Cover letter for resume?

[stranger706]

Its been over 10 years since I turned in a resume. I have a good one going right now, just about finished.

How important is a cover letter? Say for an industrial type job. The company has already seen my application, and invited me to an orientation/interview in 2 weeks, with a request to bring my resume.

I'm just wondering about a cover letter. It seems kinda pointless to me but I keep reading about them on the internet and how important they are.

 

[Kuato]

Always have one, it is your introduction - even though sounds like you already have the job (congrats).

Many companies have software that searches for keywords in cover letters, as a way to filter out applicants during the hiring process.

 

[147_Grain]

Cover letter is important!

It also reveals a few main points you want to emphasize to help you stand out in a positive way amongst your competitors / peers.

Remember that the purpose of a cover letter / resume is to get you in the door for a face to face interview. Using the key phrases / words listed in the job descriptive narrative will also help you get the interview.

 

[Drew99GT]

It's critically important; it allows you to show your interest in the company you've applied to. Do some research into the company and find newsworthy items you can show interest/appreciation in and put it in the cover letter! That will also allow you to have knowledge about the company when you go in for an interview. Just one little tidbit of info you have about a company, what it does, what you like about it etc. can give you an edge in today's tough job market.

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: stranger706

How important is a cover letter? Say for an industrial type job. The company has already seen my application, and invited me to an orientation/interview in 2 weeks, with a request to bring my resume.


Since you already secured the interview do not add a cover letter. You can only talk you way out of it. Focus instead on your interview presentation.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: stranger706
Its been over 10 years since I turned in a resume. I have a good one going right now, just about finished.

How important is a cover letter? Say for an industrial type job. The company has already seen my application, and invited me to an orientation/interview in 2 weeks, with a request to bring my resume.

I'm just wondering about a cover letter. It seems kinda pointless to me but I keep reading about them on the internet and how important they are.


Cover letters have become less important over time. The web has made it easy to apply so companies that use to get handfuls of resumes now get thousands. They have various ways to weed out the ones that are not close enough to even get read. Most companies do not even contact you if you are not selected for an interview. I had one that did not send me anything for several months after I drove 2 hours to an interview.

 

[edhackett]

I don't know about becoming less important. When we were searching for my replacement, several applications hit the "round file" before we even read their qualifications based on their poor cover letters.

Ed

 

[rjundi]

For me when in hiring role I ask for it for the person who aggregates them with resumes, my goal is to see if person can form an intelligent paragraph. I don't want to spend all day reading email from people who cannot write well or know to how to make something concise/easy to read.

If you don't have one I lose interest or take caution.

 

[Cujet]

I'm a director at my company. I review cover letters and resume's regularly.

1) Don't write this ( "looking for a position with a progressive company, where I can assist in corporate growth" ) type of nebulous junk. It's worthless. Nobody wants to read it.

2) Keep it short, direct, specific and to the point.

3) Consider using very heavy paper. Or a slightly different color, or both, if it's not being done electronically.

4) My resume stands out because the subtle background is a picture I took from 51,000 feet. Perfect for aviation. Useless for other fields.

5) I don't find cover letters important, unless they seem to be written directly to me. And they instantly tell me the applicant can, and wants to do the job. Indicating that they understand the job and company exactly.

 

[stranger706]

Thanks for all the ideas everyone.

I will probably do a short cover letter, maybe include a picture of myself for reference after the fact?

 

[Kiwi_ME]

You're past the point where you need an introduction. Your professional appearance and attitude would make a far bigger difference.

 

[Shannow]

Having been involved in some recruitment for a few years now, resume and cover letter are the door openers to the interview.

Interview and reference check get to the job.

Only in the rare even of a strong tie would we go back to the resume's again, after using them to choose the list to get to the next step.

 

[strat81]

If you have poor writing skills, do not add a cover letter.

 

[dja4260]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
I'm a director at my company. I review cover letters and resume's regularly.

1) Don't write this ( "looking for a position with a progressive company, where I can assist in corporate growth" ) type of nebulous junk. It's worthless. Nobody wants to read it.

2) Keep it short, direct, specific and to the point.

3) Consider using very heavy paper. Or a slightly different color, or both, if it's not being done electronically.

4) My resume stands out because the subtle background is a picture I took from 51,000 feet. Perfect for aviation. Useless for other fields.

5) I don't find cover letters important, unless they seem to be written directly to me. And they instantly tell me the applicant can, and wants to do the job. Indicating that they understand the job and company exactly.


Care to look at my cover letter and resume?