How Long Should a Cover Letter Be?

The ideal cover letter is 250–400 words on a single page. Recruiters spend less than a minute on each one. Anything longer gets skimmed; anything shorter feels half-hearted. The sweet spot is one tight page, three or four paragraphs.

What goes in a 350-word cover letter

• Opening (50–75 words): hook, role you're applying for, why this company
• Body paragraph 1 (100–125 words): one accomplishment with a number
• Body paragraph 2 (100–125 words): a second strength relevant to the role
• Close (50 words): next step, thanks, sign-off

Check your length in the Free Word Counter after every revision.

Why short cover letters win

• Recruiters skim — short letters get read in full
• Brevity signals confidence
• The best content concentrates; long letters dilute it
• Hiring managers respect candidates who respect their time

Length by role type

• Internships & entry-level: 250–300 words
• Mid-level roles: 300–400 words
• Senior / executive roles: 400–500 words (rarely longer)
• Academic positions: 1–2 pages (different conventions)

What never goes in a cover letter

• A summary of your resume
• A list of every job you have had
• "I am writing to apply for the X position" — instead, lead with why
• Salary expectations (unless asked)

The one-sentence test

Read your cover letter and ask: "If I cut every sentence that does not say something specific about me, what is left?" If half the letter goes, your draft was too generic. Specifics are what get callbacks.

Email cover letter vs PDF cover letter

If you are pasting into an email body, aim shorter — 200–300 words. If attaching as a PDF, you can push to 400. Either way, the email body needs a quick intro that signals what is in the attachment.