Why Cover Letters Still Matter

Of all the tools in a job seeker’s arsenal, the cover letter may be one of the most maligned and misunderstood. No one likes writing cover letters. It often seems like that extra effort rarely pays off in landing an interview. And many recruiters state that they dislike or even won’t read cover letters.

But a good cover letter can make all the difference in catching a hiring manager’s attention. A generic, copy-and-pasted cover letter won’t do you much good, but in a crowded job market, a well-written cover letter can be the key to standing out. Today, we’ll cover why you should take the extra time to submit a value-filled cover letter on your next job application.

Managers actually do read them

There is often conflicting data on whether recruiters and hiring managers like cover letters and it seems to boil down more to personal preference than any quantitative factor.

A Resume Lab survey found that 83% of HR professionals believed a cover letter was important, even if not required. However, LinkedIn cited a study that found 63 percent of recruiters find cover letters of low importance, while another found only 18 percent of recruiters thought they were an important complement to an application.

But LinkedIn’s Tomáš Ondrejka believes that this low importance may be because they get poor quality letters thanks to no one enjoying writing them. Regardless of how individual recruiters feel, many positions still require a cover letter. Even if they don’t, seeing that extra effort still gets noticed. And if you do take the time to write a quality letter, you might pleasantly surprise even the most anti-cover letter biased HR reps.

The extra effort allows you to stand out

When everyone dreads writing cover letters, that means many job seekers choose to send generic, copy-and-pasted letters when required and send nothing if not required. Simply by doing above the bare minimum, you can make your application that much better.

Resume.io’s Paul Drury says that a cover letter offers you the chance to tailor your application to the role and speak directly to the hiring manager. Keeping this in mind allows you to demonstrate the value you’d bring to the organization. So not only are you showing extra initiative, but you’re taking advantage of a crucial opportunity to sell yourself for the role.

“A generic cover letter is a missed opportunity. If you want the job, use the cover letter to tell them so – and why they want you above anyone else.” –Aubrie De Clerck, Mac’s List

You can better express interest in the role

The other underrated reason for sending a cover letter is in order to show your excitement about the role. Your resume may show that you have all the skills and success to excel in the role, but a resume can’t express excitement for you.

Coursera says that a cover letter is the perfect opportunity to express genuine enthusiasm for the role. Maybe it’s a dream title or industry. Or perhaps you’re applying for a non-profit role and want to explain why their mission really matters to you. The cover letter is the one spot to organically express that.

Taking the time to make a non-generic cover letter shows not only dedication to the role but also to the company’s mission.

They are a good platform to demonstrate value

If your resume is well-written and highlights your accomplishments, it paints a good picture of what you can do for that organization. But a cover letter allows you to directly correlate those skills and accomplishments to the role. Your resume may offer a blueprint, but the cover letter offers more concrete details.

Mac’s List’s Mac Prichard says to directly connect the dots between your skills and the tenets of the role you’re applying for. This can be especially helpful if how your skills would benefit the organization isn’t readily apparent. You can take it a step further by discussing direct action plans on how you’d use those skills in that role. It also shows that you understand what the organization is looking for.

“A resume provides an overview of you as a candidate, but it doesn’t provide you with enough space to go into detail about certain key parts of your career. This is where the cover letter comes in.” –Andrei Kurtuy, mediabistro

You can better explain any career gaps

We’ve discussed the idea that career gaps and job hopping aren’t the career death sentences they once were. But even though times are changing, it’s still good to get ahead of any doubts and control the narrative of your career journey. This is where a cover letter shines. In your cover letter, you can quickly address any concerns and paint them as advantages.

“A cover letter gives candidates the opportunity to address any potential red flags in their resume, such as employment gaps or career changes. When a candidate proactively explains these issues, it shows their transparency and willingness to provide context, which can positively influence my perception of their application.” –Thomas Codevilla

Wrap up

A well-crafted cover letter can make your resume pop even further. This document works as a support—if you aren’t qualified for the role, the cover letter probably won’t be the difference maker. But you can use the letter to better define why you’re the right fit for the role, and it allows you to tell the story of your career journey. Not every hiring manager likes to read cover letters, and most job seekers hate writing them, but taking the extra time and effort could be the key to landing a new job.

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Reasons Why Job Hopping Can Be Good For Your Career

Putting it lightly, not all jobs are created equally. Yet some workers feel like they need to stay in a less-than-ideal situation to avoid the perception of being a job hopper. Yet careers are less linear than in the past, and the stigma around job hopping is fading away. If you’re in need of a new job, make like a rabbit and take that leap!

There’s an unwritten rule that you should stay with a company for a year before looking to jump ship, but career coach Sarah Doody says that belief is archaic. In fact, strategically finding a better job can actually make a candidate look savvy.

“I think it will actually make you come across as a more strategic, thoughtful, mindful individual rather than just coasting along for another nine months.” –Sarah Doody

To explore this changing landscape, we’ll consider the main reasons workers want to job hop and the benefits looking for greener pastures can have on your career.

Better benefits

As much as finding a good fit and a place where your skills are valued is important, at the end of the day, we work to make a living. One of the most logical reasons employees look to find a new job is to find a better salary or better benefits.

ADP research found that 61% of workers worldwide cite pay as their most important factor in a job. And increased pay isn’t the only benefit—healthcare, a better commute, better perks, and better remote work policies are equally important factors for many.

On the flip side, many workers may give up some salary for these other benefits. Forbes’ Caroline Castrillon says that the pandemic has caused workers to reconsider their needs, and many seek more value or remote flexibility over pure salary, You know your situation and needs best. Even if you’re fairly new at a job, don’t hesitate to take a better offer if it better aligns with your needs.

Diversifying your skills

We live in a skills-based higher world. Many technical skills can be learned on the job, and a diverse set of soft skills that bring value to any role are in high demand. Working in different situations can enhance different skills, so hopping jobs will let you diversify your repertoire.

“Each job you take provides you with new experiences and skills that you can take with you to the next job. By moving around, you can gain a diverse range of experiences and knowledge that can make you a more well-rounded and valuable employee in the long run.” –Mel Skeer, LinkedIn

FlexJobs’ Rachel Pelta writes that as work culture evolves, employers want employees who can handle a project through multiple steps, The more you can do, the more appealing you’ll be.

“When you job-hop, you combine multiple skill sets across fields into one flexible, unique-to-you career. You can be a photographer, designer, writer, and consultant all at once.” –Rachel Pelta

Better advancement opportunities

With that diverse set of skills, you’ll be in a much better position to advance your career in the direction you desire—even if that isn’t with your current company. Sometimes, you’ll hit a ceiling on how high you can rise in an organization. Job hopping can be a great way to advance.

An MIT Sloan Management survey found that 67% of participants wanted to advance their career while a 2022 McKinsey study found that a lack of advancement opportunities was the main reason participants left their jobs. Just as a plant may need to be replanted elsewhere in order to grow and thrive, we sometimes must find another place to grow.

“Sometimes companies don’t promote very quickly, or they are simply too small to offer a lot of upward mobility. In these cases, employers may be motivated to look for jobs at other businesses if they feel like they won’t get promoted quickly (or at all) at their current company.” –Kara Sherrer, TechnologyAdvice

Employers wanting to prevent a mass exodus need to prioritize cultivating homegrown talent and help prepare workers for advancement opportunities.

Avoiding toxic workplaces

Even if a workplace has every other benefit you can imagine, the culture may be a bad fit, or even outright toxic. If there’s a better environment out there for you, it’s worth exploring.

Forbes’ Amy Leschke-Kahle says to ask yourself whether you can see yourself working with your coworkers and manager long-term and whether their work styles are compatible with yours. Even working remotely, you’ll be in constant communication with these people. And the flipside is also true. If you like your team a lot, it may be worth it to stay.

Wrap up

If you can find a great role with a solid company, staying loyal is never a bad thing! Not everyone wants to job-hop. But not everyone will find the right position for them. There’s no use in staying with the wrong company just for the optics when a better opportunity might be just around the corner. Consider your options, but don’t forget the amazing benefits job hopping could offer you.

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Making Small Talk Before And During An Interview

Small talk gets a bad rap in modern times, but knowing how to engage in pleasant small talk is an extremely valuable interview skill. While you still need to have deeper answers ready to provide value, being able to excel with small talk builds a rapport with your interviewer and helps you stand out.

Standing out in an interview can be tough, but making an impression with small talk and finding a connection is a great way to stay relevant. Remember, an interviewer is investigating your personality to see if you’re a good cultural fit. Learn how to make a last impression by following these small talk strategies!

“Interviews are also pretty anxiety-inducing, so starting off with a little small talk beforehand is in everyone’s best interest.”-Maddie Lloyd, Zippia

Avoid cliches

Part of the reason small talk is often viewed with disdain is that boring topics often get repeated. Small talk doesn’t have to be deep, but it needs to have at least a bit of substance. Recall that you’re trying to stand out. Saying “Boy, how about the fact that weather exists?” isn’t going to help your case.

“I can’t imagine many hiring managers vouching for a candidate by saying, “Hey, how about the guy that complained about how rainy it’s been? I thought he was great!” –Kat Boogaard

Instead, LinkedIn’s Caroline Ceniza-Levine says to focus on topics like any hobbies you might have, any books you’re reading (a great way to show you’re into personal development), or discussing industry news. These topics are light, playful and show some insight into who you are beyond your resume.

Avoid inappropriate topics

You want to stand out in these windows of small talk, but you want to stand out for a good reason. While it’s good to be casual with your small talk, make sure you aren’t too casual or inappropriate with your chosen topics.

Top Interview’s Felicia Tatum lists the classics like religion, politics, and overly personal questions as things to avoid—even if you’ve researched the interviewer and know their stances. Also avoid being flirty, mentioning money, family topics, or bad-mouthing anyone.

Find a common interest

Your goal with small talk is to find common ground to build a solid foundation with your interviewer and stand out when it comes time to choose a candidate. One of the best ways to start is by researching your interviewer and looking for any common ground on their socials.

You don’t need to be digging through someone’s trash looking for deep clues. A simple quick search may provide you with some safe, surface-level interests. Even looking around their office can provide some easy clues.

The Muse’s Kat Boogaard lists someone running a marathon as an example. If you find evidence they’ve partaken in one, you might casually mention you’re a runner and had a nice run earlier in the day. You don’t need to awkwardly shoehorn the common interest in, you can casually bring something up when asked “How are you?” and see if they take the bait.

“For instance, you discovered in your research that you both like cooking. You may respond, “It was great! I took a cooking class at the <insert name of school> and learned the right technique for perfecting my Japanese souffle cheesecake.” –Lea C, Career Higher

Ask questions and be a good listener

The name small talk leaves out one of its most important aspects—listening! If you’re seeking common ground, you can’t just talk someone’s ear off. You need to ask questions and carefully listen to the responses.

Small talk can be awkward, but asking a question to fill the silence is a great way to both get new information and keep the conversation flowing. Kat Boogaard says that not only will this take the spotlight off of you but it will give the interviewer, who is likely asking you a lot of questions, a bit of a breather.

Forbes’ Jack Kelly says to practice active listening during these exchanges. Nod your head and react to what they say, use their name often, and let them be your center of attention. Keep your questions open-ended to allow the dialogue to flow.

Be enthusiastic

Above all else, be authentic in your conversation attempts. Making a connection isn’t only valuable to the organization, but to you as well. If all goes well, this will be someone you’ll work with often in the future. Make sure you enjoy the environment and interacting with this person.

It’s generally easy to tell when someone is forcing conversation or if they aren’t interested in what you’re talking about. That’s why practicing active listening is so important. Even if you find the process daunting, with practice and a little extra effort, you’ll find yourself communicating with enthusiasm.

Wrap up

Small talk can be intimidating, especially when you don’t know the person. But learning how to engage with an interviewer and create a connection will be dividends in the long run. Stay relaxed and follow our strategies and you’ll create a natural conversation!

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How To Answer “Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years?”

Chances are, you’re not a fortune teller. And if you were, you probably wouldn’t be here seeking career advice. So what’s a job seeker to say when an interviewer asks, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

This common interview question isn’t meant to be answered with a full, detailed life plan. And if there’s anything we’ve learned from the pandemic years, it’s that anything can happen in life. Instead, it’s vital for the aspiring job seeker to understand just what is being asked and answer in a way that aligns your goals with the value you can bring to the role. We can’t determine the future, but we can guide you toward a successful answer!

What is being asked?

You don’t need to be a Type A person with a full outline of your future to nail this question. What an interviewer is really looking for is an assessment of your overall goals and level of motivation.

Career coach Tara Goodfellow says an interviewer wants to know that those goals and motivations align with the role and the organization. Top Resume’s M.A. Smith adds that asking this kind of question gives an interviewer insight into your thought process and how this role will fit into your overall plan. Recall that an interviewer is looking for the value you can bring to a role. Keep that in mind as you craft your answer.

“They also want to know what kind of person you are and will become. What’s most important to you: being proud of the work you do? Becoming a great team member? Learning how to be an awesome manager?” –Eloise Eonnet, career coach

How to answer

Connect it to your career goals

With a better understanding of just what is being asked, make sure that your answer conveys the value you’d bring to the role.

You’ll first need a clear understanding of what your goals are. Indeed says to think about the types of accomplishments you’d like to see on your resume in five years. Are you looking to gain the experience needed to obtain a senior role? Are you trying to get a start in an appealing industry? Find ways to connect this role to those goals.

“You don’t want to say, “I see myself in the same position doing the same work five years from now.” –Biron Clark, Career Sidekick

Consider the skills you have and the skills needed to succeed in your career path, and use specific skills from the job description if possible, according to Glassdoor. Expressing a desire to utilize and grow those skills clearly demonstrates value to an organization.

Express sincere interest in the role

Ambition doesn’t always pay the bills. Sometimes, you’ll need to take a job that might not be your dream job. That’s okay, but you need to find a way to make this role fit your ambitions without sounding uninterested.

Career Sherpa Hannah Morgan says you don’t need to make up something you think the interviewer would want to hear; that’s a good way to NOT get the job. Instead, find a way to connect the role to your goal without saying you don’t want to be there long. As mentioned above, focus on the skills you could gain and how this role could get you to your dream job—without implying that may be with another organization.

Be open ended

Remember that this is not a legally-binding life plan. Adaptability is one of the key skills employers seek, and too rigid of a plan can be unappealing.

Hiring managers want to see ambitious but realistic goals according to LinkedIn. You don’t need an exact title or role in mind as long as you can adequately show that you understand the work and skills involved to achieve your dream.

Avoid humor

Don’t do what I did and open with a joke about seeing the future. Everyone knows the future is malleable and that twists in the road happen. Potential employers are looking for sincere answers so they can gauge whether you’re a good fit. Using humor may make you seem insincere or it can look like you haven’t put thought into the answer. Cliche answers like “I’ll be coming for your job!” are equally unappealing.

“Interviewers want to hear that you have thought about your long-term goals in relation to their company. Responding with a joke indicates that you may not be committed to this opportunity” –MasterClass

How NOT to answer

Other topics to avoid include talking about other industries, your personal goals outside of work, the desire to open your own business or go freelance, saying you expect to be CEO in five years, calling the role a stepping stone, or saying you haven’t considered a five-year plan. These types of answers show a lack of focus and preparation or will make the interviewer think you aren’t interested in the company long term. It’s expensive and time-consuming to bring in a new worker. The company wants to know they’re getting the right person for the job.

Wrap up

Hopefully, we’ve demystified this common question a bit and provided clarity as to what an interviewer is actually looking for. You don’t need a total picture of what your life will be in five years, but having an idea of what you’d like to accomplish and how this role can help you get there goes a long way. Be sure to express the value you can bring to the company and avoid any indication your goals will take you away from that company and you might find a great new job in your future!

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How To Use The STAR Method For Interview Questions

Interviewers are looking for specific examples when they ask about your work history. Don’t be caught off-guard and meander. Instead, be prepared to answer with the STAR method!

The STAR method is a helpful tool for framing your accomplishments for behavioral and situational interview questions. By thinking in terms of situation, task, action, and result, you can quickly and efficiently express your achievements and impress your interviewers. Be ready to shine by embracing the STAR framework and be prepared to excel in your next interview!

“These questions are easy to spot as they focus on actions that you have or have not taken and often start with phrases like: “Give me an example of a time…”; “Describe a moment when…”; “What do you do…”; “Tell me about a moment when you…”” –ResumeHelp

Situation

You’ll start with the situation, or the broadest stroke of what happened. This is where you set the scene and clearly establish the problem that needed solving. Think of the situation as the overall plot or the “fade in” moment—the big picture.

“Be brief in your setup. Give just enough background or contextual information for your story to make sense.” –Duke Career Center

While context is important, don’t go overboard with the details. A STAR example should quickly get to the point and show what you accomplished. The situation can clearly be as simple as “I had a customer who was upset,” according to Chris Drew of Helpful Professor.

Task

Next, you’ll need to show what your task was. What is the specific challenge you, the protagonist of the story, need to address? If the situation was the overall plot, the task is the surrounding details. In the above “upset customer” example, the task would be that you needed to appease the customer and would include any barriers that prevent you from accomplishing that goal.

Zety’s Roma Kończak uses the example of someone needing to lead a project after the original manager was unable to. The task then is that the worker needed to take over the project with no extra time given because of the circumstance. This shows where you come in, what you needed to do, and what obstacles were in your path.

Action

With the plot of our tale set, we move into the action step. What did we actually do to resolve the situation and the task at hand? This is the part where you really get to shine and leave your mark.

Here, you’ll explain what you did and what your thought process was, according to Forbes’ Lidija Globokar writes. Just like how teachers in school wanted you to show your work, you’ll show your work here. Simply lucking into the solution isn’t particularly impressive.

In the “upset customer” scenario, the worker apologized to the customer for a delay while offering an alternative. They acknowledged the customer’s frustration, and, while they couldn’t go back in time and prevent that delay from happening (which would make for an interesting story), they offered a different sort of deal to make up for the issue. This action clearly shows how the worker processed the situation and then took action to resolve it.

Result

Finally, what were the outcomes of your action? The result is the finale, and it’s where you can stick the landing and impress your interviewer.

“Don’t end your story with a cliffhanger! Share the results of your actions – what was the outcome?” –Lidija Globokar

At the end of the “upset customer” example, the worker’s acknowledgment of the customer’s issue and finding an alternative option did enough to leave the customer pleased and satisfied. Instead of losing a customer, the day was saved. This climax shows your interviewer how you processed the problem, found an appropriate solution, and reached a successful conclusion. Because you used a specific example, they’ll know that you can achieve similar feats with their organization.

“Be sure to quantify your results if possible.” –Sam Maiyaki, Linkedin

The results part of the framework provides you time to provide any lessons you learned along the way. Generally, you’ll probably use a story where you found success at the end since you want to impress. But we can learn a lot from our mistakes and failures, and they provide good opportunities for growth.

Wrap up

That’s how simple using the STAR method can be! The “upset customer” example told a full story, including ending with tangible results, in just a few moments. While we jazzed up the language for fun, a STAR story doesn’t need to be a cinematic experience. It merely provides a detailed and organized way for you to take your work accomplishments and frame them in a way that best expresses the value you can bring to an organization. Practice telling your stories within this framework so you’ll be comfortable regaling your interviewer, and soon you’ll feel like a STAR!

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