CV Word Counter
Count words and characters in your CV, estimate reading time, and see detected bullet points, date ranges and standard sections — with a verdict on whether the length is right.
About the CV Word Counter
CV length is one of the few things about a CV with a defensible right answer, and it is easy to get wrong in both directions. Under about 200 words usually means the experience is stated but never evidenced; over about 900 usually means it will not be read to the end. This tool gives you the count and a verdict against that range.
It also reports the structural signals a recruiter scans for without consciously noticing: how many bullet points there are, how many employment date ranges it can find, how many skills are listed, and which standard section headings are present. A CV with no detectable date ranges normally has a formatting problem that will affect ATS parsing too.
Reading time is estimated at 200 words per minute, which is a reasonable rate for careful reading. Recruiters famously skim far faster than that on a first pass, so treat it as an upper bound on the attention your CV will get, not a target to fill.
How to use it
- Paste your CV into the box, or upload it as .txt, .docx or .pdf.
- Check the word count against the verdict. Two pages is the usual maximum outside academia.
- Look at the detected sections. Missing standard headings such as Experience, Education or Skills usually means they are formatted in a way parsers cannot recognise.
- Check the date-range count matches the number of roles you have listed. If it does not, your dates are in a format that will confuse an ATS.
When you would reach for this
- Deciding what to cut when a CV has crept onto a third page.
- Confirming a CV has enough substance before sending it for a senior role.
- Checking that section headings and dates are in formats a parser will recognise.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a CV be?
One page early in a career, two pages for most experienced professionals. Academic CVs are the exception and can run much longer because they list publications, grants and teaching. Roughly 400 to 800 words fits a good two-page CV.
Why does it report no sections detected?
It looks for standard headings such as Experience, Education and Skills on their own line. If yours are embedded in a sentence, styled as ordinary text, or inside a table, neither this tool nor an ATS will recognise them as headings.
Does the word count include my contact details?
Yes — it counts everything in the text. That is usually 20 to 40 words, so treat the length guidance as approximate rather than exact.