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LinkedIn Dissed ‘Little Miss’ For Not Applying If There Is A Cover Letter Requirement And Twitter Users Respond
In this day and age, you can find a job without needing to step foot outside your home, because you don’t need to physically go to the place where you want to work, and can just send an online application. It allows you to save time and send out more applications, increasing your chance of getting an answer back.
On the other hand, there is a lot more competition and because of that, the application process takes longer as recruiters have to take more steps to select the best candidate. However, candidates are quite annoyed with all the steps because they feel they are repeating themselves and just wasting time.
The topic was brought up once again when the official account of LinkedIn posted a tweet looking down upon people who don’t apply to jobs when they see a cover letter is required. Twitter users were quick to respond and while there were some who agreed, most of them were annoyed with the tweet.
More info: Twitter
RELATED:
LinkedIn thinks that cover letters are an important part of a job application process but Twitter couldn’t agree less
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LinkedIn, as they introduce themselves, is “the world’s largest professional network on the internet.” It is basically a website where you can look for jobs or connect with the right people who can lead you to your desired position.
LinkedIn also has social media features as people like to share posts about their career changes, achievements, advice, events and anything else related to working or their jobs. The posts receive likes, comments, and people share them, so it’s quite interactive and you never know when a new career opportunity will come to you.
LinkedIn posted a tweet implying that people who don’t apply to jobs if there is a cover letter required are not trying hard enough
Image credits: LinkedIn
Because the platform itself is so up-to-date, catering to young people who spend so much time on social media leads followers to believe that the company also has modern views shared with the majority of the working class today.
Most of the time, it seems like this is the case, because previous tweets include statements that mental health is more important than a toxic job, encouraging people to take their PTO, and supporting professionals who have tattoos, but one of their recent tweets ticked people off.
But Twitter users had completely opposite thoughts
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LinkedIn said: “little miss gives up on a job application if it requires a cover letter.” The company jumped in on a meme trend that became quite popular for no reason, creating relatable characters who are ‘a little miss.’
This is actually a real character that you can find in the children’s book series Mr. Men and Little Misses, popular in the United Kingdom. There are other characters such as Little Miss Curious, Little Miss Giggles, etc. So people started creating their own versions pointing out sad, annoying or admirable things about people, like Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong or Little Miss Compulsive Target Run, followed up by cute illustrations.
So contrary to some people’s belief, LinkedIn was not trying to be sexist here, making it seem that only women give up or are lazy, but were just using a meme template.
A lot of people considered cover letters to be a waste of time
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Image credits: Joel Bez (not the actual photo)
Even though most of the time, memes are harmless and make you smile internally or painfully relate, LinkedIn missed the target this time. They were implying that people who just don’t bother with a job application if they find a cover letter is required are wrong.
Twitter users responded that in this case, LinkedIn is not making sense. Most people explained that they don’t think a cover letter should be necessary because it contains information that is already available in their resume and in the application form.
They claimed that the job application process is already lengthy, so why require a cover letter that includes the same information provided in the resume
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People were arguing that cover letters take too much time to write and when you are looking for a job, you have already dedicated a good chunk of the day looking through listings and sending out applications and having multiple interviews for a position.
There were also people from the other side of the fence who actually hire people, some of whom confirmed that they don’t even read the cover letters and it has somehow become this formality that companies can’t get rid of.
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While a lot of people agreed that cover letters are unnecessary, there were a few who defended it and believed it says more than just a resume
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While most people in the comments considered cover letters to be a waste of time, there were some who believed in it. In their opinion, a cover letter highlights your strengths and may reveal your other skills that don’t fit into the resume template.
It may be that people have forgotten what a cover letter is and assume it has to contain the information that they already provide in their CV.
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Another problem people saw with cover letters was that they spend time writing them when recruiters don’t even read them
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Turns out, LinkedIn is aware of this situation. In an article published earlier this year, they write, “Today’s cover letters are trapped in a kind of chicken-egg situation: hiring pros stopped reading cover letters because cover letters were generic and boring. Meanwhile, hirees started writing generic, boring cover letters because hiring professionals weren’t reading them anyway!”
So they believe it is your opportunity to stand out and give more than anyone would expect. There are quite a lot of suggestions online for what can make your cover letter draw the eye of the hiring manager.
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This was confirmed by people who hire employees, which raises the question of who decided a cover letter should be a requirement
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Many resources suggest adjusting your cover letter to a specific position in the specific company. They also believe it is important to address the hiring manager personally and try to write in a condensed way. Try giving examples instead of talking vaguely and point out the skills that are relevant only to the position for which you are applying at that time.
It may seem like a lot of effort, especially knowing that recruiters don’t always read cover letters, but if you feel like it is a waste of time, you shouldn’t feel bad for not applying. Every step of the process reflects what the company’s values are and if they don’t match with yours, you wouldn’t even want to work there anyway.
So you can follow the commenters’ steps and not apply if there is a requirement to submit one or only write a cover letter to the companies you truly want to work at, as the genuine interest will definitely come through the screen of the person who is reading it.
According to LinkedIn, cover letters are an opportunity to stand out exactly because everyone is done with them and don’t put effort in writing
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Many companies still require a cover letter, but the Twitter thread showed that it should be more of an optional application step and applying for a job doesn’t need to be such a complicated process.
We would like to know how you feel about cover letters. Do you write them? Do you think they have ever helped you to get a job? Or do you avoid job listings with a required cover letter? Let us hear what you have to say on the topic in the comments!
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Angela Turrall 3 years ago (edited)
Sorry but, cover letters ARE important a lot of the time. I read every single application, always. A cover letter is the first thing I read, it’s my first impression and an important part of the decision making process for me. Your CV is just your list of things you know and have done and at least 2 dozen others will have the exact same list, so you have no way to stand out if that’s all I have on you. Your cover letter can tell me you’ve read and understood the job description, and it shows me a glimpse of your personality, and your ability to reframe and adapt. Have a good sense of humour? Are you a bit arrogant? It all shows up in your CL. A good CL can help me excuse a lot of missing skills and make me want to take a chance on you. I don’t need pages, just a couple of paragraphs that show me who you are (not begging like someone suggested). I’m hiring a person too, not just a list of qualifications and experience, I learn far more from the CL than your CV.
David Andrews 3 years ago
Why the fuss about cover letters? It's just a couple of paragraphs to give an overview of you, and a chance to highlight any skills which you think will make you stand out for that role. If they then want more detail, they can look at your cv. Spend 20 mins writing it for your first application and save it, then just tweak for the rest of needed. Some employers may not read it, but others do, so why not give yourself the best chance of getting the job and do one.
Scott Rackley 3 years ago
Why not post the compensation range with the job posting? It's only less than 20 minutes and saves the applicant the time of writing a cover letter for a job you're gonna try to screw me on.
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S Mi 3 years ago (edited)
I hire in a field without one specific career path. A cover letter can help me see how you think your skills and past experience fit, especially if it's a bit of a shift. I have interviewed and hired based on a cover letter, when the resume would have likely been a no. (Edit- missing word)
A.D 3 years ago
So you have hired someone that has no idea how to do the job but they had great skill in bragging on themselves? Sounds like a great hiring plan 👍
Load More Replies...
Pirates of Zen Pants 3 years ago
I've always written cover letters, but Jonathan C.'s "I know it ain't miss not posting the salary talkin" is *chef's kiss*
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
The let’s chuck the entire resume b******t out the window, and just sum everything up in the cover letter? It already takes two hours to complete an online application, ffs, even if you’re copying and pasting from your resume. Then it’s up to chance that your format matches the HR program’s format, so any of that c**p even reads through. Then they just leave it up to a f*****g algorithm to decide whether to even look at the damn thing in the first place. If it was ALL in a cover letter, a human would have to look at it to read it, as long as it contained at least one of the keywords. We need to bring to human element back into the hiring process. Hell, if it’s a matter of time and staffing, then f*****g hire more HR staff—-put the Human back in Human Resources—-so you have enough human eyes on applications. It ain’t rocket science, ffs!
Peter 3 years ago
CVs have historically been a way for candidates to present a timeline and list of the education they have received and the places they have worked in a concise fashion. But the art of concise CV writing has been lost and so in order to get the same information from each candidate in a regular format, we have the application form instead. Yes it would be more efficient to have a standard format for these so you don't have to keep repeating the same work. There was some effort put into a standard ages ago but I guess every employer thinks they are wanting something a bit special so a standard doesn't work for them. (They are usually wrong.) There's no need for an application and a CV then. But cover letters are great for seeing how a candidate thinks they fit the role. Actually, the quality of writing in a cover letter and the logical layout of a CV show an awful lot about the candidates clarity of thought. Most candidates exclude themselves on this alone!
Load More Replies...
Bec 3 years ago
I hire adjunct faculty and tutors. I definitely read your cover letter. A resume can't express your passion for teaching, or why you want to teach for me. DO tweak your letters slightly to be job specific. If you drop a Teaching Philosophy document in the application, I know that you have real training or experience too. Sorry that a lot of the application platforms suck and make you enter the information twice, but even the hiring manager doesn't have control over that. On my end, stop applying if you don't meet the qualifications or live on the other side of the country (online instructors are a dime a dozen, I don't need more online, I need people for in person).
Rachel Ainsworth 3 years ago
I don't bother with cover letters anymore as HR filters applicants based on whether you have the right key words in your cv.
Kharyss 3 years ago
Only for the bigger companies that have application filtering software. Most companies have an actual person reading CV’s and cover letters. Personally I discard applications that are nothing but a list of buzz words and look for meaningful experience and qualifications.
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Jack Reed 3 years ago
As someone in recruiting, I read every cover letter. This is where you've got a chance to tell me about skills that you've developed that weren't necessarily part of your job description, tell me why you're applying outside of your usual field, or if you are applying from out of state, to tell me what your timeline is for relocating, or even explain that five year gap in your work history. Or the you've had six jobs in the last six months. Having said that, I never require a cover letter, but if you're falling into any one of those categories and don't have an explanation somewhere? I'm probably going to pass. Yes, I can ask all of these questions in an interview, but I'd much rather talk about this job, and walk through what our company has to offer, what we expect, and the intricacies of the position, than ask all of these questions that should be answered on your resume and cover letter. Not every recruiter looks at it the same, every one has their own style.
Jack Reed 3 years ago
I'd also add that I always have a salary range posted, but I still have to ask because, despite it being there, a large number of people will ask for $15k to $20k per year more than the high end of my range. When I ask them about that, the answer is always "oh, I didn't notice" or "I thought it would be negotiable"
Load More Replies...
West Hermans 3 years ago
I wrote one generic cover letter that reiterates my degrees and experience in generic terms that fits all of the job types that I'm applying for. If they decide to make this a requirement but it's clear that they will reject half of their applicants due to their generic job description, they get a cover letter that matches their effort in announcing the job.
Tim 3 years ago
As a hiring manager, I don't require them, but if someone writes one, I do read it. But I read the resume first. At certain times, my company has expanded and we get a ton of applications and HR is too overwhelmed to do the prescreen. So, I've done it. The first thing I look for is do they live in the country. You'd be surprised how many applications you get from people who don't live anywhere near where the job is. The next thing is the resume. Do they relevant experience,etc.? Then I look at anything else they throw into ther application. Some people have written nice letters and some are just their resume in paragraph form. Then... I look for a reason to use my time to talk to the candidate, something that stands out from the other candidates. Not just my time, but my employee's time, my boss' time, and their boss' time. Maybe some people don't realize, but a job posting gets more than a few applications. The last time I had an position, I got well over 20 qualified applicants.
Tim 3 years ago
I also appreciate a thank you email. I've gotten two in my entire time as a manager and hired both people.
Load More Replies... Matthew Zornig 3 years ago
Guy above took 2 hours to write a cover letter? I had a generic cover letter template where I just inserted the company name and listed the particular skills they were looking for. 10 minutes.
K8 D 3 years ago
I also hope people are exaggerating when they say it takes 2 hours to copy/paste their resume info. It's infuriating and does waste my time, but 2 hours? Maybe CTRL+V would help?
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Erik Ivan 3 years ago
Here in Sweden those resumés are called CV - short for Curicullum Vitae. So to do it right and keep the resumé concistent with that stupid akronym, I wrote the thing in Latin. It was on a class that was part of a lengthy rehabilitation after getting injured in an accident. Got told to get serious and do it "proper" this time.
Brian Stanton 3 years ago
A true cv is long. In the states, employers wont read more than 1 page
Load More Replies... Sam Cava 3 years ago
I’m sorry to say that the most incompetent people I’ve dealt with in the last 30 years are “recruiting agency workers” They seem to fall well short of understanding not only the role that the company they represent is looking to fill, but, they have no reality of what/who the best candidate could possibly be based on a cover letter, a resume and 30 year old outdated questions of how the said candidate “ Tell me how you conquered Mount Everest, what obstacles you had to avoid and what you did differently” Makes me laugh.
F C 3 years ago
Yup people who know nothing about the profession. Outsourcing as usual because the company is too lazy to do it
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BluEyedSeoulite 3 years ago
I've been a consultant to check applicants' English ability (some places realize test scores mean nothing) and not one interviewer or HR person I've talked to looks at cover letters
Kharyss 3 years ago
Then they’re missing a trick and spending money on a consultant when it’s not required. Cover letters give a good idea of a candidates level of literacy and critical thinking skills. Can they identify the key criteria in the job description or company bio and focus in on the best examples in their own career or experience that demonstrate those skills? Can they then convey that information in a succinct and coherent manner? It’s an opportunity for a candidate to add flesh to their basic CV and highlight their particular talents.
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Kitty Jordan 3 years ago
A cover letter is kind of like a letter of introduction. It's a letter you write attached to your application wherein you talk a little bit more about how you're qualified for the job or excited for it, in a way that's a little more personal than a resume.
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DrMonika LoveWillwin 3 years ago (edited)
As a hiring manager, I definitely read cover letters, résumés, and all the answers to application questions. I’m investing in a person who could be joining our team and making a huge impact on the people we serve, as well as current staff. I want as much relevant information as possible to make the best hiring decision.
Memere 3 years ago (edited)
I've been retired since 2016, however for the last 2 positions I held (one for 5 years before the company closed their office in my city, the last for 11 years), I combined my cover letter into my resume/CV. Short "cover letter" type paragraph at the top that's targeted at the position, basic work history on the rest of the page. Final sentence was "References provided on request". Short & sweet, and it worked. I also disagree with the online application where they require a resume/CV AND filling out an application form. Total waste of time all around. Ask for one or the other, not both. The applicant can bring a copy of their resume/CV, if it's absolutely necessary, when you bring them in for an interview.
Vesna 3 years ago
I'm a hiring manager, and just went through digging and reading a bunch of resumes. 1) the stuff that different websites ask you to fill out on top of uploading the resume is for filtering purposes. I personally hate those too, but these are used by recruiters, who shuffle through a lot of applications to filter out the ones that we would need to interview. I get the pain of this- should be a better process, but it is what it is:( 2) cover letters are important for some senior positions or something that you REALLY want, and your effort on writing the letter and it contents matters a lot for hiring managers. But before those gems come to the people who you will be actually working with if hired - it goes through hands of HR and recruiters - who know nothing about the position, but only look at buzz words. whom you will be
F C 3 years ago
People keep saying this like it means something. Use humans. Accept paper cv's like before. Stop putting people through his dehumanising process and never even contact them to reject them
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Pablo Ramos 3 years ago
I find cover letters useful and I believe they can help get a job. The thing I absolutely hate, and have abandoned applications because of it is when the company asks you to upload your resume, but then mak you go through page after page of forms re-writing the darn thing again.
Seedy Vine 3 years ago
Recruiters demanding free writing samples are getting invoiced from now on.
AffieDaffy 3 years ago
Have shortlisted not as strong resumes, based on a good cover letter and ended up hiring those people.
CultOfBambi 3 years ago
So much of this is due to the company's HR department & the recruitment agent justifying their collective existence and commissions.
Wondering Alice 3 years ago
Surely this depends on the job. In my role (education) a CV just confirms that you have the qualifications required, and can show experience - however, everyone applying for a role will have similar. The cover letter is by far the most important part of being selected for interview. It's not a place to repeat your CV, it's an opportunity to show that you have done your research and know all about the role and the place as well as letting the potential employers know which parts of your personality you think will be beneficial to the role. Recently, our department was recruiting, the deputy gave me a pile of applications to short list for her. I only read the cover letters. First I got rid of all the generic ones that looked like applicants were applying for loads of jobs and people who just repeated CV. I made 2 piles of what was left - people who I thought would fit right in, and people I thought might bring something different. A quick check through those CV's didn't change anything.
Wondering Alice 3 years ago
All those people got interviewed. She went with one of the least experienced of the 'bring something different' because she loved their attitude. Had I short listed based on CV, that person would have been cut. To be fair though, if I was applying for loads of jobs in something like a supermarket, I would be irritated to write a cover letter.
Load More Replies... F C 3 years ago
Cover letters are not important but on online applications they force you to upload something, you can't skip it. Even on same websites and inter institutional websites you have to register EVRRY SINGLE TIME, you have to fill things out MANUALLY, and then you need to upload customs cv and resumes etc only for it to go in to cyber space and they never call you. This is every SINGLE application every single one even for working at a froze yoghurt shop. When I was unemployed I did a lite experiment, it amounts to 45 mins-1 hour per application not including the writing time and an average of 9 hours a day. A full time job with no answer. I can count the answers on one hand of course. It is a machine reading the cove letter and picking out the key words, not a human, that's why its mandatory.
CatGirl 3 years ago
Recruitment firms are usually staffed by people who haven't managed to get into anything else, and who are only interested in filling positions, regardless of whether the candidate's actually a good fit. Certainly, the recruitment firms here in Australia who deal with teachers aren't much to shout about.
MAL 3 years ago
Cover letters are stupid. I obviously want the job because I'm applying. You can see my qualifications, etc. in the resume I sent. I'm not giving your my salary expectations because you should already have given them to me. I'm not begging for a job from you because there are probably 1,000s out there that I could also apply for. Stop wasting out time with archaic b******t.
Kharyss 3 years ago
Which is partly why companies put these requirements in place. It weeds out the people who have an attitude. Yes, there may be a shortage of skilled people in certain areas, but most would rather wait or manage without than hire someone with a self-centered, entitled, “I’m doing you a favour working here” attitude.
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aubergine10003 3 years ago
I am a recruiter and am here to say: we require cover letters for campus hires because we want to see their writing skills... not so much for experienced hires. AND I'm so tired of seeing people complain about having to fill out a separate application in a resume tracking system when they've already uploaded their resume! The reason this is necessary is because an RTS will pull out key information that may not be pulled from a PDF (resume). But you know, if people really have a problem with this, then they should just apply for less taxing opportunities... smdh
Seedy Vine 3 years ago
Resume tracking system issues sound like something a paid IT department should fix. The onus shouldn't be on the applicants.
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Scott Rackley 3 years ago
All the information the company needs has been given to them in a custom resume with skills/accomplishments only relevant to the companies interests. I see no need to write them a version of cliff's notes of it. If you need a cover letter to hire someone, and do not post the compensation range, p**s off.
Angela Turrall 3 years ago (edited)
Sorry but, cover letters ARE important a lot of the time. I read every single application, always. A cover letter is the first thing I read, it’s my first impression and an important part of the decision making process for me. Your CV is just your list of things you know and have done and at least 2 dozen others will have the exact same list, so you have no way to stand out if that’s all I have on you. Your cover letter can tell me you’ve read and understood the job description, and it shows me a glimpse of your personality, and your ability to reframe and adapt. Have a good sense of humour? Are you a bit arrogant? It all shows up in your CL. A good CL can help me excuse a lot of missing skills and make me want to take a chance on you. I don’t need pages, just a couple of paragraphs that show me who you are (not begging like someone suggested). I’m hiring a person too, not just a list of qualifications and experience, I learn far more from the CL than your CV.
David Andrews 3 years ago
Why the fuss about cover letters? It's just a couple of paragraphs to give an overview of you, and a chance to highlight any skills which you think will make you stand out for that role. If they then want more detail, they can look at your cv. Spend 20 mins writing it for your first application and save it, then just tweak for the rest of needed. Some employers may not read it, but others do, so why not give yourself the best chance of getting the job and do one.
Scott Rackley 3 years ago
Why not post the compensation range with the job posting? It's only less than 20 minutes and saves the applicant the time of writing a cover letter for a job you're gonna try to screw me on.
Load More Replies... S Mi 3 years ago (edited)
I hire in a field without one specific career path. A cover letter can help me see how you think your skills and past experience fit, especially if it's a bit of a shift. I have interviewed and hired based on a cover letter, when the resume would have likely been a no. (Edit- missing word)
A.D 3 years ago
So you have hired someone that has no idea how to do the job but they had great skill in bragging on themselves? Sounds like a great hiring plan 👍
Load More Replies... Pirates of Zen Pants 3 years ago
I've always written cover letters, but Jonathan C.'s "I know it ain't miss not posting the salary talkin" is *chef's kiss*
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
The let’s chuck the entire resume b******t out the window, and just sum everything up in the cover letter? It already takes two hours to complete an online application, ffs, even if you’re copying and pasting from your resume. Then it’s up to chance that your format matches the HR program’s format, so any of that c**p even reads through. Then they just leave it up to a f*****g algorithm to decide whether to even look at the damn thing in the first place. If it was ALL in a cover letter, a human would have to look at it to read it, as long as it contained at least one of the keywords. We need to bring to human element back into the hiring process. Hell, if it’s a matter of time and staffing, then f*****g hire more HR staff—-put the Human back in Human Resources—-so you have enough human eyes on applications. It ain’t rocket science, ffs!
Peter 3 years ago
CVs have historically been a way for candidates to present a timeline and list of the education they have received and the places they have worked in a concise fashion. But the art of concise CV writing has been lost and so in order to get the same information from each candidate in a regular format, we have the application form instead. Yes it would be more efficient to have a standard format for these so you don't have to keep repeating the same work. There was some effort put into a standard ages ago but I guess every employer thinks they are wanting something a bit special so a standard doesn't work for them. (They are usually wrong.) There's no need for an application and a CV then. But cover letters are great for seeing how a candidate thinks they fit the role. Actually, the quality of writing in a cover letter and the logical layout of a CV show an awful lot about the candidates clarity of thought. Most candidates exclude themselves on this alone!
Load More Replies... Bec 3 years ago
I hire adjunct faculty and tutors. I definitely read your cover letter. A resume can't express your passion for teaching, or why you want to teach for me. DO tweak your letters slightly to be job specific. If you drop a Teaching Philosophy document in the application, I know that you have real training or experience too. Sorry that a lot of the application platforms suck and make you enter the information twice, but even the hiring manager doesn't have control over that. On my end, stop applying if you don't meet the qualifications or live on the other side of the country (online instructors are a dime a dozen, I don't need more online, I need people for in person).
Rachel Ainsworth 3 years ago
I don't bother with cover letters anymore as HR filters applicants based on whether you have the right key words in your cv.
Kharyss 3 years ago
Only for the bigger companies that have application filtering software. Most companies have an actual person reading CV’s and cover letters. Personally I discard applications that are nothing but a list of buzz words and look for meaningful experience and qualifications.
Load More Replies... Jack Reed 3 years ago
As someone in recruiting, I read every cover letter. This is where you've got a chance to tell me about skills that you've developed that weren't necessarily part of your job description, tell me why you're applying outside of your usual field, or if you are applying from out of state, to tell me what your timeline is for relocating, or even explain that five year gap in your work history. Or the you've had six jobs in the last six months. Having said that, I never require a cover letter, but if you're falling into any one of those categories and don't have an explanation somewhere? I'm probably going to pass. Yes, I can ask all of these questions in an interview, but I'd much rather talk about this job, and walk through what our company has to offer, what we expect, and the intricacies of the position, than ask all of these questions that should be answered on your resume and cover letter. Not every recruiter looks at it the same, every one has their own style.
Jack Reed 3 years ago
I'd also add that I always have a salary range posted, but I still have to ask because, despite it being there, a large number of people will ask for $15k to $20k per year more than the high end of my range. When I ask them about that, the answer is always "oh, I didn't notice" or "I thought it would be negotiable"
Load More Replies... West Hermans 3 years ago
I wrote one generic cover letter that reiterates my degrees and experience in generic terms that fits all of the job types that I'm applying for. If they decide to make this a requirement but it's clear that they will reject half of their applicants due to their generic job description, they get a cover letter that matches their effort in announcing the job.
Tim 3 years ago
As a hiring manager, I don't require them, but if someone writes one, I do read it. But I read the resume first. At certain times, my company has expanded and we get a ton of applications and HR is too overwhelmed to do the prescreen. So, I've done it. The first thing I look for is do they live in the country. You'd be surprised how many applications you get from people who don't live anywhere near where the job is. The next thing is the resume. Do they relevant experience,etc.? Then I look at anything else they throw into ther application. Some people have written nice letters and some are just their resume in paragraph form. Then... I look for a reason to use my time to talk to the candidate, something that stands out from the other candidates. Not just my time, but my employee's time, my boss' time, and their boss' time. Maybe some people don't realize, but a job posting gets more than a few applications. The last time I had an position, I got well over 20 qualified applicants.
Tim 3 years ago
I also appreciate a thank you email. I've gotten two in my entire time as a manager and hired both people.
Load More Replies... Matthew Zornig 3 years ago
Guy above took 2 hours to write a cover letter? I had a generic cover letter template where I just inserted the company name and listed the particular skills they were looking for. 10 minutes.
K8 D 3 years ago
I also hope people are exaggerating when they say it takes 2 hours to copy/paste their resume info. It's infuriating and does waste my time, but 2 hours? Maybe CTRL+V would help?
Load More Replies... Erik Ivan 3 years ago
Here in Sweden those resumés are called CV - short for Curicullum Vitae. So to do it right and keep the resumé concistent with that stupid akronym, I wrote the thing in Latin. It was on a class that was part of a lengthy rehabilitation after getting injured in an accident. Got told to get serious and do it "proper" this time.
Brian Stanton 3 years ago
A true cv is long. In the states, employers wont read more than 1 page
Load More Replies... Sam Cava 3 years ago
I’m sorry to say that the most incompetent people I’ve dealt with in the last 30 years are “recruiting agency workers” They seem to fall well short of understanding not only the role that the company they represent is looking to fill, but, they have no reality of what/who the best candidate could possibly be based on a cover letter, a resume and 30 year old outdated questions of how the said candidate “ Tell me how you conquered Mount Everest, what obstacles you had to avoid and what you did differently” Makes me laugh.
F C 3 years ago
Yup people who know nothing about the profession. Outsourcing as usual because the company is too lazy to do it
Load More Replies... BluEyedSeoulite 3 years ago
I've been a consultant to check applicants' English ability (some places realize test scores mean nothing) and not one interviewer or HR person I've talked to looks at cover letters
Kharyss 3 years ago
Then they’re missing a trick and spending money on a consultant when it’s not required. Cover letters give a good idea of a candidates level of literacy and critical thinking skills. Can they identify the key criteria in the job description or company bio and focus in on the best examples in their own career or experience that demonstrate those skills? Can they then convey that information in a succinct and coherent manner? It’s an opportunity for a candidate to add flesh to their basic CV and highlight their particular talents.
Load More Replies... Kitty Jordan 3 years ago
A cover letter is kind of like a letter of introduction. It's a letter you write attached to your application wherein you talk a little bit more about how you're qualified for the job or excited for it, in a way that's a little more personal than a resume.
Load More Replies... DrMonika LoveWillwin 3 years ago (edited)
As a hiring manager, I definitely read cover letters, résumés, and all the answers to application questions. I’m investing in a person who could be joining our team and making a huge impact on the people we serve, as well as current staff. I want as much relevant information as possible to make the best hiring decision.
Memere 3 years ago (edited)
I've been retired since 2016, however for the last 2 positions I held (one for 5 years before the company closed their office in my city, the last for 11 years), I combined my cover letter into my resume/CV. Short "cover letter" type paragraph at the top that's targeted at the position, basic work history on the rest of the page. Final sentence was "References provided on request". Short & sweet, and it worked. I also disagree with the online application where they require a resume/CV AND filling out an application form. Total waste of time all around. Ask for one or the other, not both. The applicant can bring a copy of their resume/CV, if it's absolutely necessary, when you bring them in for an interview.
Vesna 3 years ago
I'm a hiring manager, and just went through digging and reading a bunch of resumes. 1) the stuff that different websites ask you to fill out on top of uploading the resume is for filtering purposes. I personally hate those too, but these are used by recruiters, who shuffle through a lot of applications to filter out the ones that we would need to interview. I get the pain of this- should be a better process, but it is what it is:( 2) cover letters are important for some senior positions or something that you REALLY want, and your effort on writing the letter and it contents matters a lot for hiring managers. But before those gems come to the people who you will be actually working with if hired - it goes through hands of HR and recruiters - who know nothing about the position, but only look at buzz words. whom you will be
F C 3 years ago
People keep saying this like it means something. Use humans. Accept paper cv's like before. Stop putting people through his dehumanising process and never even contact them to reject them
Load More Replies... Pablo Ramos 3 years ago
I find cover letters useful and I believe they can help get a job. The thing I absolutely hate, and have abandoned applications because of it is when the company asks you to upload your resume, but then mak you go through page after page of forms re-writing the darn thing again.
Seedy Vine 3 years ago
Recruiters demanding free writing samples are getting invoiced from now on.
AffieDaffy 3 years ago
Have shortlisted not as strong resumes, based on a good cover letter and ended up hiring those people.
CultOfBambi 3 years ago
So much of this is due to the company's HR department & the recruitment agent justifying their collective existence and commissions.
Wondering Alice 3 years ago
Surely this depends on the job. In my role (education) a CV just confirms that you have the qualifications required, and can show experience - however, everyone applying for a role will have similar. The cover letter is by far the most important part of being selected for interview. It's not a place to repeat your CV, it's an opportunity to show that you have done your research and know all about the role and the place as well as letting the potential employers know which parts of your personality you think will be beneficial to the role. Recently, our department was recruiting, the deputy gave me a pile of applications to short list for her. I only read the cover letters. First I got rid of all the generic ones that looked like applicants were applying for loads of jobs and people who just repeated CV. I made 2 piles of what was left - people who I thought would fit right in, and people I thought might bring something different. A quick check through those CV's didn't change anything.
Wondering Alice 3 years ago
All those people got interviewed. She went with one of the least experienced of the 'bring something different' because she loved their attitude. Had I short listed based on CV, that person would have been cut. To be fair though, if I was applying for loads of jobs in something like a supermarket, I would be irritated to write a cover letter.
Load More Replies... F C 3 years ago
Cover letters are not important but on online applications they force you to upload something, you can't skip it. Even on same websites and inter institutional websites you have to register EVRRY SINGLE TIME, you have to fill things out MANUALLY, and then you need to upload customs cv and resumes etc only for it to go in to cyber space and they never call you. This is every SINGLE application every single one even for working at a froze yoghurt shop. When I was unemployed I did a lite experiment, it amounts to 45 mins-1 hour per application not including the writing time and an average of 9 hours a day. A full time job with no answer. I can count the answers on one hand of course. It is a machine reading the cove letter and picking out the key words, not a human, that's why its mandatory.
CatGirl 3 years ago
Recruitment firms are usually staffed by people who haven't managed to get into anything else, and who are only interested in filling positions, regardless of whether the candidate's actually a good fit. Certainly, the recruitment firms here in Australia who deal with teachers aren't much to shout about.
MAL 3 years ago
Cover letters are stupid. I obviously want the job because I'm applying. You can see my qualifications, etc. in the resume I sent. I'm not giving your my salary expectations because you should already have given them to me. I'm not begging for a job from you because there are probably 1,000s out there that I could also apply for. Stop wasting out time with archaic b******t.
Kharyss 3 years ago
Which is partly why companies put these requirements in place. It weeds out the people who have an attitude. Yes, there may be a shortage of skilled people in certain areas, but most would rather wait or manage without than hire someone with a self-centered, entitled, “I’m doing you a favour working here” attitude.
Load More Replies... aubergine10003 3 years ago
I am a recruiter and am here to say: we require cover letters for campus hires because we want to see their writing skills... not so much for experienced hires. AND I'm so tired of seeing people complain about having to fill out a separate application in a resume tracking system when they've already uploaded their resume! The reason this is necessary is because an RTS will pull out key information that may not be pulled from a PDF (resume). But you know, if people really have a problem with this, then they should just apply for less taxing opportunities... smdh
Seedy Vine 3 years ago
Resume tracking system issues sound like something a paid IT department should fix. The onus shouldn't be on the applicants.
Load More Replies... Scott Rackley 3 years ago
All the information the company needs has been given to them in a custom resume with skills/accomplishments only relevant to the companies interests. I see no need to write them a version of cliff's notes of it. If you need a cover letter to hire someone, and do not post the compensation range, p**s off.
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