Ananya Iyer ·
Cover letters matter in about a third of applications, and you usually cannot tell which third
The workable compromise is a short one - four or five sentences - that says why this company, why this role, and what you would bring to the specific problem the posting describes. That takes ten minutes with a template and a paragraph of real customisation. A page of prose restating your resume takes an hour and adds nothing.
#coverletter
Join the discussion on OnJob
What is the Job Search Strategy community?
Tactics for running a job search that actually converts - where to apply, how often to follow up, and how to read a job description.
See all Job Search Strategy discussions →More from Job Search Strategy
- Track your applications somewhere you will actually look
- A job search generates far more rejection per week than most jobs do per year, and it arrives without explanation
- Networking works badly when it is framed as networking and well when it is framed as interest
- Apply one band up as well as at your level, and be honest about both
- Research pay before the first conversation, not after the offer
- On following up: one message, five to seven working days after applying, addressed to a person if you can find one