No longer than a page, no longer than a few paragraphs max. You want to get to the point that you are interested, and why you are qualified for the position.

You can have a general cover letter, but when you send it out, put the position title, and remember to change the date. If you are going to do this, then make it customized or personalized if possible. You don’t want it to seem that you’re sending your resume and cover letter out to every employer.

If you can find out to whom you need to send the cover letter, then do so. Write To Sue Williams: for instance. If you cannot figure out who it is, then put To Human Resources:

Make sure you have your contact information both on the cover letter and the resume. That way, should they become separated, the company can still contact you.

Spell check. It’s easy, and if you have spelling errors, it makes you look unprofessional and sloppy.

Keep to the positive. It’s not the place to give information about why you are leaving a position, gaps in your resume history. As said earlier, short and to the point, the point being why you would be good for the position, and that you are interested in the company and the opportunity.