CV Genius

CV Genius

The World's Smartest CV Builder

Job Search Questions & Answers from the Experts at CV Genius

How long does it take to write a cover letter?

How long it takes to write a cover letter depends on:

  • how comfortable you are with writing
  • if you have experience writing cover letters
  • how much you want the position (you should devote more time to jobs you’re more interested in)

If the deadline to submit your cover letter is soon, you can write a cover letter in as little as 20 minutes, for example, if writing a short cover letter or using AI to write your cover letter.

But to maximise the number of cover letters you send out while making sure each one is well-written and customised, plan to spend roughly 1 hour per cover letter. One way to write a cover letter in 1 hour is to split your time evenly among researching the company, writing the first draft, and editing your cover letter.

Use a cover letter builder to save time.

Cut down on the time it takes to write a cover letter by using a cover letter builder or cover letter template. These tools make it easy to start writing a cover letter and ensure you follow standard cover letter format. Once you've written one solid cover letter, you can customise it to different job postings.