Is a cover letter necessary today?

14 Comments

1. AnonymousFebruary 3,2023 at 3:48PM UTC

   It isn't necessary, but it can help you stand out. It's a great tool if well written, especially if your resume doesn't show you're a clear fit for a role.

2. Meghan BFebruary 5,2023 at 4:43PM UTC

   This. I’m currently hiring for positions where there’s rarely people with that exact experience but other skills and experience transfer. But without a cover letter telling me why you want to switch into this niche field and how you see your experience and skills transferring, it looks like you’re blasting resumes everywhere indiscriminately. I really need those cover letters and almost no one is including them.

3. KatFebruary 3,2023 at 3:48PM UTC

   I'm sure some of the industry pros on here can chime in as well, because the views change on this often. I've seen much contradictory advice on this topic. Some articles say no, some say yes. I think that if it's required, then definitely do so. It's the best way to tell your story and emphasize your skills and value to a new position. I also think it helps if you're changing/pivoting careers or your job title doesn't really convey everything you can do-mine doesn't. However, if it's not required and there's no way to include one, then don't. It might not get read so you don't want to waste your time on something no one's going to read. Focus on telling your story with your resume instead.

4. Bonnie CoventryFebruary 3,2023 at 4:24PM UTC

   IMO, they do not play a major role in getting an interview for most positions that are under the level of C-Suite positions. If it's for an upper level exec, direction, VP, and up I would say yes. If their ATS (application tracking system) asks for one, spend some time on one, but focus on the presentation of your career history on your resume mainly.

5. AnonymousFebruary 3,2023 at 5:15PM UTC

   If the job request says to send a resume + cover letter, you send BOTH. If it doesn't specify, it's ALWAYS a plus to send one. If you'd like to explain (more clearly) a gap in work, or anything else you don't have on your resume such as relocation (you have family in your new city, etc.) this is the way to effectively use the cover letter. AND, you ALWAYS send a Thank You note afterward, handwritten is an A+ move!

6. AnonymousFebruary 5,2023 at 3:22PM UTC

   I wouldn’t say it’s always a plus. I would characterize sending a cover letter when not requested as neutral. I work for an organization that does not request them and in the spirit of equity, does not read them or pass them on to the hiring committee. I’m not even sure if there is a way to submit one in the online portal, come to think of it. I tend to lean toward if they don’t ask, don’t do it.

7. AnonymousFebruary 3,2023 at 6:19PM UTC

   Yes especially if they are asking for one. If you see a job posting and it says please send cover letter, resume and references to us, then you send all three of them. Many companies look at this as your first 'test' and if you can follow simple directions. If you send all the items they ask you for and you have what they are looking for, it helps you get the initial call.

8. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistFebruary 4,2023 at 1:06AM UTC

   I would never recommend you sending references until a company wants to make you an offer. Until then, they're none of anyone's business.

   That is the personal contact info of people who are doing you a favor by being a reference. With all the job scams going around these days, I would be livid if I found out someone I agreed to be a reference for sent out my info before they had interviewed.

9. S.February 3,2023 at 7:23PM UTC

   If the job ad requires a cover letter, definitely send one that makes you stand out. There are still employers who decide on interviews based on cover letters.

10. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistFebruary 4,2023 at 1:11AM UTC

    If a company specifically requests a cover letter, then you should send one.

    As a recruiter, I do not read them. Cover letters are opinion pieces. Resumes are factual documents. That's what I'm interested in.

    As a candidate I really never did cover letters. If they're required/requested, I usually exited the application. Especially if it was one of those "tell us why you're just dying to work here".

    Well, I haven't interviewed with you yet, so I have no idea if I'm dying to work there nor do I have time nor inclination to blow smoke up your butt. So no.

11. Gisele CloutierFebruary 4,2023 at 2:13PM UTC

    If it's required, definitely do one. But keep it brief: limit what you write to 3-4 bullets for key take-aways they should be getting from your resume, don't regurgitate your resume. And since about 50% of Recruiters (including me) don't read them unless we find the resume of interest, if there's something they need to know (e.g., you're relocating to their area in a month, you're finishing your Masters in 2 weeks, you were promoted 3 times at Company X, etc.) make sure it's in the resume - near the top - and not JUST in the cover letter, because the latter might never be read.)

12. RichFebruary 5,2023 at 4:15PM UTC

    As a hiring manager I always read cover letters. However, I didn't see the resumes until after HR had culled them down to 8-10 good candidates. So I understand why recruiters rarely read cover letters. They don't have the time. But hiring managers generally do, a fact confirmed by several recent job search surveys.

    The cover letter will do two important things for you.

    First, it will help you deal with any issues on your resume, such as gaps, special circumstances, extra skill sets, who referred you to the company, etc...

    Secondly, it is the only place you can show your communication skills in the early stages of your application. By design, resumes can not do that. Resumes are fact sheets where you show the results that you accomplished and the impact you had on your previous positions.

    Of course, once they're interested, they'll go look at your LinkedIn Profile, and that is another place where your communication skills can shine.

    Do you always need to send a cover letter?

    No. In a sense, it's like the life preserver under your seat on the airplane. You usually don't need it, but when you do need it, you really do need it.

13. Peggie Arvidson * Career Consultant | Adoptee Advocate | RecruiterFebruary 5,2023 at 4:47PM UTC

    Here's something I posted last week on LinkedIn about this exact question:

    A friend asked me "Should I even use a cover letter? Aren't the 'dead'?"

    Every 'rule' has an equal and opposite rule (or is that action & reaction?)

    Here's when you should use a cover letter:

    * Your resume shows NO reason you may be applying for the job you applied for - i.e., you're applying for a data analyst role and all your experience is working the front desk at a high end boutique hotel. Maybe somewhere you've got info about a degree or certification in data analytics but I need to hire someone with real proven experience. Tell me in your cover letter about how you've been helping your friend launch their window washing business by collecting and crunching the data.

    * Your resume indicates you live in geographical area far from the location of the role (which clearly states it is an onsite position.) You may believe you can do the job remotely (maybe I do too, but if the hiring manager wants you to be onsite - I don't want to waste your time or mine). If your resume shows you live in Kentucky and the role is in Virginia - use a cover letter to tell me about your upcoming move (and why) to Virginia.

    * You haven't worked for a while - or you haven't worked in this particular field for a while - or you have a ton of wild gaps in employment. (I know, unpopular to wonder about this when you're hiring someone but again, my hiring manager wants to know you're not going to bounce after they get you trained, so help me out!) Use your cover letter to tell me at a high level what's up - maybe you've moved recently due to family things - no need to elaborate, or you have a spouse in the military that has precipitated moves, or you simply are looking forward to telling me more during our conversation. (NOTE - you are under no obligation to tell me about medical history, marital history, children or other protected information. ) Sometimes a cover letter that says, "hey my resume doesn't do justice to the results I can bring in X role by doing Y," is enough to get past the recruiter.

    So, cover letter or no? What are your thoughts?

14. PatriciaFebruary 6,2023 at 4:21AM UTC

    Perhaps it depends on the industry and nature of the role. I always send a cover letter. It doesn't take a lot of effort as I have a template and back-up copies of previous cover letter responses. In my field (IT Project Management) I find it saves me time, mainly due to the recruiter always asking me for a few bullet points to confirm my experience if I only send them my resume.