Notes on Cover Letters for Software Engineers
My notes for Mayuko Inoue's video on whether cover letters are worth it for software engineering jobs.
Overview
Here are some notes I took while watching Mayuko’s video on whether cover letters are worth it for software engineering jobs.
Probably Not Worth It
- Cover letters are not that valued in the tech industry.
- Recruiters are not going to take the time to thoroughly read it.
- They want to higher the best people as quickly as possible
- Operate of the assumption that recruiters and hiring teams will not look at a cover letter
- The resume should tell recruiters everything they need to know
- Caveat:
- Resumes don’t always give the full picture
- Example: Gaps in employment
- Resumes don’t always give the full picture
- It depends on the specific company whether it is important to communicate the things that would normally go in a cover letter.
- Example: It can be very important to startups whether the mission resonates with you
- It is less important for larger companies where their brand and values are established and well known
- Do your research on companies of interest to get a better idea of what they are looking for
- Hiring platforms
- provide an opportunity to showcase who you are
- Put effort into the about me sections
- include different hobbies that you are interested in
- bring in recommendations
- Make sure grammar is on point
- Grammar is used to weed out candidates early on
- Make sure the writing flows and is consistent with the resume
- The strongest way to get your foot in the door is through an inside referral.
- Research and reach out
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