We often encourage you to attach a cover letter to your job application. But is it necessary in all cases? And what about those who do not have a high opinion of their literary abilities in order to write a convincing and capacious text? We figure out when you can add a few words about yourself, and when it’s better not to.
When a cover letter is highly desirable
Carier start. You are not yet known as a professional, and you still have little to offer the employer. In such a situation, a letter can increase the chances of employment. Even if there are no big achievements or names of well-known companies in the resume yet, in the cover letter you can indicate your interest in a specific professional field, briefly talk about educational achievements that characterize you in a positive way.
Change of profession. Changing career cover letters – this situation is similar to the beginning of a career, but with the difference that you are not quite a “clean slate”, your experience in your previous profession can be somewhat useful on a new path. The main thing is to present it correctly. The resume will tell about the previous career, and in the letter you can just explain the significance of this experience for the new field of activity. For example, attentiveness and accuracy when working with documents, the ability to quickly switch between several tasks, strong communication skills are valued regardless of the professional field.
Higher position. If you are submitting a resume to a higher position than you currently hold, the cover text will be very important. It is worth talking about how you could expand your area of responsibility, what managerial experience you already have, and what tasks in your previous job can be assessed in terms of your potential as a leader. Here, the purpose of the cover letter is to convince the potential employer that you have all the necessary qualities to move to the next level.
Incomplete compliance with job requirements. You really like the vacancy, you feel that the functionality is up to you, but formally you do not meet all the requirements listed in the vacancy. We emphasize: this is not about the case when you have no relevant experience at all (employers immediately reject such responses). And about the situation when you only partially do not correspond to the portrait of the ideal candidate described in the vacancy. Then there is a chance, because sometimes employers have excessive requirements. After a month or two of unsuccessful searches, the employer realizes that there are no candidates with such a set of experience and skills, and lowers the bar of expectations.
Briefly list in your cover letter what your experience is ideal for this position, what skills you lack, and why you think it is replaceable (for example, this is a skill that you are ready to learn in a couple of months).
Creative professions. For applicants for creative professions, a free description of yourself and a portfolio can be even more important than a resume. If the vacancy involves working with texts (journalist, PR manager, copywriter), a cover letter is a good opportunity to show your abilities.
Sometimes employers directly indicate that they are waiting for information about the candidate in free form. A short story about yourself with links to specific examples of work and a well-executed test task is enough.
Top position. The response to a vacancy in the senior management category traditionally requires a cover letter, this is something taken for granted. The manager must be able to present himself.
