Here’s a harsh truth: a lot of recruiters will never, ever read your cover letter. With time and attention spans short, there are some employers who reach straight for the CV consigning your lovingly written letter straight into the trash.
On the other hand, for every recruiter who ditches the cover letter there will be one who’ll read it line by line. A punchy cover letter can make you stand out and some employers won’t even consider your application without one. So when do you need a cover letter?
- When the recruiter has asked for one – They may specify what they want to see in the jobs ad, and that might include a cover letter as well as your CV and references. Always send one if they have directly asked for it.
- When you’re sending it by snail mail – Not so common these days, but it’s certainly one way to stand out. If you’re posting your application the old-fashioned way, a cover letter is still expected.
- When you’re not sure – It’s never going to do any harm sending one if you’re not sure (unless it’s particularly badly written of course). Just remember that a cover letter should always add value to your CV.
And when don’t you need one?
- If it’s an online application – If you’re applying through an online system and there’s no room for one, you are off the hook.
- If it’s been made clear you don’t need to send one – Enough said.
They can be tedious and time-consuming, but as a rule of thumb we would say it never hurts to include a cover letter. It may well be 50/50 as to whether it actually gets read, but you’re never going to know in advance. Done right it might be the deal-maker.
A good starting place is finding out the value of your skills to an employer, so you know what to shout about if you do write a cover letter. Enter your CV into the ValueMyCV tool to get an idea of what you’re worth to them.
If you’re going to write a cover letter, keep it short and to the point – a short letter is more likely to be read. Highlight your most valuable skills and really upsell them. You may never know whether it was read or not, but at least you’ll know you gave it your best shot.
For more advice on writing a great cover letter, follow our 7 Tips To Make Your Cover Letter Shine.