Latest news with #coverletters
Forbes
10-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
What Do Hiring Managers Really Want? 14 Résumé And Cover Letter Tips
When sorting through dozens—or hundreds—of résumés and cover letters, certain patterns start to wear thin fast. Whether it's vague bullet points, inconsistent formatting or overused buzzwords, small details can undermine otherwise qualified candidates. Expectations vary widely depending on the role, industry and even company, but understanding what hiring pros actually value can help you stand out. Below, 14 Human Resources Council members each share their biggest résumé pet peeves, their stance on cover letters and what you can do to make your application rise to the top. 1. Be Specific And Skip The Fluff My biggest pet peeve is when résumés are full of generic or overly polished language but don't say anything concrete. Especially for technical roles, we want to see real projects, tools used and the kinds of problems someone solved. As for cover letters, they're helpful if they're personal and specific, not super formal ChatGPT-generated fluff. - Stanislava Tarasiuk, Exa 2. Show Effort Through Accuracy And Role-Relevant Customization I'm still surprised by the misspellings within résumés. If a candidate is trying to make an excellent first impression, this is a huge strike against them. I appreciate a résumé that is tailored to the position being applied for. What experience does the candidate have that makes them best suited for this role? This shows great effort and not merely a standard list of education, jobs and so on. - Beth Latchana, Lockton Companies 3. Cut Through Buzzwords; Prioritize Achievement-Driven Content When I interview, my biggest pet peeve is seeing buzzwords with no real substance. I want to see achievements, not just duties. Tailored, clean and relevant résumés stand out. As for cover letters, they only matter if they add value like context for a career switch or why they would be a great fit; preferably, it should be personal, specific and concise. Quality over fluff, always. - Sheena Minhas, ST Microelectronics 4. Avoid Vagueness By Highlighting Results And Your Personal Story My top pet peeve in terms of résumés is vague résumés that lack tangible impact or results-oriented language, thereby showing only duties rather than results. Cover letters may still provide value if they connect the candidate's story with that role; however, generic ones should not be necessary. - Sherri Reese, Michigan State University 5. Fix Formatting To Keep Attention On Your Experience Issues like cramped spacing, small fonts and no context on the company or role can make a résumé hard to follow. Formatting must be clean, readable and spacious. Candidates should spend time distilling their experiences. A cover letter goes even further: why this company and this role are right for them. A strong cover letter can help a candidate stand out, even if they don't meet every requirement. - Soni Basi, Pop HR Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify? 6. Include Location Details To Support Practical Hiring Needs Some candidates are not sharing their specific location on LinkedIn or résumés, which is a pet peeve. Business owners and hiring managers need to understand the state where the person is located to file specific payroll tax details, and there is also a company culture piece to consider, even if the company is hybrid or remote. - Jennifer Morehead, Flex HR 7. Use Cover Letters To Demonstrate Thinking, Not Just Writing The cover letter is more important than ever. In a world where AI can polish grammar and formatting, I use the cover letter to assess what can't be automated: critical thinking, systems thinking and clarity of purpose. A great cover letter shows me how a candidate connects their experience to the needs of our company. It paints a picture of impact. - Ximena Gates, BuildWithin 8. Inject Authenticity Into AI-Shaped Résumés Résumés have increasingly become homogeneous due to AI tools. While the content may be well-structured and detailed, many résumés sound the same: polished but lacking personality. They often feel templated, with little sense of the individual behind the words. I appreciate résumés that feel authentic, where someone has taken the time to tell their unique story, not just say what I want to hear. - Dr. Timothy J. Giardino, 9. Rethink The Cover Letter's Role In A Template-Driven Era My biggest pet peeve is the cover letter itself. In the age of AI and templates, it rarely reflects genuine motivation or communication skills. It often feels like a forced exercise in flattery that adds little value and may even discourage candidates from applying. We should rethink its role in a fair, modern and predictive hiring process. - Shiran Danoch, Informed Decisions 10. Move Beyond The Past By Showing Future-Focused Value Traditional résumés and cover letters are outdated. My biggest pet peeve is when candidates only list past roles without showing relevance for the future. Today's applicants should use modern tools—video, voice and digital portfolios—to demonstrate how they'll add value tomorrow, not just what they did yesterday. Show potential, not just history. - Prithvi Singh Shergill, Tomorrow @entomo 11. Tell A Cohesive Story Instead Of Listing Disconnected Wins My top pet peeve: a tsunami of honorable but small accomplishments, crowded into a single page in six-point type, that don't coalesce into an arc—a story of you. I don't need to know every task you ever tackled, but I do care where you think you're headed and how my company figures in. A cover letter is a huge add when it proves you're familiar with us—a strike when it's cut-and-paste generic. - John Kannapell, CYPHER Learning 12. Emphasize Outcomes To Signal Strategic Fit And Readiness Résumés that list activity without impact are a red flag. I don't need tasks—I need outcomes. A well-written cover letter, tailored to the role, signals strategic fit, clarity of thought and readiness. In a data-saturated market, it's still one of the best ways to see how a candidate thinks—and whether they understand value. - Apryl Evans, USA for UNHCR 13. Explore Hiring Models That Go Beyond Résumés And Letters It's entirely possible to hire without résumés or cover letters, and there are companies that have successfully implemented this strategy. Rather than relying on these traditional methods, recruiters should assess candidates based on their inherent skills and abilities at the screening stage and move from there. - Caitlin MacGregor, Plum 14. Proof Carefully To Show Professionalism And Attention To Detail What gets my negative attention are résumés with careless errors—typos, missing words and inconsistent formatting. These errors matter because they signal how candidates approach their work and whether they value making a strong first impression. Cover letters absolutely add value when they're crafted for a specific role and company, explaining your interest and qualifications rather than generic enthusiasm. - Lynne Marie Finn, Broadleaf Results
Globe and Mail
30-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
LiftmyCV Adds a Real-Time AI Cover Letter Generator to Supercharge Its Auto-Apply Agent
Built by job seekers, for job seekers — LiftmyCV delivers human-like, personalized cover letters for every application, without the burnout. London, UK - May 30th, 2025 - LiftmyCV, the startup redefining how professionals apply for jobs, has launched a new feature that tackles one of the most frustrating parts of job hunting: writing cover letters. The new AI Cover Letter Generator per Job creates personalized, context-aware cover letters for each role a user applies to — in real time, with a single click. It's designed to help applicants stand out in crowded inboxes, without spending hours rewriting the same intro lines over and over. 'Cover letters have always been a painful chore,' said Dan Zaitsev, founder of LiftmyCV. 'Most job seekers either skip them or send the same generic version to every company. We wanted to build a tool that makes every cover letter feel personal — without the work.' A Problem Most Job Platforms Ignore While resumes have become easier to generate with templates and AI tools, cover letters remain a pain point. Research shows that nearly 60% of hiring managers still expect them, yet most candidates either copy-paste generic versions or skip them entirely. LiftmyCV's AI Cover Letter Generator uses the latest ChatGPT models to write original, role-specific letters — tailored to each job description and aligned with the user's profile. The letters are editable, professionally worded, and optimized to pass ATS filters, giving job seekers a better shot at interviews without sacrificing time or authenticity. A Mission-Driven Approach to Modern Job Hunting LiftmyCV was founded by a team of product builders and engineers who were tired of the inefficiencies of modern job platforms. The company is building a next-generation job search agent that doesn't just automate tasks — it enhances the application process with meaningful, personalized content. From its auto-apply AI agent to its resume-to-profile converter and now smart cover letter generation, LiftmyCV is evolving into a full-stack job search platform designed to help professionals apply faster, smarter, and without burnout. 'The job search process is broken,' Zaitsev adds. 'We're building tools that treat job seekers like real people, not just clicks in a funnel.' How It Works After uploading their resume and completing a job seeker profile, users simply activate the AI Cover Letter Generator when applying to a job through LiftmyCV's platform. The tool analyzes the job description, matches it with the user's profile, and writes a unique, high-quality cover letter tailored to that specific opportunity. Each letter is: Combined with LiftmyCV's AI job search agent, which auto-applies to roles across LinkedIn, Workable, Lever, and more, this new feature turns the traditionally exhausting job hunt into a smoother, more strategic process. About LiftmyCV LiftmyCV is a modern job search platform that uses AI to automate and improve how professionals apply for jobs. With features like auto-apply agents, ATS-ready resumes, and personalized cover letters, LiftmyCV helps users navigate the job market more efficiently — without compromising quality. The team operates remotely and is committed to building a more human-centered job search experience. Try the AI Cover Letter Generator here:
Associated Press
30-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
LiftmyCV Adds a Real-Time AI Cover Letter Generator to Supercharge Its Auto-Apply Agent
Built by job seekers, for job seekers — LiftmyCV delivers human-like, personalized cover letters for every application, without the burnout. London, UK - May 30th, 2025 - LiftmyCV, the startup redefining how professionals apply for jobs, has launched a new feature that tackles one of the most frustrating parts of job hunting: writing cover letters. The new AI Cover Letter Generator per Job creates personalized, context-aware cover letters for each role a user applies to — in real time, with a single click. It's designed to help applicants stand out in crowded inboxes, without spending hours rewriting the same intro lines over and over. 'Cover letters have always been a painful chore,' said Dan Zaitsev, founder of LiftmyCV. 'Most job seekers either skip them or send the same generic version to every company. We wanted to build a tool that makes every cover letter feel personal — without the work.' A Problem Most Job Platforms Ignore While resumes have become easier to generate with templates and AI tools, cover letters remain a pain point. Research shows that nearly 60% of hiring managers still expect them, yet most candidates either copy-paste generic versions or skip them entirely. LiftmyCV's AI Cover Letter Generator uses the latest ChatGPT models to write original, role-specific letters — tailored to each job description and aligned with the user's profile. The letters are editable, professionally worded, and optimized to pass ATS filters, giving job seekers a better shot at interviews without sacrificing time or authenticity. A Mission-Driven Approach to Modern Job Hunting LiftmyCV was founded by a team of product builders and engineers who were tired of the inefficiencies of modern job platforms. The company is building a next-generation job search agent that doesn't just automate tasks — it enhances the application process with meaningful, personalized content. From its auto-apply AI agent to its resume-to-profile converter and now smart cover letter generation, LiftmyCV is evolving into a full-stack job search platform designed to help professionals apply faster, smarter, and without burnout. 'The job search process is broken,' Zaitsev adds. 'We're building tools that treat job seekers like real people, not just clicks in a funnel.' How It Works After uploading their resume and completing a job seeker profile, users simply activate the AI Cover Letter Generator when applying to a job through LiftmyCV's platform. The tool analyzes the job description, matches it with the user's profile, and writes a unique, high-quality cover letter tailored to that specific opportunity. Each letter is: Combined with LiftmyCV's AI job search agent, which auto-applies to roles across LinkedIn, Workable, Lever, and more, this new feature turns the traditionally exhausting job hunt into a smoother, more strategic process. About LiftmyCV LiftmyCV is a modern job search platform that uses AI to automate and improve how professionals apply for jobs. With features like auto-apply agents, ATS-ready resumes, and personalized cover letters, LiftmyCV helps users navigate the job market more efficiently — without compromising quality. The team operates remotely and is committed to building a more human-centered job search experience. Try the AI Cover Letter Generator here: Media Contact Company Name: VENTURE HEADS LLP Contact Person: PR department Email: Send Email Country: United Kingdom Website: Press Release Distributed by To view the original version on ABNewswire visit: LiftmyCV Adds a Real-Time AI Cover Letter Generator to Supercharge Its Auto-Apply Agent
CNET
13-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
How to Write a Cover Letter Using AI
In the highly competitive job market out there, finding a new role can be brutal. Following the shift to remote work and the Great Resignation, today's employment conditions have swung the power back into the hands of corporations. Mass layoffs and hiring freezes make securing a new job a harder, longer progress. If you've been applying for jobs recently, then you know how arduous and time consuming it is. While it's tempting to hit the fast apply button and attach the same generic cover letter to every application, that's probably not going to get you hired. It's also not realistic to carefully craft a new cover letter for every job, when you're up against thousands of applicants and you're applying for many roles. So here's a third option: Use artificial intelligence to customize your cover letters for each job. You'll save time, stand out in the saturated market and hopefully, land yourself an interview. The AI tool I used to try this out is ChatGPT, which wowed the world when it was released in November 2022 (you can read our hands-on review of ChatGPT as well as Gemini, Copilot and Perplexity on CNET's AI Atlas hub). If this is your first time using AI, it makes sense to start with the tool that made AI mainstream. Here's how to use ChatGPT for the job. I'll walk you through the process, prompts and productivity tips (and a potential problem to watch out for) to enhance your applications and your chances. Read more: Job Hunting With AI: 7 Techniques We Tried and How They Work Creating a custom ChatGPT cover letter If you've ever tried to write a cover letter before, it's hard enough to summarize your entire career on a single page, let alone customize it for each job role. Your resume presents your hard skills, and your cover letter showcases your soft skills -- the ones you can mold with keywords to fit what a company is asking for in its job ad. Get started with ChatGPT You'll need an account with ChatGPT, the job application, your resume and a previous cover letter, if you have one. You can use a free version of ChatGPT like me or pay $20 per month for added features like the most recent models, priority access during peak usage and image generation. Your initial AI prompt Your first prompt can be something like: Prompt: "Can you please help me write a cover letter for the role of reporter on the autos team of The Wall Street Journal? Here is the job description: [paste job description] And here is my resume: [paste resume]." Immediately, I saw a big problem with my first attempt: ChatGPT had hallucinated. It mixed up some of my experience, correctly noting publications I've written for and topics I've reported on, but wrongly -- very, very wrongly -- with made-up stories (see yellow highlights). If I change nothing else in my cover letter, I'm certainly going to fix that. The cover letter was also too long for my liking, so you could either give ChatGPT a word limit or ask it to remove certain things. Next, I also asked ChatGPT to highlight the top five keywords to use in my cover letter for a reporter role in the autos team at The Wall Street Journal, and here's what I got: Follow-up prompts for producing a cover letter I then asked ChatGPT to include these keywords in my cover letter. I chose my top three. Prompt: "Remove the five bullet points and incorporate the following keywords into my experience: Scoops, breaking news, and business and financial reporting." We're slowly getting there. Given that the role requires tech and financial reporting experience, I pushed ChatGPT to focus on my work at NerdWallet and past reporting at the MIT Tech Review. Prompt: "Emphasize my experience reporting on emerging tech and personal finance for outlets like NerdWallet and MIT Tech Review." With a solid base, now I could tweak the tone. It still didn't feel like me, and I wanted it to be tighter but more conversational and eloquent. Prompt: "Rewrite in a more conversational tone, with shorter sentences and no repetition. Eloquent, exciting, and worldly." This style prompt cut it back by 30%, to this: You can continue chipping away at it in ChatGPT, but I did my final tweaks manually, threading my personality through it. Personalizing your AI cover letter Copy the content into a separate Word or Google document to tweak and personalize the language to make sure it is written in your voice. For example, change "Dear Hiring Manager" to "Dear [company] hiring team" and remove weird lines you'd never actually say, like "is a prospect I relish." And be sure to scan through for any other oddities ChatGPT might have hallucinated. Here was my final ChatGPT plus me version. I pulled out the brand work because it's a reporter role and jazzed it up to my liking. While the tone of what ChatGPT returns for your cover letter should emulate your personality, you can dial it up or down to match the company's voice, vibe and vision. Let ChatGPT show you off, then all you need to do is shape it, style it and send it off. When do I need a cover letter? While not always required when applying for a job, including a cover letter in your application can be positive for leadership positions or when transitioning to a different industry. Always read the job ad, and if they specify to include a cover letter then you should definitely spend time working on one for that particular role.
