Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
I’ve been seeing a lot of talk lately about cover letters and whether they’re still relevant in today’s job search. Some of the talk has to do with the popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT.
But the discussion about AI and job search is very confusing. For example, I read an article on Lifehacker about “Why You Shouldn’t Use AI for Your Cover Letters” and then an article on Resume Builder that says “3 in 4 Job Seekers Who Used ChatGPT to Write Their Resume Got an Interview”.
Back to cover letters. I’ve always thought of a cover letter has a way to introduce yourself. And I still do. But if everyone hates cover letters so much, then I have to believe the quality of them diminishes because candidates aren’t writing them for their intended purpose.
CNBC published an article last year saying 58% of workers feel cover letters are unnecessary. To offer some context, only 32% of people despise pineapple on pizza. And regardless of your thoughts about Hawaiian pizza, you have to admit it’s a pretty passionate topic. So when 58% of people are anti- cover letter, I think you have to pay attention.
I wanted to get your thoughts on this, so I’ve put together a quick poll. And because I could see opinions being different depending on whether you’re a recruiter or a candidate, I’ve constructed this one to address both.
If the poll above did not come through on an email, please click through to HR Bartender and answer there.
Thanks so much for taking the time to complete this totally unscientific one-question poll. I’m sure there are other nuances we can explore but this is a great place to start the conversation. And in case you were wondering, I already asked my fave AI platform what they thought of cover letters (but I wouldn’t want to influence your reply by sharing their response).
As always, I’ll publish the results in a couple of weeks. It will be very interesting to see where the similarities and differences are.
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby at the SHRM Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV
JPants says
As both a recruiter and a candidate, I think they’re largely unnecessary.
BUT not all cover letters are created equal. When reviewing applications, 80% of the cover letters I see are just the resume regurgitated in a different format. There’s no reason for this, and it creates an opportunity to make a silly mistake such as leaving the wrong company name in the salutation.
In my opinion, cover letters should be entirely optional and if you choose to write one, you should say something that’s not in your resume, such as highlighting how your skills are relevant to the job you’re applying for (e.g. if you’re trying to make a career change and your resume doesn’t initially appear as if you have the right experience) or calling out why you’re excited about this job in particular.
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for the comment! Totally agree, there’s no reason for the cover letter and resume to be the same.
Lashely says
As a recruiter, there are many times applicants place things on the resume (or the opposite omit helpful information) that leave alot of guesswork for the recruiter. A decent cover letter can help to fill in those gaps and/or answer some of those questions. Without a cover letter/cover note (doesn’t have to be extensive) a decent applicant can get passed over for a position. I don’t think every type of position requires a cover letter/cover note. However, there are certainly some positions where the cover letter is useful and/or important.
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for the comment. I like the distinction of some jobs might benefit from it, others not.