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« 5 Acclaimed Job-Related Movies for Dark Times | Main | The Recession’s Been Tough on Working Moms »

March 10, 2009

It Bears Repeating: Don’t Skip Your Cover Letter

In your haste to apply for jobs, especially online, are you skipping an important part of the process? This New York Times article underscores an important point: You need a cover letter to introduce yourself to the hiring manager, no matter how you’re applying for the position. On Monster, you can manage your cover letters electronically.

 

Still not convinced? Check out our cover letter tips. And if you’re looking for inspiration to craft your letter, these cover letter samples can help.

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Posted by Christine on March 10, 2009 at 03:00 PM in Resume | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)

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Comments

Agreed. The cover letter is the most important, and believe or not - most overlooked element of the resume submission. I couldn't believe hearing from hiring managers during my last job search how - "we liked the fact that you took the time to include a cover letter." I thought everyone did this, but apparently not! Separate yourself from the pack.

Posted by: Paul | Mar 11, 2009 9:46:34 AM

I have mixed views about this article. I can see the importance of a cover letter but not for every job position/post. Truly, I believe that they are a waist of time. It is difficult enough for hiring managers to review the hundreds of resumes that they have much less resumes with cover letters. There are scenarios where cover letters are needed but as a rule, I disagree.
Ralph Plaskett
Passionate Resume Advisor

Posted by: Ralph Plaskett | Mar 24, 2009 1:03:34 PM

I've always included a cover letter. However, during my last job search I had 2 different hiring managers tell me that it was a waste of their time to read a cover letter. I still think that including a cover letter is the correct thing to do, but I wonder how many actually get read.

Posted by: jen | Mar 24, 2009 1:24:17 PM

I thought everyone include a cover letter with their resumes. How else would you provide further information to the employer, eg.You would be interested in another position, should you not be considered for the present one you are applying for, etc.

Posted by: Kerry-Ann Brown | Mar 24, 2009 1:24:41 PM

I am a recruiter, and usually don't have much time to spend reading cover letters. The resume is what I want to see to scan quickly for a possible match. For those that do include cover letters, it is very important to use a spell/grammar check before sending. Ralph's post from earlier has "waist of time" which should be "waste". I would take points off for that, and my boss(es) would agree. Be careful.

Posted by: joanna | Mar 24, 2009 5:22:38 PM

Ithink now a days as hard as it is to even get a job and get some one to look at your resume the more info you put out there the better it will be for the employer to know a little bit about you. it cant hurt.

Posted by: tony sanderson | Mar 24, 2009 5:46:27 PM

When it comes to 'Cover Letters' I am a "Voice crying in the wilderness" as I have had only three employers since 1962.
I do remember at my last job the HR. Manager saying that cover letters were a waste. To quote her: "Who cares what your hobbies are?" I am now retired with my financial future trashed. Now looking for part time/contract work in Mech. Engineering. How do 'Old Folks' write 'cover letters' with so much younger competition?

Posted by: Roy A. Ritter | Mar 25, 2009 11:57:28 AM

I have actually received more phone calls/interviews from jobs that just received my resume than those that I take the time to write a cover letter.

Posted by: Angela | Mar 25, 2009 3:05:57 PM

The cover letters are not always a must in certain circumstances you need to be careful because they may be a detriment to your candidacy for a position. For example, in a government jobs or any job that request specific answers to any competency questions if it states "no more than 5 pages in length explain your experience in these three areas". Guess what...they take the first five pages and do not look at the last page. Guess what the first page is THE COVER LETTER. The last page does not get scored....and it may be the best answer or example you had that may have given you the most points.

I learned this the hard way....

Posted by: Kim | Mar 27, 2009 5:32:10 PM

Cover letter's can be a critical factor in finding a job, but when it comes to applying online, it can also be hard to get the cover letter that took you so much time to write to be seen. In some situations you can only send your resume to the employer and not send your cover letter, which happened to me, and I think if I would of gotten a chance to have my cover letter viewed, I would of gotten a better chance. So, yes, cover letters are important and can play a big role in the hiring process, but sometimes are very difficult to be seen.

Posted by: Brian | Mar 31, 2009 10:57:06 PM

I hold a different view about cover letters than the post author.

If a list is given by an employer of what you should submit, comply with it and only include a cover letter if shown in the list; many firms use application forms to avoid cover letters which are just another item for recruiters to wade through. If you are told to put the application form at the top of your documents, don't send a cover letter, it will simply get the flick. I know, I've thrown out thousands of them.

If it is not prescribed what to send, send a cover letter with your resume attached. Your cover letter is simply a letter of transmission that tells people what job you are applying for and why. Otherwise the resume arrives without any indication of what job you are interested in. CL also provides an opportunity to sell yourself concisely while "transmitting" the resume.

In short, be guided by circumstances of the job advertisement.

Robin
All About Jobs Blog
http://www.e1jobs-blog.com

Posted by: Robin | Apr 14, 2009 4:39:02 AM

You know what. I almost always omit my cover letter and am now realizing what a big mistake. I think I really need a website with a video, cover letter, portfolio and a resume. That is the full package that I should offer employers...

Posted by: Russ | Apr 14, 2009 5:38:44 PM

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