Why Are Cover Letters Still Important?
Getting a job was hard enough before the pandemic threw the whole business world into disarray. Downsizing and budget cuts meant that the available openings were few and far between. These problems were exacerbated by rising unemployment and a bunch of other crises.
Although the economy is opening up now, job seekers are still looking at a pretty grim picture. Competition for good positions is still fierce, and employers pick only outstanding candidates to fill them.
This means that presentation is now more important than ever for job seekers. Submitting a well-written CV can boost your chances of landing an interview dramatically. Getting a good CV writing service to take care of that part of the application process for you is a winning strategy. However, a CV is not always the only thing you must submit to apply for a job. Many companies nowadays also insist on having a cover letter to go with it.
Cover letters may seem outdated and anachronistic in the world of social media. At a glance, they may appear like a relic of a bygone age, when job ads were found in newspapers and job boards were made of wood. Still, their utility in the age of the Internet is not as diminished as it may seem. Here are a few things about cover letters that every applicant should consider.
Providing Extra Information is Crucial
Gone are the days when resumes were mini-autobiographies. Nowadays, CVs are written with brevity and conciseness in mind. This is only natural, considering that most of them will be reviewed in six to thirty seconds. Browsability is without a doubt the way to go, under the circumstances.
Still, there are aspects of an applicant’s qualifications that can’t be described well in a bullet-point format. Some things about the applicant and how they view the world and the position just need to be said in freeform text format. A cover letter is perfect for this purpose.
The exact manner in which you write your cover letter is up to you. There are many winning strategies you can use to make it a good one. Still, regardless of what style of presentation you choose to adopt, sincerity and dedication is the way to go.
Make your cover letter unique, and polish it as much as possible. Stay away from cliches, and avoid going overboard. The very fact that you’ve done so speaks volumes about your dedication and determination.
Cover Letters Show Dedication
Hiring and training new employees is a huge expense for companies nowadays. This means businesses need to ensure they hire the best person for the job every single time. To do so, they need to reach as many talented applicants as possible.
The problem recruiters always face is that when they cast a wide net, a whole lot of chaff gets caught in it. Many unreliable job seekers send CVs out almost at random, hoping to “get lucky”. Such candidates do so even if they’re obviously unqualified for the position or are not serious about applying.
Requiring a cover letter alongside a CV is a sieve that guarantees that HR does not have to deal with such applications. Only people who are genuinely interested in the position and believe they can get the job will make the effort of composing a good cover letter.
Cover Letters Demonstrate Your Written Communication Skills
A well-written cover letter can showcase many things about an applicant. Still, the most important thing that a cover letter shows HR is your written communication skills.
In the past, communication skills were something that companies valued, but were not necessarily focused on. Things have changed in the last few years – now communication is everything. All white-collar jobs focus on written communication of one type or another.
What’s more, most such work is now done remotely. This means that employees will need to be in touch with their team members and managers at all times. Having good written communication skills is also key for composing reports and filing paperwork. All of these are important aspects of modern business.
Submitting a polished CV is crucial for impressing HR with your initial presentation. However, it tells the recruiter very little about the applicant’s communication skills and disposition. A well-written cover letter serves as proof that the job seeker in question has this crucial skill set.
About the author: Andrew Arkley
Andrew Arkley is the founder of PurpleCV, one of the UK’s leading CV writing providers – with over 15 years’ experience in HR and recruitment at a senior level and having conducted thousands of interviews, he knows precisely what it takes to land a job! Andrew has personally written over 3000 CVs and since its inception, PurpleCV has grown rapidly to encompass a UK-based team committed to providing market-leading CVs for any job seeker or individual.
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