Hello experts in the house. Is a 230 word cover letter too short?

Question

Following an online recommendation that says consulting firm prefers a shorter cover letter, I made my cover letter just about 230 words.

Structure:

I have the opening paragraph that talks about my interest in the role and my qualification briefly
A middle paragraph that started with why I am qualified for the role. This middle paragraph is where I have details about my past work experience. I put each experience in a bullet point format for easy reading. Each bullet point is about 3 lines long.

And I have my concluding paragraph. Everything is under 300 words. Do you think this will be appropriate or come across as too short?

Answer 1

Dear A,

Add another paragraph on why you targeted this specific company (office, location).

Best,
André

Answer 2

Hi,

Add a 3rd paragraph explaining why you are targeting a particular company. 3 sentences are enough.

Best!

Answer 3

Hi Anonymous,

I agree with Vlad, definitely add a paragraph for the company you want to apply to. You should make the paragraph specific enough so that it cannot really be reused for other application – basically, you have to show that you have done due diligence on the company.

Potential topics that you can use to show you know the company include:

Company potential: how much the company is growing, which is a good guarantee for your future opportunities as well
Sectors of interest: specific focus of the company in areas interesting for you
People you met and culture: specific people of the company you talked to, and the things they shared on the company
Your growth opportunities: specific programs of the company you heard about to enhance your growth
Size/reputation of the firm: smaller companies usually offer a more entrepreneurial culture, with higher growth potential internally. Bigger companies have more resources and support staff, and more prestige in terms of future opportunities.

Best,

Francesco