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Is a Cover Letter Necessary to Apply for a Job?

When You Need to Submit a Cover Letter With a Resume

(Almost) Always Send a Cover Letter

When not to send a cover letter, cover letter writing tips, how to format the letter, proofread and test before you submit.

Do you really need a cover letter when you apply for jobs? You might wonder whether you can get by with just a resume — particularly if the company doesn't specifically  request or require a cover letter .

It's only natural to wonder if a cover letter is necessary. After all, writing cover letters can be a time-consuming and challenging task. If there's an option to skip the labor involved in writing one, it's tempting.

But in most cases, and particularly when the overall job market or your specific industry is competitive, a cover letter will help your candidacy. Done right, your letter will highlight your most relevant  skills and qualifications  for the job, making you stand out in a sea of applicants.

Your cover letter is a good way to show an employer what you want them to know about you, without the hiring manager having to figure it out themselves from your resume.

Many career experts agree that sending a cover letter is almost always the best decision. 

Use Your Letter to Make a Match

For instance, Susan Heathfield , a human resources expert, says, "Your cover letter is particularly important. It's the job searcher's opportunity to help the potential employer see that the applicant's skills and experience match what the employer seeks. A well-written cover letter distinguishes your application."

Show Why You're a Strong Candidate

A cover letter can make a good impression on a prospective employer and is an excellent way to show that employer why you are a strong candidate for the job.  Resumes are helpful for giving an overview of your career , but a cover letter can tell a story about specific, relevant experience. They're also a chance to  show off your personality .

Explain Potential Issues

Cover letters also provide a useful way to explain away any potential concerns the employer might have about your candidacy, such as  gaps in your employment  or the fact that you will need to relocate for the job.

Make the Case for Your Candidacy

A cover letter allows you to write a compelling case for your candidacy. Why would you want to skip this opportunity? Even if a job application does not require a cover letter, you can send one anyway.

Often, employers expect a cover letter even if they do not directly ask for one. Sending one, particularly when it is not required, demonstrates that you are a motivated candidate.

Cover letters allow you—in narrative form—to tell the employer exactly why hiring you, instead of the numerous other candidates, is a good decision.

If you're applying online for a job and there is no way to upload or post a cover letter, don't worry about it. You don't need one.

When the employer specifically states what they want in a job application (resume, references, etc.), you don't have to write a cover letter if it is not included on the employer's list.

However, you may want to include an abbreviated  email cover letter  if there’s space to do so. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to make your pitch and impress the hiring manager.

Make sure your cover letter is a good one.  While a well-written cover letter may increase your chances of getting an interview, the opposite is also true. A poorly written cover letter will likely cause an employer to reject your application. Therefore, only send one if you have the time to write a clear, concise, and professional letter that makes a strong sales pitch for getting an interview.

Write a  targeted cover letter  that specifically relates your experience to the job posting.  Keep it short and sweet — aim for three to five paragraphs — with each paragraph focusing on an aspect of your candidacy. Read the job description carefully, so you can make sure your  cover letter really speaks to the requested qualifications . Bottom line, you want to make it clear why you'd be beneficial to the company in the position.

Review cover letter samples.  Before you start, look at some  cover letter examples  to get ideas for your own letters. While you don’t want to copy samples, reading them helps reveal what kind of tone is appropriate. Plus, you might discover a better way to emphasize your experience.

Format your cover letter correctly.  Familiarize yourself with  cover lettering formatting guidelines  and make sure that your materials meet these standards. Hiring managers will notice if you don’t follow these rules.

You want your experience to stand out, not your formatting or style choices. Keep it simple and let your skills shine through.

Be sure to edit your cover letter thoroughly. Typos and grammatical errors will demonstrate a sloppy work ethic to the employer. Review proofreading tips to remind yourself of what to watch out for. A few examples of common cover letter typos and mistakes: misspelled names of companies or interviewers, incorrect addresses, and inconsistent verb tenses and/or punctuation.

When you’re finished reviewing your final document, have a friend take a look as well. A fresh set of eyes may catch mistakes that you’re no longer able to see. Even the smallest error can work against you during the job application process, so take the time to get it right. 

APPLICATION WITHOUT COVER LETTER – IS THAT POSSIBLE?

CLASSIC PURPOSE OF COVER LETTERS FOR JOB APPLICATIONS

Are applications possible without a cover letter ? To answer this question, one should put oneself in the shoes of the applicant and the recruiting company. In the conventional sense, cover letters are used by companies to ascertain the applicant’s motivation . If the applicant is motivated to take up a new position and can express him/herself well in writing, the recruiter has a very good first clue regarding the invitation to an initial interview. So far, so good!

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF APPLICATIONS WITH AND WITHOUT COVER LETTER

Mandatory cover letters: stumbling blocks in the recruiting process.

What happens if the case described above does not occur? What are the consequences for companies and candidates? The following scenarios are conceivable:

• The applicant is suitable and willing to change, but does not manage to clearly express his/her motivation in the cover letter – or submits an application without a cover letter. He/she is therefore n ot considered further in the selection process .
• The applicant feels addressed by a job offer and would be a very good fit for the advertised position. However, the person has no concrete ambitions to change jobs. Due to a mandatory cover letter, the hurdle for an application seems too high , so the potential candidate refrains from applying.

OPTIONAL COVER LETTERS: CHALLENGES IN THE SELECTION PROCESS

What are the consequences of applying without a cover letter ? Objections from recruiters who have so far successfully recruited with obligatory cover letters are understandable:

• If the applicants are free to decide whether they want to attach a letter of motivation, the selection process may become more complex . By removing the hurdle, a higher number of applications can be expected.
• In the first step, the applicants are evaluated mainly on the basis of their CVs and thus – on paper – initially on a more superficial level. In order to check the motivation of the candidates, the number of initial interviews is often increased as a result. By dispensing with an obligatory cover letter, an additional effort is to be expected here.

In both cases, the compulsion to provide a cover letter or the resulting relevance in the selection of applicants means that there is no further exchange between the candidate and the company despite suitability. This inevitably reduces the pool of relevant applicants.

OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR COMPANIES

How companies should behave with regard to the requirement of a mandatory cover letter must be decided on a case-by-case basis. If a company is searching for new, suitable employees in the “war of talents”, it should be made as easy and convenient as possible for potential candidates to submit an application. Additional expenses in the selection process are to be “gratefully” accepted at this point. If these cannot be handled internally, companies can also call on external recruiting support .

However, if the company is in the fortunate position of receiving a large number of applications from suitable candidates, the requirement of a motivation letter can be a useful instrument to regulate the flood of applicants.

In our experience, there are currently hardly any companies that are embarrassed by having to reduce the number of applications they receive. At HR factory, we also like to go the extra mile for the right talent and are happy to get to know our applicants and their motivation and suitability in an interview.  That’s why we have been using a streamlined application process since 2018 – without a mandatory cover letter.

OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR APPLICANTS

If a company allows it, the application can be sent without a cover letter without a guilty conscience. A sensibly structured CV that succinctly describes all important career stages is – with or without a cover letter – the most important factor for further consideration in the selection process anyway. Good cover letters can positively underline the application documents, but are only a “nice-to-have” in open application processes.

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