Do Recruiters And Hiring Managers Read Cover Letters?

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Do you really need cover letters?

The answer is, “Yes!”

Recruiters and hiring managers read cover letters and cover e-mails for three main reasons:

• To find out information that may not be in your resume or immediately obvious
• To get a fast overview of your most relevant experience
• To find out why you are interested in their company or their opening

The cover letter—or cover e-mail—should not be long: two or three paragraphs with bullets highlighting your most relevant achievements, experience, and skills. You might also let the recruiter or hiring company know what soft skills you bring to the table: teamwork, leadership, a get-it-done attitude, efficiency, organization, a concern for the bottom line. You know your own strengths.

The cover letter is the place where, if necessary, you explain a change in careers or locations, notify potential employers that your search is confidential, respond to a request by the company for references or salary ranges, or share other important information that is not appropriate for the resume.

I believe strongly in cover letters because they are far more personal than the strictly formatted bullet points of a resume. When I talk with you about your career goals and your experience, I ask what any recruiter or hiring manager would ask—and then I put the answers in your cover letter.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

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7 Comments

1. 

   learningfromnegativeexamples

   May 19, 2013 at 10:59 AM

   and just a week or two ago I read another HR Expert pontificating about how cover letters were now useless, never even read, because they were literally thrown way without being read, and the resume` put directly into the scanning system.

   Reply
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     Tanisha Gilbert

     May 21, 2013 at 12:42 PM

     I went through a job coach and I asked one of the associates her honest opinion on providing cover letters and she frankly told me that she hears that companys don’t really look at them.

     We were always taught never to send a “naked” resume, but if in this day and time this is becoming useless what do you really do? Do we just send them to company’s that request them?

     Reply
2. 

   Orlando Haynes

   January 3, 2013 at 11:11 AM

   I would have to say this is on a case by case basis. Most cover letters are snap shots of the resume and objective. I like to go straight to the meat. If the resume does not meet want you are looking for. Then the chances of a cover letter filling in the gaps are slim. So whatever you place on a cover letter should always been in the resume.

   Reply
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     Stef Whitlow

     January 3, 2013 at 6:39 PM

     I think taking cover letters on a case by case basis means you’re missing out on great candidates and really limiting your company’s ability to grow. I’ve relocated and switched career and that was never stated in my résumé – only in the cover letter. I’ve had great interviews and landed some interesting jobs based on a good cover letter. So picking and choosing which letters you read may give you all the power but you may be excluding people who will contribute to your company for years to come.

     Reply
3. 

   Kimberley

   January 3, 2013 at 11:06 AM

   I agree with everything except the inclusion of bullet points in a cover letter. A cover letter is an example of your writing style and abilities. Using bullet points will not reflect these abilities. Using bullet points in a cover letter is a one track way to the rejection pile.

   Reply
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     Patrick

     May 21, 2013 at 6:50 AM

     Ditto! If you highlight excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills in your resume, prove it in a sparkling cover letter. Bullet points are gaps in the thought process, you wouldn’t put in ellipses, it’s almost like pausing in an interview with “uhhh… mmmm” or even worse, “you know…, it’s like…” Good luck job hunters.

     Reply
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       Tanisha Gilbert

       May 21, 2013 at 12:43 PM

       Now this I can understand…you argue a great point and I’m open to that suggestion.

       Thanks

       Reply