When Plain Beats Polished
Most format guides converge on a similar range, but the most directly sourced number comes from ResumeGenius’s 2022 survey of 625 US hiring managers: among those who read cover letters, the preferred length is around 400 words — three or four short paragraphs, not a full page of prose (ResumeGenius, 2022 Hiring Manager Survey). A simple template makes that discipline easy to hold, because there’s no design flourish tempting you to pad the letter to fill more space.
That discipline matters because the letter genuinely gets read: the same survey found 83% of hiring managers “always” or “frequently” read cover letters, and 45% read the cover letter before the resume. Plain and quick to scan beats elaborate and slow to parse almost every time — especially when it’s likely the first thing a hiring manager sees.
The Simple Cover Letter Formula
“Simple” isn’t the absence of structure — it’s a fixed, reliable one. Every effective plain letter runs the same three beats:
- Opening hook (1-2 sentences): the role, the company, and one specific reason you’re a fit — not a generic statement of interest.
- Body (1-2 paragraphs): one concrete example of relevant work, told as a mini-story with a result, not a list of duties already on your resume.
- Close (1-2 sentences): a direct ask for next steps and a thank-you — no restating everything you just said.
That’s the whole formula. The skill isn’t cramming more in — it’s cutting everything that isn’t doing one of those three jobs.
Copy a Simple, Direct Opening
Plain doesn’t mean vague. This opening does its job in two sentences:
Dear Mr. Reyes,
I’m applying for the Customer Success Manager role at Fielding Software. After four years running client onboarding for a 12-person agency, I’m ready to bring that same hands-on problem-solving to a product team full-time.
Copy a Simple, Direct Closing
The close asks for the interview — it doesn’t summarize the letter you just wrote:
I’d welcome the chance to talk through how my onboarding process could fit Fielding Software’s next stage of growth. Thank you for considering my application.
Best,
Jordan Ellis
The difference between a plain opener that works and one that doesn’t isn’t decoration — it’s specificity:
I’m applying for the Warehouse Supervisor role at Delco Logistics. In two years leading a 15-person overnight shift, I cut picking errors by tightening our handoff checklist.
I am writing to apply for the position at your company. I believe my skills and experience make me a strong candidate for this role.
Who a Simple Template Actually Serves
- Career changers — a clean layout keeps the focus on your transferable case, not a design that draws attention away from it
- High-volume applicants — anyone sending several applications a week needs a format that’s fast to adapt per role
- Early-career candidates — no track record to compress into clever formatting yet, so there’s nothing to gain from complexity
- Most industries by default — outside of explicitly creative or brand-driven roles, plain reads as competent, not boring
Pair this with a matching simple resume template so both documents read as one consistent submission.
When Simple Undersells You
Plain is the safer default, not the universal one. Two situations where it’s worth reconsidering:
| Situation | Why plain can undersell you |
|---|---|
| Senior or leadership roles | A one-paragraph achievement often isn’t enough evidence at this level — a structured breakdown of 2-3 wins reads as more credible than compressing a decade into one story |
| Creative, design, or brand roles | The letter itself is a work sample here; zero visual judgment on display can read as a missed opportunity, not restraint |
| Roles explicitly asking for “a portfolio” or “writing sample” | A plain letter alone doesn’t satisfy the ask — pair it with the requested material rather than relying on the letter to carry that weight |
The real risk with “weak” plain letters isn’t the format — it’s what the format lets you get away with. ResumeGenius’s same survey found 49% of hiring managers say a strong cover letter can convince them to interview an otherwise weak candidate, while 18% say a weak one can sink an otherwise strong application (ResumeGenius, 2023 — cited above). A simple layout with a specific, well-argued paragraph carries that upside; a simple layout used as an excuse to skip specifics carries the downside instead.
What to Keep, What to Cut
| Keep | Cut |
|---|---|
| One detail specific to the company | A generic opening line that could apply anywhere |
| A direct closing ask for the interview | A restatement of your entire resume |
| A single contact block, matching your resume | Multiple headers or repeated contact info |
| Plain section breaks (paragraphs) | Decorative dividers or icons |
For more on what to actually put in those three paragraphs, see our guide to writing a cover letter.
Not sure plain is the right call for your target role? Compare it against our professional cover letter templates — the more formal register that corporate, finance, and legal hiring tends to expect.
Wensa’s templates are designed by our founder and product design team — Artur Lopato has 9+ years of experience designing digital products. Every Wensa template is shaped around what hiring managers and recruiters actually look for when scanning a cover letter in seconds.
A cover letter isn’t usually run through the same automated screening a resume is — but the resume you’re pairing it with almost certainly is. Worth testing that one free with our ATS resume checker while you’re at it.
FAQ — Simple Cover Letter Templates
What’s the difference between a simple and a minimalist cover letter?
Very little in practice — both prioritize clean structure over decoration. “Simple” here means a traditional single-column layout with real section breaks and no design flourishes; it’s the safest default and works across virtually every industry.
Is a simple cover letter template less persuasive than a modern one?
No — a hiring manager responds to the argument you make, not the design around it. A simple layout with one specific, well-argued paragraph outperforms a stylish template with generic content every time.
Who should use a simple cover letter template?
Anyone applying to a conservative industry, anyone who wants zero risk of an ATS parsing issue, or anyone who’d rather spend their time on the writing than the layout. For the strictest ATS requirements, our ATS cover letter templates take it one step further.
How long should a simple cover letter be?
Around 400 words is what hiring managers report preferring — enough for the opening hook, one body paragraph with a real example, and a direct close, with nothing left to trim.
