Are Cover Letters Still Relevant?
In these days of automatic Applicant Tracking Systems that crunch thousands of resumes per year per company, the obvious answer would be no. However, this fails to take into account the fact that a real live human will eventually get to read the 'winning' resumes that these systems spit out. In that case, not having a cover letter attached to your resume is as big a mistake as it used to be.
Having a really great cover letter is important because it allows your employer to 'meet' you virtually, rather than just reading through a dry resume. Most people's personalities come through in their writing, and your word choice, overall tone and general presentation will allow your potential hiring company to get a much clearer view of who you are and as well as what you have to offer the company.
Here are the top 4 attributes of a great cover letter:
Keep It Simple Silly (K.I.S.S.)
In a cover letter, you are writing an introduction to your resume here, not the next War and Peace novel. Just as really effective resume should be kept to 1-2 pages max, a world-class cover letter should stick to 1-2 paragraphs max. Don't tell your life story - that's what the interview's for.
Tell Them Who You Are
Do you have any personal connection to the company? Did you meet their Head Editor at a conference last year, or have you followed them for many years on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn or similar networking sites? Don't be shy - announce that personal connection!
Tell them Why They Should Hire You
The simple answer should be your obvious passion for the company, which should come through in the way you write your cover letter. Don't just write "I love your company!" - that's too 'on the nose' and akin to blurting out the big 'L' word during a first date, or worse, before it.
Highlight Your #1 Best Attribute
Even with the shortest one-page resume, employers will still skim read. If you've been modest and tucked away the 'little' fact that you saved your company $20 million dollars last year through making a few choice tweeks to the budgeting system, the cover letter is the place to sing it from the rooftops. Be modest about your achievements, but don't hide them, either.
In summary, even though today's application procedures are becoming largely automated, a great cover letter can help the hiring manager draw a firm deciding line between you and a similarly qualified candidate who forgot to include a cover letter.
Keep it simple, be bold, and great forces may come to your aid.
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