Pretty sure cover letters are just smut for HR to get off to

Oh yes, im an EXPERIENCED worker who would LOVE to have a POSITION with you. I'd do ANYTHING for a...JOB ;) ;) ;)

Fuck off outta here with that shit, my resume says everything you need to know, I wouldn't give it to you if I didnt wanna work

28 comments

Cover letters and resumes exist to be read by computers for pre-screening purposes. Ain't no way hiring managers actually read them, is there?
I know I personally feel gross reading cover letters. Groveling makes me uncomfortable.
- This combined with cover letters being generated by LLMs presents a really funny possibility of zero human input in the whole process.
  
  I have an LLM turn my resume into cover letters & I feel great! (I am still unemployed)
- That's my thought, too. Probably like 95% of cover letters go completely unread. I would bet next to none are read in full.
Cover letters are an anachronism of a time when applying to a job meant putting a resume in an envelope and physically mailing it to an HR department. The cover letter served to let whomever opened the thing to know what job the person was applying for. Despite everything being online these days and the word document of your resume being intrinsically tied to the digital submission, the cover letter lives on like some vestigial organ.
- I submit to the public that it is time to take cover letters out back and shoot them
HELP ME STEPRECRUITER
You have to balance the right amount of "please hire me, I'm ever so obedient and servile" groveling with the right amount of "actually I'm so qualified you would be lucky to have me" humblebrag
- why can't i just kill the ceo and put on his clothes
  
  Maybe you can, have you tried?
  
  Dress for the job you want
- I hate doing both of these things
I'm already hearing complaints of LLM-generated cover letters from hiring managers. This AI might just do one thing right after all...
- Fuck it im gonna start doing that, not a bad idea. I forget LLMs exist when im not laughing at them.
  
  People struggling to find uses for LLMs is probably the funniest thing that could happen to AI after all the hype last year.
Cover letters are the worst because I'm also going to have to the same bullshit groveling during the interview too.
- "So what makes you wanna work here?"
  "It's in my cover letter."
  "OK, can you tell me about your past jobs?"
  "It's in my resume."
  
  Prescreener interviews rock.
Tell me in under 100 words why you like working in a dog friendly environment. We do not discriminate based on allergies but we definitely won't hire you if you can't be around dogs.
- You have 50 characters to defend your masters thesis. This question is required to submit your application
"Why do you want to work for this company?"
"I am selling off half of my waking hours in exchange for being able to afford to continue living. The day this is no longer necessary you will never see me again."
It's just another barrier to entry meant to winnow down submissions. Get GPT to write them
When I wrote my cover letter for the job I’m at currently I thought they were a different company with almost the same name. Guess it worked or no one cared.
On my last job i left the cover letter blank. I am certain no one noticed
I don't bother with my own cover letters or resume, its all llm now, doesn't help but nothing does, fuck them. 'Oh you can't look desperate for a job at the interview', well if I don't get this I'm hosed, its pretty hard to hide it.

28 comments