The average hiring manager may see up to 200 or more resumes for every job posting. This means that right off the bat, you may have as little as 0.5% chance of your resume truly getting noticed…. leaving you with a slim chance to be chosen for an interview.
But there are ways to help get your resume noticed. And perhaps the simplest way is by using a cover letter. You see, while many people may think that cover letters are old fashioned, a survey showed that as much as 90% of executives said cover letters were “invaluable” when evaluating candidates.[1]
And, perhaps even more importantly, when it comes down to a “tie breaker” between candidates, some hiring managers view the candidate who submitted a strong cover as a better potential fit than the candidate who did not.
Why? Well, a little extra work shows you’re serious about the job.
Now, because of the current conditions of the labor market, there are now more qualified candidates than ever vying for the job you want. And because some employers are offering handsome salaries and better benefits packages than in years before, the competition for the job you want has become fierce. You need an edge!
So, even though job postings from employers may often say that a cover letter is optional (if they mention it at all), including a cover letter should not be an option for you. In fact, it’s a must… and it could give you that edge you need to succeed.
Here’s what an effective cover letter should include:
Your cover letter only needs to be 250 to 350 words long. This may sound like a lot of words, but Its only about one page.
However, for every job you submit a cover letter for, be sure it’s personalized for that position, and that company. Meaning you might have to write more than one.
You can, however, create a “template” cover letter that includes most of the necessary information that can be used for multiple submissions, but always personalize to that specific position before hitting send.
Of course, before submitting your cover letter (or your resume for that matter) you should run it through a spell-checker to be certain there are no grammatical mistakes. If you submit a spelling error-filled cover letter and resume you’re not going to look very good in the eyes of the hiring manager.
Now, you might be wondering if it’s okay to use AI to help write your cover letter. And the answer to this is maybe… as long as everything you include in your cover letter (just like your resume) is truthful, accurate and not at all misleading, you can.
Get this...
Less than half of job seekers use cover letters[2]. So, if you use one, you’re giving yourself a big leg-up on the competition.
Do it!
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[1] Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters? | TopResume