Think cover letters are a waste of time or a relic of the past? Think again. A 2023 survey found that 83% of hiring managers still frequently or always read the cover letters they receive. What’s more, 73% of hiring managers who don’t require cover letters as a part of the application process still read those that come their way.
If you’ve read the above and are now considering whipping up a quick cover letter without much attention to detail, here’s something to consider: A 2024 survey found that 81% of recruiters have rejected a candidate based solely on a bad cover letter.
The lesson here? Be careful what you write.
But instead of thinking of cover letters as a problem, consider them as an opportunity. In today's competitive job market where every advantage matters, a well-crafted cover letter can be your chance to shine — in many ways, they’re potentially a powerful tool to help you stand out and make a case for yourself.
To take advantage of this opportunity, let’s dig deeper into why cover letters matter and how to make yours truly compelling. Let’s get started:
The purpose of a cover letter in today’s hiring environment
In the age of digital applications, the hiring process has become more anonymous than ever. Hiring managers find themselves staring down hundreds of applications for every job they post, all while under pressure to find that perfect hire faster.
So, how do they do it? They look for the applicants who stand out immediately. This is where your cover letter can come in handy. In her class, Writing a Cover Letter, career strategist Jenny Foss calls cover letters a chance to push you from the “eh, maybe” stack of candidates straight into the “oh, heck yes” stack.
“Having been a recruiter for the past 15 years,” she says, “I can tell you that I've made decisions to contact people based almost entirely on what they've written in their cover letters. These are people who have done a great job of presenting themselves before I've even spoken with them directly.”
Make your case with a cover letter
Now that you know what your goal is, it’s time to get writing. That’s the tricky part, right? It doesn’t have to be! As you get started, just follow these best practices:
Use AI to generate a first draft
Writing cover letters can be tedious and time-consuming, especially if you’re applying to several jobs at once. It can also be difficult to make your cover letters read differently and address the unique role you’re applying for.
Generative AI (GAI) can be a great way to overcome these challenges. Drafting your cover letters with GAI can help you save a ton of time, personalize your letter for each role, and reduce mistakes you might make.
In his course on ChatGPT Prompts for Jobseekers, AI expert Dave Birss takes a novel approach to having GAI help him draft a cover letter: he has his GAI act as if it’s an HR professional. This example illustrates the level of detail you could experiment with in writing your prompt:
“You are an HR professional with 20 years experience, interviewing candidates and selecting the most suitable ones. I want you to help me write a compelling application letter to [the company I’m applying to] that will help me stand out from the crowd of applicants. Write it in a conversational and human style without being irreverent and unprofessional. Make it specific to [the job description I’m applying for] so that it shows my interest and understanding and make it unlike a standard application letter so that it doesn't blend in with everyone else's application. Start by asking me questions one at a time to get all the information you need before you write the letter.”
By directing the GAI tool to ask you questions and incorporate your responses, you’re encouraging a dialogue. Continue the conversation as long as you’d like to add more personal details, drill down into a particular narrative, or edit for length, tone, and content.
Stand out with a hook
A great cover letter is like a great pop song: it needs a killer hook. In your case, the killer hook has to happen in the first sentence. Why should this hiring pro stop flipping through resumes to read yours?
Foss calls the lead sentence of your cover letter the heart of your argument: “It’s your immediate opportunity,” she says, “to evoke a positive emotional response and begin positioning yourself as both a skills fit and a cultural match for that job and company.”
Obviously, that means you can’t exactly take the, “To whom it may concern, I’m so excited about this opportunity…” approach. Instead, make your elevator pitch. The first sentence of your cover letter should tell the reader three things:
- Who you are
- Why you want to work for them (not just the industry, not just the role, but this particular role)
- Why you’re the right choice for them to make
This is another place where AI can help. After you create your initial draft, follow up with prompts on how to make your intro more compelling and attention-worthy. Keep asking questions and encourage that dialogue while revising your cover letter until you settle on a version that feels exciting and different.
Tailor your cover letter to the skills and qualifications listed in the job post
When it comes to presenting your evidence, the trick is relevance. Try not to use your cover letter just to restate your resume. Instead, present why the experiences, skills, and qualifications you’re listing make you a perfect candidate for this unique position.
Remember, be specific. Call out exactly what the organization is looking for as explicitly as possible. Pull up the job posting while you’re drafting your cover letter to make sure you’re directly speaking to each of the skills and qualifications they say they’re looking for. For each listed qualification, make the case for why you fit the bill using real examples from your past experience.
“This will likely be the longest section of your cover letter,” Foss says in Writing a Cover Letter. “I usually head into this section with this exact line in mind: ‘What specifically would I bring to XYZ company in this role?’ Queue them up with a bolded line like this and then develop a few quick bullet points, ones that showcase your expertise in the specific things they're listing as required or preferred qualifications.”
Connect the dots to get your reader excited
Your cover letter will be far more effective if you can demonstrate that you understand not just the “whats” but the “whys.” When you reference a skill or qualification from the job posting, briefly explain how you built the skill in question, how it has helped you in the past, and how you will use it to succeed in the job you’re applying for.
It helps to think of connecting these dots point-by-point as selling the hiring team on an overarching narrative about why you are the right fit for their organization. You want them to be able to use what you’ve written to imagine how beneficial it will be to have you on their team.
Use what you come up with to paint the recruiter or hiring manager a vivid portrait of what that looks like from day one to have you in the role. What are you going to do at the company? How are you going to elevate the job and enhance the business? What will that enhancement do for the business? Why are you uniquely qualified to provide it? Sell the hiring team on your plan and get them excited about the possibilities you represent to elevate their work.
Final thoughts
Following these steps will do quite a bit to make your cover letter “an offer they can’t refuse,” but what’s outlined above just scratches the surface. If you want to know more about how to write a stellar cover letter, be sure to watch Foss’ entire course on LinkedIn Learning. Good luck!
Topics: Job seeking tips
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