Do Cover Letters Matter?

Cover letters, do they matter? The answer in our opinion, it depends… Learn more in this commentary written by Terry Devlin. Terry leads JOB Client Services.

Job seekers often ask what they should include in a cover letter, and I have seen all sorts of advice on that subject.

If you are working with a competent career counselor, he or she should be able to provide you with contact information at the company in question, such as internal recruiters, or probable hiring managers. If you don’t have the names and email addresses of the correct contact people, and you are pasting you cover letter in the box on the ad, it almost doesn’t matter.

When Cover Letters Likely Don't Matter - Electronic Applications

As an operations manager I have interviewed scores of people, and I can’t recall ever seeing a cover letter that was provided through the HR process. I believe that the box on the electronic application is only there because applicants want one. I have asked hundreds of executive and managers if they customarily see the cover letters that were submitted with applications, and the answer is almost always “no.” So, agonizing over a letter to create the right balance between confidence and competence, only slows down your process. Create a standard generic letter and paste it in the box!

When a Cover Letter May Make a Difference - Sent Directly

However, if you have the contact information of the recruiter or hiring manager, that’s a very different story and a cover letter that responds to each of the company’s requirements is a very compelling document.

At JOB, we provide very detailed company information to allow our clients to identify multiple contacts in companies across the US, to dramatically increase the likelihood that our clients’ resumes (and cover letters) will be seen by the right people.