Cover Letters.....how important are they really?

I’m often baffled, amazed, and even disgusted at the prices I see resume writers charging for cover letters. It seems in some cases, the lure is to advertise a lower priced resume, only to promote “necessary” add-ons such as cover letters and thank you notes in order to substantially raise the price.

So do you actually need to send a cover letter each time you apply?

The answer is definitely YES.

BUT, don’t spend an inordinate amount of time making it perfect. Why? Because at this point in time in a down economy the number of resume submissions has increased by over 10 times the norm in many cases. This means that jobs that would normally see 50 resumes submitted are now seeing over 500. We simply don’t have time to do anything other than quickly skim the resume, let alone read an entire cover letter.

Don’t let the increased number of resume submissions scare you though. In reality 80% - 90% of resumes submitted to these positions are from people who won’t be considered because they don’t qualify In a down economy such as this, the level of desperation has skyrocketed, and people are submitting their resume to every single job posted out there……literally.

Another very important reason to submit a cover letter with your resume: we notice if you don’t. As strange as it sounds, I have found myself on resume number 52, and suddenly thinking to myself how lazy this applicant must have been for not including a cover letter. It’s also at this point I realize I haven’t so much as skimmed the actual content in any of the letters from 1 to 51; I only noticed it was present. The point is, even though time limits a reader’s ability to do much more than skim resumes, the absence of a cover letter leaves a negative impression. Again, it doesn’t need to be perfect, but it should be accompanying.

So what is that important information that is typically included in a cover letter?

Examples could include the reason for wanting to transfer industries, an impeding move to a city across the country, or explaining a gap in employment. These are all still factors that are extremely important to convey, but because cover letters aren’t always being read, they have to be conveyed in the resume. Including this info briefly in your Profile accomplishes the same purpose, only it’s likely to be read since it’s among the opening statement(s) of your resume. I cannot stress how important it is to tailor your resume to the intended each time before submitting, and areas that typically would be covered in a cover letter must be present in your resume.

If nothing else, it is standard to include the company name, address and if possible the name of the contact person at the top. A concise summary of the skills and abilities you possess that are pertinent to the position should comprise the main parts of the body. Make sure you clearly state the position you are applying to. The most important element you should include is your achievements/accomplishments, and these can be pulled directly from your resume and placed in a bullet pointed list within the letter itself. Make a clear separation in the middle of the page, with a line or two of white space surrounding it. If nothing else, someone who skims the letter will be drawn to your achievements, and thus is more likely to have a piqued interest in looking at the resume.

Don’t get me wrong, because I am not trying to completely downplay the importance of the cover letter. Just keep in mind that in an environment where applicants are at astronomical levels, the important elements normally covered in a cover letter need to be covered in the resume. And whatever you do, don’t pay hundreds of dollars for a bunch of variations that most likely won’t be read anyhow.