If you want to create a successful cover letter, it is essential to consider a modest number
of factors. Your potential employer is likely to come across dozens of resumes of the same
type every week, so a poorly written text with the wrong length can evoke absolutely no
emotion. How to avoid this? There are a couple of tricks that a lot of job seekers are not
aware of.
In this article, we learn how long should a cover letter be. We also cover some tips about
the appropriate content, and structure of your future email. With such an approach, you will
have more chances to interest your employer.
Why Does the Specific Length of a Cover Letter Matter?
It’s not so easy to compose the perfect cover letter that will serve as a ticket for your
dream job. It is important to keep in mind that it should not be too long. This length
should match the mandatory structure you compiled, but yet, it is worth sticking to brevity.
The letter should be read easily and naturally. Try to adhere to the formal tone, but do not
forget about friendliness. Consider what type of activity interests you. If you are a police
officer, do not forget about professional tone. If you are looking for a nanny job, you
don’t have to act like a naval admiral. Use a positioning and soft tone when describing your
strengths that will come in handy when working as a nanny.
So you have a better idea of the correct cover letter, consider following the structure
below.
Cover Letter Structure
The letter you wrote should adhere to a certain standard of design and include the following items, which are taken in turn:
The length of these sections may vary. For example, sometimes the 4th point can be the
longest one; meanwhile, in others you can write more about the 5th. It depends on the idea
you want to share. The main point is that all of these sections are important and must be
present in the letter.
Also, try not to be too wordy put emphasis on your strengths, but yet not to make it look
like boasting.
We found out what structure your letter should include, but how long should it be exactly?
How Many Words Should a Cover Letter Be?
As a rule, the average length of a cover letter should not exceed the range of 200-300 words. This length allows you to provide significant information about yourself, describe your strengths. At the same time, it will be easier for the reader to focus on the information presented, and the reading will not take too much time and effort.
How to ensure the good visual acceptability of the letter? Let’s start with the font size.
It is believed that the most readable font size is from 10 to 12 points. Try to use a classic font such as Calibri, Arial, or the good old Times New Roman. It’s good practice to choose the style and size of the font so that it matches the one you used (or plan to use) for your CV.
Words to include on your cover letter:
When you describe your previous experience, it is important to stand out from the rest of the potential candidates. When writing a letter, try to use the following words:
This will create a neutral tone, the text will be easy to read and perceive.
Should the cover letter be one page?
Well, in 9 cases out of 10, it is customary to write a letter on one page, divided into 3-4 paragraphs. The average time spent reading it is 5-7 seconds. In order to save your future employers time, we recommend to make your letter as short as it possible and keep it 1 page long.
We have a special plan on how to make you look like the perfect applicant.
Is it OK if my Cover Letter is Bigger than One Page?
It depends on whether you want to expand the structure of your letter or not. If it seems to you that it will be necessary to enter details of certain projects that you worked on, then you can consider the option of a two-page letter. But yet, these two pages should be catchy, so the reader stays interested until the very end of it.
The Best Example of Ideal Cover Letter Length
The best way to understand anything is to look through a real-world example. Below, we’ll go through this sample step by step to understand how long should my cover letter be. Say, we have an engineer who wants to join some engineering company:
John Doe
Engineer
75 Mitchell Street
4753-957-354
engineering@example.com
Jane Doe
Dear Jane,
I am writing to show my interest in the engineering job position. It’s necessary
to point out my essential pedantry and logic approach. I think these two skills
helped me to achieve my main life goals. Nevertheless, I stay flexible and adapt
to different working conditions.
Processing layouts and plans are my passion, which is why I chose engineering as
a job. I know how to make calculations for project budgets and improve
production methods. My life credo is “simplify all the processes if you can”,
and I promise that this job skill will help your company to achieve a lot. I
have experience in delegating and sharing tasks, because I have worked on a
team. When needed, I can strike sail and carry my point.
It is necessary to point out that I am a creative person, and I am ready to work
hard and try new methods. I care about the quality of my product and always
think how to make it more useful for the customer. It is also important for me
to do all the tasks on time.
Hoping for feedback.
Sincerely,
John.
This is a typical cover letter length. As you can see, John wrote a concise and coherent
text with appropriate length. He provides his contact info at the top of it, including his
name, position, address, phone number, and email. Also, note that John also mentioned the
addressee.
Below we can see three short paragraphs. Here John starts with the reasons why he’s excited
about this position. Then, he mentions why he’ll be useful for a company, and why they can
benefit with him. Finally, a few kind words and a closer.
This letter is easy to read and understand because of the optimal length and structure.
Correct Length Cover Letter: Mistakes to Avoid
Many companies deal with dozens of resumes every day. The hiring manager should examine each candidate letter as fast as possible. Ask yourself: should a cover letter be for a job or for me? Remember that half of the managers will reject your letter if incorrectly executed. The incorrect length of it means that it is too wordy or has a lack of information, respectively. Keep it in mind and follow these simple recommendations while making your cover letter:
Do not talk only about yourself
Me, me, me, me, again and again. Imagine how “interesting” it is to read about a person who speaks only about what a delightfully incredible hero he is. Your employer, of course, wants to know about your strengths, but most of all he is interested in something else. You have a certain word limit so you have to use them wisely. Try to mention what they want to hear from you, not what you want to say: What can you provide the company? Why are you interested in this vacancy? How can your strengths benefit this organization?
Choose your words carefully
Again, you have a certain amount of words, so it is not worth mentioning how you hated your PM in a previous job. In other words, don’t spread unnecessary negative feedback about your previous job. Also, do not focus on the problems that you encountered while mastering your profession. Talk only about your experience, current plans, and the bright future. The unnecessary details about your past remain in the past, anyway.
No need to stretch the letter
There is no need to make your letter too voluminous. Laconicism will be your advantage. As we mentioned above, try not to cross the one-page length line. It will be easy and pleasant for the employer to read a short and informative text.
Mistakes
Sometimes candidates often send their cover letters with a few errors. It relates a certain level of stress to this. This pressure may be because you (probably) have to write several letters for different companies. In any case, you must carefully proofread each of them before sending to the employer.
Wrapping Up
In this article, we learned about the length of the professional cover letter and why it is important. Let’s remember the main points:
Common fonts are recommended: Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri.
You can use Get Cover Letter to compose your own. This service provides the widest selection of different templates and in-depth recommendations for each existing profession. You just need to sign in and fill out a small questionnaire! The service is designed to work conveniently, quickly and accurately.
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We hope this article will help you create the best cover letter with the right length, which will lead you to the work of your dreams and will delight the hiring manager!