Are Cover Letters Useless?

Summary

Are cover letters useless?

Why not have someone write you a recommendation and include their words about you in your cover letter?

I have never seen anyone do this.?It will look fresh, interesting.

It will catch attention.

And you'll be able to use this recommendation about you at the START of your job search process when you need it the most. You'd currently use it now only at the END of your job search when you've received a job offer. Why wait?

Are cover letters useless?

Maybe we haven’t found a good use for them……until now.

Introduction

This is what I read and hear about cover letters all the time.?You’ve probably heard these, too.?You may currently have these same opinions as well--

“Cover letters are dead.”

“No one reads cover letters.”

“Cover letters are boring.”

“What are cover letters good for?”

“Why waste a recruiter’s and hiring manager’s time with a cover letter?”

“Some companies don’t even accept cover letters anymore.”

Etc.

Let’s not bury cover letters just yet.

The New Purpose

Something happened to me recently that changed my whole mindset about cover letters.

When it comes to recommendations/referrals, usually job seekers will wait and wait and wait until almost the very end of the hiring process, and then AFTER the employer has given the job seeker a job offer, then the employer will ask for the job seeker’s recommendation info.

But to me this seems too late in the hiring process.?Way too late.

One of my clients was starting his job search.?He had a stellar written recommendation from someone in his past.

I wished there was some way that my client could include this written recommendation with his resume when applying for jobs.?Seeing this written recommendation might increase interest in my client and maybe earn my client an interview.?But how could we get a recruiter or hiring manager (R&HM) to see this written recommendation especially so early in the hiring process?

And then it hit me:???the cover letter.

Show the written recommendation or the best parts of it in my client’s cover letter.

This phenomenon has already started happening in resumes.?More resumes are starting to show testimonials and complimentary quotes from a job seeker’s recommenders.

Just to be very clear:?There has always been this classic advice about cover letters and referrals:

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/how-to-include-a-referral-in-your-cover-letter

“When you’re applying for a job, it can be helpful to be referred by someone who is already employed at the same company or who knows the hiring manager personally. Mentioning a referral in the opening lines of your cover letter can get the hiring manager’s attention, leading them to read the rest of your letter with interest.”

But we are talking about two very different situations.

If someone is referring you for a job, the above classic advice is what you should do with your cover letter.

But let’s say no one is referring you.?No one in the company.?You are just “cold-applying” for a job.?But you have an excellent written recommendation that you could show in your cover letter.?Its uniqueness, freshness, and novelty could catch the R&HM’s eye, and spark their interest in you.

But won’t having a recommendation in your cover letter cause your resume/application/cover letter to get rejected??Maybe.?But I have never heard of any job candidate getting rejected because of their cover letter.

Having a recommendation in your RESUME has always been discouraged.?But no one mentions whether having a recommendation in your COVER LETTER is a bad idea or not.?I think it would be a good thing. Job seekers should be made aware that they have this option.?Some R&HM receive dozens if not hundreds of applications/resumes a week.?Job seekers need every edge they can get to differentiate themselves from their competition.

Cover Letter Example

To Hiring Manager
XYZ Company
Date
From Susan Smith

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am applying for the open position you have posted:  Project Coordinator

I received this comment from my previous manager:

"Susan, you have shown so much enthusiasm, drive, and commitment.
I wish I had more workers like you.  You learn fast. I know I can't
hold you back.  I heartily support and approve of your efforts to
move up.  I wish there was more I can do for you.  If there is
anything I can do to help you, let me know."

A few of my achievements I'd like to mention:
1.
2.
3.

etc.

I think working for your company would be an honor because  ...  etc.

Thank you for considering me.

Sincerely,

Susan Smith        

Company Not Accepting Cover Letters

If this is true for the company you want to apply to, what should you do?

Send your cover letter to their HR and ask them to route it to the appropriate hiring team.?Mention that you’ve already applied online.?Or some ATS’s will allow you to submit extra files with your online application.?Use this feature to submit your cover letter.

Beyond Recommendations

Since the cover letter is never scanned by an ATS for correctness or keywords or to extract info, the cover letter can have anything you want in it.?Photos, graphs, charts, diagrams.?Anything you think might catch attention and help sell you.

Are cover letters useless??Maybe not.