5 Reasons Why Cover Letters are Important Again

5 Reasons Why Cover Letters are Important Again Do you think cover letters are dead? Think twice, job seekers.Cover letters are important once more.Last year, more than 90% of executives answered in a Robert Half survey that cover letters impact getting hired, now more than ever before.Learn 5 reasons why cover letters became important again.5. It Is Becoming More and More Difficult to Impress Companies With ResumesThere are thousands of resume writing services available online.After a while, all the styles become redundant.The same words are used for the same job descriptions. People struggle to do something impressive that stands out.Getting too creative with your resume either works really well or it makes very little sense to a hiring manager reading it.However, cover letters represent “you” as you write to the company.And no one can copy “you.”It impresses people when they see you have taken the time to genuinely expressinterest in a job with your unique, passionate cover letter.4. Growth of Importance Placed on Soft SkillsSoft skills make up your people, social, and communication skills.They make up your character traits, career attributes, social intelligence, and emotional intelligence.Perhaps you have all the business knowledge in the world, and that's important.But what are you like to work with?How do you write emails? How do you address teams? Do you work well with others?Your cover letter is a strong display of your written ability to show these things.In an era of digital communication, what you write says a lot about you.3. Lack of Trust in the Online Hiring ProcessUnfortunately, lying on ajob application is incredibly easy.Your cover letter shows that you understand what the job requires.A cover letter shows you can interpret what is required in the job description.2. Cover Letters Are Easier to Read Than ResumesThe job candidate who can do the following will go further in the hiring process:Target the cover letter for a job. Briefly summarize all your experience. Explain why you are a great fit. Provide proof of claims. Express passion.A cover letter of that sort is easier to read.Resumes are still important, of course. Look at your cover letter as an opening statement and the resume as your evidence to support your claims.1. The Rarity of Candidates With Writing AbilityIt used to be that we mainly communicated through phonesor face to face.In certain professions(journalists, paralegals, grant writers, copywriters, etc.), you could not go far if you could not write with impeccable grammar.Now, we have social media, texting, smartphones, speech-to-text, emails, blogging, writing for SEO, and more.And each style seems to require its own “way” of communicating.Each form of communication seems geared to the grammar style used within it.But job candidates often forget their preferred style of grammar may not work everywhere in the world.A 2017 study by the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed 75% of 12th- and 8th-grade students lack proficiency in writing in the U.S.Companies are starting to realize “the ability to write” is becoming a rare and increasingly attractive skill.The ability to write your cover letter will demonstrate your ability to recognize what should be said, how, and when during the hiring process.