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Cover letters used to mean something

Research shows that AI-generated cover letters may be punishing good candidates.
December 01, 2025

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The mere hassle of writing one helped weed out lackluster job candidates, discouraging those without the adequate skills or enthusiasm from throwing their hats in the ring. 

Just as the job market flooded with freshly-graduated and newly laid-off tech workers, generative AI arrived on the scene. Now, as jobseekers increasingly rely on platforms like ChatGPT to spit out cover letters that tick off all the right keywords, hiring managers must wade through an ever-deepening pool of applications that read more or less alike. 

The shift could be interpreted as leveling the playing field for otherwise strong applicants with less-developed writing skills, or those communicating in their non-native language.

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