A Recruiter’s Perspective on Cover Letters

by Jennifer Seidman, Graduate Career Management Center Advisor

As a Career Advisor I am often asked about the value of a cover letter.  As a professional recruiter and career advisor, this is my perspective.

• They are worth doing.  A well written cover letter can help you stand out.  However, a poorly written one with incorrect grammar and spelling will hurt you more than not having one at all.  So make sure a second set of eyes proofreads your letter before hitting the send button. The GCMC is a great resource for cover letter reviews.

• I read resumes (“glance” is probably the more accurate verb) daily and, if I like the resume, I refer back to the cover letter to confirm my instincts.  I have found that applicants tend to have support in writing their resumes, but the cover letters provide a more accurate view into their ability to communicate through the written word. So refer back to the first tip and have your cover letters reviewed by a Career Advisor.

• Cover letters are a great opportunity to explain your unique situation and I am looking for that, especially from career-changers or candidates applying from outside my geographic area.   I will quickly dismiss a resume if the candidate cannot make it clear to me why they are applying to my position.  I am not clairvoyant.

• Passion and enthusiasm can make me rethink a resume, especially from a career-changer.  I want to know that you are applying for my opportunity because this is what you really want to be doing and not just because you are applying to every job out there.

• Here are a list of words I never want to see in a cover letter:
  -I really
  -I wish
  -I hope
  -I love

• As with resumes, cover letters need to be succinct.  Tell your story, but do it in as few words as possible.  I do not have the patience to read an excerpt from a novel.

My biggest criterion is “smart.”  Show me you are smart through a well written, succinct story that reflects your passion and knowledge of the field you are applying to, and I may present you to a client for a job.

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Jennifer Seidman
Career Advisor

Jennifer Seidman has been a Career Advisor at the GCMC since 2003. Jennifer has worked in both the academic and corporate arenas. Previously, she held the role of Assistant Director of Graduate Career Services at Pace University before joining Merrill Lynch as a Corporate Recruiter and HR Generalist. Additionally, Jennifer currently works as a Contract Recruiter. She has a BS in Business from the University of Delaware as well as an MA in Organizational Psychology and an Ed.M. in Counseling Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. When Jennifer is not advising Zicklin students or managing her recruiting business, you can find her chasing her two beautiful children.