I am here to bust that myth for you and understand when it is appropriate to use a cover letter, and when it might not be.
One of the most regular questions I am asked by people is whether they should use a cover letter for an application.
The reality is, for the majority of applications, it really shouldn't be the case that you need one.
I am going to go through why that is the case today and exactly what the exceptions are.
So first of all, let's focus on why not. If I am saying the majority of applications don't need one, let's talk about the why.
Let Your CV Do The Heavy Lifting
You should let your CV do the heavy lifting and tailor that CV for every application that you have got.
For example, if you are going for a private sector role and you want to make sure that you've got the skills associated with that job, make sure you are highlighting those skills in your CV.
Make sure you are talking in your bio about your aspiration to work in that industry or that role, and make sure your work experience leans into what that job requires.
That takes time and effort in order to do all of those actions. I would much rather see you do that in your CV than invest the time in your cover letter.
The flip side of it as well is that recruiters do not necessarily have the time to read a cover letter.
Neither do the hiring managers, especially in today's job markets where they are processing really high volumes of applications.
So it is important to make sure that you invest that time in the CV because that is what you are going to be scored and assessed on instead of a cover letter.
The 4 Crucial Exceptions
That typically applies to the private sector. And as I said, there are going to be some exceptions to that rule, which I have got to go through now.
I said earlier, there are four exceptions to the rule with cover letters that I would typically stand by.
1. The Public Sector
With the public sector, they score applications slightly differently. You will notice the job descriptions are very detailed because they are really clear on what the requirements are and they want to find the right candidates.
So with your CV or your application form, you get to answer the questions about the literal way that you meet the requirements.
But in your cover letter or supporting statement, this is where you get to bring it a little bit more to life using the STAR framework.
They use that to assess your capability in the job applications, so it is handled very differently.
That explains the rationale for why you need a supporting statement, because they do use that to assess you against the vacancy, whereas they don't use that typically in private sector roles.
2. The Charity Sector
The reason it is different is because they want to know more about what motivates you personally to work for that kind of charity.
Whereas in the private sector they are typically looking to see that you have the skills and experience to do that role, in the charity sector, they want to know if you've got the skills, experience, and motivation to work in that charity.
So make sure in a cover letter you talk about why that charity motivates you and why that gives you energy.
Talk about why it aligns to your values and your purpose so that they can see more than just the skills, and actually the alignment to what their vision looks like. It is really important in the charity sector.
3. Academia
The reason why the academic sector focuses more on a cover letter and requires that is because when you are applying for typical academic roles, you have to list your publications.
You have to list the research that you've done in the past and showcase all of those skills and experience.
So in order for them to understand you deeper, they want to know the context of what your research and publications are.
They want to know what your future plans are for research and publications, and that needs more than just a standard CV. This is why academia typically asks for a cover letter as well.
4. The Complete Career Pivot
I am not talking a transferable skills move, I am talking about a completely different career.
This could be deciding that you've got experience in project management, but wanting to move into a completely different career after having no direct work experience.
Perhaps you have completed all of the training, all of the courses, and all of the external work to help you become considered in that role.
Let's say for example, you are going in at a senior project manager level and you are trying to become an entry level business analyst.
You need to explain that story, and a cover letter gives you the opportunity to do that.
What I would say is that for small scale changes, the tailoring of the CV and using a skills based approach is the best way to do that.
You do not need a cover letter to explain that because your cover letter will not be viewed in the same way, whereas your skills will get you noticed quicker when it comes to the hiring managers and recruiters looking at that.
Because if you've already got the transferrable skills, you don't need the cover letter to explain the pivot.
So those are the four exceptions.
As a reminder, it is the public sector, the charity sector, academia, and when you have a complete career pivot.
Protect Your Time and Energy
If you don't fall into those four umbrellas and when you're applying for a job you see a cover letter box, if it is not mandatory, don't write a cover letter.
Tailor your CV and you will get more results. Good luck in your job searches.
#CareerNavigation #CoverLetterTips #CVWriting #JobSearchStrategy #CareerPivotJourney
Good luck with your job searches this week, and if you’d like to learn how I can help you further, Book a free, no-obligation 30-minute consultationwith me and tell me your story.
Let’s see if I can help you shift the dial and secure your new career.
