Cover Letters - Still Needed?

Amazon
1Skrt

Go to company page Amazon

1Skrt
Apr 18 2 Comments

Getting back into the job hunt after a few years now. What's the latest thinking on cover letters? Do we still need these? If so, why and how much time do you invest in these?

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TOP 2 Comments
  • Amazon
    apebored

    Go to company page Amazon

    apebored
    No
    Apr 18 0
  • New / Product
    FMLinCA

    New Product

    BIO
    25+ years in tech, 15+ years in product marketing / strategy for companies of all sizes / stages in their evolution. Looking for new opportunity.
    FMLinCA
    This has been rehashed many times on LinkedIn. Recruiters don't like them because it distracts them from the 30 seconds to scan your resume for keywords and hiring managers don't care very much about them either because they expect the recruiters to brief them on the candidates they submit.

    We have reached the point where we need to reconsider how people are hired in general. There are only so many parts of the process that we can cut -- resumes don't really tell me much even if they tell me your results (as marketers we know that past results don't always equate to future ones) and I don't want to talk to a candidate until I'm sure that this person is worth speaking to -- I have too many meetings as it is.

    That being said, I don't think that having 11 rounds of interviews benefits either party and if you're half way decent at writing a cover letter and/or resume, you'll save all of us some time. So write that cover letter - make it brief/concise and you'll help ME out.

    And if you don't want to do that, I don't want to talk to you.
    Apr 20 0