The Importance of Cover letters

The Importance of Cover Letters

Most of us at some point or another have been tempted, or have actually sent a resume without a cover letter.  I always, always, always recommend that a cover letter be forwarded with your resume.  Why?  Well, including a cover letter with your application, particularly when not specifically asked for within a job advertisement says a couple of things;

*  That you are not lazy, and are willing to go to the extra effort to secure employment, even if not requested

*  That you are the most suited person for the role – the cover letter is where you really drive that message home

*  That you understand what is required in submitting an application however brief or informal the advertisement or online application/position description

For additional information in this regard, there is a page of this website specifically dedicated to cover letters.  Of course, a cover letter needs to be tailor made for each particular position.  If it is a cleverly worded letter, it will describe information that you gained during your own personal research and analysis of the company you are applying to.  For example, you might have done a Google search on Sam’s Widgets, and discovered where they are based, how many employees they have, a little about the CEO/Manager and their corporate culture as well as perhaps the future of the company.

Mentioning these newly discovered nuggets of gold, means that not only do you care enough to discover something about the company you are applying to, but that you are simply not blanketing hundreds of companies with a standard pro forma letter, and therefore by assumption, would particularly like to join the aforementioned company, rather than employing an “any old job will do” approach.