If a job ad doesn't ask for a cover letter...

Should you still send one?

I have two thoughts on this. Yes, you should, because it's good to give yourself a formal introduction and allows you to elaborate on experience or skills you have may possess that you couldn't necessarily show in your resume or clips.

And no, because they didn't ask for one and following directions is important.

But you guys here are a lot more experienced than I am so I would like to see your thoughts.

 

If it tells you NOT to send one, don't. Otherwise, do.

 

This would be my advice as well.

 

I've never seen an as that explicity asks NOT to send one. I always do.

A cover letter is a huge asset. It allows you to introduce yourself, in whatever way you like, to a stranger and prospective employer. It gives you a chance to showcase your strong points and say things in paragraph form that don't fit as well into a bullet-point resume. I tell people who I am, what experience I can offer and what about their job interests me. I NEVER mention salary (there will be ample time for that discussion later).

My typical cover letter is 5-6 paragraphs, one page and then staple a resume to the back. If emailing, I usually copy and paste the resume underneath the cover letter and send as an attachment. Some places can't or won't open attachments in various formats. I would always advise people to include one.

 

Because most job applications are done by email now, whatever I would normally put in a cover letter, I just put in the body of the email. The email has to have some content in it, and it just seems like duplication to me to introduce yourself in the email and then again in a separate cover letter. Plus, I only write about 3 paragraphs in the cover letter, so it fits pretty well.

 

A cover letter and resume is not about the job seeker. It's about the hirer. Use it to show how your skills relate to the job you are seeking, not what you've done. It's about how what you've done relates to what the hirer needs. Cover letter is important part of this.