Should I Write a Cover Letter?

Let’s be honest. Writing a cover letter is not a fun activity for most people. I’m sure the budding writers out there may enjoy the slog more than the rest of us, but there are more fulfilling prompts to wax poetic about than why we are perfect for a job.

So should you write one? In a perfect world I would say yes, but given limits to our time and energy I think you should consider several factors and prioritize accordingly:

• Is it a competitive job market? Look at the climate around you and see who has the power - employers or candidates. If there have been a lot of layoffs, chances are you have more competition for a given job opening. It is definitely worth your time in cases like this to write a cover letter.

• Are you a clear fit for the job? If you’re applying to a role within the same domain or job function, it should be pretty obvious from your resume that you’re a match. But if you’re stretching yourself and trying to land something new, you need to make a case for yourself. Why and how are your skills transferable? Why should the recruiter and hiring manager take a chance on you, when there are other “cookie cutter” candidates? A cover letter allows you to do that.

• How interested are you in the job? Match your efforts with your interest. If you REALLY want this job or to work at this particular company, write a cover letter to make yourself stand out. If you’re just applying to a wide swath of jobs and are not particularly invested in any of them (no judgment - we’ve all been there as job seekers), then it may not be worth the time.

Once you’ve given some thought to the above points, it should become clear whether a cover letter makes sense for a given job.

Let’s say you’ve decided, and you are going to bite the bullet and write the cover letter. What should you write? Check out this post for some guidance.