You really don't want a cover letter? Really?

September 30, 2009 9:27 AM

Has this job advertisement just been worded strangely, or do they really NOT want a cover letter for a specialized job opening?

I'm about to apply to a specialized library position in a well-known museum's research center. It's a position that has a number of specific requirements, etc.

However! And this is the first time I've run into this in my field - they do NOT ask for a cover letter in the body of the advertisement for the job. The first sentence of the advertisement says "If interested, please follow the instructions found in the body of the posting." And then the end of the description notes, "To apply, send resume along with salary history and requirements to: [..address of institution..]"

In your experience, is a cover letter assumed to be required, as if it was part of the salary history and requirements? Or am I over-thinking this, and should send what they specifically ask for, and hope for the best?

Thanks in advance!

posted by anonymous to work & money (12 answers total)

In your experience, is a cover letter assumed to be required...?

Yes. Otherwise you're just sending them an envelope of documents with no coherence.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 9:33 AM on September 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

You are definitely over thinking it. Include a cover letter.
posted by Xoebe at 9:43 AM on September 30, 2009

Yes, you're overthinking, and yes, you should include a cover letter. A cover letter is a totally standard part of a resume, and they expect it to be included whether they specifically mention it or not.
posted by ook at 9:44 AM on September 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

They want a cover letter. They also want to see who can both follow instructions and understand expectations that aren't spelled out in niggling detail.

I have been part of search teams where we have explicitly said, "Let's not say 'Include a cover letter' in the advertisement/posting because we don't want someone for whom things that should be obvious as part of basic professionalism need to be spelled out." (Okay, maybe not in those exact words--there were probably more inside jokes and more requests to pass the mini-muffins--but that was what we meant.)
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:18 AM on September 30, 2009

I've encountered this situation before, and actually had the exact opposite process that Sidhedevil described- what if the employer wants someone who has attention to detail and can follow basic instructions?


I have no idea if that's a legitimate possibility or not; just something that's crossed my mind in the past when encountering similar job postings. I do still think you should include the cover letter.
posted by Shiva88 at 10:37 AM on September 30, 2009

* "thought process"...argh
posted by Shiva88 at 10:38 AM on September 30, 2009

How else would you include your salary history and requirements, if not in the body of a cover letter?
posted by SuperSquirrel at 10:43 AM on September 30, 2009

When you're emailing your materials, write your cover letter in the body of your email and send the requested materials as attachments.

The only time I would assume they don't want a cover letter would be if they asked you to fill out an application instead of sending your own materials and they didn't leave space for any introduction or letter.
posted by decathecting at 10:52 AM on September 30, 2009

I've encountered this situation before, and actually had the exact opposite process that Sidhedevil described- what if the employer wants someone who has attention to detail and can follow basic instructions?

As SuperSquirrel says, the place to detail your salary history and requirements is in a cover letter.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:15 PM on September 30, 2009

Yeah, I had the same thought as SuperSquirrel.

(Incidentally, I know at least one hiring manager who automatically tosses all resumes that *don't* include a cover letter.)
posted by restless_nomad at 2:12 PM on September 30, 2009

I have recently done a course in professional writing, it included resumes. If in doubt, ring up and find out- often this impresses a company because you're putting in extra effort.
posted by titanium_geek at 12:52 AM on October 1, 2009

I would so call/email ahead, and don't worry too much about this bothering them. When it comes to jobs, be confident, not superstitious. Don't believe that every tiny action will somehow affect how things play out. If you are the right person, they will hire you.

I just got a dream job recently, despite doing everything I could to bugger it up.

After sending in my CV/covering letter, I accidentally emailed a message meant for someone else to the person in charge of hiring, which confused her and took ages to sort out. Which was awkward.
I had to change the interview time.
I got lost on the way to the interview and had to call to ask for directions.
The interviewer was in a bad mood because he had an injury that had recently hospitalised him.
In interview, I spent ages talking about something that had nothing to do with what they wanted.
I somehow managed to tell them filing was my hobby (don't ask) and they rightly thought I was bullshitting them.
I had to do a written test - apparently I got 5/10 on it.
And so on.

I was convinced I had fucked it up - but they were competent enough to know what they wanted, and decided I was the best person for the job despite the little things. Once again, don't get supersitious and start buying rabbit ears and avoiding cracks in the ground. If you are the right person for the job, they will recognise it and hire you. The odd call or email will not change this fact. At worst, you play it safe, send a CV, and they ignore it and throw it in the bin. So what?
posted by marmaduke_yaverland at 3:29 PM on October 1, 2009