when employers post a job ad that requires a cover letter they may specify certain requirements for the cover letter to address for example they may require applicants to answer certain questions or to respect a certain word limit it is important to follow these requirements as they reflect on the applicant s ability to understand and follow directions 
if the employer does not set any expectations a typical cover letter should be about a page or less and may include a formal greeting contact information and links to the applicant s portfolio or work it should highlight any special skills and explain why you would be a good fit for the position this is your chance to impress the employer even if your resume does not have everything an employer wants a well written cover letter can make the applicant stand out from the crowd 4however it is possible to include too much information most employers will simply glance at the majority of their cover letters and a long winded essay might end up at the bottom of the pile a few short paragraphs explaining your skills and why you chose that specific employer should be enough to put your best foot forward 4tips for writing a cover letterwriting a cover letter doesn t have to be tedious even though it may seem like it s a chore here are a few simple tips you may want to consider when composing your cover letter a simple focused cover letter without any typos or grammatical errors will get you noticed by potential employers a perfect resume can often be sabotaged by a poorly thought out cover letter or one that is laden with mistakes whether you include the letter as per required submission guidelines or you simply want to emphasize your interest in the job make sure you avoid making these blunders 