Do I Really Need a Cover Letter?
Won’t My Resume Stand Out on its Own Merit?
Cover letters serve a different purpose than the resumes they accompany. They can be used to build rapport. They can convey your personality in ways your just-the-facts resume cannot. This contributes to the building of your personal brand. Your cover letter can help explain why you are the best applicant for this position; why you are seeking a career or position change; and who referred you, or how you found this particular job opening. Generally speaking, your cover letter serves as an introduction to the YOU who exists outside of your resume, which is filled with various jobs and accomplishments. It is conjectured that cover letters are ignored when resumes are selected by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Even though the resume may be selected by an ATS, it is eventually read next by an actual person. He or she will be seeking as much information about the applicant as possible, so they will most certainly have interest in reading your cover letter. Since cover letters are easy to custom-fit to different job postings, the consensus is that the advantage goes to those who include them. So, they are better included than not.
Professional. Affordable. meticulous.
Here’s what you can include in your cover letter that is not specifically in your resume:
- You can directly acknowledge the company or contact who placed ad.
- You can home in on the skills or experiences you have that are directly relevant to the position described.
- You can add skills that were too detailed to be included on the resume.
- You can express excitement while conveying a bit about your interest level.
- You can explain why you will be the perfect candidate for the position.
- You can expand on your availability and provide further email, address, or phone details.
- You can thank the company or the contact for their interest in learning about your background.
- You can even present a question that will pique their interest and encourage them to respond to you.