6
Why I Still Write
Cover Letters
Recruiters will often tell you that they don’t read cover letters, that they simply don’t have the time. We all know that recruiters have about six seconds to spend on each resume, so their disinterest is understandable. By the time they’ve worked their way through a stack of applicants, they can most likely laser in on the candidates that justify further scrutiny without breaking a sweat.
By: Jamie Boyle
With that in mind, it’s tempting to think that since a recruiter won’t read a cover letter, you shouldn’t provide one. Job applications and resumes are enough work in and of themselves, why would you add one more task to your list?
Still, if given the option, I write a cover letter (and I think you should, too). As I sit down to write something a recruiter may or may not read, I remember the benefits of cover letters and the process of writing them.
1. Writing a cover letter helps me to think about which places in my resume make me a good candidate for a position.
It forces me to reflect on my experiences, and helps me to connect them with the company’s needs. In other words, a cover letter lets me put together a narrative about my experience, an argument about why they should interview me.
2. When I write a cover letter, I see what I’m lacking or what I’ve missed.
When I review a job posting, I pull out all the keywords for the position. I make sure my resume is aligned with the needs presented in the job posting. My cover letter serves as a summary of how my resume fulfills the company’s needs. When I notice something is missing from my cover letter, I can identify where I’m lacking a skill or experience required for the position (or where I’ve missed something to include in my resume).