Relaunch Your Career

A number of respected career coaches are adamant that cover letters are not necessary in the modern recruitment world. Notably, career coach Phil Rosenberg, President of US-based consultancy ReCareered, carried out extensive research with hiring managers and directors, almost all of whom say they don’t read – and often don’t receive – cover letters. So, are they a good or a bad idea?

Phil goes so far as to suggest that adding a cover letter can detract from your application, rather than enhancing it.

By contrast, I would no more suggest to a client that they send a bare CV with no cover letter than I would suggest they attend interview without wearing a tie (or equivalent for ladies). Why are our views so different?

A waste of effort?

Phil’s argument hinges on the fact that cover letters are simply not read. He’s right on that: up to 80% of them are immediately disregarded. Most cover letters aren’t even scanned into HR or recruitment databases, so they’re not even useful for key-word search.

But what if content is not the reason recruiters like to receive cover letters? As a long-time hirer-turned coach, I believe that a cover letter serves an entirely different purpose.

A cover letter is an indication of good manners – something sadly missing from many applicants’ kit-bags these days. I like to see that someone has bothered to find out who they are communicating with and send them a cover letter. It’s an indication of respect. It’s a politeness, not simply an adjunct to a CV (resume). It says: please let me introduce myself, and thank you for considering me.

I would actually think less of a candidate who did not extend this basic courtesy, even if I had no intention of reading the letter, scanning it into a system or otherwise passing it on. I think sending a CV on its own (unless this is what you’ve been directly asked to do) can seem presumptuous, if not rude. For this reason, especially in direct-application scenarios, I’d always advise a client to add a covering letter.

Focus your effort

However, Phil is right on one thing. A recruiter will spend about 15 seconds considering an application before deciding whether to shortlist for interview. If you put all your effort into crafting and tailoring a cover letter, it’s likely to be wasted effort.

Instead, put your energy and thought into tailoring the front page of your CV so that it has immediate and relevant impact.