The Importance of A Cover Letter Even If Recruiters Don’t Read It

The Importance of A Cover Letter Even If Recruiters Don’t Read It

The Importance of A Cover Letter Even If Recruiters Don’t Read It – Submitting a resume is a must when it comes to applying for a job. Another document that you need to submit along with your resume is a cover letter. It’s okay if you create your cover letter or free resume template with Canva. However, is it worth spending some time writing a cover letter? Do recruiters still read cover letters nowadays?

The short answers to these questions are “yes” and “sometimes.”. Unlike the resume which will definitely be read by the recruiters if it passes the screening phase, a cover letter is not always read by the recruiters, however, attaching it along with your resume is playing a role in bigger your chance to pass to the next hiring process. Even if a hiring manager does not read your cover letter, it will help your resume to stand out from the crowd.

To help you get started here is all you need to know about the importance of a cover letter including when a cover letter is needed. Let’s check it out!

When are cover letters needed?

A cover letter is an additional document for a job seeker when applying for a job. Attaching it will be a plus point for you, even if you are not adding one, it is not really a big deal as the recruiters will pay more attention to your resume. However, there are three situations where you have to attach a cover letter when you are applying for a job, as follows:

  1. Your target company asks for it in their job description ads
  2. You submit your application directly to a specific person within the company, not going through the common recruitment process.
  3. You were referred for the position, which you can mention in your cover letter.

And what if you are not in any of those situations? The simple answer to this question is “you still need to write a cover letter”

It is always better for you to include a cover letter when submitting your job application along with the other documents even though the recruiters do not read it, rather than when the recruiters need it and you don’t have it.

Attaching one also brings several benefits for you, what are they? Just keep reading to find out!

See also : 9 Easy Steps to Make a Good Resume With Example

How does a cover letter help you to get hired?

It helps the recruiters to decide

A cover letter can do so much more than just an introduction letter. When your resume does not tell enough of what the recruiters wanted to know, they can read your cover letter as it speaks about yourself in more detail.

Furthermore, a cover letter also sometimes acts as a tie-breaker. When the recruiter has two equally qualified candidates and cannot decide which one is better, they will refer to the cover letter to get more information about the candidates.

It shows your effort to get the job

Submitting a cover letter when it is not formally required, shows the recruiters that you are serious and really wanted to get the job as you put some extra time and effort to write one.

Two studies conducted by CareerBuilder show that a cover letter is a great way to impress. About 53% of employers think that applicants should write and submit a cover letter as a resume alone is not enough to impress them. While 49% of hiring managers believe that submitting a cover letter along with your resume is the second best way to get a recruiter’s attention, after customizing your resume to the position you are applying for.

The data also revealed that whether the job was full-time, part-time, or an internship, cover letters made a strong impression.

It speaks more about yourself

A cover letter serves the purpose to talk more about yourself including the reasons why you have to move to a new career or why you have a gap in your employment as having a long resume – more than one-page, limits your ability to explain all about that.

It is important for the recruiters because it gives them a chance to understand clearly the situation underlying it instead of directly rejecting your resume because of the work gap.

It bigger your chance to get hired if you applied at small companies

Attaching a cover letter is important when you apply for a job in a smaller company because they often recruit fewer resources at a time. The recruiters in the company will likely spend some time reading the cover letter in order to have a better understanding of each candidate. That is the reason why submitting a cover letter is important.

It shows some of your personality

The fact that a recruiter or hiring manager sometimes sees a little of your personality in order to assess how you might fit with their company culture makes submitting a cover letter is a thing that you shouldn’t miss when pressing the apply button. Thus, make sure you show off your personality effectively and professionally.

Do recruiters even read cover letters?

Do recruiters even read cover letters?
Do recruiters even read cover letters? – source image : istock

 

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the best answer to this question is “sometimes”. We cannot deny the fact that even though recruiters are not always read cover letters, but they always want them.

Some research has found different results regarding the importance of a cover letter. For example, the Recruiter Nation Report conducted by Jobvite in 2016 stated that 74% of recruiters agree that their decision to hire a new resource is not influenced much by the applicant’s cover letter. On contrary, a survey conducted by recruiting agency Robert Half found that 90% of recruiters believe that a cover letter is needed to assess the applicants.

That is why, you always have to submit your cover letter along with your resume when you are applying for a position in your target company as it always makes a good impression, no matter whether the recruiters will read it or not.

What you could include in a cover letter? 

Writing a good and positive cover letter is all you need to do to get the position. Although it is a lot more you need to know about a cover letter, here is the basic information that you have to include in your cover letter:

  • Start by introducing yourself and how you found out about the job ad.
  • Emphasizing why you would be the best fit for the position, and what value you can add to the company.
  • Provide a solution to a critical problem related to the position you are applying for at the company.
  • Include your contact information as well as your availability for an interview.

Summary

No matter whether you are applying by email or coming directly to the company and submitting your resume there, attaching a cover letter along with your resume is always impressive enough to get employers’ attention. Or in other words, a cover letter is worth the time and effort even if no one reads it, it still helps you to get the job.

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