To include a cover letter or not to include one? Some say no if it’s not asked for, citing it’s a waste of time. Why would you think a hiring manager or recruiter would look at a cover letter if they only spend six seconds on average looking at a resume? However, having a cover letter that actually makes it easy for a recruiter to see if you meet the qualifications for the position could help you stand out in a way that gets you an interview. The key is: Do you meet all the qualifications for the position? If you
A recent LinkedIn group posting by a job seeker asked the question, “Tons of applications vs. networking (in a new place) – Which might work best?” While applying online for openings is a necessary component to job search, I think this chart and table answers the job seeker’s question clearly: Mark S. Granovetter, a sociologist at Harvard, investigated how people get jobs. His study included professional, technical, and managerial workers who recently found jobs, and the chart shows the methods by which jobs were obtained. Granovetter’s data also indicated that of the people who found jobs through personal contacts, 43.8%