Is a cover letter necessarily ‘optional’?

 

In this day and age, hunting for the right job has become hectic, intense and not but least mostly ‘online’. With the fear of AI wiping out our jobs, we still see many employers looking for human capacity. Isn’t that one of the reasons why you are on Hireclap.com right now? Fingers crossed, let’s hope for the best, but why do we think that a striking cover letter is still necessary? Well, scroll down!

What is a cover letter?

As per Wikipedia, a cover letter is a pitch that describes a person’s skills, interests and relevant experience for the advertised job. Simply put, it is a dessert to your main course. It helps the person feel complete, enhanced or satisfied with the meal.

Doesn’t a resume serve the job?

Partially yes. But a cover letter being a one-page self-introduction ahead of your interview would help the recruiter know more about you. The recruiter may or may not read it, but it will give you an avenue to express your interests and maybe some interesting experience you had which may sound irrelevant in a resume. You are also giving the recruiter an idea of your written communication.

For example, in a resume, you could mention your knowledge of Adobe Photoshop whereas in a cover letter, you could mention that you used this skill to design a magazine for your college and the work is still in the library as a model for others. 

Resume v/s Visume v/s Cover letter

A resume is a short description of your qualification, work experiences and skills whereas a cover letter is more like a motivation letter, wherein you are persuading the recruiter that your skills are in alignment with the job description. A visume, where Hireclap.com has been a guiding light, helps you present a two-minute video of everything that you could convey concerning a resume and cover letter. Would you believe us if we tell you that popular companies like McDonalds, Apple and even Google have used creative videos for recruiting too? Check this out!

Related: How to create your first visume at Hireclap

Guide to Writing a cover letter

A cover letter gives you a chance to stand out from the crowd. But do not include one if,

1. You don’t have the time to read the job description and customise one that’s already made.
2. When you don’t have an option to upload it or an email ID to send it.
3. If you are about to use an AI to generate one. Remember, you are trying to impress the recruiter, but if things go bad and they find out, you are to face the consequences or you are losing trust of the employer.

We have talked about the don’ts first. If you are sure that the above is not a barrier, proceed to the dos while writing a cover letter.

Do these while writing a cover letter:

1. Read the JD: Thoroughly read the Job Description (JD). Once you finish reading, identify the areas you are more confident about, based on the given description. Note it down. A quick idea on how to add keywords is given in our blog here. For example, if you are applying for a job where a detail-oriented person with the ability to fact check is required, in your cover letter, you can write, “I noticed the vacancy for XYZ in your company ABC. I checked on your official website if the vacancy was still available and Voila! It was! Here, you have shown your ability to check back to a source before applying for a job since several scams are going around targeting job seekers online. Don’t worry though, Hireclap has got you covered. We have certain guidelines for our job posters such that job seekers on our website don’t get fooled.
2. Research about the company: Understand their vision, their mission and read some blog posts of the organisation. Make notes of that too. We never miss our notes, period. For example, there are openings at Hireclap for Business Development Interns and one of the job descriptions says, research and generate potential leads, you could write in the body of your cover letter, ‘If provided an opportunity to work with you, I could contact some placement cells in a few colleges and companies to network and work together for the growth of the company’. You are not telling them that you can research, instead you are showing an action plan.
3. Formatting: Start crafting your cover letter. If you can design a template yourself, please go ahead. If not, use some free designing applications.
4. The things that are popularly seen in cover letters are
     a) Your details
     b) The contact person, their designation, employer and official address
     c) Date
     d) Body of the letter
          i) First paragraph/introduction
         ii) Second paragraph/your skills that are in alignment with the job description
         iii) Third paragraph/closing note
   e) Salutation and ways to reach out to you
5. Check the cover letter for grammatical or other evident errors. Be sure to give the contact details that can reach you. In this internet era, we recharge only for net packs on one SIM and calls on the other SIM ending up leaving one unreachable for a lifetime without us realising the mishap. NEVER EVER DO THAT BLUNDER! 

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A sample cover letter to Hireclap for the post of Business Development Intern

District, State

Contact email

Contact phone number

To,

The Hiring Manager,

Hireclap.

Sub: Application for the post of Business Development Intern reg.

I hope this message finds you well. I recently noticed a post on Hireclap.com regarding an opening for Business Development Intern. I’m excited about this opportunity and would like to apply for the same.

My name is XYZ, and I’m an MBA graduate. Being a fresher, I’m interested in working with you and learning more about the importance of sales management in a start-up environment. I have intermediate proficiency with MS Office tools and would love to learn more with your guidance.

If provided an opportunity, I would like to show my expertise in networking with placement cells of colleges and companies in my connections and contribute together for the company’s growth.

I’m looking forward to working with you. Please feel free to contact me if you would need any extra clarifications. I have submitted my visume and assessment in advance.

Warm regards,

Your name
 

 

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Since you reached the end of this article, we have one brownie point for you.

Brownie point: If you know the company’s slogan or any other references which you could use to write your letter, Use italics and QUOTE IT! You are letting the employer know that you know much more about the company than other candidates.

 

Post by
Sruthi Venugopal
The author of “The Vixen” and a prominent journalist featured in The New Indian Express. Proficient in page design, adept at article editing, and skilled in crafting engaging long-form features.