We Don't Need Cover Letters We Need Conversations

Jun 6 , 2026
By Kidist Yidnekachew

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Job seekers operate within a system that demands polished narratives of motivation and alignment. These narratives often mask the immediate economic pressures driving applications. Cover letters function less as communication tools and more as formalised performance. Many of these documents are shaped by templates and expectations rather than authentic voice. This creates a gap between lived reality and professional presentation.

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We live in an age that celebrates efficiency, automation and convenience, yet the modern job hunt remains anchored in an older system. Each time I open a job portal, I meet the same obstacle: the cover letter. It asks applicants to craft polished narratives about passion for a role they may have discovered moments earlier and alignment with a company mission they have barely had time to read. Sitting in front of a blinking cursor, I often feel less inspired than drained. The task feels less like communication and more like ritual, a performative exercise that consumes time without revealing much of value.

What makes it more frustrating is the gap between expectation and truth. If honesty was acceptable, many cover letters would begin differently. Mine might read: “Dear Hiring Manager, I am applying because I have bills to pay, my current work situation is no longer sustainable, and your organisation offers the pay and flexibility I need to stay afloat.” But that is not what is expected. Instead, applicants must construct narratives where every career step appears part of a deliberate journey toward a specific job.

The result is professional storytelling that feels detached from reality. Applicants are asked to express enthusiasm for organisations they barely know, using language that often feels artificial and rehearsed. The entire process resembles a script both sides recognise as formulaic. The cover letter is presented as personal expression, yet it functions more as a test of one’s ability to reproduce corporate language and familiar clichés.

This raises a broader question about why paperwork creates such resistance. I often wonder whether my frustration is personal or part of a wider cultural pattern. Living in Ethiopia, I see many peers who share similar irritation toward forms, applications and excessive documentation. In social and professional settings, people’s character and ability are often judged through direct interaction rather than written submission. There is a strong belief that understanding someone requires conversation, observation and human contact.

That preference reflects something fundamentally human. When people sit together over coffee or tea, they exchange more than information. They reveal judgement, confidence, tone and personality. Conversation carries nuance that paperwork rarely captures. It allows people to respond and adapt naturally. A cover letter, by contrast, reduces a person to a carefully edited document that cannot fully express energy, personality or potential.

This limitation becomes clearer when compared with the interview process. An interview is a live interaction where both sides evaluate each other. Employers can observe how candidates communicate, handle pressure and engage with others. They can assess qualities that never appear on a page. Candidates, in turn, can demonstrate their abilities in real time instead of through a static narrative written in isolation. The interaction is imperfect, but far more revealing than a standardised document.

Ironically, the cover letter has become even less reliable as a measure of authenticity. Modern applicants now have access to artificial intelligence tools, grammar software and endless templates. Documents can be polished, rewritten and refined until they barely reflect the writer’s natural voice. Interviews remain one of the few spaces where the unfiltered candidate appears. If organisations genuinely want to understand who they are hiring, it is reasonable to question why so much weight is placed on a medium that encourages performance over presence.

Supporters argue that cover letters demonstrate communication skills or show effort. Yet these claims are not entirely convincing. More often, the document shows an ability to translate simple motivations into acceptable corporate language. A straightforward desire for employment becomes a declaration of commitment to organisational growth and innovation. Hours are spent tailoring documents that may never be read by a human. Instead, they are scanned by automated systems searching for keywords, turning the process into a technical filtering exercise rather than a meaningful exchange.

This reinforces my preference for direct interaction. Life unfolds through conversations, relationships and shared experiences. Important decisions are shaped by trust, judgement and communication rather than polished documents. The growing reliance on automated recruitment systems risks overlooking these human dimensions. In prioritising efficiency, organisations may end up favouring those skilled at navigating bureaucratic systems rather than those best suited to the actual work.

The trend also reflects a broader shift toward increasingly digital, standardised and impersonal systems. While these tools improve speed and scale, they also create distance. Recruitment becomes less about understanding individuals and more about filtering applications. In this environment, cover letters become another procedural hurdle, rewarding compliance as much as competence. The question remains whether this approach identifies the strongest candidates or simply the most patient participants.

Ultimately, I want a hiring process that respects intelligence and values genuine interaction. I want a system where conversation, a handshake and a demonstration of competence matter more than a manufactured letter. Until then, I will continue writing them because the system requires it. Yet with every sentence, I remain aware that both applicant and recruiter are participating in a familiar performance. If employers truly want to know why I want a job, five minutes of conversation would reveal far more than any cover letter ever could.

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PUBLISHED ON Jun 06,2026 [ VOL 27 , NO 1362]

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