One thing I hate about cover letters is that 9/10 times they have to be formal. I feel like keeping it informal and personal makes it more real but won't be accepted by most recruiters...

I haven’t written a cover letter in over a decade—I still get interviews regularly in this market. If you have at least one familiar company/brand name on your resume/cv, more than likely you’ll get a screen. Though if the role is incredibly sought after you should consider it.

Clarify: *work for a popular company or reputable education