Can you guess the theme here?
Pay phones. . . drop your dime or quarter and call someone. [Remember the phrase “Drop a dime?”] Used to be a profitable business for people who owned them. Now you’ll have to visit a museum to see one.
Flip phones were impressive when they first arrived; the newest technology for verbal communication. But our smart phone mobile devices have long-surpassed the capability of these early devices. Twenty-five plus years later, most people laugh and associate ‘flip phone’ with outdated technology. (Except that smart phone versions are now being trumpeted as the latest thing!)
The USPS, or Snail Mail as many people now call it, has also lost its importance for communication in the internet and mobile device age. Most communication ‒ personal or business ‒ is conducted via email, social media, fax, or virtual meetings. There’s even software that allows us to virtually sign legal forms ‒ no need to send hard-copy documents back and forth.
The common theme is obsolescence, and that leads us to Cover Letters.
So, what about Cover Letters?
They were intended to supplement your resume with information about why you wanted a certain job and what qualified you to be eligible for it.
In the second half of the 20th century, the Cover Letter was your warm and fuzzy introduction to go with your hard and factual Resume. Reminds me of the “So, tell me about yourself” interview question – guaranteed to add no value to a discussion where the focus should be on how you will actually perform the job and add value to the organization.
There are still some companies that request Cover Letters in addition to your Resume, but fewer than before.
Wasting your time?
Not everyone agrees, but with the changing work environment, and people taking less time to even review resumes, Cover Letters are no longer an important part of the job search process.
More importantly, why are you wasting your time agonizing over a document that you would probably submit to a mindless computer-driven Applicant Tracking System (ATS)? Do you really enjoy being Ghosted?
It’s just another part of the online application process, like Keyword Packing and rehearsing canned answers to the Top x (canned) Interview Questions.
We’ve talked about this before – The Online Job Posting Dumpster ‒ your success will be about the same as buying a lottery ticket.
Don’t even think about a Cover Letter
Since a Cover Letter is an introduction, it means that you don’t know the people to whom you’re sending it. So, why are you writing one? Your Cover Letter, along with your Resume, will be just another piece of paper in the trash can or disappear into ATS electronic nothingness.
At The Resume Constructor, we know much more effective ways to introduce yourself directly to a Hiring Manager and get the career-enhancing job you want.
Call us at 774-612-3104 for a no-commitment introductory conversation. Or visit us at TheResumeConstructor.com to learn more about how we can help you.