How Long Should a Cover Letter Be? UK Answer & Pro Tips

Writing too little might make it seem like you haven’t much to say—but writing too much is not ideal, either. A recruiter can only read so many pages a day! So, how long should a cover letter be? 

In this article, you’ll find out how much to put on the page, how to make it fit and look good, and what to say in each part of the cover letter to use your space wisely. Let’s get started! 

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Best cover letter length

A cover letter should be around 250–300 words. It should fit on one page and, in most cases, feature 3–4 paragraphs. Avoid repeating your resume. When you finish writing your cover letter, save it as a PDF.

Here’s a cover letter that’s 288 words, excluding the header: 

Now you know how long a cover letter should be, let’s go over the process of writing one that’s the perfect length. 

How long should a cover letter be: paragraph breakdown

300 words is not much, especially if you have much work experience and achievements that you’d like to share with the recruiter. At the same time, 300 words can seem like a tall order for a recent school leaver with next to no experience. 

If you’re struggling to get your cover letter to the right length, use this paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown as a guide: 

Paragraph 1: Introduction

2 to 3 sentences, so around 40–60 words, will suffice here. Make sure that your cover letter opening conveys the following: 

• The position for which you’re applying
• The name of the employer
• Your experience level
• What you have to offer the employer

The idea is to catch the reader’s attention with an accomplishment or relevant fact about yourself. Mention you’re ready to use your skills for the employer’s benefit. This strategy shows that you took the time to tailor your application and gets your professional value across in just a few words. 

Let’s look at that example again: 

How long should a cover letter be: first paragraph example [56 words]

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Paragraph 2: Key strengths

It should be the longest—between 120–170 words, depending on your experience and how long you want to make the other paragraphs. 

Try to achieve the following here: 

• Show your understanding of the role and the skills the employer requires. The job ad should be clear, so use it as a guide. 
• Prove you have those skills by providing specific examples of your experience, performance, or accomplishments. 

Here’s a second-paragraph example that’s on the longer side due to the candidate’s extensive experience: 

How long should a cover letter be: second paragraph example [162 words]

Paragraph 3: Motivation

In standard cover letter structure, the third paragraph is where you mention your motivation, i.e., why you want to work for this particular employer. 2–3 sentences (around 50 words) will usually suffice. If you're going to write a short cover letter, you can combine paragraphs 2 and 3 into one more extended unit, mentioning your motivation as you describe your achievements. 

As you write this part, it can be helpful to call on things you admire, enjoy, or appreciate about the company—such as its values, areas of activity, projects, plans, goals, etc. You can drop a compliment or two and suggest how you’ll contribute to the employer’s continued success. 

How long should a cover letter be: third paragraph example [43 words]

Paragraph 4: Closing

For your final paragraph, a sentence or two should be enough (20–30 words). All you need to do in your cover letter closing is to ask for an interview or suggest you’d like to discuss some aspect of your application and sign off with a complimentary close. Like so: 

How long should a cover letter be: closing paragraph example [25 words]

Tips for achieving the best cover letter length

How to check your cover letter word count

How many words are there in your cover letter? There are a few ways to check your word count, depending on what software or app you’re using. These solutions should cover all bases: 

• In Microsoft Word, press Ctrl + Shift + G on the keyboard—a dialog box will appear with your document’s word count and other details. 
• To see the same in Google Docs, press Ctrl + Shift + C. 
• You can copy (Ctrl + C) your text and paste it (Ctrl + V) into a free online word counter app, such as wordcounter.io, wordcounter.net, or wordcount.com. Note that you need a working internet connection. 

Still too long or too short? Don’t worry. We have more tips for you below. 

You don’t have to create any content yourself. The LiveCareer cover letter generator will automatically suggest the best content for your cover letter with ready-made examples and expert tips.

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Making your cover letter shorter

Getting carried away with your cover letter is easy, especially if you’re excited about the job opportunity. But recruiters won’t appreciate a 600-word essay—truth be told, they probably won’t read it. So, either way, you’re much better off with a shorter cover letter that recruiters can review. 

To reduce your cover letter's word count, start by cutting out unnecessary information. Re-read your cover letter after a day or two, if you can afford the delay, with a fresh mindset, and be honest about things that aren’t urgent for the reader. If you can, get someone else to read it and ask them to highlight parts they find confusing, too long, or unnecessary. 

Be selective about the accomplishments you mention—around 3 examples of your performance will suffice. Remember that a cover letter is just a brief introduction to your experience, so it needs to highlight only the most impressive, relevant information. Your CV will handle the rest, and you’ll go into more detail during your interview.

If you find paragraph #2 is to blame for the excessive word count, consider reorganising it into a format incorporating bullet points. This strategy cuts out a fair amount of content as it removes the need to maintain a cohesive flow from one sentence to another. By doing that with the example from above, we can take the word count down from 162 to 125: 

Making your cover letter longer

Writing a substantial cover letter can be difficult if you recently finished studying or you’re changing careers. If you’re short on relevant work experience, your cover letter can include experience from school, volunteering, internships, projects, competitions, and so on—anything to show your relevant skills. 

Another strategy is to write more in paragraph #3—go into more detail about why you want to embark on this career in this company. Show you’re enthusiastic about your prospective job and passionate about your profession or industry. Research the company thoroughly and focus on specific ways in which you can help them achieve their goals. 

Remember that you can submit a shorter cover letter if need be—it’s better than filling it with unnecessary information just to hit a specific word count. A low word count won’t be an issue if you're emailing your cover letter. If you print it to submit in hard copy, the page might look empty. In such a case, increase line spacing to 1.50 and use a broader font—Verdana will take up a lot more space on the page than Arial despite using the same size setting. 

What else to remember about recommended cover letter length & format

Here are some additional cover letter tips to keep in mind when preparing your job application: 

• Set one-inch margins all around the page. Narrower margins make the lines of text slightly too long to follow. 
• Use a font that’s easy to read and set it to 10–12 points. Don’t go below 10 points just to squeeze more onto the page; most fonts become nearly illegible at this size. Try changing the font if your text won’t fit on the page. For example, Arial, Calibri, or Gill Sans are much narrower than Verdana or Georgia. 
• If you’re emailing your cover letter, you can stick to the same structure outlined above. Skip the heading, though—start from ‘Dear…’ and include your contact details below your signature. 
• Tailor your cover letter to each job opening. Different companies may have varying priorities even when hiring for similar roles. 

And that’s all there is to know about cover letter length! 

A cover letter alone simply won’t be enough—you need an impactful CV, too. Create your CV in minutes. Just follow our wizard and fill in every CV section with ready-made content. Get started by choosing a professional CV template.

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Thanks for reading. If you’re having trouble with the length of your cover letter you’d like more advice on how much to write, let me know in the comments below—I’ll be happy to help!

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Our editorial team has reviewed this article to ensure compliance with Livecareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them in finding their dream jobs. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.