5 Reasons Cover Letters are Not Dead
There is a lot of debate as to whether a cover letter is worth it or not in this day and age. Cover letters traditionally have been very popular, but in the past few years there has been a lot of talk about not needing it any further.
Here are 5 reasons why including a tailored cover letter will help you stand out.
- Share your personality: Interviewing for personality is becoming more and more prevalent. Companies like Predictive Index are making headway in the talent acquisition space because they give companies a glimpse of candidate’s personality traits. Therefore, writing a cover letters gives you an opportunity to describe your talents.
- Show you’ve done your research: Most people make the mistake of writing templated cover letters. Writing a tailored cover letter specific to the company will set you above the rest. Talk about why you are applying and what you admire about the company. This is a great chance to show them you are taking this interview process seriously.
- Highlight your stellar accomplishments: Obviously your resume will showcase most of your responsibilities, however, this is a chance for you to reiterate some of the strongest accomplishments you’ve made in your career. I even tell candidates to bullet point out in bold your top 3 accomplishments and include it in your cover letter.
- It showcases your writing ability: Since a resume is mostly cut and dry from a formatting perspective, a cover letter allows you to write more fluently and control the tone.
- It sets up the follow-up: A cover letter also lets you take control of the follow-up process. No matter your job function, you are a seller in the interview process, so close the cover letter with a specific date and time that you will follow up with them.
It is suggested to type up a cover letter that includes your top 3 accomplishments plus your goals in the body of the document, but keep the first paragraph open so you can tailor it to the specific company you are applying to.