...But, Do I Really Need A Cover Letter? 📝

[JenWeiss]

Amongst life's philosophical questions:  What is the meaning of life? or  Can we really know everything?  🧐  One of the more common ones that you catch asking yourself is...

Do I Really Need A Cover Letter? 

At one point during an application process, you wonder to yourself if  its worth even sending one. I've heard both sides of the story that some people decide not to do one. The reason is that they feel that either

A. Noone will look at it or B. They will go into more detail during the interview process. 

 In 98% of cases, you should include a cover letter in your job application. Although the rumor is recruiters might not always read it, they expect candidates to submit one. A cover letter will considerably boost your chances and set you apart from other candidates with similar backgrounds and resumes. 

 🎤  In your opinion, Do you think Cover Letters are still relevant? Why or Why not? 

[JenWeiss]

Do I Really Need A Cover Letter? 

At one point during an application process, you wonder to yourself if  its worth even sending one. I've heard both sides of the story that some people decide not to do one. The reason is that they feel that either

A. Noone will look at it or B. They will go into more detail during the interview process. 

 In 98% of cases, you should include a cover letter in your job application. Although the rumor is recruiters might not always read it, they expect candidates to submit one. A cover letter will considerably boost your chances and set you apart from other candidates with similar backgrounds and resumes. 

 🎤  In your opinion, Do you think Cover Letters are still relevant? Why or Why not? 

[GiantFocal]

We still require applicants to include a cover letter with their application. Not only as an introduction, but it also helps us filter candidates effectively.

For all of our job postings, we include a small, hidden requirement that only candidates who have thoroughly read the job posting will notice. Attention to detail is one of our core values, so it's important to ensure that we only hire individuals who pay attention to the details.

This hidden requirement can be as simple as asking applicants to include the phrase "An elephant lives in a zoo" at the end of their cover letter. Only candidates who include this phrase will be considered for the position.

Best regards,

Abraham Ernesto

[JRothen]

I totally get where you're coming from with the cover letter conundrum! It's like one of those eternal debates, right? It's not just about checking a box; it's a chance to show your personality and passion for the role. You might not need it for every application, but when you do, it can make all the difference! By the way, I found some great tips on crafting cover letters at excalibur.guide, definitely worth checking out!

[EvanHamilton]

I can't speak for recruiters, but once a candidate makes it to me as the hiring manager, I definitely read them. Often it's hard to pull much from them, but occasionally either a) they're really compelling or b) they're riddled with errors and nonsense...both of which are great signals for me.

My tips:

• Keep it short
• Don't replicate your resume - you should only touch on your experience
• Speak to the intangibles not visible on your resume
• Explain your passion for the company/role

[CheyenneB]

I agree! When I'm reviewing applications, a cover letter is great to have when I've narrowed it down to a few resumes that are usually very similar. 

When I'm writing my own cover letters I try to remind myself that this is the employer's first impression of me so I make sure it's personalized and relevant to the role. 

[JenBergren]

Great question! I have a few thoughts on the topic!

What you write in a cover letter would be similar to some of the work you do to prepare for the interview, so it does seem relevant to write one, especially if you think you have a good chance of being selected for an interview. Then some of your prep work will already be done!

I think cover letters are also more relevant for career changers, to explain more about how their past experience is relevant to the new career, expanding on the resume they tailored to fit the job description. If you've done the exact role you're applying to, or one step below it, in a similar company in the same industry for many years, I can see why someone may not think it is relevant to explain any further in order to be chosen to interview.

Whether a cover letter is relevant or not may be assuming the resume makes it past any automated screening systems first. Though not attaching a required cover letter to the application would also probably not make the application pass the screening system, hmmmm....

If someone is doing a spray-and-pray method of applying to every job possible, no matter how relevant to the work they want to do,  then a cover letter would not be relevant for them and I can see the objection. There is a low chance of being selected for an interview for each of the hundreds of jobs they apply to, so then doing the interview prep work in advance would not be necessary. (I do not think this is a good strategy!)

[Uabdul]

The work you do to prepare for an interview is similar to what you write in the cover letter.Therefore it seems appropriate to write one, particularly if you believe you have a good chance of getting the job.