Does "Encl: resume" belong on cover letters anymore?
January 11, 2017 5:49 PM Subscribe
When I'm electronically submitting (either through email or an ATS) a cover letter as part of a combined document with a resume, do I really need to add "Encl: resume" or similar at the end of the cover letter? Is this an outdated convention that only makes sense when you're mailing or faxing seperate documents?
Bonus round: what about what I'm uploading separate cover letter and resume documents to an ATS?
Bonus round: what about what I'm uploading separate cover letter and resume documents to an ATS?
Best answer: I'm almost 40, I got my first job from a newspaper ad, and I've never heard of this! And I have hired people. So feel free to leave it off.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 6:07 PM on January 11, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 6:07 PM on January 11, 2017 [5 favorites]
Cover Letter is almost optional at this point. Some people always read them, some people never read them. If you have one done and the ATS asks for it, sure, but don't kill yourself writing one.
And no. You don't need to put that, I've been in HR for 15 years and if I have seen that I don't remember it.
posted by magnetsphere at 7:20 PM on January 11, 2017
And no. You don't need to put that, I've been in HR for 15 years and if I have seen that I don't remember it.
posted by magnetsphere at 7:20 PM on January 11, 2017
Best answer: I work in a cultural field as a director, and hire lots of people. I always read and put a lot of stock in a cover letter. That is the place for the well-crafted narrative that makes your hiring case. Your resume cannot quite do the same thing, no matter how targeted. On hiring teams and searches I work with, we print out cover letters to circulate the team, and highlight relevant phrases. Don't skip or underplay this. Definitely always include a cover letter.
"Encl: resume?" That's kind of old-school. Today most people email their applications in a short, few-line email saying "here is my resume and cover letter," and that's very appropriate, and it's totally obvious that the resume is one of the two docs attached.. But for heaven's sake don't skip the cover. Just work on making it succinct and powerful.
posted by Miko at 9:17 PM on January 11, 2017 [4 favorites]
"Encl: resume?" That's kind of old-school. Today most people email their applications in a short, few-line email saying "here is my resume and cover letter," and that's very appropriate, and it's totally obvious that the resume is one of the two docs attached.. But for heaven's sake don't skip the cover. Just work on making it succinct and powerful.
posted by Miko at 9:17 PM on January 11, 2017 [4 favorites]
Best answer: In my workplace we request an email with resume and cover letter attached, (re: the first response, I personally HATE getting the cover letter in the body of the email because then I have to copy and paste it into a word doc in our application files, so it creates more work. And yes, we read them.) I'm 29 and not only have I never heard of this convention, I've never seen it on anyine else's application, including from much older people. Just say in the body of the email 'attached, please find my resume and cover letter'.
posted by showbiz_liz at 5:33 AM on January 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by showbiz_liz at 5:33 AM on January 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Just say in the body of the email 'attached, please find my resume and cover letter'.
I was just about to suggest precisely this.
posted by DrAstroZoom at 6:23 AM on January 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
I was just about to suggest precisely this.
posted by DrAstroZoom at 6:23 AM on January 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I'm 56. I've seen those kinds of notations on letters before but it has been a while. When I noticed them it was only to wonder that they must have served some useful purpose at some time. I thought they might be notes to the gals in the steno pool so they'd know what other documents to include when the letter was sent out (I've only seen steno pools in old movie) I figured such notations were a hold over from the sixties or even before and no one told the high school typing teachers they are a thing of the past.
posted by Carbolic at 10:22 PM on January 12, 2017
posted by Carbolic at 10:22 PM on January 12, 2017
Response by poster: Well, that looks like a consensus!
Also, much like Miko, I'm in a field where cover letters are expected. When looking at applications, I've only rarely seen serious applicants not include cover letters.
posted by blerghamot at 4:54 AM on January 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
Also, much like Miko, I'm in a field where cover letters are expected. When looking at applications, I've only rarely seen serious applicants not include cover letters.
posted by blerghamot at 4:54 AM on January 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
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So in email form, make the cover letter the body of the email, and I'd still probably add "Please find attached..." near the end, and attach the resume/CV separately.
posted by Drosera at 6:03 PM on January 11, 2017 [4 favorites]