> Beyond that, I'm trying to figure out what it's like to work with you, whether you're an ethical person, whether you can work independently, etc. Good point,

> Beyond that, I'm trying to figure out what it's like to work with you, whether you're an ethical person, whether you can work independently, etc. Good point, you are right. I still believe what OP had in his cover letter was unnecessary but it would not be a deal breaker for me. Honestly, if he got rid of the paragraph about his hobbies and the sentence about where he lives, it's pretty good aside from some generic phrases ("I like clean code" - who doesn't?).