How a Cover Letter Can Make the Difference

Reader Comments
Back to blog

As a professional recruiter and account manager, I have been dealing with hiring managers and executives for over 10 years. I can state from experience, and with confidence, that the only people who read cover letters are HR personnel. There may be a few exceptions but 9 out of 10 hiring managers do not even look at cover letters. Why? Because candidates often write items in a cover letter that are pertinent to the job they are applying for, yet are not even remotely close to their actual work experience. It would behoove individuals to spend more time writing up a proper resume, one which details their day-to-day duties and more importantly the achievments that they have made. This is what a hiring manager is looking for....someone who will have little to no learning curve and add to the bottom line of the group and Company. If a candidate does not have the experience being requested in the job description, they simply should not apply. If you do not have access to the actual hiring manager and submit through a company's website (HR) then it would not be a bad idea to also send a tailored cover letter, since most people in HR cannot read between the lines of a resume.

headhunter of TX 8:30AM December 18, 2008

Writing a cover letter also serves another purpose for me.
If I can't get the motivation to write a cover letter, I won't do apply to the job. The cover letter is like a litmus test to see if a job is right for me.

Leeroy Glinchy of CA 12:05AM December 18, 2008

Cover letters are to be read by humans,but most resumes are NOT.
Design your resume not for humans, but for search engines:
Have lots of key words and phrases that the search engine will catch:
Use active words: Implemented , Designed, cost savings and the key words for the technology/field:
Medical: Triage, emergencies, response, efficient

ralph of CT 9:41AM December 17, 2008

I love this statement too:
"but I want applicants who are interested in this job, not a job"
Having done many interviews for entry-level positions, I cannot tell you how many times I would ask applicants the standard "why are you interested in this position?" only to have them tell me "I just need a job."
Interview = fail.
In my own personal experience, I only get callbacks when I send cover letters. I like Eric's suggestion of a "T" letter. I'm going to try that next time around. Interesting concept.

Office Girl of WA 7:08PM December 16, 2008

A "T" letter. Simple but powerful. It consists of-
*Your summary statement from your resume
*An actual table. On the right side the job requirements and on the left side your match with requirements.
* Your closing
Using this approach, a recruiter can quickly see your match with the position. They can also send the letter on to the hiring manager so they can see the match. If you don't match up with at least the critical requirements do not apply to the job.
By the way it is called a "T" letter because it looks like a T.
Here is a note from someone I coached to use the letter-
"I want to thank you for your outstanding advice. The recruiter from one company I applied to actually complimented me on my cover letter (your "T" format) because it made it so easy for her to see that I matched their requirements. I continued sending my resume out with cover letters taylored to the jobs I was applying for and and landed one today."

Eric Kramer of PA 6:17PM December 16, 2008

I read your blog, Alison, and this advice is timely and beneficial for me. I always write cover letters (and never form-type ones), but for some reason, writing a cover letter, no matter how sincere I am about the position, feels unnatural. And I write and edit for a living! Your advice helps me understand what a hiring manager might be thinking about a cover letter.

Jessica of TX 6:14PM December 16, 2008

Allison,
Great advice, I really enjoy reading your articles. One person that truly gives actionable advice to job seekers! Love your statement - "but I want applicants who are interested in this job, not a job". Too often people spread themselves wide and think their skills match a variety of jobs. I would agree job seekers need to take a focused approach when applying to positions and cater their resumes to the specific job at hand. Utilizing niche job sites might be a great first step in a focused “job hunt.” Don’t let a generic (template) cover letter ruin your chances!
Thanks

EmploymentMetrix of PA 1:34PM December 16, 2008

I'd rather play it safe than sorry and send a CL. Even if most of it is generic with portions customized for the position or person. It is far better than nothing!

CK of FL 9:00AM December 16, 2008

Aldo, depends on the industry, the job, and the person reading the resume. While it's certainly true that some don't put much stock in the cover letter, quite a few do. Unless you know for sure that whoever will be looking at your application doesn't care (because they have explicitly told you that), put some time into a good cover letter.

Alison Green of DC 10:32PM December 15, 2008

A cover letter accounts "for such a tiny fraction of applications that you'll stand out... And I'll give you an extra look, even if your résumé isn't stellar" but just a tiny fraction of recruiter are interested in the cover letter, mostly, they'll just pass it by.
But, i see no harm in doing one =)

Aldo 2:43PM December 15, 2008