Want that job? Write a letter

Cover letters are valued by hiring managers. Photo / Getty Images

You've got a pretty snazzy CV, which you fire off when you see a job you like — then it's just a case of sitting back and waiting for the interviews to roll in, right? Wrong. Truth is you're likely missing out on many opportunities simply because you didn't take the time to write a cover letter.

Research finds that job applications with tailored cover letters yield just over 50 per cent more interviews compared to those without. The survey conducted by ResumeGo looked at 7287 job application submissions and a survey of 236 hiring professionals in North America to discover just how integral cover letters are to job search success and what exactly employers value in them.

A good cover letter shows that you've put more effort into your job application than other applicants,

Peter Yang, ResumeGo

Peter Yang, chief executive of ResumeGo, says that CVs will always be far more important than cover letters but believes that the study has debunked the common myth that cover letters are pointless and something hiring managers often disregard in their decision-making process.

"As someone who's been a hiring manager for more than a decade, my advice to job seekers would be to always tailor their cover letters as much as possible instead of sending a generic cover letter," says Yang.

Eighty one per cent of hiring managers surveyed said they valued cover letters that were tailored to their specific company and job opening significantly more than generic cover letters.

And not any letter will do — a good cover letter should be brief — no more than a page — without grammatical mistakes and tailored to the job description.

Getting this right will give jobseekers a big advantage. The survey shows that cover letters materially influence 65 per cent of recruiters and hiring managers. "A good cover letter shows that you've put more effort into your job application than other applicants and that you're hungrier for the job," says Yang.

"If you're someone who simply doesn't have the time to submit a tailored cover letter, I would still recommend submitting a generic cover letter as opposed to not submitting one at all. A well-written generic cover letter should never hurt your chances for the job. On the other hand, choosing to entirely avoid sending a cover letter can really give the impression that you just don't care for the job very much."

Yang says it depends on your circumstances whether or not you should get professional help with writing your cover letter.

"How good a writer are you? Do you know proper resumé and cover letter etiquette? Are you in a rush to get one written? What's your budget? These are all factors that should be weighed when determining if it's worth hiring a professional resumé writer or going to a resumé writing service. Out of the hiring professionals we surveyed, only 13 per cent said they skipped cover letters regularly — most hiring professionals read cover letters."

Link to the study is here

Cover letter tips

Highlight your most notable achievement — brand yourself as that candidate who did that one special thing that sets them apart from everyone else. If you're someone who's got an ace in the hole that you can mention to hiring managers, highlighting this in your cover letter can be a game-changer.

Tailor your cover letter to the job description — tailored cover letters are the most effective at landing you an interview. One way to do this is to identify the most important skills from the job description and emphasise them on your cover letter.

Explaining why you want the job — it's a pretty common tip, but telling a captivating story about why you want the job in the first place is still a great way to set yourself apart from other applicants.