www.fastcompany.com: You’ve probably heard that many recruiters don’t always read cover letters when they review applications. Unfortunately, despite some grumblings about it being an antiquated practice, many companies still include it as part of their application process. Sure, sometimes they make it optional, but do you really want to risk getting put in the “no” pile because most of the applicants included a cover letter?
2 comments:
I don't fully agree with all of these tips, but the one I connect with the most is to tell a story. Ultimately, your cover letter tells a story about you. It’s interesting to look at a cover letter as a narrative rather than a series. Next time I write a cover letter I want to step back and look at it as though it is about someone else. All the details add up to a full picture on who this person is. Even though the logic makes a lot of sense, I had never really thought about it that way. The way I was always taught was to think about them as paragraphs and important bullet points. Making sure that specific information is there is important, but at the same time thinking about the sum of the information. I think this applies with any portfolio or resume and what that document says to employers.
I am not sure I agree with everything said in this article. I definitely question the "pre-interview to determine a company's weak spots and fill them" line of advice, mostly because it is so easy to misunderstand or misinterpret which could cause problems down the line. I also think that including the position for which you are applying also can't hurt, especially if your cover letter will be distributed without your subject line attached. The two points I did agree with, however, were that your cover letter should read like a story, with a beginning, middle, and end, and you should tailor your cover letter to the position not the company. In the end, the company wants to make sure you can do your job well, so I think this is especially important. I did think that mentioning this after writing multiple points about writing about filling needs in the company was little contradictory as well.
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