How Important Is A Cover Letter?

By Gage Benjamin

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

So, just how important is a cover letter, anyway?
That is a great question, isn't it? I want to take some right now to address this question because it seems to surface again and again.
Let's take a look at a few reasons for creating a letter in the first place.
Why Would You Write a Cover Letter?

• The job specifically requests that you include one with your resume
• You apply for a job in an industry that generally requires a letter accompany your resume
• You want to include a letter so you can have the opportunity to speak to a prospective employer with more freedom than the constraints of a resume provide

All of these are reasons for you to write a cover letter. The third reason is certainly one that I can relate to very much. How about you? Do you see your reason in the list above or do you have an entirely different reason for wanting to write one?
Now, let's look at some benefits of including a cover letter.
What Benefits Does Writing a Cover Letter Provide to You and the Employer?

• Allows you to communicate more freely
• Allows the employer to better judge your communication skills
• Shows the employer any glaring problems (or lack thereof) in your grammar and spelling
• Shows the employer you have enough initiative to actually write a covering letter

Personally, I think writing a letter is a very powerful tool that allows you to really make yourself stand out from all of the other job seekers.
You see, many people will use a template or some other fairly standardized method of creating their resume. As a result, most resumes look the same except they feature a different name at the top. Now, it doesn't have to be this way. I am just saying this seems to be true for the majority of resumes.
By writing a unique letter, and communicating directly to the reader, you have the opportunity to show more of your strengths and qualifications to the employer.
You can mention specifics about why you are so qualified to fill their job opening. You can share key accomplishments and inform the reader that you are looking forward to accomplishing similar things at their company. Some people also, very briefly, share some one interesting aspect of their lives such as a favorite hobby. Obviously, this works best to pique interest if the hobby is something that is not common.