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The one-screen cover letter: why 180 to 250 words gets read
Most hiring managers decide in the first two lines. Here is how to fit a full case for yourself on one screen, and what to cut first.
Jamal Carter
Writing lead
Open any applicant tracking system and look at a cover letter the way a hiring manager sees it: a box on the right side of the screen, next to a resume, between two other candidates. If the letter scrolls, most of it goes unread. That is why Pithy aims most drafts at 180 to 250 words. It is long enough to make one clear case and short enough to read without scrolling on a laptop.
What fits in 250 words
A one-screen letter has room for four things, in this order:
The role and why you are writing, in one sentence.
One result from your past that matches the top requirement in the post.
A second piece of proof, or one line on why this company.
A plain close that says what you want next, such as a 20-minute call.
Four parts at roughly 50 words each is a useful budget. If one part needs 100 words, another part probably needs to go.
Anything beyond that usually repeats the resume. The resume already lists your jobs. The letter’s job is to connect one or two of them to this posting.
Cut in this order
When a draft runs long, cut from the outside in. Start with the opening and the closing, because they collect the most filler. Lines like “I am excited to apply” or “Thank you for your time and consideration” cost 10 to 15 words and tell the reader nothing new.
Delete adjectives that describe you, like “passionate” or “detail-oriented,” and keep the numbers that prove them.
Merge two short results that make the same point into one sentence.
Move skills lists back to the resume. A letter that names six tools reads like a keyword dump.
Replace a paragraph of praise for the company with one line on why this team, this year.
Then read what is left out loud. If a sentence makes you take a breath in the middle, split it.
A useful test: cover the letter with your hand, uncover one line at a time, and stop where a busy reader would stop. Everything below that line has to earn its place.
Keep the proof, lose the padding
The goal is density. A 200-word letter with one specific result, a named product and a real number does more work than a 450-word letter that summarizes a career. If you have more proof than fits, choose the result closest to the first bullet of the job post and save the rest for the interview.
When longer is fine
Some letters should run longer. Academic jobs, grant-funded roles and many government postings ask you to address each selection criterion. In those cases, follow the instructions in the post and use short headings so the reader can find each criterion.
Pithy shows a live word count and read time while you edit, and it flags a draft once it runs past the range for its layout. You can ignore the flag. Most people who try the shorter version keep it.
Three more short guides.
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Write your opening line last
The first sentence is the hardest to write and the first one a recruiter reads. Write it after the rest of the letter, once you know what you are claiming.
Job search
Match job-post keywords without sounding like a robot
Applicant tracking systems and recruiters both scan for the words in the job post. Here is how to use them in sentences a person would actually say.
Job search
Career change letters that lead with the overlap
When you switch fields, the reader’s first question is whether you can do this job. Answer it in the first paragraph with the work that already overlaps.
