The Great Cover Letter Debate

Those of you who have been reading Water Cooler Wisdom for a while know how I feel about official cover letters.  Basically, I think they’re a waste, because if you aren’t submitting your resume to someone you know well enough to include a more informal e-mail instead, you’re probably just going to end up in the black hole that is the general HR inbox.  However, my new friend Charlotte Weeks, who runs Weeks Resume Service, has some alternative thoughts on the matter.  Says Charlotte:

“Although not the most effective way, some jobs are still found by responding to ads. Without a cover letter, an applicant can appear lazy, like she’s just submitting her resume everywhere there's an opening. If you take the time to write a cover letter and personalize it, it indicates that you are truly interested.  I've known recruiters and hiring managers who say they've never read a cover letter, but I've known others who say they find it more important than the resume. You just never know who will end up doing the hiring.

 A surprisingly effective way of job hunting is sending a resume cold to companies that haven't posted ads.  In this case, a letter of introduction (aka the cover letter), is vital. And even if you have a connection, a cover letter may still be necessary.  Why?  Often, the person who refers you isn't the decision maker.  Writing the letter and mentioning the contact is an added way of getting noticed.

 In all situations, the cover letter provides an opportunity to sell yourself.  It should compliment, but not replace the resume. The cover letter can be a good place to put information that doesn't necessarily fit on a resume (relocation issues, willingness to travel, immigration status, etc.).  It's also less business-like than a resume, and some people feel it's a way to know the candidate on a personal level."  HR pros, what do you think?

 

Comments

[Ken Hunter]

To be perfectly honest, all but one of the jobs I earned over the past 10 years started out as cold submissions to employers. In one case, I sent out cold resumes and cover letters to more than 60 employers (cities and towns) in my chosen field by mail. I knew that the response rate would be minimal, and it turned out to be a total of four: two just phone calls to follow-up, one that led to an interview but no offer, and another one that led to an interview and a position I kept through graduate school for almost 3 years in various capacities.

When I advise fellows in my field (local government finance & policy), I encourage them to make cold contacts with jurisdiction officials. Of course, this is just a start. Networking and creating relationships does help, but access is often limited for those just starting out. If you are working in one state and want to move elsewhere, you are more than likely to be applying cold for position announcements until you get to a level of leadership, responsibility, and experience that enables you to develop a recognized name and reputation.

[Gene]

In my 3.5 years of recruiting high volume engineering and IT positions I have never read a cover letter. I have not once seen a relevant cover letter that explained anything to me that I could not figure out of the conversation or the resume.

For me the question is: Do you have the right skill set or not? If you do not, “delete”, if you have some or most of the skills I will call you and coax the rest out of you or ask you to rewrite your resume.

The argument that sending your resume to everyone may seem desperate in today’s economy is ridiculous. People are desperate and there is nothing wrong with that when your house is about to be foreclosed on and you can’t feed your kids. A little compassion is in order.

The last point is that a recruiter that posts a job or who is searching for a certain candidate knows what position that candidate is going to fill. If I call a guy that’s been a C++ Developer for 5 years, I will be fairly certain that he wants a C++ Development job. If he then tells me he wants to be a ballerina on the phone I will thank him and hang up.

I despise objectives since the objective is obvious: get a job with your skill set. If you have been all over the place and it’s not clear what you want to do then have an objective, but don’t have a lame objective like: I am searching for a job as a technical recruiter… Really???

[Alexandra Levit]

@Ken: Thanks for the perspective on local government. It's great to hear from someone who has experience with cover letters being the way into the job.

@Gene: Your comment made me laugh, :). And by the way, I agree about objectives!

[Kay]

My HR director throws out every resume that arrives without a cover letter. Definitely true that you never know who might be doing the hiring.

[Matt C.]

Maybe the question should be, "Can having a good cover letter possibly hurt." Sure, it might not get read, but if there's a chance you're going to be bounced without it, why not write one?

[Mark L. Olson]

Your resume won't get you a job unless it is littered with top brand names in the industry in which you are seeking a new position. Especially if you're working with a search professional. Even more importantly if you're changing careers at a senior level.

A Sales Cover Letter is an essential tool to accompany a well-prepared resume. (more detail on how to write it in my post "Your Resume Won't Get You a Job" -- http://tinyurl.com/ddbhmu)

In particular, I'm addressing advertised/posted jobs where a Position Description is available. The responsibilities and requirements described in a position description provide specific criteria (although not ALL the criteria) used by the hiring manager or recruiter to evaluate candidates. A candidate improves his/her chances by answering the "how does this person fit" questions point-by-point in the Sales Cover Letter.

Case in point. I am a 20+ yr marketing and communications executive mostly in tech, but in recent years entertainment, ecommerce and commercial real estate finance. I am making a career change to a senior position in higher education. My Sales Cover Letters have made me a finalist for the top marketing positions at colleges where my resume alone wouldn't have earned a phone call (I know this because I've asked).

[Alexandra Levit]

@Kay: If he's in HR, then I can see why he does that. If he has expressly asked for it, then not sending one shows that you can't follow directions.

@Matt C: I agree, especially when sending a resume to an HR person.

@Mark: Very curious about your comment. So you have gotten interviews solely on the strength of your cover letter? Without knowing anyone inside the organization?

[Valeria]

I need to send my resume to a person I used to see in my same office floor sometimes. We were always very casual with one another. When I told him the company where I worked was going out of business he seem very concerned and asked me to send him my resume. He said he knows people in non-profits (the type of company that I want to work in)and could maybe help me to get in touch with other people. My question is, how should I go about writing him an email? We've never been formal at all with each other, and are about the same age.

[Alexandra Levit]

@Valeria: Is it okay with you if I answer this in my Wall Street Journal Q&A column? I won't mention your name. I think it's a great question!

[Cary]

As a occasional recipient of cover letters I do think a well written one can help and a lack of one can do you damage. Just remember when emailing it should be in the body of the email and not an attachment.

I also think that a lot of our potential graduate student forget that when they contact me or a supervisor they should treat the email as a cold cover letter. A little effort at this stage can save them time, elicit more helpful information and substantially improve their chances of finding a spot in a program.