Cover letters are a somewhat debated topic. Some say yes… send a cover, some no, not necessary. You decide.

Many HR readers and recruiters, the first responders, the soldiers on the front lines, reading and reading resume after resume say they hardly ever or never look at a cover letter. They’re to busy looking for key words, phrases, matching skills and experience with their job descriptions. They don’t have time to read glorified stories of how wonderful the candidate is. They say: “ too wordy, ramble, go on about stuff that doesn’t matter, emotional, too personal. One of their biggest complaints is that to many cover letters simply reiterate what the resume already says.

I say to those perceptions: “Not always correct, but at least that’s the perception to many of those front-liners.” So there’s merit there.

Here’s my take. A cover letter CANNOT win you the job. But a bad cover letter can lose it. I take the side of those first responders to heart, but also ask the questions: “What about the actual hiring authority, what about when you make the short list?”Here’s where a good cover letter really hits home.

If there are 4 applicant’s on the short list with equal qualifications, and only 1 has a cover letter, if that cover letter is well written and it adds something new and relevant to the candidate’s case, I argue that candidate has a leg up on the other 3 applicants. When the hiring authority, the boss, is weighing which candidate to make the offer to, s/he wants as much relevant information as they can get their hands on.  A well written cover letter gives the new boss what s/he’s looking for.

I, as a professional resume writer, think the cover letter is sometimes harder to write than the resume because of the creativity factor. The best cover letter is simplistic, logical, written without exaggeration,  made up of clear and clean statements with a touch of creativity, or personality. It injects glimpses of the candidate’s character, and special situations.  Where a cover letter get’s in trouble is when it becomes trivial and tries to impress. This normally ends up as a swan dive into the round file.

By default, I always suggest to clients to have a cover letter prepared, but not to send it if it’s not requested or if you feel it’s only average at best. I readily suggest sending one  if  it’s requested or if there is a compelling reason to define or detail something that’s relevant to the job that’s not outlined in the resume.

So, when you decide to write the cover: make it short, (3 or 4 paragraphs), and relevant.  Don’t simply restate what’s in the resume. Avoid glorified blather. Write it in the 1st person. Be sure to indicate the best way to reach you clearly.

Suggestions: Get a good resume book and review it.  A good one that I have in my library: No-Nonsense Cover Letters, by Wendy S. Enlow.

Good luck.

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