Structure is important

Before we tackle the actual
contents of your cover letter,
let us briefly discuss its structure
and what parts should not be omitted.

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First, let’s start with the formal aspect of the cover letter.

The letter should be short, concise, but content rich. It should definitely not exceed one page in length. However, even that is often considered too much.

Visually, it is ideal for the text to fill about 3/4 of the page. However, it is better to refrain from reducing the font size or otherwise modifying the page to fit more text. The size should be around 1 – 1,5 standard pages (note: one standard page is comprised of 1,800 characters with spaces).

Did you know?

Studies clearly show that longer cover letters have a lower success rate.

It used to be customary to include the company address to which the letter is being sent. Nowadays, this practise has been mostly abandoned and rarely pops up in cover letters.

The one exception is state administration, where such formalities are usually required and should be included.

The address should be written in following format:

  • Name of the recipient
  • Company name
  • Company address

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What should the cover letter look like?

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