Why Are Cover Letters Necessary?

If you’ve been a worker bee for a while then you’ve probably written tons of cover letters in your lifetime. But in the process of writing one, have you ever asked the question, “Do I really need this?”

It’s a pretty common question to ask yourself, especially if the company did not specifically ask for one. However, most experts would advise that you do prepare and send one, unless the company specifically asks you NOT to. Why, you ask? Here are a few reasons …

Most Companies Want Them

Again, you may run across the standout company that specifically tells job applicants not to send a cover letter, and they have they’re reasons for doing so. However, this is not the norm. Most companies have a hard time seeing your full capabilities through a resume. While resumes do a great job of itemizing your jobs and listing the skills you ’ve acquired, it’s hard to get to the heart of why you want the job through them.

It’s for this reason that many experts say a cover letter is necessary. If you take the writing process seriously, you have the opportunity to truly detail what it is that you want to accomplish by taking the role, and in what ways – based on your prior experiences – you can get this done.

They Help You Secure Interviews

As you probably already know, every document that you send in to a company that is hiring is essentially a screening tool for them to determine whether they should bring you in for an interview. The resume does a good job of breaking down essential points that they can use as quick guides to help them determine whether you can handle certain responsibilities. However, they also want to know that the person they’re considering has personality. Will you be easy to work with and get along with? Are you enthusiastic? These questions are difficult to answer in a resume, but come across better in the cover letter.

Of course, it is your job to make them come across well. However, if you’re truly enthusiastic about the job then it shouldn’t be too difficult to write into words how excited you are to have an opportunity to apply for the position. Your main goal is to let them know that you fit the company’s needs. Also, it doesn’t hurt to come up with an attention-grabbing intro to not only entice the hiring manager to read on, but want to bring you in to listen to more of what you have to say. It’s not always easy to know exactly what to say when writing your cover letter, but if you speak from your heart and honestly think about why you want the job, it will be a lot easier than you thought.

You may still be questioning why it is necessary to create a cover letter. But instead of thinking about it as a chore, you might want to think about it as an awesome tool for helping you secure a great job. This way, you can focus less on how it’s bugging you now, and more on how it can help you in the long run.