Cover letters are a crucial part of the job application process. They’re where you make your first impression, so it’s important that you get it right. But how long should your cover letter be? It’s not an easy question to answer.
There are many factors that come into play: from hiring managers' preferences for different types of resumes, to whether or not they're looking at candidates with similar qualifications or experience as theirs (both good things). So let's take a look at how long should a cover letter be in 2023.
Cover letters are really important
Cover letters allow you to give employers information about yourself, your past experience and skills, and why you should be hired for the job. The more information included in your cover letter, the better it will be at getting your foot in the door with potential employers.
A cover letter is a way to show that you have thought about the job and understand it well enough to write about it. In addition to outlining your qualifications, including information about yourself—what makes you unique from other candidates, how your skills and experience would help the company, and why someone should hire you.
A great cover letter will also show off some of your personality; this is especially important if it's for an entry-level position or one where there isn't much work done by managers who don't interact with employees regularly (like marketing or sales). You can give examples of how your personality fits into their culture by describing activities in which they do things differently than at other companies where they've worked before—or even ones they haven't.
But there is a sweet spot for how long they should be
The first thing to keep in mind is that a cover letter should be one page long. That’s it. If you have more than one page, it will be harder for hiring managers to read and process your application quickly. You might as well just put your resume on top of the cover letter and call it good—you want them to see everything about you in one place so they can make an informed decision.
If your cover letter is too long (like three or four pages), then this could mean that you don't have anything interesting enough on those pages to warrant their attention right away. Also, employers won't think highly enough of someone who takes up too much time with irrelevant details (like where they went to school).
Once they exceed one page, they lose their effectiveness
The cover letter is a separate document that needs to be concise and clear. It should not be longer than one page, but there are some exceptions: if you have done extensive research on the company or position being applied for, or if you have written a novel-length essay in which case it would make sense to submit it as an attachment rather than as part of your application itself.
Most people don't want to write too much but they're unsure if they've written enough. They don't want to come across as being uninterested or disorganized, so you should make sure that the cover letter you submit is concise without being boring or dull.
It's also important for your cover letter not to be too long—especially if your application was submitted via email or an online portal such as Fuzu. If someone were reviewing these documents on their own, they would probably scroll right past them without reading anything more than just "I'm interested in this position" at first glance.
So what should you include in your cover letter?
In 2 or 3 sentences max, explain what specific skills make you a good fit for the role and show your understanding of the company culture. If there's time left over after that, include an example of something you've done in a similar situation that shows that you can do it again.
For example: "I am a strong communicator with excellent written and verbal communication skills." Or: "I have spent my career working on projects related to food safety at restaurants across East Africa."
If they're interested in scheduling an interview as soon as possible—or even if they want to schedule one but aren't sure how long it will take—include those details here too.
How to determine the ideal length for your cover letter
There are three main ways to determine the ideal length for your cover letter. First, you should always read the job description carefully. The job description will include details of the skills and qualifications the hiring manager is looking for. This is an important place to find out the ideal cover letter length for the application. Second, you can also check the job advertisement to find out how long other people's cover letters are. This can help you to decide how long your cover letter should be. Last, you can also use word cloud software to see which words are used the most in the job description and other cover letters. This can help you decide how long your cover letter should be.
Read also: Writing a perfect cover letter
The ideal cover letter length is between 200 and 400 words, so you don't write too much lest you end up losing the reader's attention. You also don't want to go on and on with unnecessary details or repetition. The average cover letter is about 300 words long, so if your resume is longer than 300 words, then make sure that your cover letter matches that length by keeping the content in line with what's written within its entirety.
Conclusion
The cover letter is a great opportunity to show hiring managers exactly why you are an ideal candidate for their job. You need to make sure that your cover letter is the right length, though. If your cover letter is too short, you might not have enough information to persuade the hiring manager to hire you. If it is too long, you might lose the hiring manager's attention. To help you in your job search, this article provides an ultimate cheat sheet on the ideal cover letter length in 2023.
