How to Write a Cover Letter That Actually Gets Read in 2025

The cover letter has been declared dead approximately 47 times since 2012. It keeps not dying.

Here's the actual situation: many recruiters won't read your cover letter. But some will, especially for roles where writing ability, communication, or genuine interest in the company matters. And "some will read it" is enough reason to not screw it up.

The problem isn't that cover letters are pointless. The problem is that most cover letters are pointless because of how they're written.

What Makes a Cover Letter Useless

The classic bad cover letter follows a predictable pattern:

Paragraph 1: "I am writing to express my interest in the [Role] position at [Company]. I am a highly motivated professional with X years of experience in [industry]."

Paragraph 2: A summary of the resume. The same information that's already on the resume, restated in prose.

Paragraph 3: "I believe my skills and experience make me an excellent candidate. I look forward to discussing this opportunity further."

This letter tells the recruiter nothing they couldn't get from the resume. It adds no information. It shows no evidence of actually having read the job description, let alone researched the company. Recruiters spot this template in about three seconds, and they're right to ignore it.

The other version that's getting increasingly common: the AI-generated letter. Recruiters are getting good at spotting these too. Not because AI is detectable by some algorithm, but because AI-written letters are often over-polished, generic, and full of phrases no human would actually say, things like "I am passionate about leveraging my transferable skillset to drive synergistic outcomes." If you're using AI to draft a cover letter, that's fine. Just rewrite it until it sounds like you.

What a Cover Letter Is Actually For

The cover letter answers one question the resume can't: why this job, at this company, right now?

Your resume is a record of what you've done. The cover letter explains why you want to do it here, and why now is the right time. That's it. That's the only job it has.

A hiring manager reading a cover letter is asking: does this person understand what we're looking for, and do they have a reason for wanting it beyond "I need a job"?

If your letter answers that, briefly, specifically, in your actual voice, it's done its job.

The Structure That Works (Under 200 Words)

The best cover letters are 200-400 words. The best of those are closer to 200. Here's the structure:

Opening line, skip the "I am writing to" opener. Say something specific instead. Reference the role, something about the company that's actually true, or lead with a relevant fact about your background. "I've spent the last three years building customer support systems from scratch at an early-stage startup, so the operations lead role at [Company] caught my attention immediately" is a better opener than any variation of "I am excited to apply."

One paragraph on fit, the specific match. What is it about this role that connects to what you've actually done? Pick one or two things from the job description and tie them to specific work you've done. Not everything, one or two things, with actual detail.

One sentence on why this company. Not "I've always admired your company's innovative approach." Something real. A product you've used. A piece of work they published. A specific thing about what they're building that resonates with what you want to work on. If you can't write one genuine sentence about the company, that's a signal to apply elsewhere first.

One line close. Something like "Happy to chat, [your contact info is above]." That's it. No elaborate "I look forward to the opportunity to discuss my qualifications at your earliest convenience."

The AI Assist, Done Right

Using AI to draft a cover letter isn't cheating. But if you paste the job description into ChatGPT and submit whatever comes out, you're producing the exact over-polished, generic letter that recruiters are increasingly trained to ignore.

The right way: use AI to get a draft. Then go line by line and ask yourself: would I actually say this? Is this specific to this company or could it apply to any company? Add one or two lines that only you could write, a detail from your actual experience, a reason you care about this specific problem. That's what makes it yours.

When to Skip It

Some job listings explicitly say "no cover letter." Respect that, submitting one anyway signals you don't follow instructions.

Some portals make it optional. In that case: if the role is competitive, write one. If you're applying in bulk to roles where you're a strong obvious match, you can skip it. The time math matters. A good cover letter for a reach role is worth 20 minutes. Writing one for every job in a batch of 50 is not.

BulkResumes generates cover letters alongside tailored resumes, so if you're applying at volume, you get a specific, role-targeted cover letter for each job without writing each one from scratch. Review them before you send. Add one personal line per letter. That's the sustainable version of this.

The Short Version

Cover letters aren't dead, but generic ones might as well be
The only job a cover letter has: answer why this role, at this company, right now
Keep it under 200-300 words. One opener, one fit paragraph, one company-specific line, one close
AI drafts are fine, rewrite until it sounds like you, add one line only you could write
Skip it when the listing says to; write one when the role is competitive or writing matters