Do Recruiters Read Cover Letters

16 recruiters share their thoughts

Job Seekers spend a lot of time writing the perfect cover letter

They write about how they fit the position, career commitment, and professional experience. An exercise meant to illustrate a positive impact on the firm after being selected for the job.

Cover letters come in all sizes and shapes. Some candidates work towards crafting a new cover letter for each position while others take a more cookie-cutter approach. All in the name of catching the eye of the reader. It is a time-consuming process that often does not bear fruit.

Not receiving a response to an application is a common frustration among job candidates. Candidates say they spend hours online filling in applications, taking screening tests, and joining talent networks.

A source of frustration for a job seeker is the lack of follow up by a company after they have taken to the time to send their career details.

That begs the question. Do recruiters read cover letters? I wondered what recruiters did with cover letters. I wanted to know. I put out a survey.

The following are comments from current recruiters. Their job is to sift through hundreds of resumes for their open positions. Here are their comments on whether they read cover letters.

• I am more interested in the name, contact information, current or last company, job title, and dates of employment. I will read the cover letter last. When I have a match, I dial the phone.
• I never read them, CV for experience, interview to uncover personality. Let’s not blur the lines!
• Oh! I do! Every letter tells me more about the person than the rest of the papers. The cover letter rounds out the picture I get from the resume.
• I always read cover letters. It says a lot about the candidate and how much effort they have put into their application. I like letters personally addressed to me. I always clearly state to whom they should send their details. I see it as laziness on the candidate’s part.
• I always read the cover letter unless I can tell it’s just a template that the candidate sends to everyone. We specifically ask and encourage candidates to take an opportunity to tell us a little more about themselves in a non-resume format.
• Having read tens of thousands of resumes, I’ve had the privilege of reading some brilliant and witty cover letters. That usually at least gets that candidate in the door.
• I read cover letters. The cover letter should illustrate beyond the resume how the candidate meets the qualifications for the position.
• I am in agreement with many others on cut and pasted cover letters. Why bother? I often receive cut and paste jobs where they forget to update the company or position name. In this case, the applicant would have been better off without a cover letter.
• I do scan through them. I find cover letters, especially with applications from online job boards, are just too vague and irrelevant. On the flip side, they can be a good insight into the skills and abilities of a person and how keen they are on the role.
• I have worked with many consultants who skip reading them totally and find they miss important details.
• I always do. A good motivation letter tells a lot about your candidate. It’s great to see them put in some effort into the procedure (people applying for 20 jobs at the same time and don’t even remember your company won’t invest that much). It also gives you a first impression of skills. Cover letters rock!
• I read cover letters! It gives me another opportunity to learn about the candidate and see if I can gage a best-fit position. I look down on those who do not submit one.
• A cover letter with a resume always makes the best first impression. It signals the interest of the applicant. However, the misrepresentation of the recipient is a big no!! I think most professionals read them.
• I try to read as many cover letters as possible. I like to see the candidates writing style and their attention to detail. It is a way of weeding out candidates who are not a proper fit for the position.
• With the volume of apps I get, reading through each cover letter is not possible. However, before shortlisting a candidate, and where writing is considered an essential part of the position, I will then read through a letter.
• I am a big believer in proven experience. If I can’t see that experience on a resume and then a cover letter no matter how crisp and clean, it will not sway me.

Recruiters are looking at the overall presentation. They are asking themselves if the applicant can do the job and fit in with the flow of the company. Since they are looking at hundreds of resumes, differentiating yourself may well be the key that unlocks the door to a new career.

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Portland-based writer/journalist. Covering luxury goods, exotic cars, CJ-CX, horology, lifestyle, & workplace issues. Comments welcome! [email protected]. Follow on twitter — @dpatlarge

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