Are Cover Letters Really Necessary?

Most people shudder at the thought of writing cover letters. Even with months or years of job searching under one’s belt, this task doesn’t seem to get any less painful.

Written in prose, a cover letter is typically written to the hiring manager or recruiter for a particular job. It includes a short introduction about yourself and your abilities, a summary of your work experiences and your significant achievements relevant to the job. In a nutshell, it plays up your capabilities and reiterates why you are suitable for a job.

Although seemingly straightforward, most people tend to trip up when coming up with their cover letters.

How should I highlight my skills and achievements without coming across as arrogant or exaggerated? How can I maintain humility yet still promote my suitability for this job?

We get it. Striking the right tone in a cover letter can be tricky.

Here’s the good news. We believe that cover letters are not really necessary anymore. In fact, there are other ways for you to stand out and let the hiring manager know why you are the best candidate for the job.

One alternative to writing a cover letter is to write a brief summary of your skills. Instead of writing a lengthy declaration about yourself and your past experiences, dive right into what recruiters want to know – your capabilities. This helps recruiters easily understand how you can bring practical value to the company.

In writing this summary, also remember to be concise. Cut through the blabber and highlight your expertise.

Another tip is to use industry jargon or searchable words that are usually associated with that particular profession. For instance, if you are applying for a job in social media marketing, include phrases such as “Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)” and “Search Engine Marketing (SEM)”. Nowadays, more recruiters, such as Human Resource teams of big luxury brands, are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) recruiting software. The AI software will be able to pick out industry jargon to help them filter through the abilities of hundreds, or even thousands of applicants.

Writing a brief summary of your skills will come in handy for other situations, apart from this one particular job application. This summary is also useable for other job searching or networking platforms such as LinkedIn. Head hunters, who think that you belong to a suitable pool of candidates for a job opening, can also quickly prepare your curriculum vitae by using your brief summary as a guide.

So don’t put yourself through the torture and boredom of writing any more cover letters!

Switch things up, focus on writing a summary of your skills instead. We promise it will make your job searching process more enjoyable and effective.