Cover letter, who really cares?

binarysoul

Although I've yet to send a resume without a cover letter, I'm just not sure if employers will actually read them.

Do you send cover letters all the time? Do you include company address on each?

MYSTYKRACER

binarysoul wrote: »

Although I've yet to send a resume without a cover letter, I'm just not sure if employers will actually read them.

Do you send cover letters all the time? Do you include company address on each?

No company address, my cover letter has the same heading as my resume which is my home address and contact info. Part of the value of a good cover letter is that it gives a prospective recruiter/employer a look at your written communication skills and writing style. Where as a resume is usually snippets and sentence fragments by design, a well put together cover letter can demonstrate right up front that you know how to put together a sentence/ paragraph/ theme in a coherent manner.

You will note that many job postings state "good written and oral communication skills". A good cover letter is an excellent way to demonstrate that right up front. I've actually had several recruiters and HR reps compliment me on my cover letter especially in contrast to some of the really bad ones they see all of the time.

astorrs

The most common statistic I've heard is around 50% of Hiring Managers read them. Given that there's no negative in including one and a 50/50 change it might help, you'd be silly not to.

BradleyHU

yeah, i always include a cover letter if i'm emailing my resume or applying on a company's website and they have section where you can attach or write(copy/paste) it on there. and yeah, i put the company address and what not if i know the company name is supplied....

laidbackfreak

I've never sent a covering letter, BUT I pretty much always apply for roles through recruiters and those leeches dont care lol.
Pretty much everyone gets my standard email asking for more information such as job description (Essential! without one I rarely get them to put my cv forward) and location.


That said I have a recruiter trying to get hold of of me last week for a role I expressed an interest and the company wants to interview me, I'm still waiting for the job description! lol

Hyper-Me

Ive submitted a lot of resumes in my time and I can tell you 2 things.

I get more interviews off of resumes WITH a cover letter

I get more job offers when I show up in a suit/tie, rather than just a dres shirt and slacks.

laidbackfreak

Hyper-Me wrote: »

I get more interviews off of resumes WITH a cover letter

I get more job offers when I show up in a suit/tie, rather than just a dres shirt and slacks.

Are those for roles direct with employers or through agencies?

Dress code is a given, this side of the pond it is expected to be suit and tie for interviews, no matter what the dress code at the place of work. I occasionally lose the tie if the temperatures are very high, but thats rare here too lol

networker050184

I've never used one. I do however usually send my resume by email and include what could be considered a short cover letter in the body. I guess if I ever sent one by snail mail or hand delivered hard copy I'd consider adding one.

Hyper-Me

laidbackfreak wrote: »

Are those for roles direct with employers or through agencies?

Dress code is a given, this side of the pond it is expected to be suit and tie for interviews, no matter what the dress code at the place of work. I occasionally lose the tie if the temperatures are very high, but thats rare here too lol

directly with employers.

My resume is on file with some placement agencies but they rarely (if ever) come through so I rely on myself to find jobs.

msteinhilber

I've always included a cover letter when e-mailing or mailing resumes into potential employers. I always include the companies complete address where I am applying and try to do my research to determine who will ultimately be reading it so I can personalize it. It's one of those little things that I feel helps display that I pay attention to detail and am resourceful enough to gather additional information.

Aldur

I've never used a cover letter and I always received an interview for a job that I've applied for.

Granted these are all jobs that I was referred through personal contacts that I knew, so I'm sure that played a major role there.

But if I was sending out a resume to a company and I didn't know somebody personally within the organization then I would definitely include a cover letter. The stats in that situation don't lie and you're better off doing so.

It really depends on the situation but including a cover letter is never going to hurt you and excluding one may hurt. I guess it's really all up to you on how confident you feel about getting an interview.

CompuTron99

networker050184 wrote: »

I've never used one. I do however usually send my resume by email and include what could be considered a short cover letter in the body. I guess if I ever sent one by snail mail or hand delivered hard copy I'd consider adding one.

That's a question I've had. When you email the resume.. Do you attach the cover letter, place the contents of the cover letter in the body of the email, or attach the cover letter while creating a shorter one for the body of the email?

I'll also do research and find out the name of the company and the actual contact. I try to stay aways from "Dear Sir or Madam" or "To Whom It May Concern" greetings.

networker050184

CompuTron99 wrote: »

That's a question I've had. When you email the resume.. Do you attach the cover letter, place the contents of the cover letter in the body of the email, or attach the cover letter while creating a shorter one for the body of the email?

I'll also do research and find out the name of the company and the actual contact. I try to stay aways from "Dear Sir or Madam" or "To Whom It May Concern" greetings.

Personally I just do a shortened version in the body of the email. I think its kind of over kill to write something in the body of the email and then attach something that probably goes over the same things. I know if I were going through a pile of resumes for a position I'd probably just toss the cover letters and get to the good stuff. I'm sure some employers out there like to read them though.

astorrs

CompuTron99 wrote: »

That's a question I've had. When you email the resume.. Do you attach the cover letter, place the contents of the cover letter in the body of the email, or attach the cover letter while creating a shorter one for the body of the email?

I attach it and include it in the body of the email. A lot of hiring managers (or usually their assistants) will print out the resumes (all the attachments) but usually don't bother with the email body. Then they go through them at another time. By doing both your increasing the chances your cover letter will get exposure.