Q TIPS:
Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
Job-hunting tips from the September 1, 2003 issue of
QuintZine.
Think most hiring managers don't read cover letters? The perception that cover letters aren't important
anymore is likely fed by the fact that some online job boards don't have a mechanism for submitting cover letters. But
a recent study by CareerBuilder.com of 290 hiring managers across the U.S. revealed that 66 percent prefer an appropriate cover letter
with the resume. Since you don't know which two-thirds of hiring managers like cover letters and which third don't, you need to always
include a cover letter with your resume.
Further breaking down that 66 percent, Wendy Enelow, president of Career Masters Institute points out that 33 percent of all
recipients ALWAYS read the cover letter first; the other 33 percent glance at the cover letter after they've read the resume.
Therefore, says Enelow, "Your letter must immediately communicate your value to an organization, for you never know which
33 percent will receive it."
Cover-letter statistics are similar for human-resource managers, more than two-thirds of whom view well-written, PERSONALIZED cover
letters as advantageous to a job applicant, as reported in Resume Writer's Digest. Nearly half believe that cover letters are more
important -- or as important as -- resumes. In still another poll, this one from HRnext/BenefitsNext, 7 percent of respondents
said the cover letter is so important that it can clinch a job, and nearly 40 percent characterized cover letters as "among the
important factors" in the hiring process." "It depends on the job" was the response of 22 percent, which is important to note for
those aspiring to jobs in which they will be judged by how well they express themselves. According to almost 20 percent of respondents,
a good cover won't necessarily land you the job, but an awful one will throw you out of contention.
We recently performed a Google search on our Quintessential Careers fax number to prove a point. We advise job-seekers to
follow up with employers after sending out their resume and cover letter, but sometimes ads and job postings provide only
a fax number, so you don't even know what company you're writing to, let alone the name of the hiring manager. But if
you try entering the fax number into Google,
as we did, there's a good chance the name of the company will
come up (as it did for the QuintCareers fax number), enabling you to further research the name of the hiring manager.
You can also try reverse phone lookup feature at a site such as AnyWho.
Employers will likely admire your resourcefulness if you can tailor the letter to their organization
when only a fax number appeared in the job posting.
Think most hiring managers don't read cover letters? The perception that cover letters aren't important
anymore is likely fed by the fact that some online job boards don't have a mechanism for submitting cover letters. But
a recent study by CareerBuilder.com of 290 hiring managers across the U.S. revealed that 66 percent prefer an appropriate cover letter
with the resume. Since you don't know which two-thirds of hiring managers like cover letters and which third don't, you need to always
include a cover letter with your resume.
