Do You Hate Cover Letters? Do They Matter?

Hate cover letters? Well, now is the time to get over your hate and start to love them. Okay, maybe not like them but at least understand their importance to employers.

We received a question from a job seeker recently asking if cover letters do matter. Our answer is yes they do matter. Cover letters are a significant part of your job search strategy. Your job is to provide your customer (employer) with all the tools needed to make a final purchase decision regarding different products for sale (job seekers). Cover letters offer an opportunity for job seekers to differentiate themselves from competitors. Cover letters also provide another chance for job seekers to showcase their skills using examples and paint a picture for the employer. Just like products paint a picture for potential consumers you need to do the same.  In today’s economy, you need to stand out. Consider cover letters a necessity for today’s job seekers.

Please note that your cover letter needs to be well written. Sending ineffective marketing material to your consumer is not going to help your position. However, it will surely hurt your chances of scoring an interview. At the same time, there is nothing worse than not sending marketing material at all.

Remember that a cover letter is merely a business document. Meaning it is concise and to-the-point, the cover letter is not an English paper, but at the same time, it provides enough information for readers to make a sound decision. In this case, the employer is deciding to bring you in for an interview or not.

The purpose of the cover letter:

• Serve as an introduction to the employer
• Address the position you are seeking and hoping to interview for
• Serve as one of your self-marketing tools
• Communicate that you are the product to solve the needs of the employer
• Offer and invite the employer to contact you

Keep your cover letter to one page. Remember employers are busy. They hardly have time to recruit and fill for openings. It is your job to make it easy for the employer to identify you as the solution to their problem.

​The mission of RE-Academy is to empower people from underserved communities, youth and disabled achieve economic self-sufficiency by providing a network of support, professional coaching, development tools and a confidence boost to help them thrive in work and life.​

​More Resources​

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