Does Your Cover Letter Still Matter to Employers?

By Selipha Kihagi

A Cover Letter is the document where you get to sell your skills in a way you couldn’t do on the CV. A CV requires brief and straight to the point information, while the Cover Letter helps support the information on your CV. That is why most positions will ask for a Cover Letter in the application process. You can read more about the purpose of a Cover letter here. But with the numerous applications made in every job, it begs the question; do employers and recruiters read the Cover Letter?

The answer to that question is both Yes and No. When an advert insists on sending in a Cover Letter as part of your job application, then you can be sure they will read it. On the other hand, if the position only asks for your CV then most probably they will not care much for your Cover Letter. The key to getting past an application and to the interview stage is following instructions. So before sending in that generic Letter, remember to check if the position requires you to send one.

And when you are asked for a Cover Letter, remember that you need to stand out from hundreds and thousands of applicants.

When Writing Your Cover Letter

You have probably been through a ton of career websites researching on how best to come up with a selling Cover Letter. The outcome of your search was either very useful or outstandingly overwhelming – wondering which way to go.

But even as it is confusing and overwhelming, a smart job seeker will always know which tips work best for them and which ones don’t. Not to confuse you any further, here are some quick tips you need to remember.

4 Quick Tips for Writing An Effective Cover Letter

1. Employers want you to sound like you
Are you wondering what it means by “sound like you”? An effective Cover Letter should communicate intention for a position without being overly wordy or with too many skills that it doesn’t make sense. It is usually conversational, brief and to the point. It is unique to every individual.

For you to achieve uniqueness and stand out from other job seekers, choose to write like yourself (be real about you), even when you are not sure the recruiters will be impressed. If you believe in yourself and can communicate why you really want the job in a simple and concise manner, you can ace it.

2. Write Your Cover Letter in the Company’s voice
Think about it; you will relate more to someone who is in many ways similar to you. Someone who speaks like you, who believes in the same things you do and do not have tolerance for the same things as you. In this same way, recruiters will identify more with a Cover Letter that is written in a way the Company would.

To achieve this, do research on the company’s website to identify with their tone of writing before drafting your letter. If they use big words, make sure you include some and if they are just simple, do the same and avoid the jargon.

3. Make sure your Letter does not read like an apology
When you do not have the key skills that employers are looking for in various positions, you may feel the need to mention your lack of skill in the Cover Letter. Don’t! Mentioning your lack of skills or experience only draws attention to your weaknesses, putting you at a disadvantage for the job.

Avoid saying something like this; “While I may not have the experience you are looking for…” or “Despite not having great analytical skills, I have …” Always focus on selling who you are, instead of trying to convince the recruiter only for you to end up highlighting you’re not qualified.

4. Let somebody else read your Cover Letter

You probably have had someone force this advice down your throat, and maybe you keep ignoring it because you don’t want any negative feedback. Do not be afraid to let someone you know tell you what they think about your document. A fresh look by someone else could discover mistakes you didn’t see earlier, so don’t let the recruiter become this someone.

With a good Cover Letter that complements your well-formatted CV, you can expect to almost always get to the interview.

Got a question on Cover Letters? Comment below.