Why Cover Letters Still Matter
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Cover Letter

  • Matt Hendershott
  • Career Change, Cover Letter
  • September 20, 2023

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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  • Jake Pshock
  • Career Advice, Career Change, Cover Letter, Job Search Tips, Resumes
  • May 28, 2021

4 Keys To Constructing A Winning Cover Letter

Why is a well-written cover letter important? A good cover letter has the power to generate interest from the hiring manager or recruiter and make up for the areas where your resume may fall short. Whether or not it is required, it is a great tool to increase your shot a receiving an interview, especially if you do not meet all the qualifications. Conversely, however, a poorly constructed cover letter can derail any good traction your resume may have built.

It’s important to note that your cover letter should never be a copy, or even a reiteration, of your resume’s content. Many job seekers fall victim to going more in-depth on their work history because they are unsure what to include. Your cover letter does not need to be an extensive essay that appears as a sort of ‘last gasp’ at the job. If you choose that route, you will again find yourself repeating conversation points from your cover letter during a first-round interview. Instead, piece together a few brief paragraphs to highlight specific, relevant experience and showcase your knowledge of their industry’s latest trends and current standing. 

Get To The Point

Clearly state your interest in the position and organization in your first sentence. Share relevant achievements to grab the reader’s attention, whether it is through statistics backing success in a previous role or by pinpointing your education. Stay curious and humble as you quickly elaborate on your application. While a two-page resume is often justified, there is no such theory for your cover letter. You should be able to effectively convey your qualifications and passion for the role in a few brief paragraphs. Most hiring managers will not be keen to see you ramble on paper with an overly contextualized message. The more irrelevant details you provide, the more chaotic you will appear. Stay focused and close strong with a call to action for your reader.

Personalize It

Atop your cover letter, you can quickly separate yourself from the traditional job seeker by specifically addressing the hiring manager or recruiter by name. More often than not, the job poster’s name will either be attached to the job posting or easily accessible online. Search the organization’s LinkedIn company page and filter through their employees to find the listed hiring manager (HR Manager, Talent Acquisition Manager, etc.). Don’t be afraid to let LinkedIn notify them that you reviewed their profile. Not only will this research show your interest in the role, but it will prepare key conversation points as you learn more about your interviewer’s work history. If you are unsure of the right individual to address, proceed with the generic salutation.

Tie in your work history to the job description and your passions and core values to the organization. Pay close attention to the top requirements for the role and address them in the body of your letter. Reveal how your skill-set and prior experience make you suitable for the position and an integral part of their team. However, you need to be cautious that you are not simply making edits to a universal cover letter. Most hiring managers will quickly notice that your letter was not initially depicted for their company and job listing. 

*Bonus* If you know someone within the organization who would speak kindly of you, now is the time to name-drop. 

Showcase Your Excitement For The Role

You can quickly build rapport with the reader when you appear enthusiastic about the role, but conveying this enthusiasm through words on a page is not always easy. Reveal a long-term commitment to excellence by revealing goals you have for your position with the company and how you plan to contribute to the company’s growth. If you can show that you prioritize the company’s success over individual success, you will confirm that seamless integration with their team is plausible.

Throughout your compelling message, don’t forget to communicate high levels of confidence, trustworthiness, and integrity. Show why you are different than the traditional job seeker and let your personality shine through. If you cannot garner a genuine enthusiasm for the role, more likely than not, this position is not right for you.

Proofreading

The last thing you want is the strong impression you’ve developed through your work history, education, company research, and passion for the industry to be thwarted by a lack of attention to detail. Don’t overlook the importance of double and triple-checking your letter for grammatical and spelling errors. Enlist the help of your friends, family, Grammarly, and conclude with your final readthrough. 

After the long, strenuous process of constructing your cover letter, it can be difficult to muster the energy and patience to do one last proofread. You are excited to be finished with your masterpiece and eager to get your passion-filled application into the eyes of the employer. Still, even one misworded or confusing sentence could prove costly. Don’t give them any reason to toss your application aside, especially when it is one easily under your control.

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