I’ve been told that nobody actually reads cover letters anymore, but every portal still requires one. I’ve been using a pretty standard template for years,. I want to show a bit of personality, but I’m afraid of being too much for a conservative legal recruiter. Is it better to stick to the boring formula, or does a hook actually work in this industry?

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Two questions, two answers. I’m hiring right now, and I require a cover letter because I want to see if the person can write without relying on AI exclusively. Showing a bit of personality is dangerous. That’s not to say don’t do it (I still remember that guy who had “Bakes a mean rubarb pie” on his resume), but know that it will repel as many people as it hooks.

CA1, you don’t, but I’m sitting here with cover letters that were clearly written by AI, and not edited in such a way as to counteract the AI tells. Could someone trick me? Yes. If they’ve started with AI, but then tricked me is their editing good enough? Also yes.

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