Don’t Skip the Cover Letter

There are some career advice professionals who downplay the need for a cover letter. With many companies scanning resumes, they say there is no need for a cover letter, as it is stripped, tossed and never read. It may very well be true that some cover letters, no matter how carefully crafted, do not reach human eyes. However, the following information passed along by my cyber friend, Chris Russell, may make you think twice about omitting a cover letter.

A new survey based on telephone interviews with 150 senior executives from the largest U.S. companies shows that 86% believe that cover letters are valuable when screening candidates and 80% said it is common to receive cover letters with electronic resumes.

Dave Willmer, executive director of OfficeTeam, the independent organization that conducted the survey notes, “Those who aren’t including cover letters with their resumes are missing an opportunity to make a good first impression and set themselves apart from other job applicants.” He compares sending a resume without a cover letter to meeting someone for the first time and not shaking hands.

Clearly, the cover letter is not dead. It can never hurt to send a well-written cover letter when applying for a job, and many jobs request a cover letter to accompany the resume. Stay tuned for more about writing a great cover letter!

Read more about cover letters from Keppie Careers:

Cover Letter Tips
Cover Letter Inspiration

Don’t stress out about your job hunt materials…We will write your resume and cover letters and teach you what to do once you have the perfect materials! www.keppiecareers.com.

Are You Linkedin?

Today, my cyber-friend, Chris Russell blogged about how linkedin.com has become a national resume database and a source of choice for recruiters who love to snag “passive” job seekers who are not actually looking for work!

Personally, I think linkedin is a fabulous resource, even if you aren’t looking (even passively) for a job.  I first became a fan when I located two long-lost high school friends on linkedin when Google and other search resources proved useless.  

When I first joined, I was amazed at how quickly my network grew and the connections I gained.  If you don’t join, you may never know that a good friend of yours has a first-hand connection to someone in a position to hire you or provide crucial career advice or information!

In addition to serving as a source for recruiters, Linkedin offers tools to help you create and promote  a personal brand.  The “Answers” section provides a forum to demonstrate your expertise as well as a great place to network with professionals in your industry and beyond.   Often, if you provide a response that seems useful, you will be invited to “link” with the questioner, thus expanding your contacts.

Don’t forget that networking is important throughout your career, even when (especially when) you are NOT looking for a job.  Don’t miss the linkedin boat!

Keppie Careers will help you with every aspect of your job search.  www.keppiecareers.com