Are Cover Letters Really Necessary?
Cover letters can often be stressful and may seem like an antiquated part of the application process. Learn more about how cover letters may not be necessary.
If you’re looking for a job, you know that trying to get employed in the current job market is tough. But despite how hard the economy was affected by the global pandemic, it is still very possible to get employed. You just have to make yourself a competitive candidate.
Many people think that being competitive in the job market means having a great resume and cover letter. What they don’t realize is that cover letters are a thing of the past.
If you’re wondering, “Are cover letters necessary in 2021?” the answer is no. Read on to learn why.
Are Cover Letters Necessary?
Cover letters are one-page documents that you submit with your resume as part of a job application. The purpose of a cover letter is to introduce yourself to the employer, but the truth is that most employers don’t even read it.
Why not?
They simply don’t have time. Employees and managers have their own jobs to do, and recruiters have a long list of candidates to get through. In fact, studies show that hiring managers only spend a mere seven seconds when looking at a resume on average— and that’s the most important part of an application.
So, they definitely don’t have the time to read a cover letter, which means the answer to the question “Are cover letters still necessary?” is no.
Benefits of Skipping the Cover Letter
If you’re wondering how to find a job when so many people are still unemployed, start by getting rid of the myth that you need a cover letter. When it comes to your job search, skipping the cover letter has two main benefits:
Save Yourself Time
It’s been established that recruiters don’t read cover letters because they simply don’t have time. That means you shouldn’t be wasting your time writing them either.
Writing a good cover letter can take an hour or more, especially if you’re optimizing each one for each job opening. Imagine if you could put all that time into applying for more jobs and increasing your chances of getting hired faster instead.
Let Your Resume or Portfolio Do the Talking
Some people think that you need a cover letter to stand out, but this isn’t true. what you really need is a tailored resume or portfolio that does the talking for you. These are tools that actually show your expertise as opposed to a cover letter where you can say whatever you want, regardless of the truth.
A resume or portfolio is your chance to prove your experience and show how it relates to the job opening. In other words, they show the recruiting manager why you are the perfect fit for the role.
Stop Applying With Cover Letters
Now that you know that the answer to “Are cover letters necessary?” is no, you can start focusing on creating a better resume and reaching out to more opportunities. Neither you nor the hiring manager has time for a cover letter, so make something useful of that time instead.
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