Getting a Job,  Recruitment

How Useful is it to Write a Covering Letter?

Whenever you’re applying for a job, it’s usually a good idea to write a covering letter. It’s a useful way of giving potential future employers a more well-rounded view of you as a person. There may be skills which you have that don’t fit onto your CV, or there may be particular parts of your CV which you want to expand upon.
One of the main advantages of a covering letter is that it gives you the chance to express your interest in the particular position you are applying for. Whist a CV is a very good way of listing out your experience, it is a generic document which can only go so far in showing your suitability personality wise. Your enthusiasm for a particular role or interest in a specific company is far easier to convey through a covering letter.
Even if an application doesn’t require a covering letter, it’s still sensible to include one. A well-written letter can make you stand out from the crowd, and you’ll stick in a recruiter or hiring manager’s mind. It’s the first opportunity you have to begin building up a rapport with a potential employer. Moreover, there are likely to be a high volume of applications, and employers may choose to skip over the ones which don’t have covering letters, so you don’t want to take that chance.
The only time when you should consider withholding a covering letter from your application is if a job advert specifically tells you not to send one. It may well be that it is a test of your ability to read instructions carefully, and you don’t want to fall at the first hurdle. If there are no specifics stated, then including a covering letter is a wise move. It might just catch somebody’s attention.