Latest news with #coverletter
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ruby on Rails creator David Heinemeier Hansson says he looks for 2 key things when hiring
Tech entrepreneur David Heinemeier Hansson said he looks for two key things when hiring programmers. Hansson, the creator of Ruby on Rails, says a good cover letter is crucial for applicants. If you can't write a good cover letter, "you're out," he told podcaster Lex Fridman. A cover letter might not be your top priority if you're preparing an application for a job in tech — but perhaps it should be. That's especially true if your hiring manager happens to be David Heinemeier Hansson, the creator of Ruby on Rails, a well-known framework for building web applications, and the CTO at software firm 37signals. In a lengthy six-hour interview with podcaster Lex Fridman published Saturday, the exec shared the two key things he looks for when hiring new computer programmers. "Up until this point, the main pivot point for getting hired was not your résumé, was not the schooling you've had, it was not your grades, it was not your pedigree," Hansson, who is also known as DHH, said, adding that AI could now change things. It was about how well you do two things: your cover letter and programming, he continued. "I can only work with people remotely if they're good writers," he told Fridman. "If you can't pen a proper cover letter and can't bother to put in the effort to write it specifically for us, you're out." He also said you had to be able to program well. "To the degree that I can look at your code and go like, 'Yeah, I want to work with that person.' Not only do I want to work with that person, I want to work on that person's code when I have to see it again in five years to fix some damn bug." Hansson said that applicants would have to show their skills through a programming test that "simulates the way we work for real." "I've been surprised time and again where I thought for sure this candidate is a shoo-in, they sound just right, the CV is just right, and then you see the code getting turned in and I'm like, 'No way. No way are we hiring this person,'" he said. "The capacity to evaluate work product is a superpower when it comes to hiring." Writing cover letters has long been a necessary evil for job candidates. Often regarded as time-consuming and repetitive, many are also put off by rumors that hiring managers simply don't read them. But even for jobs that don't specifically ask for one, studies suggest cover letters are still an important part of the application process. In 2023, a Resume Genius survey of 625 hiring managers across the US found that 83% said they frequently or always read cover letters. And 73% of managers at companies that did not require cover letters also said they frequently read them. For applicants to the tech industry, the key to a successful cover letter is conveying experience with relevant technology and providing a snapshot of what you'd bring to the specific company, Thomas Vick, a senior regional director at the talent firm Robert Half, previously told Business Insider. "What return on investment have you created for an organization?" Vick said. "What have you done in your career that has helped save a company time, energy, and money?" Read the original article on Business Insider
RNZ News
03-07-2025
- RNZ News
The dos and don'ts of applying for a job using AI
By Daniel Johnson , ABC Photo: Thomas Lefebvre / Unsplash Applying for jobs can be stressful and if writing a cover letter leaves you feeling overwhelmed, it can be tempting to turn to generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools such as ChatGPT. But according to recruiters and employment experts, using AI could make your job application stand out for all the wrong reasons. Here are some common pitfalls and how to avoid them. Libby Sander, an associate professor of organisational behaviour at Bond University on the Gold Coast/Yugambeh Country, says GAI has become so common "that most people are going to use it in some form to put their [job] application together". It's a sentiment echoed by Fiona Macdonald, acting director of the Australia Institute's Centre for Future Work. "People are learning every day that you can use it for all sorts of things, and drafting letters is one of the things, I think, that it's being increasingly used for in the workplace," Macdonald says. Maisy Staden, a recruitment team leader based in Sydney, on the traditional lands of the Gadigal people, says she has noticed a significant increase in the number of applicants using ChatGPT to write their cover letters for them. "The difference I've noticed in the past couple of years is just the increasing similarity between cover letters that I'm receiving," she says. "If I'm seeing a cover letter that, in my opinion, is really clearly written by ChatGPT, my question is, do you have the ability to write for yourself and think for yourself?" Sander also warns that if you rely on it too heavily, "you're going to end up sounding like everybody else". "Yes, it can save time, yes, it can help you through an experience, but don't entirely rely on AI to write things for you in terms of applying for a job, because it's going to miss the unique voice that you have," she says. "Use it to get ideas and so forth, but really, you need to be thinking about it yourself." Staden says a cover letter is a recruiter or hiring manager's first impression of a candidate and an opportunity to give some insights into your personality and explain why you would be a good fit for an organisation. "If I'm seeing a personal touch or an anecdote that's relevant to the industry that we work in, I'm going to prefer that candidate much more than a generic, AI-written cover letter," she says. Sally Tredinnick, the Gold Coast-based national recruitment manager for the same agency, agrees and says it is important to "inject something about yourself, who you actually are as a person". "The CV is the user manual and the cover letter is the flashy advert, the thing that makes you want to look at the user manual," Tredinnick says. Tredinnick says it can be obvious when an applicant has used GAI to optimise their CV to make themselves look like a perfect match. "When you see a CV come through where the 10 bullet points so perfectly match the exact language, grammar of the job description, it [raises] question marks. "Then I start to doubt the authenticity of the experience that they say that they have. "What else are they feeding into ChatGPT in order to make themselves look to be the perfect candidate?" Tredinnick says a 60-70 percent match "is actually often ideal" because it provides an opportunity for growth, "and then you're going to learn, and then you're going to stay". "And what we're aiming for is for people to stay in their roles," she says. If you are going to use GAI to help with your application, Staden advises using it "as your editor, not your ghostwriter". Tredinnick says you can still use GAI to help write a cover letter that stands out from the pack if you give it the right prompts and edit the responses. She says this involves taking a more nuanced approach than simply saying, "hey, this is the job description, write me a cover letter". "If you can, think about one thing that interests you about the company, one thing that interests you about the role, three achievements that you've had in your career that are relevant to the role, and one piece of interesting information about yourself, and pop that into ChatGPT. "[Say] 'Please write a cover letter. Include this information. Don't make anything up.' If you put that through, you will get a cover letter that is authentically you, but written in a cohesive way that's actually going to be pleasant to read." - ABC
ABC News
03-07-2025
- ABC News
The risk of using generative AI when applying for jobs
Applying for jobs can be stressful and if writing a cover letter leaves you feeling overwhelmed, it can be tempting to turn to generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools such as ChatGPT. But according to recruiters and employment experts, using AI could make your job application stand out for all the wrong reasons. Here are some common pitfalls and how to avoid them. Libby Sander, an associate professor of organisational behaviour at Bond University on the Gold Coast/Yugambeh Country, says GAI has become so common "that most people are going to use it in some form to put their [job] application together". It's a sentiment echoed by Fiona Macdonald, acting director of the Australia Institute's Centre for Future Work. "People are learning every day that you can use it for all sorts of things, and drafting letters is one of the things, I think, that it's being increasingly used for in the workplace," Dr Macdonald says. Maisy Staden, a recruitment team leader based in Sydney, on the traditional lands of the Gadigal people, says she has noticed a significant increase in the number of applicants using ChatGPT to write their cover letters for them. "The difference I've noticed in the past couple of years is just the increasing similarity between cover letters that I'm receiving," she says. "If I'm seeing a cover letter that, in my opinion, is really clearly written by ChatGPT, my question is, do you have the ability to write for yourself and think for yourself?" Dr Sander also warns that if you rely on it too heavily, "you're going to end up sounding like everybody else". "Yes, it can save time, yes, it can help you through an experience, but don't entirely rely on AI to write things for you in terms of applying for a job, because it's going to miss the unique voice that you have," she says. "Use it to get ideas and so forth, but really, you need to be thinking about it yourself." Ms Staden says a cover letter is a recruiter or hiring manager's first impression of a candidate and an opportunity to give some insights into your personality and explain why you would be a good fit for an organisation. "If I'm seeing a personal touch or an anecdote that's relevant to the industry that we work in, I'm going to prefer that candidate much more than a generic, AI-written cover letter," she says. Sally Tredinnick, the Gold Coast-based national recruitment manager for the same agency, agrees and says it is important to "inject something about yourself, who you actually are as a person". "The CV is the user manual and the cover letter is the flashy advert, the thing that makes you want to look at the user manual," Ms Tredinnick says. Ms Tredinnick says it can be obvious when an applicant has used GAI to optimise their CV to make themselves look like a perfect match. "When you see a CV come through where the 10 bullet points so perfectly match the exact language, grammar of the job description, it [raises] question marks. "Then I start to doubt the authenticity of the experience that they say that they have. "What else are they feeding into ChatGPT in order to make themselves look to be the perfect candidate?" Ms Tredinnick says a 60-70 per cent match "is actually often ideal" because it provides an opportunity for growth, "and then you're going to learn, and then you're going to stay". "And what we're aiming for is for people to stay in their roles," she says. If you are going to use GAI to help with your application, Ms Staden advises using it "as your editor, not your ghostwriter". Ms Tredinnick says you can still use GAI to help write a cover letter that stands out from the pack if you give it the right prompts and edit the responses. She says this involves taking a more nuanced approach than simply saying, "hey, this is the job description, write me a cover letter". "If you can, think about one thing that interests you about the company, one thing that interests you about the role, three achievements that you've had in your career that are relevant to the role, and one piece of interesting information about yourself, and pop that into ChatGPT. "[Say] 'Please write a cover letter. Include this information. Don't make anything up.' If you put that through, you will get a cover letter that is authentically you, but written in a cohesive way that's actually going to be pleasant to read."
Forbes
10-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
7 Cover Letter Phrases That Could Ruin Your Job Application
Your cover letter creates your first impression with potential employers, yet many professionals unknowingly sabotage their job applications with tired, overused phrases. According to a ResumeLab survey, 83% of recruiters consider cover letters important for hiring decisions—and a compelling one can land you a job interview even when your resume falls short. Research conducted by ResumeGo finds that applications with tailored cover letters yield just over 50% more interviews compared to those without. Here are seven phrases that hiring managers flag as instant deal-breakers, plus alternatives that will make your job application stand out. This outdated greeting immediately signals that you haven't taken the time to research the company or position. Since Resume Genius reports that 41% of hiring managers consider the introduction to be the most impactful part of a cover letter, starting with "To Whom It May Concern," wastes your most valuable real estate. These examples are effective, demonstrating an effort to understand the company's structure and hiring process. This opening states the obvious. It also represents a missed opportunity to immediately capture the reader's attention with something compelling about your background or enthusiasm for the role. Remember that hiring managers often decide within the first few sentences whether to continue reading your cover letter. Generic openings fail to create the immediate engagement necessary to sustain their attention through the remainder of your job application. These phrases represent the most common cover letter clichés, appearing in countless job applications across all industries and experience levels. Concrete examples provide hiring managers with evidence they can evaluate, while generic claims offer nothing substantive to differentiate your job application. This phrase demonstrates dangerous overconfidence or a lack of self-awareness. If you claim perfection, hiring managers will look for gaps in your job application that contradict this assertion. These alternatives convey confidence without arrogance, showing you understand both your strengths and the requirements of the role. Claiming passion for every aspect of a role or industry immediately raises credibility concerns. When candidates express equal enthusiasm for all aspects of a position, hiring managers question whether they truly understand the role's realities or are simply trying to appear agreeable. Specific enthusiasm demonstrates thorough research and genuine interest, providing valuable talking points for potential job interviews. This phrase focuses on what the company can do for you rather than what you can contribute to their success. When you emphasize how the role will help your career, you signal that your primary interest lies in what you'll gain rather than what you'll give. This reframing demonstrates ambition while maintaining focus on organizational value rather than viewing the role as purely transactional. The phrase "I think" immediately undermines your credibility by suggesting uncertainty about your qualifications. This tentative language signals self-doubt and invites hiring managers to question your suitability for the position. This approach provides specific, verifiable information that hiring managers can evaluate objectively, transforming your job application from a collection of opinions into a compelling case for your candidacy. Using thoughtful, tailored language leads to more job interviews and stronger first impressions with potential employers. By eliminating these seven phrases, you transform your cover letter from a generic document into a strategic communication tool that gets you closer to your ideal role. "You never know who values cover letters and who doesn't, so unless a company explicitly indicates they don't want a cover letter, submitting one is worth your time and effort," says recruitment consultant Mike Peditto, Director of Talent at the career growth platform Teal. "In a world where every resume is beginning to look the same, a personalized cover letter can make you stand out."
