Job seeker sends AI-generated cover letters with 2-minute tweaks and receives half a dozen callbacks. Netizens say, 'the AI wars have begun'

In the ever-competitive world of job hunting, every little edge counts. But what happens when the edge comes from an unexpected source—AI? One job candidate recently shared a fascinating experience on Reddit that has sparked both admiration and skepticism across the internet. After sending over 50 meticulously crafted cover letters and hearing nothing but crickets, he decided to try something new: using AI to refine his cover letter. The result? An influx of callbacks that left him both surprised and curious about the power of AI in the hiring process.

From Frustration to Surprising Success
The candidate’s original job search was filled with frustration. Despite carefully crafting each cover letter and submitting applications to over 50 positions, he received zero responses. The lack of feedback made him realize something: recruiters might only spend seconds skimming through cover letters. That’s when he had a lightbulb moment. He turned to AI to help him generate his cover letters, spending only a couple of minutes tweaking them before submitting them to potential employers.

The results were astounding. Within two weeks, he received six callbacks—an impressive turnaround compared to the complete lack of responses over the prior two months. In fact, half of his AI-assisted applications yielded responses, and one recruiter even complimented his cover letter as “thoughtful and personalized.”

The Power of AI: Personalized or Predictable?
But while the job seeker was celebrating his newfound success, the story didn't end there. The Reddit post quickly garnered a wide range of reactions from netizens. Some users praised the candidate's ingenuity, impressed by how AI could improve their chances of landing a job. However, others were less thrilled by the idea that AI might be shaping the future of job applications. One commenter lamented, "It is starting to become the only way to get an interview is to use AI to write something other AI finds attractive... Nothing to do with the job or who can actually do the job."

The debate quickly spiraled into a more existential question about the future of hiring. “Soon we’ll just have AIs interviewing other AIs while we humans sit back and watch the show,” one user quipped. Another chimed in, pointing out the irony of an AI-generated cover letter being followed by an interview where candidates are asked to "tell me about yourself" as if the recruiter didn’t already know everything about the applicant through their carefully AI-optimized letter.


The AI War: Is It Just the Beginning?
The responses also revealed a growing unease about the role AI plays in recruitment. One user suggested that AI’s involvement in the process was becoming increasingly prevalent on both sides of the hiring equation: “Recruiters using it, seekers using it. Nothing is real. The AI wars have begun.” This comment encapsulated the underlying fear that AI might be erasing the human touch from job applications entirely, turning everything into a game of “who can prompt AI the best.”

Others were more cynical about the entire situation, with some even arguing that recruiters themselves are not nearly as thorough or intelligent as they might believe. One comment noted, “Some of my friends are hiring managers... They said they NEVER read cover letters. Maybe after they’ve decided they like the resume, they’ll skim the letter, but it doesn’t change their decision.” This raised the question: Are cover letters, AI-generated or not, just an obligatory formality that no one really cares about?


The Real Question: Is AI the Future of Job Applications?
While this Reddit post and its accompanying debate have given rise to some humorous musings about the future of recruitment, they also underscore a more significant question: Is AI truly reshaping the way we present ourselves in the job market? And if it’s good enough for job seekers to generate AI-crafted cover letters, will recruiters soon turn to AI to sift through applications and make hiring decisions?

For now, one thing is clear: AI is playing an undeniable role in job applications, whether it’s through generating perfectly optimized cover letters or creating a system that both applicants and recruiters are starting to depend on. And for those job seekers looking for a little extra help, AI might just be the secret ingredient to land that elusive callback.

Only Time Will Tell
As the job market continues to evolve with AI in tow, it’s clear that this technology is not just a passing trend but could be the future of job hunting. Whether it’s crafting the perfect cover letter or helping recruiters narrow down a pool of candidates, AI is poised to make a lasting impact. But for now, job seekers will have to keep tweaking their AI-generated letters and crossing their fingers—because in this new age of digital hiring, it might just be the best way to get noticed.