Ah yes… cover letters. This one comes up a lot.
AI is everywhere in recruitment right now and, to be clear, I am all for it when it’s used properly. Good recruiters are using it to cut the admin down and spend more time actually talking to people. That’s the part that matters.
Candidates should absolutely be doing the same. Use it to research companies. Use it to figure out where you might fit. Use it to clean up your CV. That is smart.
But cover letters… I think this is where people are getting it wrong.
A cover letter is one of the only chances you get to actually show who you are. Not just what you have done, but why you are interested and how you think.
And you can tell when it’s been written by AI. Immediately.
When 40 or 50 applicants plug the same job ad into a tool and hit generate, you end up with 40 or 50 versions of the same thing. Same structure, same language, same personality… or lack of it.
It completely defeats the point.
I am not saying do not use AI at all. Use it to get started if you need to. Use it to sense check your writing.
But do not outsource your voice.
Because at the end of the day, this is still a people process. Businesses hire people, not perfectly worded paragraphs.
If you actually want to stand out, write the cover letter yourself. Make it sound like you. Even if it is not perfect.
Honestly, the imperfect ones are usually the ones that get remembered.
Rachel Knox | Recruitment Partner