Check cover letter length for applications.
Cover letter length expectations differ sharply by sector, and applying the wrong convention is itself a signal. Commercial roles expect 300 to 450 words — roughly one page and under two minutes of reading. Academic applications run 700 to 1200 because they must address research, teaching and fit substantively. Startups favour brevity. Reporting the time to read rather than only the word count is the more useful framing, since a recruiter screening a large pile is deciding in well under a minute, and average paragraph length flags the wall-of-text problem that causes letters to be skimmed rather than read.
Recruiter screening time
Screening seconds = cover letter words / recruiter reading speed x 60
Target range
Corporate 300-450, public sector 400-600, academic 700-1200, startup 200-350 words
Because they do a different job. An academic letter has to address research agenda, publication record, teaching experience and departmental fit — each substantively. A hiring committee expects that detail, and a 350-word academic letter reads as though the applicant has not engaged with the post.
Yes, for skim-readability. Paragraphs above about 120 words look like a block and get skipped by someone screening quickly. Four to six paragraphs of 60 to 100 words each gives the eye entry points and ensures each idea is visibly separate.