I haven’t written a cover letter in years, if the application requires it, I just don’t apply or shove in some AI generated letter (Used to have a genericized one, but the generic gave way to AI generated ones in today’s genAI age lol)
I always write cover letters, but not about dreams or crap like that. I write a factual document that directly explains how I meet the requirements listed in the job ad. Literally the bullet points from the ad (with some paraphrasing or grouping) as headings. No more than a page.
Then my CV is also cut to fit on a page, removing stuff not relevant to the job ad (and trying to avoid duplicating what’s in the cover letter).
My cover letter I feel is more important than my CV for getting a job.
Maybe the Americans do covering letters differently. I was always told it should just expand on the relevant experience in from your CV. Like you say, answering how you meet the skills they’re looking for.
Essentially, yes. Except that’s also what the interview is for, no one wants to work on a creative writing assignment just to be able to talk to a person who will then ask all of the exact same questions.
That’s still too much work IMO (or rather it was until ChatGPT/Claude came along lmao)
I prefer my spray and pray method, any application that takes me longer than like a couple minutes is just going to get skipped altogether. Id rather send out 5 applications in 10 minutes than work on polishing 1 for 15
Ofc that’s all industry dependent, if you’re in a niche or otherwise tight industry like academia or some shit, my method prob won’t work so well
I’m probably at a different point in my career. The last time I was looking for jobs, I applied for three, got three interviews, and offered two jobs (the third ended up closing without hiring anyone, which I think was the fault of their ad - it was clear to both of us in the interview I was the wrong person).
But if I was applying for an entry level job, I probably would put the same amount of effort in.
The current state of job hunting in the US is a nightmare. An estimated 80% of applications never get a response of any kind (not a rejection or even any form of recognition that they even got your resume), and something like up to 10% of job postings are “ghost positions” - jobs that don’t actually exist and are created by recruiters to get their numbers up.
Companies use AI to pre-filter resumes before anyone even looks at them, so I say that using AI to write cover letters is fair to maximize your odds of getting looked at while minimizing effort since it takes potentially a hundred applications to get a single interview.
That’s where the paraphrasing and grouping comes in. If you have something sort of relevant then paraphrase the group name to make your skill fit. Sometimes I just omit things because I don’t have the skill. No one expects to get 100% of the things they list.
If you’re looking for your first job, my advice to people is look for jobs hiring multiple people. If there’s one role you have to be the best. If there are two roles, you can be second best and still get a role.
I haven’t written a cover letter in years, if the application requires it, I just don’t apply or shove in some AI generated letter (Used to have a genericized one, but the generic gave way to AI generated ones in today’s genAI age lol)
I always write cover letters, but not about dreams or crap like that. I write a factual document that directly explains how I meet the requirements listed in the job ad. Literally the bullet points from the ad (with some paraphrasing or grouping) as headings. No more than a page.
Then my CV is also cut to fit on a page, removing stuff not relevant to the job ad (and trying to avoid duplicating what’s in the cover letter).
My cover letter I feel is more important than my CV for getting a job.
Maybe the Americans do covering letters differently. I was always told it should just expand on the relevant experience in from your CV. Like you say, answering how you meet the skills they’re looking for.
As an American, this is exactly how I was trained to write a cover letter.
Essentially, yes. Except that’s also what the interview is for, no one wants to work on a creative writing assignment just to be able to talk to a person who will then ask all of the exact same questions.
That is basically my cover letter. Mini bio, why I have experience beyond what you can see in the CV, what I bring to the table.
That’s still too much work IMO (or rather it was until ChatGPT/Claude came along lmao)
I prefer my spray and pray method, any application that takes me longer than like a couple minutes is just going to get skipped altogether. Id rather send out 5 applications in 10 minutes than work on polishing 1 for 15
Ofc that’s all industry dependent, if you’re in a niche or otherwise tight industry like academia or some shit, my method prob won’t work so well
I’m probably at a different point in my career. The last time I was looking for jobs, I applied for three, got three interviews, and offered two jobs (the third ended up closing without hiring anyone, which I think was the fault of their ad - it was clear to both of us in the interview I was the wrong person).
But if I was applying for an entry level job, I probably would put the same amount of effort in.
The current state of job hunting in the US is a nightmare. An estimated 80% of applications never get a response of any kind (not a rejection or even any form of recognition that they even got your resume), and something like up to 10% of job postings are “ghost positions” - jobs that don’t actually exist and are created by recruiters to get their numbers up.
Companies use AI to pre-filter resumes before anyone even looks at them, so I say that using AI to write cover letters is fair to maximize your odds of getting looked at while minimizing effort since it takes potentially a hundred applications to get a single interview.
Oh I believe it’s like that here too, but I have been in the same job a couple of years now so haven’t had to face it this time around.
I also don’t apply to roles that use (admit to using) automated screening. I will fail so there’s no point.
as a recent graduate, it’s hard to do that, because i don’t meet the obscure software experience they require in every job opening on my field
That’s where the paraphrasing and grouping comes in. If you have something sort of relevant then paraphrase the group name to make your skill fit. Sometimes I just omit things because I don’t have the skill. No one expects to get 100% of the things they list.
If you’re looking for your first job, my advice to people is look for jobs hiring multiple people. If there’s one role you have to be the best. If there are two roles, you can be second best and still get a role.
Well, your feelings might not agree with reality.
its pretty rare to be required nowadays.