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Cover letters are absolutely worth the effort, and are a great way for you to introduce yourself to the hiring team. They offer a quick summary that (hopefully) makes the team want to turn the page to your resume. Think of it as a virtual handshake introduction - this is who I am, this is why I'm interested, and this is what I bring to the table.
I’ve always thought of it like this but I’ve also heard there’s so many automated services now that do the reading instead.
I have never received feedback on cover letters, so I stopped writing them years ago.
I see why, it’s pretty disheartening.
I use my notepad to document. One folder is cover letters, another the job description usually via C&P or screenshots….and I always add a line under the title that says where I found it (via Glassdoor, via LinkedIn, etc). The cover letter is my date reference. If I get a rejection, I find the JD and put a ❌ on the first line of the note and move it to my DNR folder…yes, I actually called the folder that! Lol
Even though I have put it in a DNR folder, I do not delete it in case the job ever opens up again…or another at that company that I think would be suitable to me… essentially making the application process easier….at least in my mind. Ha!
I agree I’ll usually keep my old cover letters in order to use them again, no point in wasting more time in a brand new one!
I think they will be coming back into Vogue. For all the reasons stated in the Resume Review discussion. As AI does a less than perfect job with scanning resume's Cover Letters can be the way to have a HUMAN read what you wrote.
I hope humans start reading it again, AI reading it is what makes me wonder why we write them in the first place.
I’ll take 5-10 seconds to scan, especially in the case of people switching from different industries. I’m looking for something that will tell me a story about why I should hire them aside from the usual generic content. But if it doesn’t stand out, then I pretty much ignore it. Having said that, maybe only 10% of applicants will include them.
Wow that’s a lot less than I thought, u thought most companies required them still?
I always make the effort to write a good one. I have no idea if it they make a difference or even get read, but I figure if it even slightly increases my chances of getting an interview, it's worth the effort.
I agree, in the age of blind copy blanket email , why the hell can’t companies let unsuccessful candidates know? Dont say ‘money and time’, 30 years ago they hand typed, stamped and addressed, posted letters to their unsuccessful candidates. I sound dead old but it is a sign of our decaying politeness.
Are you all documenting where you’ve put in applications, at what the role was, what the pay was, etc. so you can track who you’re getting declines from and who is just ghosting you?
I haven’t! I need to get a spreadsheet together.
No. I don’t believe anyone reads them or they make the interview decision before seeing them
Zero. Spend your time networking. You get interviews by being referred by someone in the company or a recruiter or head hunter.
Cover letters are definitely worth it. I applied to the position i currently have, and submitted a cover letter with my resume and I found the hiring team on LinkedIn and sent my cover letter through there. No two cover letters should read the same. Do your homework on the company. For example...Before Twitter rebranded to X, Twitter employees called themselves "tweeps." Knowing the company on a deeper lever can and will play in your favor.
Cover Letter = How you fill the "hole" they are filling and what you can do. (Brief 2 paragraphs) This gets them to want to know how you know how to fill the hole. They then look at your resume.
Resume = bits of info of what you can do and numbers to back it up (if possible) This gets you your interview.
Interview = Where you put all the information together to tell your "story."
Be a little creative but still professional with your cover letter. They don't get to see how you are in person until the Zoom interview or in person interview. You want it to be something a little more than a regular template cover letter.
I think it’s hard to remember what goes where and when, I feel myself repeating on the CV and cover letter.
Your stock is your business, but that's just my opinion