Hi Reader, have you ever written a cover letter?

Today, we will discuss how long it should be, what belongs in it, and how it is normally structured.

Indeed, cover letters follow a relatively clear structure.

Let’s therefore see what truly matters in a cover letter:

Fundamental Cover Letter Principles

In essence, a cover letter should be a concise narrative that communicates your fit for the position, alignment with the company, and personal motivation.

Accordingly, a cover letter normally consists of 4 (3–5) paragraphs.

That means a cover letter normally fills about one page. You want to leave enough space for a header and white space, but two pages are the exception.

In terms of word count, we normally range between 250–400 words.

Design Tips

Similar to résumés, the goal is design clarity with a touch of beauty.

Simple and modern designs will serve you best. Blue is often the color of choice, although orange or grey often work well too.

Nevertheless, take care to keep the design consistent with your résumé - they should belong together, although it’s not necessary to feature the exact same design.

Choose a font that is easy to read.

Sans-serif fonts normally help with screening and feel more modern (my advice), although a case can be made for simple serif fonts to support reading.

The Content

Here is what should be included in every cover letter, explaining the number of paragraphs normally used:

Heading

• The header’s essential information includes the following:
• Full name and professional title (if applicable)
• Phone number
• Email (a professional email)

If applicable: links and relevant social media profiles such as LinkedIn, GitHub (for developers), or Medium (for writers), as well as a personal website.

Addressing the Hiring Manager

Try to find their name. Sometimes it can be found in the application information, sometimes on LinkedIn.

It’s a strong sign that you did your due diligence. If you cannot find a name, consider the following:

• Dear Product Development Hiring Team,
• Dear Human Resources Recruitment Team,
• If you know the position but not the name: Dear Director of Marketing,

Don’t use the standard "To whom it may concern" or "Dear Ladies and Gentlemen".

Emails

Subject Line:

• "Application" [Position] – [Your Name]
• e.g., Application Assay Development Scientist – Maria Suczicta
  or
• [Your Name] – [Position] "Application"
• Urem Tiham – Sales Manager Job Application

Introduction

Let the hiring manager read what they need to know.

I.e., briefly state who you are, what position you are applying for, and why you would be the perfect candidate.

It is up to you whether you write one introductory sentence followed by an introductory paragraph or keep everything in one paragraph.

Main Paragraphs

The following 2–3 paragraphs should contain what is outlined below, but how you order it is up to you.

Your Motivation

• Why do you apply for this position?
• What about the company made you apply?
• How do your goals fit those of the company?
• (Why apply now?)

> Related to the last two points, you can also mention an instance where you met or learned about the company.

Your Fit

• Which experiences and achievements make you the perfect candidate? Like in a résumé, prove your worth by providing context and quantifying your achievements.
• Why exactly this position instead of another?
• How and why is this position the next step in your career?

Why You

• Present yourself as the person who has what it takes—outline skills and capabilities that allow you to succeed in the team or company.
• You can also include extracurricular or volunteering roles to demonstrate transferable skills.

Please note that you don’t need to answer all of these points explicitly.

Instead of discussing why you didn’t apply for another position, the hiring manager should be guided toward the answer through your narrative of how you fit the position you are applying for.

Of course, in some cases, such as explaining a change of field or gaps in your career, you can be explicit.

Conclusion

While advice differs, I would argue that doubling down on your motivation without being cheesy is best.

• Why are you passionate about achieving something for the company? What do you want to contribute?
• Thank the reader for their time and end with an “invitation to action."

In contrast to a call to action, you don’t tell your reader what to do; you invite them or share that you are looking forward to a call or outreach from them: “Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at the provided email address or phone number so that we may arrange an interview.”

Writing Style

Keep it concise. Yes, it may seem like you are being asked to do the impossible: create a narrative and be brief.

The sentences themselves can be short and to the point—no need for literary masterpieces.

And yes, it will take time. The famous saying, “I wrote a long letter because I didn’t have time to write a short one,” is true.

Making it shorter takes time; don’t let that frustrate you.

In terms of style, you want to stay formal but don’t become robotic; your own style can shine through.

How much of your style you want to show depends partly on the region:

• U.S.: Cover letters tend to allow more enthusiasm and a conversational tone compared to the very formal style in some other countries.
• Europe: Here, the cover letter (or “motivation letter”) requires a more formal tone and a structured format. Especially in countries like Germany, you still shouldn’t sound like you’re applying 80 years ago, but any clearly inappropriate phrase or severe grammar mistake may immediately disqualify a candidate.
• Asia: Many countries are starting to follow Western-style norms. However, especially in countries like Japan, it is important to follow cultural expectations of politeness. Sometimes there are also special local, cover-letter-like formats.

No matter where you apply, technology will be a consideration.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are used to store and screen applications before a human ever reads them.

While cover letters are infrequently interpreted automatically, they are sometimes parsed and saved as plain text.

Therefore, avoid complex layouts, tables, columns, icons, or heavy design elements that may not be read correctly.

> Additionally, use relevant keywords from the job description naturally throughout your text. This makes your cover letter searchable and easy to evaluate once AI is used.

But more about this next time.

How We Feel Today
​