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How long should a cover letter be?
Learn how long a cover letter should be for your next job application.
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As you collect your application materials, including writing a resume, don’t forget to include an integral part of your application: your cover letter.
The cover letter is where you can speak in detail about your work experiences and expand on your skill set. It’s an opportunity to emphasize your interest in the position and your feasibility as a candidate. However, attaining the ideal cover letter length is easier said than done.
Thankfully, a cover letter doesn’t need to list every part of your job history. It’s an opportunity to share why you stand out as a candidate and why you’re the best fit for the role. Keep reading below to learn how long should a cover letter be, including tips for keeping your cover letter brief and straight to the point.
How long should a cover letter be?
A general rule of thumb is that a cover letter is between a half and a full page long. This translates to about three to five paragraphs, or anywhere from 250–400 words. Typically, the average cover letter length does not go longer than one page.
Unfortunately, hiring managers and recruiters do not have extra time to spend reviewing your application. With an average of at least one hundred applications per job posting, most hiring managers only spend 30 seconds reading a cover letter. Staying concise and selective about your work experiences and skill sets will improve your chances of moving to the interview stage.
If you’re new to professional work, then you may worry that your cover letter is on the shorter side. Cover letters can be shorter if you’re in school applying for internships or a recent graduate entering the workforce. However, applicants can include extracurriculars or relevant coursework examples that make them stand out to an employer. Before heading into their professional career, students can use AI in education tools and exam prep to put them in a better position to be accepted into exciting internship opportunities.
It’s also common to hear the rumor that some hiring managers do not take time to review cover letters. However, almost all job applications require one, and you do not want to be disqualified for not submitting one. Writing a cover letter doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Learning how to write a cover letter can help you choose which experiences to highlight from your background and position yourself as a worthy candidate. Remember that a cover letter sets you up for the interview stage, where you can go into more detail about your background or relevant experience.
Now that you can confidently answer how long should a cover letter be for a job, let’s explore some tips to help you trim excess information in your letter.
How to trim the excess information in a cover letter.
Your cover letter is a brief summary of your work experiences that are applicable to the advertised position. It is not meant to reiterate every bullet point from your resume. You can catch the attention of the hiring manager by succinctly advertising the skills that are most relevant to your desired role.
If you’ve asked how long should a cover letter typically be, the average cover letter length is less than one page. Check out these tips for trimming excess information from your cover letter to stay within the one-page guideline.
- Be selective. You do not need to explain every single line from your resume in your cover letter. Stick to three to four experiences that are relevant to the job description. Be concise in your descriptions but highlight skill sets that are applicable to the job.
- Read the instructions. In some job applications, an employer will provide prompts and request your answers in your cover letter. If so, stick to answering these exact questions to avoid adding extraneous information. They may also request a single page, restricted word count, or for you to create your cover letter as a PDF.
- Mention the company. Your cover letter should not be a complete overview of your entire job experience. Instead, leave room within your cover letter to speak to your potential employer directly. Dedicate one paragraph to explain your excitement about the position and company. By mentioning the company directly, it shows the hiring manager that you’re serious and passionate about the role. Be sure to trim other information to ensure there’s enough room to speak to your future employer.
5 tips to stay within the ideal cover letter length.
Are you still unsure about how long a cover letter should be? Here are a few solid tips and tricks to keep your cover letter short and concise while still highlighting your key job experiences.
1. Cut filler words from your cover letter.
Don’t forget to spell-check and proofread your cover letter before submitting it. Cut out filler words like “that” and “just” and try to trim down any run-on sentences. Also, ask an experienced friend to review your cover letter to proofread and remove any excess words.
2. Choose a few experiences to highlight in your cover letter.
It’s okay to be choosy with your job experience. You cannot write every cover letter the same way. Instead, tailor your cover letter to each specific job application. Before writing your cover letter, review your more recent positions and choose the most relevant experiences and accomplishments that directly apply to the job at hand. This curation will make it simpler for the hiring manager and keep you within the designated word count.
3. Stay within three to four paragraphs in your cover letter.
Once again, do not write a cover letter longer than one page. A few short paragraphs explaining your professional capabilities are more than enough. If you over-explain yourself, you won’t have enough material for the interview stage. The interview stage is the opportunity to explain your history in greater detail.
4. Review the job application requirements.
Remember to check the application requirements to see if the employer requests specific information or answers within the cover letter. If so, being exact and specific will help you stay within the ideal cover letter length and assist the hiring manager in remembering your qualifications. Also, don’t forget to review the requirements before you end a cover letter so you include all the necessary information.
5. Look for white space in your cover letter.
Make sure your cover letter is scannable and easy to read for hiring managers. After writing your cover letter, take a break and notice the white space on the page. Leaving a sufficient amount of white space makes your cover letter easier to read over a dense, word-heavy document. Have a friend review it to see if the letter is readable and if they can easily point out your skill sets.
Frequently asked questions.
Is a 500 word cover letter too long?
Is a 150 word cover letter too short?
Most likely, a 150-word cover letter is too short to describe your work experience accurately. However, if you’re applying for an internship and have little job experience, you may wonder how long should a cover letter be for a job. A 150-word cover letter may be acceptable for candidates new to the workforce.
If you are unsure about what to include in your cover letter, include information about relevant courses and class projects. Volunteering and extracurricular activities indicate leadership and taking initiative, which makes you more appealing to an employer. As you send off your cover letters to internships, you can use tools such as the AI quiz generator and AI flashcard maker to study class material and feel more confident moving on to your professional career.
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