You are on fire! You:

✅ Found a job posting you're excited about

✅ Secured solid references

✅ Wrote a stellar resume

Dwight Schrute and Michael Scott from the show The Office motion

And then you notice another line on the job posting:

Please include a cover letter with your application.

michelle tanner from the show full house showing a thumbs up and saying you got it dude

This is your opportunity to showcase your skills! 😎

What's The Point?

You've already spent time tailoring your resume, so why the cover letter? Writing a cover letter for your application can:

  • Demonstrate your serious interest in the position

  • Explain areas of concern (eg. resume gaps)

  • Allow your personality to shine through

  • Provide employers with more robust information to make their hiring decisions

Flaticon Icon And most importantly,

  • Apply your skills and achievements (that you already included in your resume) to this specific role

Is It Really Worth The Effort?

You'll need to use your judgement on a case-by-case basis.

Flaticon Icon

In a 2021 survey of 200 hiring managers, resumelab.com found that:

  • If the cover letter is optional, 35% of candidates attach a cover letter to their application.

  • If the cover letter is required, only 38% of candidates submit a cover letter.

From the hiring managers' perspective:

  • 83% agree that cover letters are important for their hiring decision.

  • Only 13% would consider an application without a cover letter if it was required by the posting.

So generally speaking, including a cover letter will help your chances.

So When Should I Skip The Cover Letter?

Flaticon Icon Sometimes writing a cover letter could be a waste of your precious time.

Don't include one if:

  • The job posting explicitly asks for no cover letters

  • An online submission system does not provide a way to upload a cover letter

  • You don't have the time to write a good one and the cover letter is optional

A poorly-written or generic cover letter can do more harm than good, so be sure yours is in good shape before submitting it.

What Would You Suggest?

Flaticon Icon Meet Matilda! She's actively applying to jobs.

She comes across a great opportunity while searching online, but the deadline is tomorrow. She'll have to work fast! The job posting notes:

Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume and a cover letter to careers@yourdreamcompany.com.

Matilda asks you for advice on what she should do. Select all that apply!

Flaticon Icon A. "Be sure to focus on your resume first - that's the most important part!"

Flaticon Icon B. "Ugh, don't bother. It's not worth it at this point."

Flaticon Icon C. "Call the hiring manager and ask for a deadline extension!"

Flaticon Icon D. "Can you work from an existing cover letter so you're not starting from scratch?"

Quiz

Select all that apply!

Take Action

kermit the frog typing on a typewriter

Found a job to apply for?

License:

Your feedback matters to us.

This Byte helped me better understand the topic.

Get support to take action on this Byte