Anonymous
02/27/2025 11:25
Subject: No I do not owe you a cover letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:From an employer perspective, they’re not interested in people sending out a high volume of applications. Write a letter or not. I’ve seen plenty of good resumes that tailored the summary well enough to avoid needing a cover letter. I’d be more concerned with hiring someone who is going to complain about every policy and process, since that’s just part of having a job.
Conversely, I'm very interested in people who challenge "the way we've always done it" because they will move my department forward.
Not converse. Whining is annoying for a manager, period. Norm breakers still need to be able to work within the system. Actually, even more so.
You must work for the Fed.
Anonymous
02/27/2025 11:23
Subject: No I do not owe you a cover letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I make my decision about whom to interview based on the cover letter. It’s invaluable.
+1.
+2 - I toss all resumes without cover letters. If you’re too lazy to write one, I don’t want to hire you.
I think of it as an employer who does not respect employee time.
Hmm, I view that as an employee who doesn't pay attention to critical details. Another example is making eye contact when shaking hands - not a deal breaker - but it gives me pause.
Anonymous
02/27/2025 11:16
Subject: No I do not owe you a cover letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:From an employer perspective, they’re not interested in people sending out a high volume of applications. Write a letter or not. I’ve seen plenty of good resumes that tailored the summary well enough to avoid needing a cover letter. I’d be more concerned with hiring someone who is going to complain about every policy and process, since that’s just part of having a job.
Conversely, I'm very interested in people who challenge "the way we've always done it" because they will move my department forward.
Not converse. Whining is annoying for a manager, period. Norm breakers still need to be able to work within the system. Actually, even more so.
Anonymous
02/27/2025 11:05
Subject: No I do not owe you a cover letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It's nice that PP takes 5 minutes to write a cover letter, but my husband, my best friend, my son and myself agonize over our cover letters and they do indeed represent a burden when applying widely. Each of them needs to be tailored specifically for the job, and each position is sufficiently different that it takes more than 5 minutes to retool a previous one.
The ability to write well and also quickly is a key component of many of the jobs I hire for, so in that sense I view cover letters as a good way to filter applicants. Anyone who would agonize over the letter would not be a good fit for the job.
What field are you in? I'm a writer and editor who recently got laid off from a nonprofit - I've been in the same field for over a decade, and am trying to look around at what else might be out there for someone with my skills and experience. I don't mind writing a cover letter - I won't agonize over every word.
Anonymous
02/27/2025 10:58
Subject: No I do not owe you a cover letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It's nice that PP takes 5 minutes to write a cover letter, but my husband, my best friend, my son and myself agonize over our cover letters and they do indeed represent a burden when applying widely. Each of them needs to be tailored specifically for the job, and each position is sufficiently different that it takes more than 5 minutes to retool a previous one.
DP
I spent 5 hours on my coverletter last week. I can't see how 5 min would produce something that represents my attention to detail, which is my strength.
Wow, attention to detail AND efficiency are my strengths. I can write a flawless, well-crafted and customized cover letter in 5-10 minutes. Even without AI. You would not be a good fit for my organization or industry if it takes you 5 hours to draft a cover letter. That's not a sign of attention to detail; it's a sign of inefficiency.
"Jim Halpert. Pros: Smart, cool, good-looking. Remind you of anybody you know? Cons: Not a hard worker. I can spend all day on a project, and he will finish the same project in half an hour. So that should tell you something." --- Michael Scott, The Office
And who was manager? Michael Scott was a genius, getting paid more to be terrible and slow at his job.
It doesn't mean I want to hire Michael Scott though.
Anonymous
02/27/2025 09:36
Subject: No I do not owe you a cover letter
If the job has any sort of competition why not write the cover letter?
I applied for a night-shift healthcare job that I could see had been posted for a year. I didn't bother with the cover letter and asked for maximum pay and they still called me the next day begging me to come in. I knew I could get away with it under those circumstances. But if it was a newly-posted job that people might actually want, distinguish yourself.
I applied for a night-shift healthcare job that I could see had been posted for a year. I didn't bother with the cover letter and asked for maximum pay and they still called me the next day begging me to come in. I knew I could get away with it under those circumstances. But if it was a newly-posted job that people might actually want, distinguish yourself.
Anonymous
02/27/2025 09:34
Subject: No I do not owe you a cover letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It's nice that PP takes 5 minutes to write a cover letter, but my husband, my best friend, my son and myself agonize over our cover letters and they do indeed represent a burden when applying widely. Each of them needs to be tailored specifically for the job, and each position is sufficiently different that it takes more than 5 minutes to retool a previous one.
DP
I spent 5 hours on my coverletter last week. I can't see how 5 min would produce something that represents my attention to detail, which is my strength.
Wow, attention to detail AND efficiency are my strengths. I can write a flawless, well-crafted and customized cover letter in 5-10 minutes. Even without AI. You would not be a good fit for my organization or industry if it takes you 5 hours to draft a cover letter. That's not a sign of attention to detail; it's a sign of inefficiency.
"Jim Halpert. Pros: Smart, cool, good-looking. Remind you of anybody you know? Cons: Not a hard worker. I can spend all day on a project, and he will finish the same project in half an hour. So that should tell you something." --- Michael Scott, The Office
And who was manager? Michael Scott was a genius, getting paid more to be terrible and slow at his job.
Anonymous
02/27/2025 09:32
Subject: No I do not owe you a cover letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It's nice that PP takes 5 minutes to write a cover letter, but my husband, my best friend, my son and myself agonize over our cover letters and they do indeed represent a burden when applying widely. Each of them needs to be tailored specifically for the job, and each position is sufficiently different that it takes more than 5 minutes to retool a previous one.
DP
I spent 5 hours on my coverletter last week. I can't see how 5 min would produce something that represents my attention to detail, which is my strength.
Wow, attention to detail AND efficiency are my strengths. I can write a flawless, well-crafted and customized cover letter in 5-10 minutes. Even without AI. You would not be a good fit for my organization or industry if it takes you 5 hours to draft a cover letter. That's not a sign of attention to detail; it's a sign of inefficiency.
"Jim Halpert. Pros: Smart, cool, good-looking. Remind you of anybody you know? Cons: Not a hard worker. I can spend all day on a project, and he will finish the same project in half an hour. So that should tell you something." --- Michael Scott, The Office
Anonymous
02/27/2025 09:24
Subject: Re:No I do not owe you a cover letter
As a hiring manager, I would much rather spend 2 minutes on your LinkedIn profile over reading a cover letter. But I do think there are times where what I have written in a cover letter landed me an interview. If there is a personal connection to the place your are applying, a cover letter is a great place to mention that. For example, I applied for a job at the hospital where I delivered my kids and the interviewer mentioned it in the interview. I actually got an offer.
Anonymous
02/27/2025 09:19
Subject: No I do not owe you a cover letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I make my decision about whom to interview based on the cover letter. It’s invaluable.
+1.
+2 - I toss all resumes without cover letters. If you’re too lazy to write one, I don’t want to hire you.
I think of it as an employer who does not respect employee time.
Anonymous
02/27/2025 09:18
Subject: No I do not owe you a cover letter
ChatGPT. I'm an engineer and it write so much better than me.
Anonymous
02/27/2025 09:07
Subject: No I do not owe you a cover letter
IME the cover letter is irrelevant for initial resume screening but when it comes down to the pool of people I'm considering interviewing, the cover letter is very important. I can't interview the whole pool so the letter is your chance to make your pitch about why you should get some of my limited time
Anonymous
02/27/2025 09:05
Subject: No I do not owe you a cover letter
Anonymous wrote:It's nice that PP takes 5 minutes to write a cover letter, but my husband, my best friend, my son and myself agonize over our cover letters and they do indeed represent a burden when applying widely. Each of them needs to be tailored specifically for the job, and each position is sufficiently different that it takes more than 5 minutes to retool a previous one.
The ability to write well and also quickly is a key component of many of the jobs I hire for, so in that sense I view cover letters as a good way to filter applicants. Anyone who would agonize over the letter would not be a good fit for the job.
Anonymous
02/27/2025 09:04
Subject: No I do not owe you a cover letter
Anonymous wrote:It depends on the jobs. The biggest skill for the work in my office is writing ability. A great cover letter can mitigate a weak resume. But a great resume isn’t going to overcome a poorly written cover letter or one with lots of typos.
+1 also if the job/industry is not exactly in line with what you are doing now a cover letter lets you explain why the pivot and how your skills relate.
Anonymous
02/27/2025 09:03
Subject: No I do not owe you a cover letter
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I make my decision about whom to interview based on the cover letter. It’s invaluable.
+1.
+2 - I toss all resumes without cover letters. If you’re too lazy to write one, I don’t want to hire you.