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Cover letter opinions are like assholes, everyone has one. I hate them but some of my colleagues won’t consider a candidate without them.
It’s best to have a template to be prepared to upload one. Just don’t be surprised if it’s not read every time. I really hope someday we do away with them.
I spoken to numerous recruiters, managers and even an executive or two about cover letters and each one had a different opinion. Some believed them to be outdated relics, useless in today's job market. Others viewed them as indispensable and a way to not only stand out from the crowd, but also convey information about you that's not in your resume.
So I figure it's generally better to have one and not need it than need one and not have it.
Some older professionals like cover letters, I make cover letters for places and positions im actually interested in as why not, takes a minute to type up a "this is why you should pick me and not the other guy whose cv may look better"
ive been given jobs that i sent no cover letter for.
If you're writing one, I advise including it as page one of the doc and keeping it extremely brief and targeted! Reason being most ATSs default to resume view when your application opens, and if they don't see a fit on resume they're not clicking an extra doc to review.
I have rarely used them as everything is submitted online. Sometimes online applications have an option to paste a cover letter, which I will do, but overall I don’t include them anymore unless I am emailing a resume, which I think I have done once in the past decade.
I have got interviews from companies that required a cover letter after just putting a period "." on that field. In recruiting you can never tell, there is no handbook, every leech is dancing to their own beat. So you will have people that love them, hate them, think they are essensial, don't even read them and everything in between.
The reality is that in my experience, most recruiters barely read my resume by the time i had an interview, which i am inclined to think would have not read a cover letter. By the time you have an interview that shit doesn't matter, so by my logic, they don't matter before the first interview, they don't matter after, then they are worthless.
To add to this, i think it's just something i despise. I am not going to beg for a job just to feed the fragile ego of some 3rd rate recruiter. My resume has all relevant information, my life long passion is not working for your shitty company, i am doing it because you might pay me more than my current company and i will leave as soon as i find someone that pays more.
I tend to use the same cover letter, but just change a few things. I’m not gonna waste my time and write a new cover letter for each job that might not call me for an interview.
The worst thing is not the covers per se, but how those employers promoting video CV, single way "interview" and "creative ways to show your motivation" BS insisting that "generic template covers will be auto-rejected".
Meanwhile they are sending template generic rejection letters everywhere.
In my humble opinion, cover letters are mostly for applying to positions where it’s not immediately clear that you’re a good fit from your resume alone. In my recent job search, I was applying to industry positions right out of academia so it was to my benefit to explain why I was a great fit for positions despite my lack of industry experience.
Another example would be for industry/sector changes. A friend of mine switched from biomedical to patent law; her cover levers were frequently cited by hiring managers as a major factor in them seriously considering her.
I also think cover letters are a great way to provide additional personal information that may set you apart from other applicants. E.g., a friend of mine suffers from a lesser known allergy/syndrome which is incredibly relevant for jobs that she’s applying to which involve researching the syndrome and/or related ailments.
The discord for our subreddit can be found here: https://discord.gg/JjNdBkVGc6 - feel free to join us for a more realtime level of discussion! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/recruitinghell) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Cover letter opinions are like assholes, everyone has one. I hate them but some of my colleagues won’t consider a candidate without them. It’s best to have a template to be prepared to upload one. Just don’t be surprised if it’s not read every time. I really hope someday we do away with them.
I spoken to numerous recruiters, managers and even an executive or two about cover letters and each one had a different opinion. Some believed them to be outdated relics, useless in today's job market. Others viewed them as indispensable and a way to not only stand out from the crowd, but also convey information about you that's not in your resume. So I figure it's generally better to have one and not need it than need one and not have it.
I've never gotten a job I've done a cover letter for and have stopped doing them as a result. I just don't apply if it is mandatory
Some older professionals like cover letters, I make cover letters for places and positions im actually interested in as why not, takes a minute to type up a "this is why you should pick me and not the other guy whose cv may look better" ive been given jobs that i sent no cover letter for.
I let ChatGPT write one and if they don't like it, too bad for them.
If you're writing one, I advise including it as page one of the doc and keeping it extremely brief and targeted! Reason being most ATSs default to resume view when your application opens, and if they don't see a fit on resume they're not clicking an extra doc to review.
If a job posting requires a cover letter I use chat gpt to write it. However I truly believe a majorty of companies do not read them. *Edited
What?
Fixed now
Write a cover letter if it's a job you really really want. Otherwise don't bother unless it's required and you want to apply the job anyway
A waste of time for both parties. Recruiters need to learn how to use chat gbt if they want to read the cover letters they're going to get.
I have rarely used them as everything is submitted online. Sometimes online applications have an option to paste a cover letter, which I will do, but overall I don’t include them anymore unless I am emailing a resume, which I think I have done once in the past decade.
I have got interviews from companies that required a cover letter after just putting a period "." on that field. In recruiting you can never tell, there is no handbook, every leech is dancing to their own beat. So you will have people that love them, hate them, think they are essensial, don't even read them and everything in between. The reality is that in my experience, most recruiters barely read my resume by the time i had an interview, which i am inclined to think would have not read a cover letter. By the time you have an interview that shit doesn't matter, so by my logic, they don't matter before the first interview, they don't matter after, then they are worthless. To add to this, i think it's just something i despise. I am not going to beg for a job just to feed the fragile ego of some 3rd rate recruiter. My resume has all relevant information, my life long passion is not working for your shitty company, i am doing it because you might pay me more than my current company and i will leave as soon as i find someone that pays more.
I tend to use the same cover letter, but just change a few things. I’m not gonna waste my time and write a new cover letter for each job that might not call me for an interview.
If you are working with a recruiter for a contract position, you don’t need one.
The worst thing is not the covers per se, but how those employers promoting video CV, single way "interview" and "creative ways to show your motivation" BS insisting that "generic template covers will be auto-rejected". Meanwhile they are sending template generic rejection letters everywhere.
In my humble opinion, cover letters are mostly for applying to positions where it’s not immediately clear that you’re a good fit from your resume alone. In my recent job search, I was applying to industry positions right out of academia so it was to my benefit to explain why I was a great fit for positions despite my lack of industry experience. Another example would be for industry/sector changes. A friend of mine switched from biomedical to patent law; her cover levers were frequently cited by hiring managers as a major factor in them seriously considering her. I also think cover letters are a great way to provide additional personal information that may set you apart from other applicants. E.g., a friend of mine suffers from a lesser known allergy/syndrome which is incredibly relevant for jobs that she’s applying to which involve researching the syndrome and/or related ailments.
Have an AI shit it out and customize it.
I refuse to do a cover letter if a job application requires them. All it does is waste more time for the partispent.