How Long Should a Cover Letter Be [Ideal Length + Examples]

How Long Should a deckblatt Letter Be Ideal Length + Examples How Long Should a titel Letter be? The Ideal deckblatt Letter LengthJuly 4, 2019 By Zachary Vickers Reviewed by Mark Slack, CPRWUnderstanding exactly how long a cover letter should be can be tricky. Well help you out with ur in-depth guide to cover letter length and free cover letter examples.Build My titelblatt Letter NowAccording to a survey by Saddleback College, hiring managers spend 30 to 60 seconds reviewing a candidates job application. Theyre busy people, so submitting a rambling, lengthy cover letter is a surefire way to have your application overlooked entirely.Keep reading to find out the perfect cover letter length, so you can craft the ideal cover letter for a job application and soon land fulfilling work.Table of ContentsWhat is the Ideal Cover Letter Length?Formatting a Brief Cover LetterHow Long Should an Electronic Cover Letter Be?1. What is the Ideal Cover Letter Length?Its a common question brought up by job recruiters as well as those within the resume industry are cover letters necessary? Lets go ahead and assume that they are for a moment. In that case, how long should a cover letter be?The short answer is, well, short. Avoid writing your cover letter as if its an actual letter it isnt. Its a way to flesh out the most impressive aspects of your resume, and should be treated as a brief addition. TipDownload our free short cover letter examples and fill them in with your own information if youre pressed for time.With that said, the standard cover letter length is200-300 wordsBetween and one pageone to four paragraphs longHow Many Words Should a Cover Letter be?The average reading speed of an adult in the US is roughly 300 words per minute. Since hiring managers typically spend less than a minute reviewing a resume, we can assume that a brief cover letter of around 200-300 words is ideal. TipRemember the simple acronym KISS when writing Keep It Short and Sweet.Should a Co ver Letter Be One Page?The ultimate goal of any job application is to sell yourself as the ideal candidate while making a great first impression.Naturally, the desire to describe your accomplishments and aspirations in painstaking detail might seem like the optimal way to sell yourself but leid so fast.Submitting a long-winded, two-page cover letter is the perfect way to make any hiring managers eyes glaze over especially if youre applying for an entry- or mid-level position. TipWhile you may have to talk about a wider variety of your experience (including your education) to write a convincing entry-level cover letter, you should always keep your cover letter to one page.In order to fit everything on one page, follow these rulesInclude only the most relevant information concerning the position.Choose a single, impressive bullet point from your resume and expand on it.Provide a short call-to-action telling the hiring manager when youre available for an interview.Include a brief si gn-off.One Page Cover Letter ExampleOur retail sales associate cover letter sample below is a great example of a one-page cover letter. The candidate keeps the letter brief at only 223 words which would take the average adult just under a minute to read.Does a cover letter have to be one page? Well, no, leid necessarily, but a single page is standard. The optimal cover letter length, as mentioned earlier, falls in that half to full-page range. TipApplying to a bunch of jobs? Learn how to write a general cover letter that not only saves you time, but impresses recruiters as well.Can a Cover Letter Be Two Pages?Writing a two-page cover letter can be acceptable in some cases although, consider this the cover letter page limit.For most positions, a typical cover letter should only be a single page. However, top-level management roles, or careers that involve sophisticated analysis, research, and/or development can certainly go beyond one page.We recommend sticking to one page unless youre applying for one of the following positionsAcademicAccountantBusiness AnalystData AnalystExecutive (CEO, CIO, CTO)EngineerMarketing ManagerSales ManagerTwo Page Cover Letter ExampleWhen applying for highly technical roles or jobs requiring 5 to 10+ years of experience, submitting a two-page cover letter is acceptable.Take a look at our two page example for a CEO position at a prestigious tech companyOur executive cover letter uses the prestigious Westminster template. Download it for free or browse our seven other professional cover letter templates.2. Formatting a Brief Cover LetterCover letter format should be a major consideration when creating a document thats as extremely important to first impressions as this one.A typical cover letter should follow this standard formatContact informationThe employers contact informationA brief greetingOpening, middle, and closing paragraphsA short sign-offThese five key points are all thats needed to craft a perfectly formatted cover le tter.Should a Cover Letter Be Double-Spaced?So, youve finished writing your cover letter. Its as short as you could possibly make it, and then you realize youve only filled up half the page How on earth will the hiring manager believe youre a qualified candidate if you dont even have a full pages worth of information?Dont worry. Theres no need to start messing with line spacing just to fill up the page (its not a college term paper, thankfully).Resume writing experts agree that each paragraph of a cover letter should be single spaced.The only time you should use the double-spaced format is between paragraphs. This improves the readability and flow of your cover letter.How Many Paragraphs are in a Cover Letter?As previously stated, keeping your cover letter concise should be your number one priority. That means no unnecessary information and no overly wordy rants. It isnt a thesis, its a cover letter for a job application. At most, everything you need to mention should be contained w ithin three to four paragraphs.While it depends on the nature of whats being written, a single paragraph typically contains around 100-200 words. Therefore, a three-paragraph cover letter should fit within the recommended cover letter word limit of 300 words.Three Paragraph Cover LetterAContact information The cover letter header should include your name and how to contact you.BEmployers contact information Include the hiring managers name, company info, and date.CBrief greeting If you dont know the recruiters name, include a generic Dear Hiring Manager.DOpening paragraph State the position youre applying for, and explain why you should be hired.EMiddle paragraph Describe past work experiences that hard sell why you deserve the job.FClosing paragraph Here, thank the hiring manager and let them know how to reach you for an interview.GShort sign-off End with your signature.3. How Long Should an Electronic Cover Letter Be?By and large, the cover letter rules that weve discussed in this article are for hard-copy cover letters those that you physically print out.If youre applying online, there will most likely be an area where you can upload PDF or Word document versions of your resume and cover letter. The saatkorn word count, paragraph count, and page length rules apply to electronic cover letters.Having said that, you should make a few small tweaks when submitting your application via emailDitch the employer contact information.Move your personal contact information below the signature.Create a simple subject line that includes the job position and your name.Since there technically arent any pages in an email, you may think its fine to exceed the recommended cover letter word count when submitting an application electronically. You would be mistaken.Hiring managers have a limited amount of time to review job applications, and to strengthen your chances of landing an interview, a short cover letter is totenstill your best bet.Ensure you achieve the perfec t cover letter length with our free cover letter builder, or try writing your own by downloading any one of our 120+ cover letter templates

How to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out

How to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out 10 Ways to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand OutWhether or leid youre looking for a new job right now, you still need a LinkedIn profile that stands out. With mora than 500 million users worldwide, LinkedIn is easily the largest professional network on the planet. Its not only large but also highly effective in helping professionals in any industry get and stay connected.So why should that matter to you? LinkedIn is your chance to get your name and face in front of hundreds (or even thousands) of professionals in your industry. If youre looking for a job, thats essential.However, its not enough to just have a LinkedIn page. You need a great LinkedIn profile that draws attention, says the right things, and helps you really connect with the people who can help you expand your career. Here are 10 simple tips to help make your LinkedIn profile stand out.1. Add your headshotThe simplest thing you can do to upgrade your LinkedIn profile is to add a good headshot. Be creative if that fits with what you do or who you are, but remember that this is the first impression people will get from your page. If you dont have a professional headshot to use, its worth the investment. With the huge numbers of people on LinkedIn, those without a photo are easily pushed aside.2. Create an eye-catching headlineYour headline is the first bit of text that shows up right below your name on your LinkedIn profile. The default settings will fill this in with your current position and thats okay for starters but it can be whatever you want. You have 120 characters to work with, so why not add on a little? Think of it as a small billboard advertisement for you and what you do. Instead of just listing your job title, mention your specialty and how you benefit your company or customers. For exampleAdvertising Sales Rep helping clients create winning branding strategies. Over 300 successful clients.Just like that youve told them your job, what you bri ng to the table, and provided a little credibility easily and effectively.3. Craft an interesting summaryYour summary can be a longer form of your headline here you have 2000 characters to work with so you can dive in a little deeper. Dont focus on just your past experience but on what you do well and what you can bring to a prospective employer. Keep in mind that keywords are crucial here use words that you want to be strongly connected to in your field.Attention spans are short these days, so dont use up all of those 2000 characters. Instead, keep it to less than half of that. Be creative and paint a picture of who you really are as a professional.RelatedHow to Write a Powerful LinkedIn Profile Summary4. Highlight your experienceYou can do better than simply cutting and pasting your resume onto your LinkedIn profile. You dont have the same two-page rule here, but you do have internet readers short attention spans. Be sure to include any jobs that you deem relevant to where you wa nt your career to go, and use two to four interesting and impressive bullet points for each job you include. Also, use good action words to show not just what you did, but what you accomplished in each position.5. Use visual mediaDid you know that you can add a background photo/titelseite photo on LinkedIn just like on Twitter and Facebook? Its simple to do and it makes your LinkedIn profile stand out, so pick a theme that speaks to your profession or personality.LinkedIn also allows you to connect other media to your profile like Youtube videos, infographics you name it. Get creative with relevant media and make your page jump off the screen and demand attention.6. Customize your URLYour LinkedIn URL is the web address for your profile. The default URL will have your name and some gibberish numbers on it. Why not make it something mora relevant? Along the right side of the profile, you will binnensee the option to edit your public URL. Use that option to make your URL more concise and neat again, it only takes a couple of minutes and it can make your URL much more memorable.RelatedHow to Create a Custom LinkedIn URL in 3 Easy Steps7. abflug making connectionsIt seems obvious, but it can be easy to forget sometimes. You need to keep growing your connections as you meet people because of LinkedIns system of first, second, and third degree connections having a lot of connections helps keep you visible to others.That being said, while you can connect with people you dont know, its preferable to connect with individuals whom you know personally, have worked with, or met in a professional capacity.8. Ask for recommendationsThis is a big one. Think of people that youve developed a good working relationship within the past. When you edit your profile, there is a link to click that says Ask for Recommendations. Click on it. You choose what youd like to be recommended for and can choose a list of people from your connections. Then, send it out and hope you get some g reat feedback.Recommendations are a key to making your LinkedIn profile stand out. Employers want to know that others have approved of your work.Help your karma out and write recommendations for some of your connections in return.9. Keep your page activeLinkedIn is more than an online resume its a networking social media site. That means to get the most out of it, you need to remain active. Check out what other people are posting, engage them with thoughtful comments, and like and share posts that strike you as helpful.You can also join groups that are on LinkedIn. Whatever your professional interests are, from marketing to accounting, there are going to be groups talking about it. Join one or two and interact within that group. Its a great way to meet some new people and share ideas.10. Check your LinkedIn profile strengthIf you look at your current profile, there is a gauge on the right-hand side that gives you a Profile Strength measurement. Essentially, this is telling you how completely youve filled out your profile. Keep adding more and using the sites tips until that gauge rates you All-Star. Its simple, but it can help you see if youve overlooked something.LinkedIn is a powerful tool and one thats really easy to use. Make the most of it by optimizing your profile to grab attention, sell your skills, and validate your accomplishments. You want your page to be visually appealing to visitors while making it easy for them to get a feel for who you are and what you really can do for them professionally. These 10 tips make a great start for building your winning LinkedIn profile.Click on the following link for more advice on creating your LinkedIn profile.Is your resume as powerful as your LinkedIn profile? Let one of our resume experts check with a free resume critiqueRecommended ReadingLinkedIn Networking How to Cultivate Meaningful Connections OnlineResume and LinkedIn Profile Writing How Different Should They Be?Ask Amanda What Should My LinkedIn Profil e Photo Look Like?Related Articles

The Truth About Writing a Bio vs. Resume

The Truth About Writing a Bio vs. Resume The Secret to Writing a Bio vs. Resume A profile is very helpful if youve got a work history thats unrelated to your existing career goals it lets you highlight only your most relevant experience. In the majority of instances, you dont need to share personal details in your bio. A bio should start out with an overview statement, which offers a big-picture overview of your special blend of skills and experience. If youre unemployed and developing a bio as parte of an on-line profile, you can list your prior role or your present expertise. For companies located in the USA or Canada, a resume is normally the acceptable selection. So, when you put in an application for work in Greece, the united kingdom, or Denmark, your prospective employer will ask you for a CV. In the USA and Canada, theres a difference between a CV and a resume. In the usa, the primary difference between a CV and a resume is the intention behind the documents. The Argument About Writing a Bio vs. Resume To stick out above other lab assistant applicants, its important to compose an expert document that illuminates your education, experience, and abilities. Writing publications on a resume is not among the most frequent sections as its quite specific and is largely employed by academics or PR and advertising professionals. 1 advantage for employers to internet resumes is the considerable cost saving in contrast to traditional hiring methods. You are also able to get a feeling of the internal language used within a specific industry or company. Choosing Writing a Bio vs. Resume Get Real Realize that an expert bio is intended to make you resemble a confident and skilled individual. Also, you should remember that the total layout of a resume plays a tremendous role if an individual will go through your resume or not. It is possible to either place your experiences in a chronological fashion or you are able to categorize them according to u nique types. You must jot every form of skills and talents that youve gathered by means of your life, but bear in mind that it ought to be relevant to the corporate world. You might want to translate your CV. A CV is normally written when youve got to describe your entire life. Thus, the CV is the ideal choice to help cover your whole career to present to possible employers. Your CV may include everything which youve done so far.