Social Media: The New Cover Letter

Dear sir/madam/hiring team,

Are cover letters obsolete? Statistics show that jobs still come from referrals and job boards, where presumably a cover letter more in-depth than “hey here’s my resume” is in order.

On the other hand, “no hiring manager has ever contacted someone with a mediocre resume who wrote a really nice cover letter,” writes Charlie O’Donnell. He goes on to argue that nobody has time to read a traditional cover letter and you’d be better off selling yourself with a really nice linkedin profile or very incisive Twitter account.

According to ERE, it boils down to “farming vs. hunting.”

The social media approach is a long-term marketing approach to career development where you make yourself professionally visible to the world. It gives you the opportunity to show off your work, drive, personal philosophy, and depth of knowledge. More importantly, it lets you engage in conversations that would never materialize if you were not “out there.” You plant the seeds today, and over time you grow relationships that will bear fruit throughout your career.

The purpose of the cover letter, on the other hand, is to convince the reader it that you are the right person for that specific position at that specific company. You’re hunting, not farming, and the cover letter is a tool to show that you have done your homework and have real interest. It’s transactional, which some look down on as short-sighted, but your goal is to find work ASAP, so that’s just fine.

Recruiters: How much do you value a good cover letter? Job-seekers: How nice does your blog look? (Need some inspiration? Check this list of 50 out.)

Create a social media strategy, launch your campaign, and track the results in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. The online event and workshop will feature speakers including The Onion‘s Baratunde Thurston (left), Facebook’s Morin Oluwole, and bitly’s Tim Devane. Register now.