Here's what hiring managers tell me when I ask what they're seeing:
"I can spot a ChatGPT cover letter in 5 seconds. They all start with the same kind of opener."
"The AI ones tell me what they think I want to hear, not what makes the candidate distinct. After 30 of them, they blur."
"I've started using filters that look for AI patterns. They get filtered before I see them."
The candidates who break through aren't avoiding AI. They're using it differently.
Use AI to summarize the job description, identify the 3 key signals the role is asking for, and brainstorm relevant outcomes from your past work. Then write the cover letter yourself, in 4 paragraphs, in your own voice.
The 20 minutes that takes will outperform a 2-minute AI generation 10x in the current market. Not because AI is bad. Because AI sameness is now the bottom of the filter.
— Dr. Hosney Adel