Should you write a cover letter when submitting applications?
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Hey folks -- what’s a subtle interview red flag people should pay more attention to that most candidates ignore at first? I’ll start: - The interviewer constantly interrupts or seems distracted the whole time. - Nobody can clearly explain what the role actually involves day to day. - They dodge questions about turnover, onboarding, or why the role is open. - The interview feels weirdly adversarial for no reason. Anything else that comes to mind?
Does anyone draw a complete blank at interviews? From the time they say "So tell me about yourself" I go into fight or flight mode. It as if they're asking me about someone else's life. They say don't try to memorize your answers, but I have no other choice. I sturdy all these stories and intro's about myself and still can't remember. I don't know what to do. I have had at least 4 interviews and at each one I rambled and didn't get the job.
This may sound weird but hear me out. I have an interview coming up for a role that I have a strong suspicion is not a good fit for me. So I figure this is a good opportunity to try out some things that I’ve never been brave enough to do before. E.g. try to prioritize making personal connection over demonstrating the fit. I’m looking for more ideas though. Do you have any suggestions or questions that I can try? Happy to report back with results!
What’s an interview moment that made you think, "wow, I actually want this job"? During one of my interviews with Hatch, the guy pulled up a Jira board and started walking me through an actual project. He didn't switch into corporate PR mode or pretended everything ran perfectly. It was the first interview I’ve had where the team sounded like actual coworkers instead of people performing professionalism at each other. This ended up being my current job, and I got promoted recently.💪
Unpopular but honest opinion based on experience and knowing many hiring teams - no. They’re not read as deeply as the effort is that’s put in. Use ChatGPT if anything, but don’t spin your wheels or let it slow down your process. The market is moving fast - the time spent on writing a thoughtful cover letter is 10s if not 100s of applicants being submitted ahead of you. The folks who say it’s gotten them more interviews: it wasn’t your cover letter. It was your resume. Your resume was strong which made them give your cover letter a second look; not the other way around. They were already interested before they read it. Expend the energy in your resume.
I always do when I have a person inside the company who can recommend me. Companies reward referrals to employees because it reduces outside recruiting fees. Ensure you are applying for the jobs your interested in. Mass applying with companies gives the impression that you don’t really have a specific role that you’re passionate about. Networking is key and volunteering and making connections are you’re best method to land your dream role
I had more interviews with a cover letter.
Great! Thank you.
Absolutely always do! That opens more doors
Make it easy and find a letter template that the only thing you have to change is the company name/job specific info. If youre writing a cover letter for hundreds of apps you'll burn out
Use chatgpt
No experience or 1 page resume=cover letter....plenty of experience and 2 page resume=no cover letter.
I do both, I have a cover letter saved that I just need to change company and job title.
Following a career seminar in April discussing resumes and applications we talked about the necessity of cover letters. When applying to a job you hope to hear from you should always include a cover letter. Generally speaking, I’ve found it easier to write a boilerplate cover with a space for a tailored paragraph (3-4 sentences max) to the specific job/employer posting. As opposed to writing individually tailored letters to each posting and application, saving tons of time. Best luck to you!
Thank you! Great advice!
Yes, it’s a nice personal touch.
If you ask recruiters and hiring managers in R/recruiters they don’t care. I personally would only bother for jobs you really want bad
I would just ask ChatGPT to help you draft one and you can change company name/other details on your own. It’ll save massive amounts of time.
When I hire I throw out all the resumes with no cover letter but I'm a Boomer working in academia