Is the cover letter a lost art when it comes to applying for jobs?
“Electronic application processes make it easier for many candidates to apply, which sometimes means many more applications need to be sorted through before decisions are made,” says Andrea Alaimo, director of human resources at Chicago based logistics firm Redwood Logistics. “That may be a reason that cover letters don’t hold the same value they used to. Today, we see a small fraction of total applicants also include cover letters.”
“Cover letters are becoming less of a requirement and more of an option,” says Parker McKenna, a human resources disciplines panellist for the Society for Human Resource Management. “Many recruiters or hiring managers aren’t reviewing cover letters if they feel they have gotten a full understanding of the applicant’s background by reviewing the resume alone.”
Not only are hiring managers glossing over the cover letter, job seekers in many cases are omitting it altogether.
“Only a small percentage of applications we receive include cover letters, perhaps 10%,” says Tracy McShane-Wilson, executive director of talent acquisition at accounting firm Grant Thornton LLP.
Nationwide, just over half – 55% – of all job applicants include a cover letter when applying for a position, according to a recent survey from job board CareerBuilder.
But those who omit a cover letter, or submit one with an obviously halfhearted effort, could be missing out on an opportunity to set themselves apart from the crowd.
“You can generally tell when a candidate is very interested in a particular position and/or the organisation, as they will take more time to delve into why the role and/or organisation fits well within their own professional goals and passions (in a cover letter),” says Valerie Keels, head of D.C. Office Services for Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance.