Cover letters
One job, one letter. Build the first draft from the posting itself, then check how long it runs and what each paragraph is doing.
Cover letters at a glance
Updated November 14, 2026
Cover letters get 4 guides and 5 tools on this page. A cover letter is your chance to say, in your words, why this job and why you. Recruiters skim. So keep it to a page, three or four paragraphs, and put your best point in the first two sentences, because that may be all that gets read.
Have the posting open? Paste it into the generator along with three or four highlights of your own, and a tailored draft comes back in about a minute. Check it against 250 to 400 words in the word counter. What goes where is in the format guide.
Tools
AI Cover Letter Generator
Paste the job posting and a few highlights, and get a tailored AI cover letter draft in under a minute. Free with an account.
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AI Writing Checker
Paste an essay, a letter or an email and see why it reads as AI-written: even sentence lengths, stock phrases, repeated openers and flat wording. Then fix it line by line. Nothing you paste leaves your browser.
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Word Counter
Get a live word and character count as you type, plus sentences, paragraphs and reading time. Nothing you paste leaves your browser.
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Words to Pages Calculator
How many pages is 1,000 words? Set your font, size and spacing, then convert words to pages or pages to words.
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Paraphrasing Tool
Reword an essay, email or paragraph in your own words. Pick formal, simple, concise or academic, and the meaning stays the same.
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ATS Resume Checker Score your resume against a job posting and see the keywords it lacks. Try it freeGuides
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What Is a Cover Letter? Purpose, Parts and When to Skip It
Wondering what a cover letter even is? It's a one-page letter that travels with your resume and argues for one specific job. This covers what it's for and the five parts every letter has. It also tells you when an optional letter is worth the effort and the few times to skip it.
7 min read
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How Long Should a Cover Letter Be? Word Targets by Situation
One page. That means 250 to 400 words in three or four paragraphs. Word targets are broken out by situation, and there's a sample letter cut from 512 words to 318, with a count of where every word went.
5 min read
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What Goes in Each Paragraph of a Cover Letter
Four paragraphs, one job each. The first names the role and one reason you fit. The second backs that up with one or two results. Paragraph three says why this employer, and the last one asks for an interview. About 300 words total is the target.
7 min read
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Cover Letter for Internship: Example and Template
With no work history, lean on coursework, clubs and part-time jobs. Three short paragraphs and 200 to 300 words is enough. Two complete examples come with word counts, and there's a fill-in template. Our generator can help too, if you keep your own voice.
7 min read
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What I check before sending one. The company name and the job title, letter for letter against the posting. Every number traced back to something I actually did. One detail only I could know, like a product of theirs I've used. Then the swap test: change the company name, and if the letter still reads fine, it was never about this job.
A letter that fits on one page is 250 to 400 words, and the generator stops around 350 so you have room for a line of your own. Writing to a UK or Australian employer? Change the spelling first, "organization" to "organisation" and the like. And if a school or scholarship is involved, read its rules on AI before you start, since some ask for a declaration.
Common questions
Who do I address it to if the posting gives no name?
"Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear Hiring Team" is fine when there's no name. Look first, though: the posting, then the company's LinkedIn page. Whatever you do, skip "To whom it may concern."
Do I still need a cover letter in 2026?
If the application asks for one, yes. If it says optional, a short one still helps where writing is part of the job, or when you're changing fields. No box for it on the form? Then leave it.
Can I use an AI cover letter generator?
For a first draft, yes. Ours starts from the posting and your own highlights, which is why the draft fits the role. Then read it once, cut anything you'd never say out loud, and add one detail only you could know.
Should the cover letter repeat my resume?
No. The resume lists what you did; the letter explains why it matters for this job. Take two or three points from the resume and tie each to a line in the posting.