Here's the problem with the cover letter: the dominant strategy is to describe that you're a natural fit for the job, which sends up all sorts of BS flags in th

Here's the problem with the cover letter: the dominant strategy is to describe that you're a natural fit for the job, which sends up all sorts of BS flags in the reader. The alternative, suggested here, is to be a little self-deprecating. Mention why you might not be the perfect candidate, but you'll shine anyway. Have you heard of price anchoring? It's everywhere, and if you start the hiring manager off with "could take a chance on this person, maybe a diamond in the rough" ... well, that's not a great place to start. So if you're writing a cover letter, I'd recommend you make it sound like you're perfect for the job. But the strongest feature is "I've been doing this at my last job and want to do it somewhere else." That's a hard thing to make up if you don't have it already. And either way, it's not unique -- the "best" cover letter for a job is generally pretty discernible from the job posting. Which makes that cover letter table stakes and doesn't set you apart from the crowd of candidates they're actually going to talk to.