When you send in your resume, including a customized note will boost your chances to stand out among the crowd.
It’s a fact that approximately 80% of applicants when asked to include a cover letter with their resume didn’t follow the instructions. This was the experience of Eileen Levitt, president of The HR Team in Columbia.
Levitt goes on to say that these applicants weren’t even considered for the position. It is very important to make the assumption that a cover letter is required and that’s even if the job posting doesn’t call for one. By including a cover letter shows the employer that you have initiative and can showcase creativity, writing skills and even humor.
Recruitment professionals say that a cover letter is just as important as the resume. You should view the cover letter as an introduction. A well written effective cover letter will draw the reader to the resume. So you can now see the link the cover letter plays in getting your resume read.
A survey carried out in June this year (2007) by CareerBuilder.com found that 12% of 2546 hiring managers stated they would automatically dismiss an application if it was submitted without a cover letter.
The survey also uncovered some more interesting facts;
Cover letters should not be computer generated.
90% of managers said they could easily identify a cover letter that was not customized for their company or open position.
22% said they would consider dismissing a candidate if their cover letter was not customized.
30% said that if the candidate did not attract their attention in the first sentence they were unlikely to keep on reading the cover letter.
It is clear that a cover letter is as, if not more, important than a resume and time should be spent writing a good one. Try and incorporate content from your resume into the cover letter, telling the reader how you fit into the advertised job.
(Based on an article by Hanah Cho - On The Job)
