Creating the Right Length for Your Cover Letters

The ideal cover letter length is typically around 250-350 words, or between half a page and 3/4 of a page. Any shorter than a half-page, and a hiring manager may assume that you don’t have enough relevant experience to benefit the company. Longer than 3/4 of a page or longer than a full page, and the recruiter is less likely to actually read the whole thing. Keeping the length of your cover letter at about a 250-350 word count gives you enough time to convey your most important skills and experiences without going too long.

Utilizing the correct cover letter format is also a huge part of keeping your cover letter to this length. First, start with the correct salutation. In the header, include your contact information, including your phone number and social media accounts, like LinkedIn. Open the letter with the name of the hiring manager, rather than a generic cover letter opening like “To Whom It May Concern.”

In the first paragraph, mention the job you’re interested in, and include a great hook. This could be a particularly striking experience from your work history, information about why you went into this field, or a great achievement you managed at a previous job.

The second paragraph needs to go deeper into your past experiences. This may include referencing multiple company names to indicate where you’ve worked in the past and going over your best skills. If you want to highlight multiple achievements in your professional life, you can add more bullet points underneath this paragraph.

Next is the final paragraph. This closing paragraph is where you include the call to action, openly requesting the follow-up for a job interview. In the third paragraph, you also wrap up your cover letter, thank the hiring manager for their time, and sign off.