In my daily search for information on job interviews, resumes and cover letters, I tend to see the same advice: Don’t make your resume more than one page, get prepared for the interview, and always send a cover letter. Always. But yesterday I came across someone that says something completely different. His basic philosophy is: "Cover letters? Don't bother." David Silverman of the Harvard Business blog argues that the typical cover letter falls into one of three categories: The recap, the form letter, and the “I’m crazy.”
The recap is essentially just the resume, reformatted into a letter. Thanks, but I got your resume, so I don’t need to read it again.
A form letter basically tells a company you made no effort researching them and have no idea what you’re actually applying for. A cover letter should never start with “Dear Hiring Manager.” That’s just lazy.
The “I’m crazy” … well, more on that in a different article.
Here’s a quote from the post:
There are really only a few times to use a cover letter:At first, I was unimpressed. After all, my own cover letter is a long list of what I deem to be my crowning achievements, and I found a great job that I love using it. Then, I took another look over it, with the eyes of a hiring manager this time, and now I understand what he means. I was bored after the second paragraph and, frankly, I’m shocked that I got that interview in the first place. Your achievements, though they may be impressive, are probably best saved for the interview. If you think about the fact that the market is flooded with job candidates right now, and that a hiring manager’s eyes are probably bleeding from poorly written cover letters and resumes, you begin to see David Silverman's point.
1. When you know the name of the person hiring
2. When you know something about the job requirement
3. When you've been personally referred (which might include 1 and 2)
Under those conditions, you can help your cause by doing some of the résumé analysis for your potential new boss. To illustrate, here's the best cover letter I ever received:
Dear David:
I am writing in response to the opening for xxxx, which I believe may report to you.
I can offer you seven years of experience managing communications for top-tier xxxx firms, excellent project-management skills, and a great eye for detail, all of which should make me an ideal candidate for this opening.
I have attached my résumé for your review and would welcome the chance to speak with you sometime.
Best regards,
Xxxx Xxxx
Here's what I like about this cover letter: It's short. It sums up the résumé as it relates to the job. It asks for the job.
Wouldn’t a short, direct cover letter (if applicable) be a breath of fresh air?
Here’s the Takeaway:
Never say something in a 15-word sentence when a five-word sentence will do. You dilute your overall message when you use too many words, and run the risk of boring your reader. Shorter is sweeter. This goes for resumes, too!
Don’t go into superfluous detail. It makes sense to point out relevant information like how much money you saved your previous employer or that you have 10 years of solid experience, but leave out the part about how maypole dancing has made you a better administrative assistant. If you really want, you can talk about it in the interview.
Keep it relevant to your future boss. Google the person you think you would be reporting to, find their LinkedIn profile, but remember that what they care about is finding a fit for the open position. If you see that you come from similar backgrounds, that’s great, but save it for the interview. If you find out that your future boss also loves maypole dancing, feel free to bring it up in the interview, but keep your cover letter strictly business.
If you don’t have anything to say, don’t say anything at all. I’m hesitant to say this, because I’m really attached to my own cover letter, but in the end I think David Silverman is right. In a flood of potential candidates, the best way to get noticed is usually the simplest. Be brief. Leave them wanting more.
I definitely learned something today. We could all use a little more simplification in our lives, and our future bosses are no exception.
In offering a succinct cover letter that gives an opinion (“My 5 years of experience with tech companies makes me ideal for this position”) and offers up ideas with backbone (“I saved B Company $1,000 a month, and I can implement similar strategies at your company”) tells your future boss that you’re the kind of employee who can offer solutions.
After all, isn’t that what an admin is for?
You can read David Silverman's original blog post here.
