I think we can all agree that the job application process isn't particularly enjoyable. If only landing a job interview was as simple as this:
Unfortunately, most jobs require things like cover letters, which might be the most painful and exhausting part of the entire job hunt. There was actually an entire conversation about this on Twitter recently, and I'm glad that I'm not the only one who feels like writing a cover letter is fruitless.
It all started when LinkedIn tried to hop on the latest meme trend:
little miss gives up on a job application if it requires a cover letter
Little did they know that they were about to start a HEATED debate about the uselessness of cover letters.
Many people were quick to point out how much work job applications are.
@LinkedIn Listen, if you're making me upload a resume and then fill out an application that has all the info on my resume, then call me for an interview and ask just a bunch of shit I already answered in the resume and application, what else is a cover letter gonna do make me get hired?
Others highlighted the redundancy of the process.
@LinkedIn I hate it when you have to upload a resume and then answer questions about everything already on your resume more.
Some even argued that mandatory cover letters reflected badly on the company requiring them.
@LinkedIn If the job requires a cover letter, I don't apply. A required cover letter is a good sign the employer is more interested in the act of business than the business itself. Cover letters, wearing suits/ties to interviews, thank you letters - all of these are ancient relics.
One person brought up a very valid point about the current state of employment.
Interesting that we are in a labour shortage that is projected to continue for the next ten years, yet have done nothing to change/modernize/simplify job application processes to remove barriers. https://t.co/7sJJuuXpg2
One person who said she was a recruiter even gave her perspective...
as a recruiter I can 100000% assure you I am #not reading a cover letter https://t.co/BIfh1jGlK6
...which ultimately reinforced the point that the time and effort put into writing a cover letter might ultimately go unnoticed.
@theresnoyou @RamseySaidWHAT And then they be saying “employers only look through your resume for about 15 seconds before they decide if you’d qualify or not” ..then why would I include a cover letter that takes 2 minutes to read..
Another person, however, did go against the grain and shined light on the value of submitting something other than a resume.
@LinkedIn Cover letters are a great opportunity to highlight strengths and less traditional parts of your background that don't come through well on a resume. People who think it's busywork are usually writing bad cover letters that are just regurgitations of their resume.
And that's when someone else stepped in to offer that a screening call was more worthwhile than a cover letter.
@jademc07 @LinkedIn No. The ones who think it's busywork are the ones who are actually decent writers because they know how much goes into writing. The screening call is a great opportunity to highlight strengths, instead you just want to waste a candidate's time so you can feel special
Many others joined the conversation to discuss how frustrating other aspects of the hiring process are, including “mock projects.”
@LinkedIn I have no problem attaching a cover letter! However, I absolutely refuse to complete multiple assessments or “mock” projects before an offer letter has been signed, or complete more than 3-4 interviews total. It’s like a part-time job on top of the hunt! #Exhausting 🥵😭
Thank god, I'm not the only one.
@LinkedIn Iittle miss gives up if there's an external link and new account required for a job application
And a few brave souls came for LinkedIn directly, pointing out how the platform doesn't mandate salary ranges for open job posts.
I know it ain’t miss not posting the salary talkin https://t.co/PDN7BYrw3r
And finally, someone had a story that included MULTIPLE of the complaints listed above. This just proves that the hiring process NEEDS some work.
@RamseySaidWHAT Applied for a job at Amex. Not only did they make me create an account to apply for the job, they asked for my salary expectations. Really tired of these firms playing games to pay you the least amount of money they can. Can’t wait for all states to mandate salary disclosures.