What Hiring Managers Actually Want From a Cover Letter

I’ve written enough cover letters lately to know they can turn into their own full-time job. The good news is most hiring people seem to want the same thing: don’t make them work to figure out why you belong there.

Your cover letter should not be your résumé rewritten in paragraph form. The résumé tells them what you did. The cover letter should explain why the parts of your experience that matter most make sense for this particular job.

Also, skip the generic opening. “I am excited to apply for…” is not technically wrong, but it wastes the best real estate on the page. If you actually care about the company, say why. If their mission matters to you, say that. If there is something about the work that connects to your background, lead there.

The other big one: show impact instead of describing yourself with adjectives. “Hard-working,” “results-driven” and “team player” do not tell a hiring manager much. A real example does. If you reduced something, improved something, built something, saved time, led a change or solved a problem, say that instead.

And yes, AI can help. I use it. But if your cover letter suddenly sounds like a corporate press release written by someone who has never met you, back up. Use AI to tighten your writing, pull out stronger examples and make sure you are answering what the posting is asking for. Do not let it erase your voice.

One more thing I have changed my mind about: I still think cover letters are worth doing when I really want the job. Some employers may barely look at them, but they are still one of the few places where you can show interest, personality and context that a résumé cannot always show.

So my rule now is pretty simple: if I am going to write one, I am going to make it say something the résumé does not.

Otherwise, what was the point?