One glaringly obvious question, now that AI platforms are suddenly at the top of the news: Should a job applicant use ChatGTP to write his/her/their cover letter?
Although the demise of the cover letter has been promised for years, it continues to be a requirement of many job applications. Even today, the consistent advice from recruiters is to always include a cover letter — even when it’s optional — unless the job posting specifically states not to provide one.
Most job seekers strongly dislike writing cover letters, even if they are skilled writers. For people who don’t have strong writing skills, creating a cover letter can be extremely stressful and even slow down or entirely derail the application process.
Adding to the cover letter conundrum is that most hiring managers don’t value them. A recent study found that 63% of recruiters consider cover letters of low importance, and other research shows that only 18% of hiring managers think they’re a significant part of a job application.
It’s not surprising that jobseekers are turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) for help with writing their dreaded cover letters. Before we weigh the pros and cons of using ChatGPT — a chatbot recently launched by OpenAI that generates written content — for your cover letter, it might be helpful to understand why cover letters persist.
The purpose of a cover letter
Most hiring experts agree that the main reason cover letters are still requested is that, if done well, they complement a resume. A well-written cover letter can:
- Give the candidate an opportunity to convey their passion for the role in a way their resume can’t
- Help recruiters and hiring managers learn about the person applying for the job, not just their work experience and skills
- Provide context for career changes, gaps in work history or other things that might be hard to explain with a resume alone
- Help a job application stand out, especially when a cover letter is optional, and demonstrate the candidate’s willingness to go above and beyond
Qualities of a good cover letter
If a good cover letter can elevate your job application, a bad one can eliminate you from the hiring process. A good cover letter should:
- Compliment your resume, not be another version of it
- Be customized for the role you’re applying for
- Match the tone of the hiring company
- Be about the company, not about you
- Convey your personality, values and professional passion
- Be carefully proofread for typos, grammar and inaccuracies
Using ChatGPT for your cover letter
So, should you use ChatGPT to generate a cover letter? The short answer is it depends. For example, if you’re applying for a job that requires strong writing skills, an AI-generated cover letter can be a red flag.
Most hiring managers say they can easily tell when cover letters haven’t been written by the applicant, but some don’t mind. They understand that applicants are using current technology to save time and provide a professional cover letter. In general, a high-level cover letter might be overkill for a more junior role.
That said, ChatGPT can be invaluable for helping candidates overcome apprehension and writer’s block. When used as a starting point, ChatGPT can provide applicants with a draft of a basic letter to work from. If you do decide to use ChatGPT for your cover letter, here are some helpful guidelines:
- Provide the URL for the job description in the chat field to help the bot gather keywords.
- To refine, you can add the summary from your LinkedIn profile or simply type in details such as how many years of experience you have or a degree you’ve earned.
- Chances are, the letter ChatGPT will generate will be very generic and may even contain inaccuracies that need to be fixed. There also might be vague language — for example, “two to five years of experience” — that needs to more specific.
- From this ChatGPT-generated draft, you should warm up the tone and personalize the content of your cover letter.
Final thoughts
Keep in mind that ChatGPT should be used as a tool to help you get started with a cover letter. It’s important to realize that you’re probably not the only candidate using this tool, and if you don’t want your cover letter to be the same as others, you will need to spend some time finessing it.
Finally, the bottom line is that a cover letter is a complement to a resume. If your resume is poorly written and doesn’t make it to the hiring manager for a personal review, neither will your cover letter.
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