Do Big Companies Care About Cover Letters?

The paradox is that even if they don't always read cover letters, most hiring managers still expect them. This is an advantage for job seekers, as a

cover letter

can make a good impression regardless of whether it is read or not. Recent studies by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) have found that 84% of employers use social media to recruit candidates for a job. This is because it is faster, more efficient, and allows companies to search for top-notch talent who may not be actively looking for work.A cover letter can help your application rank higher in the ATS software, and this is almost the only function it serves.

A quick Google search will reveal many results from people who claim that only a small portion of recruiters and hiring managers read cover letters. The truth is that some do, while others go straight to your resume. When applying to large companies with high volumes of applicants, it is not uncommon to see: “I am excited about the possibility of an opportunity at Microsoft, Google or some other company other than the one I worked for.” However, a good resume should start with a summary of your qualifications, so there's no need to repeat them in a cover letter. A look at the history of the cover letter published seven years ago in The Atlantic highlights its use in a 1936 edition of the Wall Street Journal.

Although the cover letter has evolved over the years, its purpose remains generally the same.When I ask job applicants what they think the purpose of a cover letter is, I get one of three answers. I've never understood why job candidates have to write a cover letter; I periodically survey recruiters and HR professionals on my LinkedIn network, and every time I ask them about cover letters, 75 percent of those who respond say they never read them. Having a main cover letter can help reduce the risks of grammatical errors and some other problems that can arise when writing a new document each time.Even so, I would add another factor that narrows the field: hiring managers from small businesses with a lower volume of hiring (such as a small non-profit organization) are more likely to read a cover letter than a hiring manager from companies like Amazon or KPMG. If the job really requires a cover letter, keep in mind that only 18% of hiring managers consider it to be an important element of the hiring process, according to Addison Group, a Boston-based employment agency.

Basically, he wrote an email similar to a cover letter for a person who worked at one of his target companies.In conclusion, while some recruiters and hiring managers may read cover letters, others go directly to your resume. It is important to remember that only 18% of hiring managers consider it to be an important element of the hiring process. Therefore, it is important to make sure your resume stands out and accurately reflects your qualifications.