How long should a cover letter be?

Short answer: between 250 and 400 words, which is three or four short paragraphs and well under one page. If the letter goes in the body of an email, aim for the lower end. That is the whole rule. The rest of this article is about why, and about the cases where the rule bends.

Why short works

A cover letter has one job. It should make the reader want to open your CV with a clear idea of why you fit. It is not a second CV and it is not your life story.

The person reading it usually has many applications to get through. A letter that makes its point in half a page is a kindness, and it shows something about you: that you can decide what matters and say it plainly. Many jobs need exactly that skill.

Length also hides weakness. When a letter runs long, it is usually because the writer has not chosen the one or two things that matter most for this job and is listing everything in case something lands.

What fits in 300 words

More than you would think. A clear structure helps:

• Opening, two or three sentences. The role you are applying for and the main reason you fit.
• What you bring, one paragraph. Two or three things from your experience that match the most important requirements, with facts.
• Why this company, one short paragraph. Something specific you know about them and how your experience connects to it.
• Close, one or two sentences. You would welcome a conversation. Stop there.

If each part does only its own job, you will land near 300 words without trying.

When the rule bends

The employer gives a limit. Follow it exactly. If a form says 200 words or 1,500 characters, treat that as part of the test. Going over can mean your text is cut off in the middle of a sentence.

The employer asks specific questions. Some postings ask you to address particular points in the letter, such as your salary expectations or your earliest start date. Answer every one, even if the letter becomes longer. Missing a requested point is worse than an extra paragraph.

Senior, academic and public sector roles. In some fields a longer letter is normal, sometimes a full page or more, and public sector applications may ask for a statement against each selection criterion. Check what is usual in your field and country before you cut.

A short message with your CV attached. If the cover letter is the email itself, four to six sentences can be enough. Nobody wants to scroll through an email.

Shorter is not always better

There is a floor as well as a ceiling. Two sentences saying "please find my CV attached" is not a cover letter, and it wastes the one chance you have to say something the CV cannot: why this company, and why now. If you write fewer than 150 words, check that you have actually given a reason.

What to cut first

If your draft is too long, remove things in this order:

1. Anything that repeats the CV line by line
2. Sentences about how excited or passionate you are
3. General statements about your character, such as being hard working or a team player
4. Your full career history in order
5. A second and third example where one strong one would do

What stays should be the things only you could write to only this company.

Format matters as much as word count

A 350 word letter can still look heavy. Keep paragraphs to four or five lines. Leave white space between them. Use the same font as your CV. If you send a document, keep it to one page with normal margins and do not shrink the text to make it fit. If it does not fit, it is too long.

A quick test

Read the letter aloud and time it. If it takes much more than two minutes, it is too long. Then ask what the reader would remember an hour later. If the answer is one clear reason to talk to you, the length is right.

Where JobUncover fits

JobUncover drafts a cover letter from research on the company and checks every claim against your profile, so the letter has something specific to say without padding. You get the draft as DOCX, PDF and plain text, and you can shorten or change any line before you send it.