I’ve written before on the importance of cover letters, and how experience on both sides of the job-seeking process convinced me that they’re far more important than resumes.
I’m not alone. In the June issue of Inc. Magazine, columnist Jason Fried, founder of a software firm, said that his firm doesn’t even bother looking at resumes. Instead, they read the cover letters.
“Cover letters say it all. They immediately tell you if someone wants this job or just any job. And cover letters make something else very clear: They tell you who can and who can’t write. Spell checkers can spell, but they can’t write.”
Fried shared another piece of advice in general: “When in doubt, always hire the better writer.” I’ll second that. No matter what the job is all about, it involves communication and some logical thinking. Writing skill is a quick measure of both.