How to write a cover letter that actually reflects you (and helps you stand out)

“I hate cover letters. They add so much stress to the already uncomfortable and grueling job hunt,” admits Elainy Mata, a Harvard Business Review contributor, echoing the sentiment of countless job seekers who’ve stared at blank pages, wondering if anyone actually reads these things [1]. The unfortunate answer? Yes, they do. And in an era where artificial intelligence is increasingly screening applications and every CV is beginning to look eerily similar, the cover letter has paradoxically become both more important and more challenging to get right.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. In a recent survey by ResumeLab, 83% of recruiters agree that while not always required, including a cover letter sets candidates apart from the competition [2]. Yet only 38% of job seekers bother to submit one when it’s requested [3]. This presents a peculiar opportunity. In a world where everyone is cutting corners, those who go the extra mile with a thoughtful, authentic cover letter immediately distinguish themselves from the crowd.

And yet most cover letters are dreadful. They’re formulaic, soulless documents that could have been written by anyone for any job. The challenge isn’t just writing one. It’s writing one that doesn’t make hiring managers want to immediately bin your application.

The template trap

The first mistake most people make is reaching for a template. “You could easily Google ‘cover letter template’ to get some ideas on how to write it. Don’t,” warns Kristen Fitzpatrick, managing director of career and professional development at Harvard Business School [4]. The logic seems sound — why reinvent the wheel? — but templates are precisely the problem. They create a homogenised pool of applications that read like they were churned out by the same machine.

“You need to think about your audience,” Fitzpatrick continues. “Who’s reading it? How do you capture their attention enough so they move you from one pile to another?” [5]. This isn’t merely about standing out for the sake of it but about demonstrating the very skills the role requires. If you can’t communicate effectively and show personality in a one-page letter, why would an employer trust you to represent their company?

The template approach also reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what a cover letter should accomplish. It’s not a form to be filled in but a story to be told. Specifically, your story, and why it matters to this particular employer. The harsh truth, as Julia Korn observes in Forbes, is that “a generic, formulaic cover letter might as well not be submitted at all.” [6]

Please personalise

Most candidates fail to make their application personal to the company, role, and their own background. “No one understands your qualifications and fit for the role better than you,” notes Korn. “Do you have a transformational story from your life that has to do with the company’s mission? Tell it here.” [7]

This requires the kind of actual work that separates serious candidates from those merely spraying CVs across job boards. Research isn’t just reading the company’s ‘About’ page. It’s making an active effort to understand their recent projects, their challenges, and their culture. It means knowing who works there, what they’re talking about on LinkedIn, and how your experience specifically addresses their needs.

Compare that approach to the dreaded “To whom it may concern” opening that immediately signals you couldn’t be bothered to find out who you’re writing to. It’s pretty obvious which candidate will progress.

The authenticity approach

According to a Financial Times report, nearly half of job seekers now use AI tools to apply for jobs [8], but 74% of hiring managers claim they can spot AI-generated applications and it’s often an automatic disqualification [9]. “Using AI to apply for a position signals laziness and raises concerns about how you’ll perform on the job,” warns Korn. [10]

This creates an opportunity for those willing to invest genuine effort. In the age of artificial intelligence, authenticity becomes a superpower. It doesn’t just set the best apart from the rest but sets the willing apart from the half-hearted. Think how many applications will fall at that first hurdle, and make sure yours isn’t one of them.

Obviously there’s no surefire way for the hiring manager to know if you wrote the application yourself, but if you make the effort to show personality, it will be picked up on. As KPMG’s head of resourcing Paul Vance notes: “The most important thing is to be authentic and be your true self — it’s one of the first and possibly only opportunities you’ll have for your personality and commitment to the role to shine through.” [11]

Your cover letter should sound like you, not like ChatGPT’s interpretation of a professional version of you. Korn advises having a close family member or trusted friend read your cover letter before submitting it to test if it actually sounds like you. Amy Gallo, Harvard Business Review editor, agrees. “Find a proofreader,” she says. “Write the letter you want to write. Then share it with someone else, someone who knows you well, but someone who also will tell you like it is. We’re not good judges of our own writing” [12]. The reader should be able to imagine you saying these words in an interview. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s authenticity.

Cover letter ≠ CV

One of the most common cover letter sins is simply regurgitating what’s already on your CV. “Don’t rehash your résumé,” advises Stanford University’s assistant dean of career education, John O’Neill. “Cover letters where you’re just rewriting the content of your résumé aren’t effective.” [13]

The cover letter isn’t about what you’ve achieved in the past. That’s the CV’s job. The cover letter is about the future. How will you take your experience and apply it to solve this company’s problems? What unique perspective do you bring? What would you do in the first 90 days? This forward-looking approach transforms a backward-looking recitation into a compelling value proposition.

Consider incorporating a brief story that illustrates your capabilities. “Think of a cover letter as your first impression and a chance to build rapport with those who read it,” says Indeed Vice President Daniel Corcoran. “Similar to an in-person conversation, making a strong first impression is important and is formed in mere moments.” [14]

Stories work because they’re memorable and human. Instead of saying you’re “detail-oriented” (a phrase so overused it’s become meaningless), tell them about the time you caught an error that saved your company £50,000. Instead of claiming you’re a “team player,” describe how you facilitated cross-departmental collaboration that reduced project delivery time by 25%.

The right amount of enthusiasm

There’s a delicate balance between showing genuine excitement and coming across as desperate. “Demonstrate your enthusiasm,” advises career expert Caroline Castrillon, but “convey enthusiasm, not desperation” [15]. The difference lies in specificity. Generic enthusiasm (“I’m passionate about everything!”) raises credibility concerns. Specific enthusiasm (“Your company’s innovative approach to sustainable packaging aligns with my environmental science background”) demonstrates research and genuine interest.

Emma Scott, people partner at PwC Ireland, emphasises keeping things “short, clear, concise and never duplicate what is on your CV, or indeed what is on the job description word for word” [16]. The key is to show you understand what they do and how you fit into their future, not to regurgitate their own marketing copy back at them.

Show your worth

Ultimately, your cover letter should answer one fundamental question: what can you do for them? Too many applicants spend time explaining why they love the company when they should focus on why the company should love them.

“The company isn’t posting a job for charity, or to improve your life; they’re trying to fill a position they consider essential,” notes O’Neill. “Convince them that you’re the one who would most help them, not that you’d benefit most from it.” [17]

This means understanding their challenges and positioning yourself as the solution. If they’re expanding internationally, highlight your global experience. If they’re launching a new product, emphasise your innovation track record. If they’re undergoing digital transformation, showcase your technology skills.

Short and sweet

Keep it concise. “Make it one page,” advises Amy Gallo. “Don’t play with the font, and make it, like, eight point font, and like make your margins really wide. Just really figure out what are the most essential things that need to go on one page.” [18]

Remember that hiring managers are dealing with volume under time pressure. Research suggests they spend between 10 and 90 seconds on initial application screening [19]. Your cover letter needs to capture attention immediately and hold it briefly but memorably.

Managing your time

The obvious concern is time. How can you personalise every application without spending your entire life crafting cover letters? The answer lies in creating a flexible framework rather than starting from scratch each time. “You’re tweaking some things. You’re not writing a whole new letter,” Gallo explains. “Write your best cover letter for the first job you apply for. Share that with your friend to check the tone. Do the research on the company. Then adjust the cover letter accordingly.” [20]

This approach makes the process sustainable while maintaining quality and authenticity.

Why the cover letter still matters

Far from being an outdated formality, the cover letter is experiencing a renaissance. In a world saturated with identical CVs and AI-generated applications, it represents your last bastion of humanity in the hiring process. It’s where you can be funny, thoughtful, insightful, or passionate, all those qualities that matter enormously but don’t fit neatly into standardised application fields.

The candidates who understand this shift, who invest time in crafting genuine, personalised cover letters, will find themselves with a significant advantage. They’ll be the ones who get the interviews, who stand out in hiring managers’ memories, and who ultimately land the roles they want.

“You never know who values cover letters and who doesn’t,” notes career expert Mike Peditto, “so unless a company explicitly indicates they don’t want a cover letter, submitting one is worth your time and effort” [21]. In today’s competitive landscape, that effort might just be what sets you apart from the algorithmic masses and lands you the job of your dreams.

The cover letter isn’t dead. It’s more alive than ever. The question isn’t whether you should write one, but whether you’re brave enough to make it authentically, unmistakably you.