – and thus increasing your application success rate – such candidates create stock cover letters, swapping out a few details.
That's a colossal mistake. You should create a unique cover letter for every application, relating your skills and experience to the company's specific circumstances. The more personalized the cover letter is, the better your success rate.
Some employers may not explicitly require a cover letter. Regardless of whether they request it or not, always include a cover letter. Even if other candidates don't, it helps you stand out. You go the extra mile; others don't.
The cover letter is the only time you can express your personality and really sell yourself before an interview. Don't miss the opportunity.
3. Use Resume Keywords Throughout
Resume keywords and phrases are specific terminology or skills that employers screen resumes and cover letters for using an Application Tracking System (ATS). Unless these terms are sprinkled throughout your applications, you're unlikely to progress to an interview stage.
Start by identifying key skills, experiences, and qualifications from the job description. Then, weave these keywords naturally into your narrative, demonstrating how your background aligns with the role's requirements. Rather than merely listing keywords, use them to highlight relevant experiences and achievements, showcasing how you embody these key attributes.
Remember, while keywords are vital for passing through Applicant Tracking Systems and catching the employer's attention, maintaining a balance with your personal voice is crucial.
Your cover letter should not only be optimized with keywords but also resonate with your enthusiasm and genuine interest in the position, making a compelling case for why you're the ideal candidate.
4. Keep Paragraphs Focused
What separates experienced writers from novices? The answer is clarity. Inexperienced writers have a habit of rambling, repeating points, and extending paragraphs beyond their usefulness. Doing so makes your cover letter harder to read and impossible to skim.
For maximum impact, your paragraphs should be no more than 4-5 sentences long. Your sentences should also be short. Start each paragraph with a strong topic sentence telling the reader what the paragraph is about. Follow up with several short, descriptive sentences detailing your evidence or ideas. Finish with a compelling final thought or conclusion that links everything together.
For example:
Topic Sentence
The commitment of [Company Name] to community service is what first drew me to the role.
Descriptive Sentences
I am actively involved in offering pro bono web development workshops for at-risk youths, where I guide and educate them on the essentials of HTML/CSS and JavaScript. This voluntary work is not just a pastime; it's a reflection of my core belief in using my abilities for the greater good.
Conclusion
As I progress in my career, I am inspired to use my skills for the greater good. I am convinced that this position would afford me the chance to continue making a significant difference.
5. Format Correctly
Formatting can make or break a cover letter. Regardless of the best cover letter length, if your paragraphs look messy and hard to read, it doesn't matter.
Use white space to ensure your cover letter is a pleasure to read. Add a blank line between paragraphs, set 1-inch margins, and even increase the space between sentences. Your formatting should make the cover letter as easy to read as possible.
Some candidates may decide to highlight particular sentences or terms in bold. This isn't standard practice. However, if done correctly, it can make skimming the cover letter even easier. Together with ample white space, your cover letter will look more enjoyable to read than a wall of dense text.
6. Proofread and Edit
Typos, errors, and mistakes will severely hurt your chances of securing an interview. If you didn't catch an error here, why would you catch an error in your new role? It's a good question.
Read the cover letter again and again (especially out loud) to check the flow, highlight any selling mistakes, and ensure it's 100% grammatically correct. You should also review any factual statements for errors.
Consider asking a friend to read the letter and double-check it for you. Another option is a grammar checker such as Grammarly. These digital tools will assess your spelling, grammar, and even sentence length. Set the criteria to get the best results.
7. Focus on Your Most Relevant Achievements
First-time applicants and new graduates can find it hard to fill out their cover letter and resume with enough detail. But, on the other end of the spectrum, people with over 10 years under their belt can face the opposite problem. "What should I include?" they ask.
Sound familiar? Employers aren't interested in a lengthy retelling of your work history. Nor can you fit all the details in a concise letter – you'd end up far beyond the best cover letter length. So, what's the solution?
You should only include your most relevant and impressive achievements. For example, if you're an experienced digital marketer, highlight your experience at your current agent with one or two anecdotes. If you're fortunate to have numerous relevant achievements to choose from, you can save some for a later date. Such anecdotes make a brilliant answer to a question during the interview.
But what if you're struggling to find relevant achievements? The answer is to talk about your life experiences. Mention a time when you faced a difficult challenge and managed to overcome it. Your anecdote or achievement should still relate to the job in question. It could prove your dedication and tenacity, your ability to learn new skills, or your passion for a particular industry.
8. Use the STAR Method
Most people rarely write about themselves – if they write at all. The challenges come in describing your experience in concrete language without rambling on. You want to capture the salient features and leave it at that.
Having some kind of structure can help you write each paragraph. The STAR method is popular among resume writers, especially for the resume summary section. However, it also works for the cover letter.
STAR stands for Situation (describe the problem), Task (what your responsibilities were), Action (what you did), and Result (what you achieved). Using this framework, you can distill otherwise complicated work scenarios into easy-to-understand, digestible paragraphs.
Here's an example of using the STAR method in a cover letter:
At [Company Name], we planned to launch a new customer service to reduce complaint times. I was tasked with leading a cross-functional team to address workflow bottlenecks during the first few months of the launch. I spearheaded a thorough audit of our processes and organized customer outreach surveys, leading to a 30% boost in customer satisfaction.
Here, every word counts – conveying an impressive achievement in just three sentences. You could then follow up with a sentence or two about carrying these lessons into other customer service departments.
Key Takeaways
The secret to the best cover letters is clarity and conciseness. Spend some time editing and rewriting your letter to ensure that every word has a purpose. As a general rule, around a third of most first drafts can be eliminated. Either the sentences are too wordy, or the content isn't relevant enough to merit inclusion.
It can help to create a plan prior to sitting down to write. List the anecdotes you'd like to cover and skills you want to highlight.
Cover letters should be concise, typically half a page to one full page, focusing on clarity and relevance to the job description. Other benchmarks for the perfect cover letter length include 250-400 words or 3-4 paragraphs. Never go over a single page.
Include essential elements like contact details, intent, professional achievements, skill-job requirement links, and objectives concerning the role.
Utilize a structured format, beginning with personal data, followed by detailed skill exposition and closing with reiteration of your value to the company.
Always customize your cover letter for each application, avoiding generic content, and include specific examples that highlight your skills and experiences using resume keywords to align with the job description.
Employ the STAR method to succinctly convey your experiences and achievements, demonstrating your suitability for the position.