# 001: The 90s Called and Wants Your Cover Letter Back
¡Hola, Tech Writing Friends!
I’m kicking off our first newsletter discussion with cover letters.
But never fear—boredom is strictly banned from my newsletter!
You choose what is boring!
You choose what is fun!
Who Cares about Cover Letters? Anybody?
There’s a myth that cover letters often get overlooked in the job application process, but that’s inaccurate!
The truth is that both cover letters and resumes need to be processed quickly and efficiently. Like it or not, a concise and unique cover letter reigns queen. A distinctive and personal cover letter absolutely counts in your favor when your skill set aligns with the hiring company's goals.
Unfortunately, many tech writers have no idea what to put in a cover letter.
Resume Redundancy and AI Copy-Paste
Raise your hand if you’ve ever caught yourself copying talking points from your resume directly into your cover letter.
Confession time: For each “yes,” give me 10 pushups. Have you ever used any of these lines in your cover letter?
“Dear Hiring Manager,”
“I’m thrilled to apply for your [JOB ROLE] at [COMPANY NAME].”
“As a Technical Writer skilled in [LISTS SKILLS], I am confident in my ability to contribute to your team.”
“Sincerely, [YOUR NAME]”
It’s all too easy to fall back on stale cover letter templates or let your good pals Claude or ChatGPT, do all the heavy lifting.
Here’s the kicker: Companies won’t pay salaries and benefits to ChatGPT.
Stuck on Repeat in Your 90s Job Hunting Time Capsule
Even though AI wasn’t around in the 90s, the urge to copy-paste from a “generic cover letter template” was something we were practically spoon-fed back then—and guess what? Many still fall into this trap today.
Now, instead of pulling up a stale template from a Google search, folks rely on AI tools to churn out the same uninspired, cookie-cutter cover letters.
The result? A new layer of redundancy that 100% fails to stand out.
Write a Micro Cover Note
Don’t introduce yourself again! They already know who you are from your resume.
Instead of droning on for an entire page, opt for a crisp, personalized micro cover note. Skip the clichés like “passionate about the role” or “excited about the company.” Five to ten sentences are fine.
Why do you want to join that company? Get straight to the point. Highlight which specific job requirements excite you most and why.
Match the same number of experiences per each job requirement listed, proving you’re not just another candidate—you’re the candidate. If you enjoy creative writing, crafting punchy talking points about your skillset is fun!
Be concise. Be personal. Be memorable.
Here's an example of a micro cover note. Marcus works at PostHog today!
A teenager emailed the CEO of Snapchat and got a reply! If a teenager can do it, so can we!
Reflect Their Voice
Match the company’s tone or personality in your cover letter.
You wouldn’t use a dull, serious tone for a startup known for its laid-back and fun culture—save that for your application to Amazon.😈
Your Next Steps
Test your new learnings moving forward, writing a unique and personal microcover note per each job application!
I know it feels daunting at first, but remember the inherent efficiency in that “micro” aspect.
You got this.
See you in two weeks,
¡Hasta luego!
Quetzalli
