"Sorry, I probably won’t read your cover letter"

(The insider feedback by a straight-shooter recruiter. Excerpts…)
Like many recruiters, I rarely read cover letters.  Most of us zoom right into the resume for a quick scan of the candidate and avoid the cover letter whenever possible.  Why should we read two different documents that are basically trying to say the same thing?  When we have 100 resumes to read, why read 200 documents instead of just 100?

When do I read cover letters?

• Writing-intensive position (Technical writing, Marketing Communications, etc)
• Hiring manager specifically requests them
• Candidate says something ridiculous or interesting that makes me want to read further
• Cover letter is sent in the body of the e-mail, NOT as an attachment

Click here to read what you can do to get your cover letters read