Handwritten covering letter?

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Why do some firms insist on handwritten application forms and cover letters?

The most annoying is when they want it handwritten but also want you to email it to them!!

McKneff

A because they want to be able to judge how you write, is it legible, can you form a lette intelligently.

B because they want to know that you can follow an instruction.

borders_dude

I think its generally because they want to check you can write well enough for other people to read! Although this generally doesnt apply to doctors!

If I was going to email it I personally would scan it and do it that way but if you dont have a scanner then you will just have to fork out a pound for an envelope and a stamp.

LittleVoice

McKneff wrote: »

A because they want to be able to judge how you write, is it legible, can you form a lette intelligently.

B because they want to know that you can follow an instruction.

C because there may still be organisations (perhaps with links to France) who place some belief in graphology

paulwf

D - because in the days of copy & paste on the computer and email companies can filter applicants by making them spend at least 10 minutes on the application. I bet asking for a hand written letter reduces the application rate by at least 50%.

wontfallforit

I think there's now a vogue towards back-to-basics, traditional approaches in all aspects of life, not least jobs and jobseeking.

As some other posters have pointed out, writing a handwritten letter not only allows the company to assess your presentational skills, but also shows that you actually care about the job.

So many people are quick to fire off dozens of CVs per day to companies they know very little about, and for jobs they aren't really suitable for in the first place. Websites like Monster make it possible to apply to jobs in bulk, with very little personal approach whatsoever.

I fell into the trap myself a few years ago. Tired of my job at the time, I fired off my CV and a standard covering letter to just about every vacancy I ever saw advertised. I received exactly zero replies.

When I got my head together and started selecting companies I actually knew something about, and was able to conduct research on, my success rate was much higher.

My current job didn't require a handwritten application, but it did require time, thought and effort, as well as a tailored CV, and I bagged it with no problem.

A handwritten letter - even if you have to practice it on your PC - demonstrates that you've put at least a little bit of energy into your application, and aren't simply bombarding them with a "Dear Sir/Madam..." letter that's been saved in "my documents" for months.

bristol_pilot

I suspect it's not to check if an applicant's writing is legible. Anyone with normally scruffy and illegible writing is going to make a special effort for a job applictaion. I expect that it's C - graphology. I wouldn't be happy to work for a Company that used graphology to assess applications any more than one that used astrology.

DCFC79

What i dont get is surely using a computer to type up a cover letter will save money than posting, posting an application form is a waste of money when it could be emailed or downloaded from the website