Cover letters commonly supplement resumes as a way to reflect your interest in a particular organization and further elaborate on relevant skills and experience. If you’re applying for several jobs, modifying your cover letter can become very time consuming. Is it really worth changing your cover letter for every job you apply for?

In response to a job seeker looking for feedback on this issue, experts from companies like Gap Inc., Textron, Merck and Praxair agree that customizing your cover letter is definitely the way to go.

A hiring expert from Textron shared the following advice:

I definitely think it is a good idea to tailor your cover letter for the jobs you apply for. Doing so gives the employer the impression that you are specifically interested in their company and not just mass-marketing your resume. It shows that you are investing time and effort into your career and into the opportunity. A good cover letter will include the following paragraphs:

  • Where you heard about the job and what interested / inspired you to apply  – this helps the employer see a connection between you and the job that they will want to explore further on your resume.
  • Specific details about your knowledge, skills, abilities and accomplishments – while this content can be used for different employers, you will want to make sure you are highlighting those directly related to this job and company.
  • Summary/conclusion of how your background will benefit the position and the company – again, this will intrigue the employer to find out more.
Related Posts

This and hundreds of job seeker questions have been addressed on the website jobipedia.org by individuals who actually recruit and make hiring decisions. One of the unique aspects of the website is that all questions have a minimum of three answers to reflect different perspectives and industries. Please visit jobipedia.org for the full post with all of the employer responses.

Jobipedia.org is a public service provided by the HR Policy Association to bring together career service professionals and top tier recruiters to help first-time job seekers and recent graduates get hired and succeed in the first steps of their professional careers. The site was developed to be a highly credible resource where candidates can safely ask questions and quickly receive the most honest, useful and timely information from hiring experts at some of America’s largest companies.