Join Australia’s career community
Share experiences, ask questions, and dive into practical discussions within dedicated industry groups. Build connections with others like you.A
Anon991721 · 21d ago
What do hiring managers actually look for in a cover letter in Australia in 2026? I've been told to write tailored ones but also that nobody reads them anymore... 😅 would love to hear from people who've actually been on the hiring side recently 🙏
A
Anon155850 · 20d ago
For me when I've hired I look for actual substance. A lot of cover letters are samey and talk about really general things with no proof like 'team player', 'self motivated', 'respectful', 'organised' etc. They don't really mean anything because literally 90% people say they're those things. I'd rather something like "I noticed you're looking for x and y. In this job I did X and achieved x results. Then this job I did y which led to y efficiency".
A
Anon391519 · 20d ago
I think there's a lot of people who confidently say "no one reads them" while not knowing anyone doing hiring.
I have always read them. People write interesting things, and they took the time to do it. Everyone I have ever hired since working in white collar jobs wrote a cover letter. And whenever I asked for one, it was an instant no for the people who left one out
D
Derick · 16d ago
Technical Support
Hiring managers want a cover letter that reads like a rom com monologue. Show passion, but not too much. Be specific, but brief. Mention you once saved a deadline with nothing but coffee and spite. And for the love of all things holy, include the letter even though half of them won’t read past “Dear Sir or Madam.” But if you skip it? Oh they’ll know. And they’ll be devastated. Devastated I tell you.
G
Gareth · 20d ago
General Operations Manager
Always have a cover letter, those without get put to the bottom of the pile
B
Bailey · 16d ago
I read them before I look at resumes. I want to know it’s been tailored to the position at my business, not a copy and paste. And I’m looking that they have answered the selection criteria, proving they can at least follow basic directions.
J
Juliette · 20d ago
Farmhand
I always seem to work hard and change my cover letters no matter which job it’s at to be more specific and when u apply on the indeed websites they say posted 1 day ago then they say this job has expired they don’t give you any notification till months which is concerning and unorganised not giving a sooner message to say anything which is not that good for people to understand
L
Lyzz · 16d ago
Not having a cover letter is tardy in my opinion. A resume can only sell you so far and you have an additional advantage to add value and substance to your application with one. So why wouldn’t you take the opportunity to upsell yourself further with one?
C
Cain · 16d ago
Production Foreman
On the flip side of wether you should do a cover letter or not, If you are the hirer and you don’t read cover letters your making a big mistake for various reasons and one of the main reasons is you’ve lost the opportunity to actually gage on what personality this person has which in turn gives you a great insight as to how you can conduct the interview, doing this takes the pressure of everyone and allows people to be themselves (the best form of truth serum we can ask for)
A
Anon248562 · 8d ago
Administration Officer
I wish I could just start my cover letters with a fancy “The” like Spongebob did when he got overstimulated lol. I know I have great work achievements, I just don’t know how to put it in a letter
Y
YOUL · 11d ago
Graphic Designer
they don't they set up pathetic ai filters to filter out 80% of resumes and people here wants to create a illusion they do but the truth is 9/10 times your resumes is gonna be filtered without anyone reading
Want the full community experience? Get it on the app
Features are constantly being added from the ‘Career’ section of the SEEK app to this website. So, if you want an even better experience check out our app now.
Explore groups