As a professional CV writer and career coach, it seems that, with the advent of casual social media, people are becoming less literate in terms of formal communication. In the 'old days' (pre-2000) most people knew how to write and format a formal letter. However today, it seems this art has been lost for many. While this is generally not a problem in the day to day life of most people, how does this lack of skill impact candidates applying for positions?
Recruiter and author Tony Beshara found that 86 per cent of the 3,000 recruiters and hiring managers he surveyed, believed that the cover letter is not an important addition to the CV. This is particularly true when it comes to online applications, as usually there is only the opportunity to fill in a generic form, and attach a copy of your CV if you are lucky.
However what Beshara's study fails to point out is that 14% of people in the hiring seat feel cover letters are very important.
'Frame' to the CV
This fact came home to me as a recruiter many years ago, when screening a whole bunch of CVs with a colleague. Quickly skim reading through each CV to find key data relevant to the role, (and ignoring any cover letters I came across), I was shocked to see my co-HR compatriot Michelle dutifully reading each cover letter in full. Asking her what she was doing, she explained to me that the cover letter to her was the most important part of a person's application. In it they can choose to communicate their relevancy to the role, highlight key achievements early on, and provide a 'frame' to view the CV through.
