Including a Cover Letter Gives You a Competitive Advantage

Including a Cover Letter Gives You a Competitive Advantage By Nick Kossovan Nowadays, landing a job requires doing what others don't. Thus, I find the never-ending debate and polarizing opinions about whether to include a cover letter with one's application perplexing. As a job seeker, you should want to do everything possible to differentiate yourself from your competition. The cliche argument against writing a cover letter is that recruiters and hiring managers won't read it; hence, the prevalent thinking among job seekers is that writing a cover letter isn't worth the effort. Nobody accurately knows what percentage of recruiters and hiring managers read cover letters and to what degree a cover letter influences their decision to contact the candidate. Everything I've ever read or heard on whether to include a cover letter has been anecdotal or, at best, a "survey result" that speaks only for those surveyed. Job seekers looking for easy (read: put in as little effort as possible) conveniently dismiss the truism, "Nothing worth having comes easy." Given the competition you face as a job seeker, it's worthwhile to increase your odds as much as possible. In 2025, job seekers must create competitive advantages, which a cover letter does by making it easy for the recipient to connect your qualifications and experience to the job you're applying for. (Yes, it's your responsibility to connect the dots.) Not including a cover letter is a missed opportunity to: 1. Pitch why you're the right candidate for the job. 2. Show that you have taken the time to understand the role and its requirements. (Because so many job seekers spray and pray or use AI application bots, candidates who demonstrate they've actually read and understood the job posting stand out.) 3. Provide additional evidence to support your candidacy. 4. Demonstrate your writing skills. I'm not looking for a debate. I believe the degree to which one desires a goal—how badly one wants it—determines the likelihood of success. Sending a cover letter—or a thank you email (another column)—will undeniably show you're serious about wanting the job and strengthen your application. Moreover, I don't know any hiring manager who'd reject a candidate, assuming they had the qualifications they were seeking, for including a cover letter. However, I know several hiring managers who consider not including a cover letter unprofessional. In previous columns, I've stated that not including a cover letter is lazy. I don't know a hiring manager who hires 'lazy.' There's no question that recruiters and employers gravitate toward applicants with cover letters, if only because it demonstrates that they are more passionate and invested. A common question is whether you should include your cover letter as an attachment or in the body of your email (your resume attached). I recommend including your cover letter in the body of your email, as it'll make a strong first impression when your email is opened. I also recommend that your cover letter be short (75 - 150 words) and concise, which brings me to another reason why you should include a cover letter: it gives the recipient a sense of two essential success-determining skills, regardless of what position you're applying for, your written communication skills and your the ability to sell what tangible value you can bring to the company. "One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple." — Jack Kerouac. Your cover letter has one job: get the recipient to read your resume. With attention spans getting shorter, getting to the point of why you're the right candidate is critical. A skill that'll serve you well throughout your career, regardless of your profession, is to write with brevity, to KISS your reader—keep it short and simple. [date] [recipent's first name] I'm writing to apply for the IT Project Manager position as advertised on Linkedin. Having led Global X's development team (12 IT professionals) for seven years, where I oversaw key projects from conception to delivery, I am an ideal candidate for this opening. Some of my career highlights: · Directed a $5.8 million digital transformation project for an air transport company, which reduced lost/damaged cargo incident rates from 5% to 0.8%. · Reduced the costs of a clothing manufacturer by $2 million by conducting a gap analysis of their supply chain process. · Implemented a cloud migration strategy for over 200 legacy applications, achieving zero downtime and reducing operational costs by 35%. Call me at (416) 555-2368 to schedule a mutually convenient time to discuss the contributions I can make to [company]. Sincerely, Jack Arnold Attached: resume That's it—a 129-word cover letter. No long-winded opinion piece claiming you're a "team player," "detail-oriented," or "a fast learner." Since employers hire results, not opinions you have about yourself, the key is to provide three results not found in your resume or LinkedIn profile, which you've achieved for your employers. Ask yourself: What results did I achieve in previous jobs, projects, or tasks that I have undertaken? If you can't be bothered to write a simple and concise cover letter that may (but is not guaranteed) encourage the hiring manager to contact you, then how badly you want the job becomes questionable. _____________________________________________________________________ Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers advice on searching for a job. You can send him your questions at artoffindingwork@gmail.com