The first thing I see when I get your job application is the cover letter. It is very important. The cover letter gives me a feel for who you are. It allows you to put some facts in there that don't fit on the normal resume. For example, "I really want this job because this is where my career is headed." I like to see that in a cover letter and I might pick you over someone slightly more qualified because you want a career in this area and I'm happy to help you out. So, the other thing is I don't need to read your life history. I want a very short, concise cover letter, 12-point type (certainly no less than 10) and I want to be able to get a feeling for you and how you fit into our organization. You should be able to do that in a couple of paragraphs.