HACKER Q&A
📣 jigarjain

What are your thoughts on Cover Letter during application stage


I am currently in the job market & I have come across few companies which require applicants to also submit a cover letter together with the resume as part of the application. I personally tend to skip those opportunities. But it does present a few questions in my mind -

1. Do Hiring managers read Cover letters which are voluntarily submitted? How much impact does a cover letter in comparison to your resume for the success outcome of the application stage?

2. What really constitutes a good cover letter? Wouldn't a small 3/4 sentences about you as an intro in your resume suffice?

I am keen to know the thoughts of HN community.

  👤 JoeMayoBot Accepted Answer ✓
A lot of HR and hiring managers do look at cover letters. Since you don't know which ones, it's best to always do it. The cover letter is an opportunity for you to move beyond the dry resume and explain why you believe you're a good fit for the position. The best approach is to read the job description and explain what it is about you the fulfills the role they're looking for. You want them to be able to imagine how you fit into that role. Also, tweaking the resume to highlight the parts of you experience that match the role is a good move. You want to use the cover letter to make them want to look closer. Plenty of people also want to hire people who are interested in working for the company and that personal touch can make a difference.
👤 codegeek
Point of cover letter is to make a case for why someone should hire you compared to others. It gives you a chance to be more personal and explain things that are difficult to add in the Resume. Problem is that a lot of entry level folks copy paste a Cover letter format with generic BS and then submit it. In those case, you are better off without one.

Personally, I want to see a cover letter that gives me an insight on who you are and we could be a good fit for each other. That means you need to research the company/product/team a little bit and be more personalized. Otherwise, don't bother.

👤 necovek
My personal experience is so diverse that I am pretty sure I don't look good for many opportunities. Thus I resort to highlighting specific relevant experience for any application, and doing it with a cover letter is so much easier than rewriting the CV for any opportunity I find interesting.

I also feel like this is a place to discuss what you can bring to the company you are applying to, but also what you hope to get from the company in terms of furthering your career.

👤 Shadowed_
Most if not all of my applications are by e-mail. I consider that e-mail a cover letter. What goes in cover letter I write in an e-mail and attach CV. To me, it would be rude to send e-mail with text that point to the text in attachment. But if I write that I apply for such and such and make my case for it, then there is no point in doubling that in separate pdf and attaching it.
👤 brudgers
Quickly getting to "no" regarding candidates for whom writing a cover letter is a language, ideological, or logistical hurdle is useful for HR in the age of online applications.

Would you hire a candidate who can't write a cover letter?

Would you hire a candidate who won't write one?

Would you choose a candidate whose cover letter has no relationship to the company and the position?

Sure you might in the abstract.

But maybe not if your job was looking at hundreds of resumes a week...or day.

Good luck.

👤 faangiq
Waste of time