[amorphid]

For starters, anything that indicated the person was specifically interested in the opportunity for some reason. This wasn't usually a good start.

"Dear Sir or Madam,

<generic blob of text>

Sincerely, <applicant name>"

[flukus]

Were you recruiting for a well known and respected company that was listed in the job ad or for a random generic company?

If you're someone like google or in a very specific niche that I'd like to be in then I'd write a cover letter, but that is not most jobs.

[amorphid]

My observation was that job applicants who tried to get the job by making a notable effort to show genuine interest in a specific opportunity seemed to be the one's who eventually got the job. Being interested doesn't make one qualified, but it does tend to make one stand out.

Getting a good job is hard, and you can't always tell from the outside if a job is one you'd want. It doesn't take much time to show genuine interest in any opportunity that's worth applying to, no matter how prestigious the company may be.