Key takeaways
- A short cover letter is about 150 words in three paragraphs: the role and why you, one piece of evidence with a figure, and the close.
- The middle paragraph takes half the words, because it is the only one that says something your CV cannot say on its own.
- Short is not generic: every letter names the employer, the role and one specific requirement from the job advert.
- If you could not defend a sentence in an interview, cut it. Stock phrases, adjectives and anything already in your CV go first.
Why a short letter usually works better
Recruiters open a cover letter with little time to spare, and nearly always after the CV. A full page asks for effort they often do not give; three paragraphs get read to the end. In a survey of 753 recruiters run by the CV platform Zety in June 2024, almost half said they prefer half a page, and one in four just a few sentences. It is a survey by a company in the sector and it does not say which country respondents work in, so treat it as a signal rather than a rule.
Short does not mean generic. In ResumeGo's field experiment, 7,287 fictitious applications sent through US job boards, those with a cover letter tailored to the advert got 53% more callbacks than those with no letter at all. What counts is that the letter was clearly written for that job, not how many words it has.
of the 753 recruiters in Zety's survey (June 2024) prefer a cover letter of half a page. 26% prefer a full page and 25% just a few sentences.
Source: Zety, survey of 753 recruiters on cover letters, June 2024 (country not stated)paragraphs is «a good length» for a cover letter, according to the guidance published in 2024 by EURES, the European job mobility portal.
Source: EURES (European Commission), Want to make your cover letter stand out? Here's how, 2024more callbacks went to applications with a tailored cover letter than to those with none, in ResumeGo's experiment in the United States (2019-2020).
Source: ResumeGo, Cover Letters: Just How Important Are They?, field experiment with 7,287 applications in the US (2019-2020)The short cover letter template: 150 words in three paragraphs
The model we use at Cernoria spreads about 150 words across three paragraphs, each with a single job. EURES suggests the same split: interest in the role and the organisation, the skills or achievements that relate to the job, and the value you would add, with an invitation to the next step. What we add is the word budget, which is what forces you to choose.
The numbers are a guide, not a rule. If one paragraph ends up at 25 words and another at 80, that is fine as long as the middle one is still the longest. What you should avoid is going over 200 words: at that point the letter starts repeating your CV.
| Part | What it answers | Words | What to leave out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greeting and subject line | Who you are writing to and for which role | 5 to 10 | «To whom it may concern» if you can find a name |
| Paragraph 1 | Which role you are applying for and why you | 25 to 35 | Your life story from school onwards |
| Paragraph 2 | One concrete piece of evidence that you can do the job | 70 to 80 | The list of duties already on your CV |
| Paragraph 3 | What you offer and the next step | 25 to 35 | Apologies or filler |
| Sign-off and name | How to reach you | 5 to 10 | Details repeated from your CV |
Paragraph by paragraph: what goes in each one
The order is fixed because each paragraph sets up the next. If the evidence comes before the role, the reader does not yet know what it is for, and it loses its force.
- Paragraph 1: the role and why you
Name the exact job title, the employer and the reference number if there is one. In the same sentence, say what connects you to the role: your profession, your years of experience or the main requirement you meet. No «I am writing to apply»: the first line already has to say something.
- Paragraph 2: one piece of evidence with a figure
Pick the requirement that carries most weight in the advert and tell one thing you did that proves it, with a number, a scale or a result. One example told well is worth more than three skills listed.
- Paragraph 3: what you offer and the next step
Say in one sentence what you would do in the role and ask for a conversation directly. A polite sign-off and your name finish the letter.
The template to copy
Copy the template, replace whatever is in square brackets and count the words at the end. If you are over 200, go back to the middle paragraph and keep one piece of evidence only.
Subject: Application for [job title] · Ref. [reference] · [your name]
Dear [name of the person],
I am applying for the [job title] role at [employer]. I am a [your profession] with [years or qualification] in [field], and [the main requirement in the advert] is exactly what I do today.
At [previous employer or project] I [past-tense verb] [what you did], and [result with a figure]. To get there I [how you did it, in one sentence]. It is the same kind of work the advert describes when it mentions [requirement, in its own words].
I would like to bring that to [team or project at the employer]. Could we speak this week or next? My CV is attached.
Kind regards,
[Your name] · [phone] · [link to your profile, if it helps]
Short cover letter example with no experience
Five different situations using the same model. The people, employers and figures are invented: they are there to show how the space is shared out in each case, not for you to copy the achievements. Each letter is roughly 150 words. The first is for a first job with no work experience: the evidence comes from training and a work placement.
Subject: Application for administrative assistant · Ref. ADM-24 · Chloe Example
Dear Laura,
I am applying for the administrative assistant role at Northfield Accountants. I finished my Level 3 Business Administration course in July, and the spreadsheet work in your advert is what I practised most on the course and on my placement.
During a six-month placement at a distributor in Leeds I sorted the archive of 1,200 supplier invoices and built a payment-deadline tracker that the team still uses. With that tracker in place, no late-payment charges were paid in the last quarter of my placement.
I would like to bring that order to your team. Could we speak this week? My CV is attached.
Kind regards,
Chloe Example
Cover letter examples by field
The other four are letters for people who already have experience: a career change, sales, technology and a return to work after a break. In each one, the middle paragraph answers the main requirement in the advert with a single achievement.
Subject: Application for learning and development coordinator · James Example
Dear People team at Midland Freight,
I am applying for the learning and development coordinator role. I have spent eight years planning lessons for classes of 30, and your advert asks for exactly that: designing content and making sure people use it.
For the last two years I led my school's move to online learning. I designed a four-module course, trained 40 colleagues and in one term we went from 5 to 32 teachers using the virtual classroom. I tracked progress with a short survey after each module and reworked whatever was not landing.
I would like to bring that method to training in your warehouses. Could we arrange a call? My CV is attached.
Kind regards,
James Example
Subject: Application for SME business development executive · Emma Example
Dear Richard,
I am applying for the SME business development executive role at Delta Supplies. I have five years of consultative selling to small businesses across the North West, the profile your advert describes.
In my current job I opened a new territory for the company: I started with no clients and within eight months reached 35 shops ordering every month. I did it with a weekly visit plan and proposals tailored by sector, which the whole team now uses. Last year I hit 112% of my target.
I would like to do the same with your SME accounts. Would you have time for a conversation next week? My CV is attached.
Kind regards,
Emma Example
Subject: Application for backend developer · Oliver Example
Dear Victoria,
I am applying for the backend developer role at ClearPay. I have worked with Python and PostgreSQL on billing systems for four years, which is the core of the role.
In my current team I rewrote the service that produces our monthly invoices. I cut processing time from six hours to 40 minutes by optimising the database queries and splitting the work into batches, with no downtime for customers. I also wrote the module's automated tests, which it had never had.
I would like to bring that experience to your platform as it grows. Could we set up a call? My CV and GitHub profile are attached.
Kind regards,
Oliver Example
Subject: Application for customer service team leader · Sarah Example
Dear Andrew,
I am applying for the customer service team leader role at Horizon Insurance. I have six years in contact centres, the last two leading a team of 12. In 2025 I was a full-time carer for a relative and I have been available since January.
As team leader I reorganised shifts around call volumes, and average waiting time fell from five minutes to two within a quarter. This year I completed a complaints-handling course to bring myself up to date.
I would like to put that experience to work in your team. Could we speak? My CV is attached.
Kind regards,
Sarah Example
What to cut to get to 150 words
Most long letters share the same unnecessary phrases. Cutting them takes nothing away from the letter and leaves room for the evidence in the middle paragraph.
| What to cut | Why | Put instead |
|---|---|---|
| «I am writing to express my interest in…» | It spends the first line saying nothing | The role and the employer from the first sentence |
| «I am proactive, hard-working and passionate» | Anyone can write it and nobody can check it | One fact that shows that quality |
| Repeating your CV job by job | Your CV is already attached | One experience: the one that answers the advert |
| «Although I do not have experience in…» | It points to a reason to reject you that may not have been obvious | The closest thing you have done, with a figure |
| Three or four achievements in a row | None of them sticks | The achievement closest to the main requirement |
| «I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience» | It is a formula that asks for nothing | A direct question about speaking |
In the body of an email or as an attachment
If you are emailing your application to a person, the short letter goes in the body of the email: it is the first thing they read, and a three-paragraph attachment means opening one more file. The subject line works as the title: the job title, any reference number and your name. The National Careers Service notes that a covering letter can be sent as an email when you apply online, and that your contact details should be right in both the letter and the CV.
If the advert asks for a file, use a PDF in the same design as your CV, with your name in the file name and everything on one page, which 150 words easily fit.
Cernoria's rule: every sentence has to stand up
In 150 words there is nowhere to hide a weak sentence, or an inflated one. Whoever interviews you will read the letter beforehand and ask about what it says. The rule is simple: every fact has to be yours and you have to be able to talk about it in detail for two minutes. If the achievement was a team effort, the verb says so; if the figure is approximate, use the lowest one you are sure of.
At Cernoria we see it this way: a short cover letter is not a letter with less effort, it is a letter where you have already made the choices. What is left is the only thing you wanted them to read.
The check before you send it
Before you send the letter, go through these points with the advert next to you. If any answer is «no», fix that part.
- Does the first sentence name the exact job title, the employer and any reference number?
- Does the middle paragraph answer the main requirement in the advert with a concrete figure?
- Is there any sentence that could appear in anyone else's letter? If so, change it or cut it.
- Could you talk about every achievement in the letter for two minutes in an interview?
- Does the close ask for something specific, such as a conversation?
- Is it under 200 words, and does it read easily on a phone screen?
Example, template or generator: which to use when
An example, a template and a generator do different jobs, and it helps to know which one you need before you start. The table sums up when each one is useful and what to check in each case.
| Option | When it helps | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| An example from this guide | To see how the space is shared out and which tone to use before you write | The achievements and employers are invented: the evidence has to be yours |
| The template with brackets | When you have already chosen the evidence you will use and want to write quickly | Every bracket should end up holding a fact of yours and the words of the advert |
| An AI generator, such as Cernoria's at /carta-presentacion | When you apply to several jobs and want to start from the advert and your profile | Check the letter before you send it: every fact has to be yours and something you can defend |
| A one-page letter | When the advert asks for a longer letter | The same order: role, evidence and close, with more detail in the evidence |
Frequently asked questions
How many words should a short cover letter be?
About 150, split into three paragraphs, and never more than 200. Under 100 words, the concrete evidence in the middle paragraph is usually missing, and that evidence is what makes the letter different from your CV.
Does a short cover letter look unprofessional?
Not if it is specific. What looks unprofessional is a generic letter, long or short. Three paragraphs that name the employer, the role and one piece of evidence get read in full and leave a better impression than a page of stock phrases.
How do I start the letter if I do not know the recruiter's name?
Look for the name in the advert, on the employer's website or on LinkedIn first. If you cannot find one, address the team: «Dear Recruitment team at [employer]» is warmer and more specific than «To whom it may concern».
Should the cover letter go in the email or as an attachment?
If you are writing to a person, put it in the body of the email and attach your CV. If the job site or the advert asks for a file, upload it as a PDF with your name in the file name and the same design as your CV.
Can I use the same short cover letter for every job?
You can reuse the structure, but not the text. Always change the employer, the role and the evidence in the middle paragraph to match the main requirement of each advert: that is what makes the letter count.
What does a short cover letter example look like?
It has about 150 words in three paragraphs: the role and why you, one piece of evidence with a figure and a close that asks for a conversation. The five examples in this guide follow that order in different situations, from a first job to a return after a break.
Sources
- Zety, survey of 753 recruiters on cover letters, June 2024 (country not stated)
- EURES (European Commission), Want to make your cover letter stand out? Here's how, 2024
- ResumeGo, Cover Letters: Just How Important Are They?, field experiment with 7,287 applications in the US (2019-2020)
- National Careers Service, Covering letter
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