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I've just re-entered the job market after about 3 years at one company. Just wondering if putting all my energy into writing different cover letters for each job is actually worth it. Thanks.
Oldest comments (22)
In my opinion, it will depend on your interest for the job. If it's a job/company that really piques your interest, it's worth investing time in a well-crafted cover letter.
I think they are but it depends on the situation.
To @jeremyf's fantastic point below, don't just rehash your resume. I also very much agree with @zangassis that it's best to craft a cover letter for places that you really wanna work at because it's a time investment.
I personally avoid crafting one cover letter to use for every place I apply. Crafting a template is fine to work off of though.
I really like to use a cover letter to address specific things about the place that I've applied — talk about why I wanna be there, what exactly I have to offer them, and make note of things particular to them (do some digging and see what they're currently working on and speak to that) so that it shows I did my homework on their business.
Most of the jobs I've got in the last coupla decades have either been through an agent or because I know someone who works there, so no cover letter needed. The few times I have written one it's been very short, just a few sentences in an email drawing particular attention to selected parts of the CV that is attached.
I've never been given preferential treatment or an interview because I wrote a cover letter. I used to write it for every application but now I write it only if it's compulsory.
Maybe I don't write good cover letters, I don't know, but cover letters have never given me a upper hand.
It could also be because of my country of origin though 🤷🏾♂️
Yes, but you can't do it halfway.
There are two big things cover letters are good for.
Show off your writing skills. A lot of larger organizations don't have technologists reviewing every resume. A lot of the time, there's at least one layer of either HR personnel or a manager who hasn't written code in a couple decades. Thus, communication skills get way overcounted. Fair or not, being eloquent and likeable is the only way through these people.
Connect your resume to the specific role and organization. For example, I recently transitioned from web dev to data engineer. In order to do that, I highlighted my database and architectural experiences among the web-heavy subheadings. When I was applying to roles in the agriculture industry, I talked about my family farm and my belief in the importance of agriculture. Applying to healthcare? What sick person in your life inspires you to help the healthcare industry? You get the idea. Again, keep asking yourself: how would I evaluate candidates if I didn't know how to evaluate technical skill? Your perceived passion and likeability is important in that sense.
Now, the other side is that while there can be a significant payoff to writing a very good cover letter, there's basically no upside at all to writing a mediocre one or a general purpose one you could send to most roles. You need to pretty much start from scratch for every role you apply for.
If you have a full resume (that includes organisations you belong/subscribe to as well as hobbies -- which many don't include) then you can put your personality on display with a cover letter.
I find a cover letter will determine your personality fit within the org / team.
Other than that, I chime in with others in saying it is a way to enhance the skills you are bringing.
Better to include one than not. It shows a certain level of commitment even if you aren't super eager for the role. Burning bridges can be a thing if the job comes around again and HR remembers.
Best of luck if you are job hunting!
No. The last time I wrote one was in the late 90s. When I've been hiring (which I've done a lot of) - I've never actually seen a cover letter. I'm actually curious if this is a regional thing? Most people who said 'yes' are US based... my experiences are drawn from 27 years working in the UK and in Thailand
Short answer: sometimes they are, but you can't predict when, so you have to write one every time it's requested. Creating and using your own templates, when you use them carefully, are ok.
A cover letter demonstrates your intent, which isn’t clear from a resume. Before writing the letter, research the company, review the job details, any other pertinent information. You have an opportunity to relay what benefit you will bring to the company in a cover letter. Use the letter as a space to convince a future employer you’re good for the position. This is also a good way to show off your communication skills.
Chances are less than 5% of applicants bothered to write a cover letter, unless it’s mandatory. The content therein could be what differentiates you from the rest of the talent pool.
Keep it to one page. Your resume should ideally be one page as well and only contain relevant content for the position.
Always write a cover letter. You really don’t have anything to lose by writing one. At the very least it helps you organize your thoughts for the interview.
I've never written a cover letter for any job, and I've been in this industry for 16 years now. It doesn't seem to have hurt my chances at all, but I would say that a clean CV layout really helps. The people reviewing your CV may not always be very technical, so it needs to be as readable as possible, and should be easy for anyone to be able to skim read and pull out what they feel is relevant to them.
Also, as someone who's interviewed many developers over the years, I've seen only a handful of cover letters, it's almost always only CVs. Sometimes I might be reveiwing many CVs at once, and it comes back to a clean layout again. As long as the CV is formatted nicely and is clear to read, then it's going to get my full attention. For me, the information I need is on the CV, a cover letter won't tell me anything that I can't get from their CV and a quick look over any public social media they have shared.