The Cover Letter in 2025: Still Useful?
The cover letter divides opinion. Some recruiters never read them; others consider them essential. The truth in 2025: a strong cover letter never hurts; a weak one actively damages your candidacy. Here's how to navigate that.
When to Write One
- The listing explicitly requests one.
- You're applying to a small or mid-size company where the recruiter is often the hiring manager.
- You have something specific and compelling to say about this company and this role that your resume can't convey.
- You're making an unconventional application (career change, internal transfer, senior role at a startup).
When You Can Skip It
- Large companies receiving 200+ applications — often not read at all.
- Highly technical roles where portfolio and resume speak for themselves.
- LinkedIn Easy Apply — your connection message serves as a short letter.
💡 Practical rule: If you have nothing specific to say about this company and this role in particular, don't write a generic letter. A boilerplate cover letter does more damage than no letter at all.
Structure of an Effective Cover Letter in 2025
- Opening hook — a sentence that captures attention (not "I am writing to apply for…")
- Why them? — show you know the company, its mission, its current challenges.
- Why you? — 2–3 competencies or achievements directly relevant to the role.
- Call to action — propose an interview with confidence, without hedging.
⚠️ Banish: "I am reaching out to express my interest", "dynamic and motivated", interminable closing formulas, and anything that starts with "I" twice in a row.