I am shocked by how many people don't send a covering letter with their CV

emmaanddave

SuzieSue wrote: »

But did you tell them to only send covering letters if asked for specifically or as a matter of course?

We advised them to read the job and advert and do as requested. If the were applying for adhoc positions/speculative/where it stated then yes cover letter essential. We advised most agencies do not require one unless they specifically asked for one. Most adverts in the paper/online will state to apply with a CV and cover letter or ring for application.

925dancer

I think half the issue is the type of role.

If it's clerical and you're applying form a clerical background then your CV should pretty quickly be down to the nitty gritty of the skills and experience required for that role.

So my covering letters and emails when applying for those roles is short and gives a brief outline of things that may be missed in my CV. But it may be that applicants don't feel it necessary to wax lyrical about a company when they are applying for a low level administrative position (above NMW or not).

When applying for a role more industry specific with my previous experience or in an industry I'm really interested in, then I will go into a little detail about that.

I admit I do struggle a little with applications in companies I have little interest or experience (not to say I wouldn't become interested). I want a job, I hope it will be in a sector I am genuinely interested in but if it happens to be construction or something similar i'll be just as happy but would struggle to explain why I want to work for that company beyond "I just want a job please". I do manage it but I would imagine there are some less imaginative and articulate candidates out there who either don't think to do it or have never had to do it in order to secure interviews and/or jobs.

Then there's the disillusioned who have applied for so many positions they've lost the will to live (I'm not far off that stage myself!).

emmaanddave

emmaanddave wrote: »

We advised them to read the job and advert and do as requested. If the were applying for adhoc positions/speculative/where it stated then yes cover letter essential. We advised most agencies do not require one unless they specifically asked for one. Most adverts in the paper/online will state to apply with a CV and cover letter or ring for application.

whooppss, a few spelling mistakes, my eyes are getting tired....:D

hcb42

SuzieSue wrote: »

I am not slating them, I am just curious to know if the importance of covering letters has diminished in the 10 years since I have been involved in recruitment. I and everyone I knew always sent a covering letter with a job application in the past so I didn't know that I had to specifically ask for one when I placed the ad. This is the whole point of this thread.

No, it hasn't. A covering letter is as essential today as it always has been.

I remember about 12 years ago I was recruiting, and we had someone in the office who was about 10 years younger than me (I was only about 32!). She said a "handwritten" letter was so out of date. (We had received one) Very true, but it is so easy now to enclose a covering letter/email.

If you cannot spend a few minutes telling someone why you want a job, you will never stand out among a crowd. No one should need to be asked.

I have to say, when I have recruited recently, we do not explicitly say this and we generally DO get a letter.

hcb42

Errata wrote: »

Application forms create a template and make shortllisting straightforward. CV's these days are so disparate and all over the shop it's well nigh impossible to discover essential skills and preferred skills. And I do not want to read turgid prose about hobbies, singing dogs, or any other rubbish which people seem to believe makes them an eye catching candidate.

Never had such a problem. I can shortlist from CVs, it is a piece of cake. Not all companies have forms, everyone who is serious about getting a job will have a CV.

hcb42

emmaanddave wrote: »

If you wanted everyone to send in a covering letter then it should have been clearly stated in the job advert. 200 plus potential employees will not presume that a letter is needed if not asked for one. Maybe next time before slating all those that didn't send in a cover letter to actually request one in the first place. Cover letters can be an important part of the application and more effore is put in by myself if it is directly asked for etc.

Is this not taught by careers advisory any more?

It always has been, and I must say, the majority of candidates who want a job make an effort.

hcb42

grudz wrote: »

I have to disagree, providing a covering letter with your CV is like attending an interview in a shirt and tie. It's one of those unwritten laws like

Friday night is chippy tea, IT'S THE LAW!!

Well I thought so too!!!

grudz

Maybe this is where I'm going wrong. The next job I apply for, I'll just send in my CV and if invited for an interview, I will wear jeans and trainers.

CFC

SuzieSue wrote: »

I would consider this to be a covering letter. However, I would expect the person applying for the vacancy to go through the job spec and tell me what qualifications and experience they have which makes them suitable for the job.

For example if the job spec said that they would be dealing with the public, I would expect the covering letter to say when in their career they have done this.

This is what I used to do when I was applying for jobs over 10 years ago, but my question is that as it appears that no-one seems to be doing this, am I being unreasonable?

I think you are. That's what a CV is for. Their qualifications and experience will be in the CV A covering letter is just a bit of fluff.

When you get hundreds of applications I sift hard on their most recent job - if it's not something that catches my eye as linked to the role I am offering I move onto the next CV.

Application forms are a nightmare to fill in and will cut down (and probably not in a beneficial way) the number of applicants. I would have forms only for low level jobs.

Torry_Quine

hcb42 wrote: »

Is this not taught by careers advisory any more?

It always has been, and I must say, the majority of candidates who want a job make an effort.

I don't like the implication that no cover letter means no effort. Talking of career advice is all very well but most job seekers aren't getting any as it's some time since they left school