“It depends!”
I’ve interviewed solely off of amazing cover letters
Sometimes skipped them
Been hired on them
Probably had them ignored
I think in resume/hiring/interviewing world the quest for the ideal is the single biggest waste of time. Design thinking should be applied instead: for this job, for this person, for this role… What’s the best means of persuasion?
Perfunctory, formal, to whom it may concern type cover letters are garbage. I think that’s what people are referring to when they ask these types of questions.
Use design thinking and change the game. Examples:
“I drew a diagram of my solution. Attached. Let’s talk if you like it.” <<perfect for some roles
“I saw you were a debate coach on the side. So I wrote you a cover letter in goals criterion format, here goes…” <<someone did that and I auto-interviewed them bc no matter their experience, for my more generalist roles I want people who operate that way
“Resume attached” <<Perfect for a mid-level or senior role where the results on the resume are the thing
