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Is the cover letter useful in any way?
Category: Cover Letter, Author: Devseeker
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Considering that nowadays there is a tendency to use motivation e-mails, is there a possibility that we are witnessing a disappearance of the traditional cover letter?
The cover letter is often a difficult test for a candidate. Even though it is known to be indispensable, polls show that three quarters of interviewed employers do not read cover letters or at best they just have a glance at them. Consequently it’s quite possible to get an interview without sending a cover letter. Taking this into account, can we do without it?
It is not always useful…
The cover letter does not have a certain usefulness when you apply for a specific advertisement. In this case, your experience in the field of the advertised position and the coherence of your resume need to be highly relevant. Consequently, the resume becomes the strong core of the recruiting process. For example, the cover letter is not so practical in the case of positions which are not related to management.
A marketing instrument…
Even though the above mentioned facts, the cover letter is often requested. Being a part of the candidacy marketing it is a rather formal requirement. As in any other case, because we want to show the true value of our “gifts” we do not offer them without a nice layout. Even though the employer does not read it, he knows that it exists and that the candidate made the effort of writing it.
Detaching the candidates from one another…
Even though the resume and the experience that one may have are not that compatible with a certain position, the cover letter may be the one thing that detaches a candidate from the rest. The cover letter offers the possibility of explaining the frequently changed job places and at the same time it becomes indispensable if creativity, communication and editing skills are job requirements.
If the candidacy is made through a person from within the company or if it is the case of a recommendation, the cover letter is vital. In the case of spontaneous candidacies, cover letters play a great role considering that if the candidate does not omit to mention the reason for which he or she applied, the way towards success is guaranteed. The cover letter is as important also in the case of a candidate who might have much more experience. In this case, the employer is much more interested in finding out why a certain person would wish to leave a company after let’s say ten years of work.
Taking into account the fact that nowadays, more and more people prefer to send e-mail cover letters, the handwritten cover ones are less frequently used. Even though it seldom happens, a handwritten cover letter might be demanded when the position is of high responsibility. In any case, employers recommend that the applicants respect the demands of the advertisement and not send typewritten cover letters when there is a clear specification for the need of a handwritten one.
The cover letter needs to be short and efficient!
This is actually some sort of a warning signal for those of you who have the tendency to write long letters. A motivation e-mail has to be short (10-12 rows maximum), sincere, dynamic, simple and of course direct. Even though employers are much more attracted to letters which give him or her the impression that a real person wrote it, candidates incline to avoid direct statements and use impersonal phrases. Do not forget that the traits that motivate you need to be well thought at and mentioned in the letter.
A special attention must be given to spelling mistakes. They can be fatal when it comes to your candidacy. A motivation e-mail must have the same quality as a traditional cover letter. Consequently, the motivation e-mail is a clear candidate detaching instrument and it will probably never disappear entirely!
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