Cover Letter or not?

oLahav said – Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:13:09 -0000 ( Edit Link )

It’s always a recommendation to include a cover letter when sending in a resume. Cover letters help introduce you to the employer and can serve as a bridge into your resume, which can enhance its effects.

I believe though that cover letters are useless. If you have good enough personal profile in your resume, a cover letter would be redundant, plus it just serves as a place to make more mistakes. Employers wouldn’t care about it anyway, they want to see whether you’re qualified for the job in terms of experience and skills, which your resume should do a great job at presenting. A cute letter is a waste of time.

What do you all think?

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Author: oLahav; Authority 712

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Sharie said – Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:37:09 -0000 ( Flag Edit Mark / Unmark Best Link )

Perhaps you do not see cover letters are relevant to obtaining a position because to you it is merely a ‘cute’ note.

Look at it from an employers perspective. You get hundreds of resumes where the qualifications of candidates are more or less equal. University degree, a certain history of work experience etc. Depending on the qualifications for the position, then the content in the resumes are going to be someone the same.

A cover letter gives individuals the opportunity to express themselves in a more personal way. It gives the opportunity to include relevant information about the applicant as an individual that can’t be portrayed in a traditional resume. The people who really want to job with invest the time to write one.

As for ‘a place to make more mistakes’. An employer does not want a sloppy person who can not write a basic letter. It says a lot about your professional skills if you do not take the time to look for details, write clearly, or use proper grammar and spelling.

A cover letter is a great way to differentiate yourself from other applicants who are applying with adequate qualifications. It is also a great opportunity to express to the employer skills that will inevitably transfer to your work.

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