Navigating the job application process can be a lengthy ordeal that requires significant dedication, time, and effort. Becoming a successful candidate for the job of your choice starts when you first compose and format your cover letter.
Besides your resume, your cover letter is one of the first things a prospective employer sees when your application comes across their desk. Your cover letter has the potential to pique their interest, resulting in you getting an interview, or failing to impress and being tossed aside with the other unsuccessful applicants. To help you achieve success in your job search, we have put together a comprehensive guide answering the question “How long should a cover letter be?”, including details regarding structure, content, grammar, and other key tips.
What Is the Best Structure and Content for a Cover Letter?
Before examining exactly how long should a cover letter be, it is important to analyze each section of the letter, going over the key points of what you ought to include. Since your cover letter is usually the first thing a person at the company will see, it is your first chance for a strong impression. You risk getting shuffled to the bottom of the pile if your cover letter content and design are lackluster.
Start with a Strong Introduction
Your introduction is the conclusive opener of your cover letter. It is often the first few lines of your letter which will either catch a prospective employer’s attention or cause them to move it to the trash bin.
You should craft your introduction carefully. Use an economy of words that appeal to your audience, making the most out of each sentence. Your introduction needs to be tailored to the specific employer and the position for which you are applying. Emphasize the goal of your letter in those initial lines and make sure you identify some of your strong suits relevant to the job description.
As far as formatting goes, make sure you keep to the customary business letter structure. This is not the time to be overly creative or try to come up with a witty format. Keep things simple and standard in your formatting, using your words to captivate and interest the hiring manager. If you have a specific name to send your application to, make sure you address the letter to that individual personally.
Craft an Engaging Main Body
The next key step regarding how long should a cover letter be, is to craft an engaging and well-written main body. The actual verbiage will vary based on the company you are applying for and the position you are seeking to fill. However, there are still some standard structural elements that should be in place.
The main body of your cover letter needs to identify how and why you would be an asset to the prospective employer if offered a position. If you have experience specific to the industry for which you are applying, this is the place to include these details. Make sure you name actual instances where your expertise and skill set helped you in attaining professional achievements. The main body of your cover letter should not be a litany of your work life. Rather, it should be tailored appropriately to the demands of the position.
Remember, you need to show the prospective employer what makes you stand apart from the other candidates and how your experiences could make you well suited for this upcoming role. Keep your main body fairly brief and to the point, but include enough details that the hiring manager will be curious to know more and look at your resume.
If the original job description asked for specific details such as your projected start date, salary requirements, or any other pertinent information, make sure you include these elements. Reread the job posting if need be to make sure you did not miss any instructions, no matter how small they may seem.
Do not use the same main body of your cover letter repeatedly for various job applications. Customize each submission to the role you are applying for. Otherwise, your application may appear disingenuous, easily giving the impression you do not take the job seriously enough to take the time to write a unique cover letter.
In determining how long should a cover letter be, make sure that the main body shows elements of your personality. It should not be so stiff and formal that the prospective employer senses it is scripted. Instead, keep things professional and succinct, but include aspects of your background relevant to the role and reveal something interesting about yourself. Before moving on to your conclusion, make sure the main body contains accurate spelling and grammar and does not contain any errors.
Make Your Conclusion Count
Another key element in determining how long should a cover letter be is your conclusion. Make it count, but keep it short and sweet. Include any necessary details regarding how the potential employer can get in touch with you via phone and email. Reaffirm your interest in the job and your anticipation of discussing the role in further detail as a successful interviewee.
How Long Should a Cover Letter Be?
Key Considerations
When pondering how long should a cover letter be, the question might have crossed your mind whether you should even send a cover letter in the first place. In the modern work era, most employers still require that applicants submit a cover letter to be considered for a position.
Even if the job posting you apply for does not specifically state that a cover letter is needed, it never hurts to include one in your application. Cover letters often increase the likelihood of securing an interview and eventually the position. Employers appreciate the time and effort taken to craft a well-written, engaging, and informative cover letter. The only time you should not submit a cover letter is if a potential employer states plainly that you should not send one.
Use Correct Formatting
Formatting is one of the first considerations you should make when figuring out how long should a cover letter be. Cover letters should be under 1 page in length. Make the most out of every sentence to emphasize your background and qualifications relevant to the role, identifying what qualities you could bring to the table as a successful applicant.
In most cases, brevity is your friend when it comes to cover letters. Many employers prefer cover letters to be under 1 page long, with a considerable number stating shorter was optimal. As a general rule, most employers like cover letters to be kept to about half a page, with the maximum length being 1 page.
The font is an important aspect in deciding how long should a cover letter be. Use an easily readable font like Times New Roman, Verdana, Calibri, or Arial, keeping letters around a 12-point font size. Maintain strict 1-inch margins with left text alignment. Be sure to use sufficient spacing after your greeting and introduction, your conclusion and your signature, and between each paragraph. You should still have blank space visible on your cover letter to avoid a cluttered appearance.
Maximize Your Words
Another common consideration that comes into play when analyzing how long should a cover letter be, is your projected word count. There is no right or wrong answer to determine the appropriate cover letter word count. The only exception to this rule would be if the prospective employer specifically stated a minimum or maximum word count for cover letters.
Otherwise, hone in on keeping your cover letter at 1 page or shorter, with a legible font, appropriate font size, and sufficient space between transitions. Print out a copy of your cover letter before submitting it. If it looks too long or too jumbled, chances are that you should revise it before sending.
Adapt It Appropriately
An important factor in deciding how long should a cover letter be is the format in which it is sent. When sending as an attachment, the 1 page or less rule will suffice. However, if you are going to be emailing your cover letter, the length and structure rules change a bit.
If you are required to send your cover letter via email, your text needs to be kept brief and to the point. Include a gripping first paragraph and a strong closer for your second paragraph. Craft your subject line so it is clear and readable to your recipient. You will want to type out the role title for which you are applying and your name, keeping the total to under 30 characters.
Cover Letter Grammar and Other Tips
Plan Your Sentences Well
As a follow up to identifying how long should a cover letter be, there are some additional crucial factors that go into formatting a successful submission. Your experience and relevant qualifications can easily fall by the wayside if your grammar and syntax are off. A hiring manager will see these mistakes as a lack of focus on details, and this could cost you the interview.
Avoid sentence fragments at all costs. Instead, write complete cohesive sentences that flow together succinctly. By the same token, refrain from using run-on sentences. Run-on sentences are two sentences combined into a single sentence which looks sloppy and poorly written. State your sentences in complete thoughts that can stand alone and fit together as a logical unit.
Use Modifiers, Participles, and Abbreviations with Care
Modifiers, participles, and abbreviations are commonplace in everyday language and writing. When planning out how long should a cover letter be, make sure you do not have words ending in “-ing” used incorrectly, use the right modifier for its appropriate noun, and keep abbreviations to a minimum.
In fact, abbreviations should only be used if you have already identified what they stand for earlier in your letter. Otherwise, spell things out so as not to confuse your reader.
Writing Numbers
If you have to include numbers in your cover letter, keep things simple when writing them in a row. Either use numbers in digit form or spell them out, but do not use a combination of each. It is best never to begin a sentence with a number. If you do, the number must always be spelled out.
Capitalizing Correctly
Pay attention to capitalization when determining how long should a cover letter be. If you are stating the name of a company, organization, department, or agency, take the time to capitalize these titles appropriately in your cover letter.
Keep It Fresh
One of the most imperative tips to remember when deciding how long should a cover letter be is to never repeat your resume in the body of your letter. Your cover letter should build upon your resume, making further points and identifying additional details new to your reader.
Unlike the mass of applicants who will probably include a sentence or two about the wonders the job would do for them, choose instead to discuss what you will bring to the table. Do not use a formula cover letter that you have sent to 10 other companies hoping to secure a position. You may be able to weave some similar elements of your experience in, but you should still change up every letter to personalize the content to your unique audience.
Show Your Professional Chops
Another crucial element regarding how long should a cover letter be are the words used to describe what you can do and how you could be of benefit to the prospective employer. Do not just focus on past experiences. Look at the requirements for the role listed in the job posting and use those elements to showcase how you can meet the company’s future needs.
Highlight your skills, especially if you do not have the exact experience required for the role. If you are deficient in certain areas but believe you could still be a competitive candidate, you will need to prove that to a hiring manager. Choose your best skills most relevant to the job and weave those abilities throughout your cover letter.
Do not place too much emphasis on your educational achievements. You want to touch upon these items, but most prospective employers have a far greater interest in your actual professional experience and the skills you have that would meet their needs from the moment of hire.
If you are lacking some requirements listed in the job posting, never emphasize these points or apologize for them in your cover letter. Hone in on the relevant skills you have, including any useful experience and strengths that would showcase your ability to perform the duties of the role.
Incorporate Examples
One of the best ways to show a prospective employer you could be the right person for the job is by using illustrating examples. If you have something in your background that drew you to the industry, company, and position, identify that connection.
Depending on the field, relevant statistics showcasing the professional achievements you have enjoyed can be of great use. You can even incorporate feedback or review comments from former employers in your cover letter to highlight your knowledge and abilities in a specific industry that would render you suitable for the role.
Fine Tune
Another key element as to how long should a cover letter be is found in the tone of your letter. You want to keep things professional without being too formal. You can convey your qualified professionalism and still show you have a personality and would be a great person to work with.
In tailoring your format regarding how long should a cover letter be, it is important to be professional while allowing for structure flexibility if the situation warrants it. For instance, if you are applying to an established brick and mortar business, keep things down to a few paragraphs on 1 page or less.
On the other hand, if you are applying to a tech geared or creative role, you might be afforded more latitude as to the format elements you can incorporate. Still, keep things succinct and professional at all times. Be careful to never cross the line into overt familiarity with your reader.
Keep It Brief
Finally, when deciding how long should a cover letter be, opt to keep things to the point. You need not expound on your excitement for the role every other line. Write succinctly and clearly, showcasing your enthusiasm without overstating it. Instead of talking about how detail oriented and team-minded you are, provide examples or identify skills that reveal these abilities in concrete ways.
Conclusion
Learning how to compose a successful cover letter and understanding how long should a cover letter be is not inherently difficult. It takes time, patience, and editing, but the rewards are well worth it.
When deciding how long should a cover letter be, focus on quality over quantity. Make every sentence count as an opportunity to showcase your unique abilities and let the hiring manager know why you are the winning candidate.