Common Myths about Cover Letters

There is a truckload of information surrounding cover letters; while some are true, there are misconceptions about others. A large number of social media users, at some point, have expressed their displeasure over having to write cover letters to apply for jobs. The reason for the disapproval is best known to them; however, some cover letter myths have been assumed to justify their decisions. Let's talk about them.

But, First! What are Myths?

Myths are ideas and narratives that have existed for a long time because several people believed a certain concept without questioning it at all. Myths provide explanations to several questions, natures, and reasons behind natural events or phenomena but it doesn't mean that they are true. This is to say that some of your knowledge about cover letters may be popular but unjustified. These are some of them: 

No one reads your Cover Letter

While it may be true that the cover letters you send to your employers do not do the job, how about you just do it? Cover letters help you showcase many things about yourself, including your personality, communication skills, and eagerness for the position. A potential employer may just want to take a glance at the cover letter and then find something that interests them and they are stuck. Also, if there is additional information that you can't add to your resume, your cover letter can explain that. Instead of keeping a potential employer in the dark, a cover letter can help to explain the reasons for the employment gap and many other discrepancies that may have been an oversight in your resume. 

It's the digital age! Cover letters are no longer necessary.

The only people deciding whether cover letters are necessary are the potential employers because some organizations, regardless of the digital age, require that you send a cover letter along with your resume. Many companies still value cover letters and may want to use them to assess their candidates. Therefore, before taking this myth to heart, know that you will need to produce cover letters for some of your job applications if you are looking to get the job. 

Read Also: Business Analyst Cover Letter Template

The longer the Cover Letter, the better

What is quantity without quality? While providing relevant information that interests the potential employer is essential, an excessively long cover letter can harm your application. Remember that hiring managers do not have all the time, so it is advisable that you make your letter succinct and well-structured rather than overwhelming the reader with too much irrelevant information. 

Cover Letters should restate your resume

Not necessarily! Cover letters allow you to express yourself better and not duplicate your resume. You can provide an additional context, and pinpoint relevant experience and projects you've worked on. While your resume may look too serious, you can tell a story with your cover letter, talking about your professional journey and convincing the reader that you are the perfect fit for the role. 

Read Also: Accounting cover letter template

Cover letters are a replacement for application letters

Writing application letters are outdated and cover letters have taken over - this is the gist but it is not true.   Application letters have certain components that do not feature in cover letters. Cover letters help you to do a lot of personalization and even unconventional stuff while application letters are always extremely formal. Depending on the organization you are applying to, some (government organizations) may prefer that you submit an application letter in person and others will demand that a cover letter be sent to the company's mail. So, we can't say that cover letters have replaced application letters, although they lean towards the same line. 

You can save your cover letter for subsequent times

You really shouldn't! What if you are applying for a really or slightly different job? That's where you don't like it! It is easier to think that you only want one position and your single cover letter should do the job. But, it is better this way - Each time you plan to apply for a job, check through the cover letter and modify, include new information, and rewrite with renewed enthusiasm. You don't have to always visit the old cover letter, a new one works better.