Cover Letters: Are they really needed anymore?

I am often asked.  "Are cover letters really necessary?"

The answer is, "It depends"

If you are unemployed or if you are really interested in obtaining a specific position or work at a certain company, then you need to have a cover letter.  If you are casually networking with close friends or if you are dealing directly with a recruiter it is not necessary.  A good recruiter will examine your written communication skills before they present you to a client so it is not needed at this stage.   

The cover letter almost always gets reviewed after the resume is viewed as recruiters/hiring managers are efficient with their time and do not want to read cover letters for resumes that are not even appropriate for the position.  If the resume passes the recruiter's screening, the cover letter is quickly examined to get a better understanding of what the person is specifically looking for in their next role.  If it is a basic generic cover letter that says very little and is not even tailored for a particular position, the candidate is not helping their own cause.  The candidate must make a compelling argument as to why they are an appropriate fit for the role for which they are applying.

How can this be done?

Don't be too wordy.  I only like to see two succinct paragraphs.  You should be able to clearly articulate why you are interested in the role and what value you bring to the employer.  For people who are more comfortable with a non paragraph format this information can also be effectively communicated by using a T Graph with one side indicating "Your Requirements" and the other side stating "My Qualifications."

I have also found some cover letters to be very effective if the author has personalized it by specifically stating what it is about the company that is of particular interest to them.  This needs to be genuine and cannot be faked!  This can consist of a reference to why the candidate is truly interested in the company and it should show some more depth than just mentioning a common fact or aspect about the company.

Why else is the cover letter needed?

It is important to show the person reviewing your resume that you are a competent writer and have a good use of grammar.  The younger generation tends to use more short form and were not trained as well grammatically versus other generations.  Public relations and social media are starting to play more of a role in the way we do business and communication and proper messaging is becoming more essential for companies concerned for their brand.  It is here that people in transition can illustrate added value after their resume has been approved but if they are just crafting one perfectly worded cover letter to use for all job applications than they are wasting their time.

Farewell,

Mike