Why I Care More About Your Cover Letter Than Your Resume

Lauren Nelson, VP – Principal Consultant at Aesthetic Cogency

I’ve probably sorted through the materials of thousands of job applicants over the years. Sometimes it’s for full-time work; sometimes I’m looking for a contractor. Sometimes the position is challenging and complex; sometimes the tasks are basic. But no matter what the nature of the hiring may be, one thing remains the same: if your cover letter doesn’t impress, I won’t even look at your resume.

Every job posting I’ve ever written has made it clear that I require a cover letter. I even go so far as to tell them what I’m looking for in that cover letter: an explanation of why their experience and skills makes them a good fit for the opening. There is no opportunity for confusion.

And yet, if I had to take a stab at an estimate, I’d say that more than 60% of applicants don’t include a cover letter at all. Another 20% include a cover letter that simply informs me they’ve attached their resume. Another 10% include a cover letter that is clearly a template they use for any old job application. Only 10% of the total applicant pool takes the time to actually write a cover letter that answers the questions I’m asking.

That means that 90% of the people who want me to hire them are falling flat on their face. Talk about a terrible first impression. If your cover letter leaves much (or everything) to be desired, I don’t care if your resume is dozens pages of awards and sheer greatness. You’ve lost me. Why?

1. If your cover letter is nonexistent or a hot mess, I’m not sure I believe a word of your resume.

2. If you can’t follow simple instructions in the application process, I have little to no faith in your ability to take direction on the job.

3. If you cannot communicate why your experience and skills are relevant to the job, I’m not sure you understand what the position entails, or that your background brings all that much value to the table.

4. If your communication skills are poor in general, you’re not going to do well anywhere, but particularly not with me.

5. If your cover letter could be used to apply to anything, anywhere, it tells me that you didn’t care enough about the opportunity to convince me you’re the person for the job.

A solid cover letter, on the other hand, makes me want to schedule an interview immediately. In most cases, it can even help you overcome deficiencies in your resume or a lack of experience. I would rather have a determined, passionate individual with a strong work ethic on my team than an Ivy League degree without tenacity every single time. Your pedigree is worthless to me.

So the next time you go to apply for a job, think about whether it’s one you really want. If you do, take the time to write a custom cover letter that will grab their attention and clearly articulate why you’re the candidate they’ve been looking for all along. It may be the difference between getting dismissed and landing the interview.

 

This article was culled from Pulse/LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article)