Cover Letter – the only tip you need

As a Recruiter and Career Tips Blogger, I am often asked to give advice about resumes and cover letters.  A reader recently asked me if cover letters are still needed.  She explained to me that a recruiter she was working with told her that cover letters were not important and not to include it during the resume submittable process.

Let me say this, Cover letters are still VERY important.  When I emailed the person back, I found out that she was working with a 3rd party recruiter (head hunter) and then it made sense to me.  Headhunters do not really care about your cover letter, they simply want your resume and they want you to send it to them as quickly as possible so that  they can submit it to their client before another recruiter does, or before you send it to them on your own.  The reason they do not need your cover letter is because they typically will write up their own summary and present that along with your resume to the client.

Headhunters already know the #1 tip I am going to share.

Before, I get into the best cover letter advice you will ever need, let me make sure I am being clear.  When you are submitting your resume directly to a company, INCLUDE A COVER LETTER.

Now let me get to the tip, Write a customized cover letter for each job you are applying to and use the requirement section of the job description to highlight your relevant experience and why you are qualified for the job.  When a corporate recruiter is reading your cover letter (and resume) they are looking for one thing at the beginning.  Do you meet the requirements for the job.  In the cover letter make sure that there is no question about your qualifications.

Save the drama or the heartfelt pleas, or the diatribe about your abilities and capabilities.  The only thing that matters is what you can do for the company and how closely your background matches the need of the employer.